Jerry’s Documents
Jerry’s DP DEGREE:
Bachelor of Science.
CENTER:Center for Distance Learning
REGISTERED Interdisciplinary Studies AREA: CONCENTRATION:Coaching Athletics CONCENTRATION
GENERAL LEARNING
CREDITS
Landover College *
English I [10F]
5
5 Quarter Credits = 3.35 Semester Credits Electra Western University * * *
Introduction to Psychology [3F] Nutrition and Health General Biology with Lab [2F] + Coaching Baseball/Softball + Coaching Olympic Sports + Principles of Coaching * + Psychology of Coaching
3 3 4 2 2 3 3
*+Principles of Oceanography
3
* World History: Development of Western Civilization [5F] * Introduction to Religion [7F] * Economics in a Global Society * Environmental Biology & Lab * American Government in History: 1865 Present [4F] * Introduction to Anthropology * World Regional Geography * College Algebra [1F] * + Environmental Geology with Lab
TOTAL TRANSCRIPT CREDIT
3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 4
55
CREDIT BY EVALUATION EMT License EMT - Basic II First Responder EMT - Intermediate EMT - CC EMT - Paramedic
5 2 10 9 4
TOTAL CREDIT BY EVALUATION TOTAL ADVANCED STANDING
30 85
EMPIRE STATE COLLEGE * *
Anatomy & Physiology Physiology Exercise + Secondary Instructional Methods & Practices * + 283174* Adolescence and Identity: Home, School, Community [3F] *+ Educational Planning: Sports & Culture *+ Athletics & Education
4 4
* + 283304 Family and Society 4 * 221294 Introductory Spanish: Language 4 and Culture [9F] * + 284284 Analyzing Behavioral Choices [3F] 4
4 4
*+ Ethical Issues in Sports *+ History of Baseball
4 4
TOTAL EMPIRE STATE COLLEGE CREDIT DEGREE PROGRAM TOTAL Degree Program
Conc.
Total Credits
129
82
ESC Studies
44
Advanced Level (+)
49
Liberal Studies (*)
88
OK
Advanced Standing
85
OK
44 129
Requirements
Total credits exceed maximum allowed (128 credits) OK
34
4 4
OK
Jerry’s General Education Worksheet Component
Source
Cr.
Adolescence & Identity Intro. Spanish English I Intro. Psych. General Biology w/ Lab World History Intro. Religion Am. Govt. in History College Algebra
CDL
4
CDL
4
Trans. Trans. Trans.
3.35 3 4
Trans. Trans. Trans.
3 3 3
Trans.
3
Areas Complete 9 Total Credits
30
Math
Natural Science
Social Science
Am. Hist.
West. Civ.
Other World Civ.
Hum.
Arts
Foreign Lang.
Basic Comm.
F F F F F
F F F F Math
Natural Science
Social Science
Am. Hist.
X
X
X
X
West. Civ.
Other World Civ. X
Hum.
X
Arts
Foreign Lang.
Basic Comm.
X
X
Jerry’s Rationale Essay Rationale Essay Introduction Like many other young adults, I did not know what I wanted to do with my life when I graduated from high school. I got a job as a deliveryman and volunteered as the athletic trainer for Franklin County High School. I worked with the high school as a trainer for ten football seasons, missing only two games during that time. Then, I was hired at the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency as a Firefighter/EMT. After working there two years I decided to advance my education and applied for admission to the Paramedic program at Louis Technical College. The county paid for me to go to paramedic school, and I was a paramedic/firefighter for eight years with them. During my years as an EMT, I continued to volunteer at the high school as an athletic trainer. So I have been associated wtih the school system for many years. After working with the students as the athletic trainer, I realized that I wanted to become a teacher and coach. I was given the opportunity to coach girl's softball and boy's baseball, and I jumped at the chance. I am currently cmployed by the high school as a paraprofessional. I work with the Coach in his Special Education class. His dedication inspired me to teach Special Education. I have seen the impact that he has on his students as well as the athletes that he comes in contact with. By working with him in his classroom every day, I realized that I wanted to impact lives just as he has in the past years. I enrolled back in college as a biology major and attended classes part time for several years while working as an EMT. As I worked with the Coach, I decided that biology was not the way to go; Special Education was what I wanted to teach. Upon finding out about Empire State I decided to enroll with your college. By working online I could work and go to school full time and finish one of my goals faster. Goals My plans are to obtain a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Empire State, with a concentration in Coaching Athletics, then enroll in Cambridge College to work on a Masters of Education Degree in Special Education. I want to teach special education and coach. The bachelor's degree will allow me to get provisional certification in my state to coach. I intend to start my teaching career and then work towards a Master's degree. I want to teach Special Education and to pursue permanent certification in that area, which is my ultimate goal. By pursuing these goals I want to impact the lives of children not only on the field but in the classroom as well. Research I have researched my goals and learned what steps I need to take to achieve them. I spoke with Jake Johnson of the Franklin County Board of Education and learned that my state requires a bachelor degree (area unspecified) for provisional teaching certification. I talked with Dr. Michaelson of Cambridge College and learned that admission into their Special Education Master's program requires a bachelor's degree (also in any area) from a regionally accredited college plus five years of work experience. Based on information from the State Education office
