Volume 5, Issue 1 (late FALL 2024)
The Fall semester is on the home stretch!! This newsletter is full of information as you finish the semester and head into the holidays and then Spring semester. There is also information about upcoming dates to be aware of, course offerings, and information on Spring registration. Check out the Information about Professional Organizations and Professional Development, as well as CTE articles in the news, and other highlights as well! Faculty information and contacts are at the end. Happy reading!
REGISTER NOW FOR SPRING!!!!! - CONTACT YOUR ADVISOR!!
Winter and Spring Registration is under way! . See the academic calendar for more dates.
https://www.oswego.edu/registrar/academic-calendar
- Please contact your advisor to determine what courses you should be taking - DO NOT just register for courses that you think you should take; be sure they are the correct ones by checking with your advisor!
- There are no CTE courses offered in the winter session but please consider taking DASA and/or SSHS 1020 over the winter session
- Spring Registration Dates:
- Advanced Registration - November 4th (started already) - November 22
- Non-degree undergraduate and Graduate registration begins November 25th
- Continuing Registration - November 25 - December 31
- Late Registration - January 1 - 24
THINGS TO DO! Please check this!!
EVERYONE (Graduate and Undergraduate):
- GRADUATION IN THE NEXT YEAR? You need to apply to graduate - there is a link in your DEGREE WORKS - sign up now if Spring 25 or Fall 25 is your last semester.
- CHECK YOUR DEGREE WORKS - Whenever you have an advisement appointment with your Advisor, please get onto your degree works from your computer; your advisor will also be on your degree works at the same time. This allows you and your advisor to literally "be on the same page." Degree Works is found in your myoswego account. This is the place that all of the courses you are supposed take are listed as well as requirements for graduation. It is a computerized version of your progress and it's important that we all keep track of this to be sure items are being completed appropriately and timely! Remember, you have an advisor, but ultimately your progress and success are up to you!
IMPORTANT CHANGES IN THE DEPARTMENT
Over the past several years, we have been working to update our Graduate and Undergraduate programs. At the end of the summer we were notified that several of our program changes have been approved and will be fully implemented this year.
Changes that have been approved
Undergraduate:
- Total credits hours have been reduced from 127 to 120. This will be reflected in Degree works beginning in Fall 2025.
Graduate
- All of our INTIAL certification programs that previously were 36 credits are now 30 credits
- Students teaching semester has gone from 12 credits to 6, by eliminating CTE 505, and reducing the number of credits for each CTE 585 and 590 from 5 credits to 3 credits. The student teaching semester itself has remained the same length with the same requirements, but is now fewer credits.
- *PLEASE NOTE - GRADUATE STUDENTS: If these changes are not reflected in your degree works, please contact your advisor and let them know so they can request to have it updated (ONLY THOSE GRADUATING MAY 2025 or later!).
Changes that we are applying for and will take some time yet;
Undergrade:
- We are working on Adding a Computer Science Education Classroom certification grades K-12, Bachelors Degree to allow us to certify teachers under the new computer science regulations from SED. (Approval to create this program has been granted and we are moving through next steps to do so.)
- We have applied to add a Computer Science Education Classroom certification grades K-12, MSEd to allow us to certify teachers under the new computer science regulations from SED. (We do not yet have approval to move forward with this program, but are hopeful it will be forthcoming)
- We are working on Adding a Workforce Education and Development MSEd program. This will be the first program in our department that will not lead to certification. It is designed for those who wish to teach at a post-secondary institution or in the business world in some capacity, but do not need a teaching certification. (Approval to create this program has been granted and we are moving through next steps to do so.)
Dates to Know:
Fall 2024
- Thanksgiving Recess - November 25-29
- Last Day of classes - December 6
- Graduation - December 14
- December 16 - January 24
Spring 2025
- First day of classes - January 27 (online classes open 1 week earlier for viewing)
- LINK TO THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR FOR ALL OTHER DATES: https://www.oswego.edu/registrar/academic-calendar
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO DO BESIDES MY CLASSES?
All students who graduate from CTE at either the graduate or undergraduate levels must have:
- SSHS 1020
- DASA 1020
Safe Schools, Healthy Students (SSHS) and Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) are professional development workshops administered through SUNY Oswego's Division of Extended Learning in support of degrees conferred through the School of Education.
SSHS 1020 is made up of 8 workshops and is taught in an online format. It costs $200.
DASA 1020 is made up of one workshop and is taught in an online format. It costs $90.
You can register for both of these any semester - they are both offered online! They both MUST be taken before you can student teach.
NOTE:
- If you have already taken DASA somewhere else, you can make a copy of your certificate, write your ID number on it and send it to the Registrar. It will then be added to your degree works and fulfill the requirement for graduation. You do not have to retake it.
- SSHS 1020 MUST be taken at SUNY OSWEGO!
For more information, go to: https://ww1.oswego.edu/extended-learning/dasa-and-safe-schools
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BEFORE YOU CAN STUDENT TEACH, you must complete 100 hours of observations (field experience) in NYS Public Schools. This is a NYSED requirement. We embed those hours into your courses with us (approx. 15 hours/course). The Clinical Practice and Partnerships Office coordinates the field experiences and every student MUST fill out the information they require each semester.
MORE FRIENDLY ADVICE
- Whenever you contact one of your Professors for anything, please include your ID number - there are tens of thousands of names in our system and it can be difficult to find you without it; this makes if easier for everyone!
- Make appointments with your professors; our schedules have us on and off campus, and we want to be sure to help you!
IMPORTANT NOTES
- If you would like to see previous issues of this newsletter, The CTE Educator, check out our website: https://www.oswego.edu/vocational/cte-faqs (scroll to the bottom of the page)
- All email communications with SUNY faculty/staff should be done using your oswego.edu email. This is for security reasons. Please be sure to link your oswego account to whatever account you use most frequently so you do not miss important information!
- Looking for a teaching job? We highly recommend using OLAS (https://www.olasjobs.org/). Additionally, we have a listing of open teaching positions that have been sent to us directly from school districts (https://www.oswego.edu/vocational/cte-job-vacancies)
Professional Development Opportunities!
Although Conferences and workshops in person are wonderful opportunities for professional development, it is not always possible to get away for many reasons. That doesn't mean professional development opportunities are all lost. Consider some of the webinars offered by CTE TAC (CTE Technical Assistance Center), ACTE (Association of Career and Technical Educators) and other professional organization and more! Check out this opportunities:
NYS Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center (CTE TAC)
What is CTE TAC?
The Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center (CTE TAC) operates under a state contract to assist the New York State Education Department (NYSED) in carrying out its mission of improving the quality, access, and delivery of career and technical education through research-based methods and strategies resulting in broader CTE opportunities for all students. This is all done at no cost to schools or teachers.
CTE TAC offers many services, assistance and professional development for CTE teachers and programs. Please reach out to them if have any questions and check out their website for what they provide that can help you!
MEET YOUR PROFESSORS
Dr. Benjamin Ogwo is a full professor and the chair of the CTE department as well as the Coordinator of the Occupational Competency Examination. He has a BSc, MEd, and Ph.D. in Industrial Technical Education from the University of Nigeria, a foremost African university modeled after the American land-grant universities. Before joining SUNY Oswego in 2008, Dr. Ogwo was an adjunct Visiting Scholar in the Workforce Development & Education Program, Department of Learning & Performance Systems, Pennsylvania State University, and worked at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka as a professor of Industrial Technical & Workforce Education. At SUNY Oswego, he has taught different graduate-level career technical education (CTE) courses such as Learning Theories in CTE, Instructional Management & Technology, Serving Special Needs Learnings, and Diversity in CTE.
Professionally, Dr. Ogwo severed as an external examiner to the doctoral programs at the
University of Technology, Jamaica, and the University of Minnesota, (Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development Work and Human Education)Twin Cities MN, the USA. He has co-authored and edited six books in Metalwork Technology, Teacher Education and Instruction, Curriculum Development & Educational Technology, Descriptive Geometry, and Methodology for Formal & Non-Formal Technical/Vocational Education. He has 83 published journal articles in various learned journals, book chapters, technical reports, and papers presented at several international consultancy/study visits, and conferences/workshops. These professional activities had taken Dr. Ogwo to the following countries: Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Germany, France, India, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda, and United Kingdom.
Dr. Ogwo has many years of consulting experience in workforce development that he shares
with students. He has developed expertise in training and CTE policy development, as well as
designing, developing, and implementing customizable programs for upskilling the workforce in various occupational areas. Under his leadership, the CTE department completed the
consultancy for G. W. Lisk, Clifton Springs, New York on developing instructors’ training
modules and upskilling CTE faculty in Nigeria by SUNY Oswego faculty under the aegis of the
World Bank’s STEPB project. Dr. Ogwo consulted for the UNDP in developing the National policy on Vocational Training and Skills Development for South Sudan, the latest country in the world. He has also worked on different development-related projects with many development agencies namely, ILO, World Bank, African Development Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF, HP, African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and Open Society Foundation, Tertiary.
On a personal note, Dr. Ogwo is married to Mrs. Francisca Ogwo who is a commercial loan
specialist, at the Small Business Administration (SBA), Herndon, Virginia. Francisca and Dr.
Ogwo have three children ages 20, 17, and 14 years. The family enjoys listening to all shades
of music and traveling. In his spare time, Dr. Ogwo invests his efforts in volunteering his skills within the community and mentoring young CTE professionals including those in sub-Saharan Africa.
OTHER THAN THE NORMAL, WHAT IS THE CTEP DEPARTMENT UP TO?
You can always find our department members teaching, involved in campus and school of education committees, working with student teachers and doing advisement, but we are involved in other efforts you may or may not know about. Ask us! We all have things to share!
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SUNY Oswego CTE Faculty Member Wins Prestigious UNICEF Consultancy
We are proud to announce that Dr. Benjamin Ogwo from our Department of Career & Technical Educator Preparation has been awarded a competitive international consultancy by UNICEF to develop the Employability Skills Development Model (ESDM) for Nigerian Senior Secondary Schools.
This achievement exemplifies our department's growing influence on global workforce development, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Ogwo's work will help shape the future of career and technical education in Nigeria, potentially impacting millions of students by enhancing their employability skills and career readiness.
The ESDM project aligns perfectly with our department's mission to advance career and technical education beyond traditional boundaries. This consultancy not only recognizes Dr. Ogwo's expertise but also highlights SUNY Oswego's commitment to international workforce development.
This achievement opens new possibilities for our faculty and students to engage in international CTE initiatives. We look forward to the positive impact this project will have on Nigerian senior secondary education and the potential for future collaborations in sub-Saharan Africa.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Ogwo on this remarkable achievement!
IN THE NEWS!
- News About NYS CTE Technical Assistance Center
- More NYS CTE
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS
We like to highlight current students and alumni in our newsletters. Please send updates on what you are doing to
Dr. Woodworth for inclusion in future newsletters! We love to share what you are up to and how your professional journey is progressing!
WE WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP
In our next newsletter we would like to include a section with tips for new teachers and advice from those already teaching. Please send suggestions for this section to Dr. Woodworth. Indicate whether it is okay to include your name with your suggestions, or if you would like that left out. Thank you so much! Teachers helping teachers is so important! Let's make this a great section! THANKS!