I learned that, once I have my Master's degree, I can teach Special Education provisionally for my first year, which will be considered by student teaching or internship period. I also know that, to complete my permanent certification in my state, I must pass two Praxis exams. Praxis I tests general reading, writing, and math skills, and Praxis II will test my knowledge in Special Education, which I will achieve through my Master's degree studies. Finally, I have talked with other teachers and professionals at Franklin County High School, who have an initial coaching position ready for me upon completion of my bachelor's degree. My research has shown that my goals are attainable, with the first step being a bachelor degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Coaching Athletics. Concentration I have chosen to complete a concentration in Coaching Athletics as the best way to maximize my previous credits and move quickly toward a master's program. I have consulted the ESC Guidelines for Interdisciplinary degrees, which state that degrees in this area need to blend two or more disciplines in a logical fashion. By consulting degree requirements from the following schools Georgia Southern University, Boise State University, BethuneCookman College, Georgia College and State University, Savannah State University, and the University of Minnesota I feel certain that the degree I propose corresponds to similar degrees. All of the colleges I consulted required courses in theories and practices of coaching, a background in biology and anatomy, courses that deal with maintaining health and dealing with injuries, and courses that deal with psychology. These areas have all been addressed by my course selections. For example, the University of Minnesota's curriculum for Athletic Coaching requires a course in Officiating Theory, which is equivalent to the courses I have in Coaching Baseball and Olympic Sports. The area of preparation covered by the Minnesota course in Prevention adn Care corresponds to my course in Nutrition & Health and my practical EMT and First Aid knowledge. Additional knowledge of the human body and how it functions aer covered in First Aid and CPR, Human Anatomy (which I will take with ESC), and choices from Kinesiology and Physiology. Psychology of Coaching is the same class I already completed, and the Coaching Practicum parallels the knowledge gained from my personal work experience. Credits based on my experiences as a Paramedic will provide practical knowledge, and will be expanded through coursework. I address the expectations of these colleges for coursework in theories and practices of coaching and coursework that develops understanding of the human body and mind (both in general and as they relate to sports). I have chosen to develop my concentration in Interdisciplinary Studies in order to incorporate a diversity of subjects that all address various aspects of coaching athletics. In my concentration, I have included studies in the areas of social sciences (e.g., Introduction to Psychology, Psychology of Coaching, Adolescence & Identity: Home, School, Community), natural sciences (e.g., Nutrition & Health, General Biology, Anatomy & Kinesiology), history (e.g., History of Baseball), education (e.g., Secondary Instructional Methods & Practices), and humanities (e.g., Ethical Issues in Sports). The "athletics" portion of the concentration is addressed through the classes, Principles of Coaching and Psychology of Coaching, which covered the core aspects of coaching. Coaching Baseball and Softball focuses on the areas of coaching I work with most, and Coaching Olympic Sports provided knowledge of a variety of athletics. Nutrition and Health and the course Healthful Living both covered a variety of health issues and related topics which are very important to coaching high school students. Based on my work as an EMT/Paramedic I am asking that the
following certifications be evaluated for credit. These are: First REsponder course in basic emergency techniques; the EMT Basic 2 for primary emergency patient care; EMT Intermediate for advanced airway management; EMT CC for cardiac medicine; and EMT Paramedic in advanced cardiac life support and medicine. I am also asking for prior learning credit based on work experience to be awarded for First Aid/CPR. All of the practical experience supports understanding how the body works when its well and ill, and provides the knowledge typically expected of coaches. I plan on integrating all of these areas through a capstone study in Athletics & Education, which will integrate all of my types of knowlege about coaching (issues in coaching, how its done, physical issues for athletes, etc.) as I investigate the role of athletics in our educational system. I believe the classes I have chosen will allow me to reach my educational and employment goals, and I believe that I have developed a solid interdisciplinary concentration in Coaching Athletics. The Empire State College Area of Study Guidelines for Interdisciplinary degrees state that: "A key characteristic of concentrations within Interdisciplinary Studies is that they bridge two or more program areas so as to connect or combine the different perspectives of those areas. These combinations and linkages can be developed in two ways: (1) by including studies from two or more areas that relate to a single theme or topic (e.g., various business courses and communication studies combined into a concentration called communication in organizations) and (2) by combining different area perspectives within a single study (e.g., political, economic, literary and social perspectives combined in a study titled Modern China). Most interdisciplinary concentrations include both types of study." "A common way of establishing a concentration’s integral structure is, first, to subdivide the concentration into three or four major areas that in the student’s view cover the key components of the problem or theme of the concentration and, second, to identify which studies in the degree program belong to which component." I have addressed these Interdisciplinary Guidelines by combining courses from many areas of study around the focus of Coaching Athletics. The main areas or components in my program are science & health, psychology, education, history, and practical application/coaching. I have courses that cover specific areas (e.g., science & health addressed through courses in Nutrition & Health, Anatomy & Physiology), as well as courses that combine these perspectives in one study (e.g., Athletics & Education, Psychology of Coaching). I have a capstone study that ties various perspectives together. All of the courses in my concentration show the progression and integration that the guidelines discuss (e.g., progression from Introduction to Psychology to Psychology of Coaching; integration because all of the component areas are related aspects of coaching the physical, psychological, historical, and practical). Given these guidelines, again, I believe that I have developed a solid concentration in Coaching Athletics. General Education & General Learning I have obtained a wide base of general classes and some upper level classes that will help me to fulfill bachelor degree requirements. These courses are diverse yet share a common holistic focus. My courses to this point have provided me with a broadbased knowledge of human interactions, which I hope to incorporate as a teacher and coach to emphasize the interrelated nature of humankind. In the science field, I have taken introductory level courses in Environmental and General Biology with their associated labs to gain an understanding of ecology and life forms. To further my understanding of all life, I took a course on Environmental Geology with lab and gained
knowledge of how the planet operates. I completed a class in Principles of Oceanography to learn about the world's largest ecosystem. These courses gave me a breadth of understanding about the workings of the planet and all life on it. In the field of social sciences, Introduction to Psychology provided me with insight into all areas of human interaction. In the fields of humanities and history, Introduction to Religion helped me understand one of the major forces in social dynamics, and World History gave me an understanding of political history and the current political landscape in the West. American Government taught me the principles of citizenship and democracy that are important to teach to the next generation of Americans. World Regional Geography explored population groupings around the world. Introduction to Anthropology provided knowledge of our human environment. For the area of mathematics, my courses include Economics in a Global Society to complement the worldbased focus of my education, and College Algebra for the basic math skills needed in life. The class in English provided the knowledge to successfully develop and apply my writing skills. In summary, I have included the breadth in my general learning that's usually expected in a bachelor's degree, with studies in communication, history, humanities, economics, science, government, anthropology, geography, math, and social sciences. I also have included coursework that progresses from lower to upperlevel and links general learning and concentratino courses (for example, Family and Society further enhances knowledge gained from Economics in a Global Society while it supports Adolescence and Identity). In including this breadth, I also have fulfilled the SUNY General Education requirements in eight of ten areas (I only needed seven), including the math and basic communications required for a bachelor’s degree. I have the required 30 credits of general education for SUNY. Note that I want to use my course in World History: Development of Western Civilization to fulfill the Other World Civilization general education and The Arts requirements as well, because this course was a comprehensive course that touched on other world civilizations amd their arts. Conclusion I have researched other colleges, talked to professionals who know the system in my state, and researched and responded to Empire State College and State University of New York guidelines and requirements. I have linked the results of my research with my own goals. I have used all of this information to develop a solid degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration Coaching Athletics.