Oklahoma CareerTech is offering professional development courses in digital teaching and learning that allows educators to explore the International Society for Technology in Education standards for both teachers and students.
Both in-person and virtual sessions of Exploring Digital Teaching and Learning Through the ISTE Standards are planned. While discussing the standards for teachers, participants will assess their level of engagement in activities aligned to the standards and/or indicators. They will also review the standards for students and use the indicators to write performance tasks for each, based upon appropriate content and grade level for which participants teach.
Each year, thousands of Oklahomans reap the benefits provided by Career and Technology Education. CareerTech Champions tell the story of how individuals apply learning to become successful employees, entrepreneurs and leaders in business organizations.
Goodwin Feh – Canadian Valley Technology Center
Nursing grad pledges $5,000 in annual support to his CareerTech alma mater.
THEN: A young man living in the Republic of Cameroon, where an estimated 48 percent of the population lives below the poverty line and violent crime is common throughout the country. Goodwin Feh left his native Africa to get an education in the U.S. Eventually he enrolled in the practical nursing program at Canadian Valley Technology Center, where he excelled in the classroom.
At CV Tech, Goodwin said he was able to escape the despair of his previous life. He
Completed the LPN program.
Passed his state practical nursing board exam.
Developed a hunger for learning, which led to associate and bachelor’s degrees in nursing and a master’s degree in business administration.
Goodwin has worked as a certified nurse aid, LPN, nurse supervisor, chief clinical officer, director of clinical operations and chief executive. He also obtained his U.S. citizenship.
NOW: A health care entrepreneur who founded Cohesive Healthcare Management and Consulting in Shawnee in 2016. He manages 300 employees, providing operations expertise to rural and community hospitals.
Goodwin and his wife have begun giving back to CV Tech through an annual pledge of $5,000 to the CV Tech Foundation. CV Tech Nursing Director Lauri Jones said the money will be used to help students overcome various hardships.
“The instructors at Canadian Valley provided me moral support and encouraged me to trust in myself.”
Oklahoma CareerTech is joining other career and technology education entities around the country this month to celebrate Career and Technical Education Month. Each year this national awareness campaign celebrates the value of career and technology education and the achievements and accomplishments of programs across the country.
Oklahoma CareerTech touches and improves the lives of state residents in many ways. Through more than 522,000 enrollments, the system provides education and training for individuals and companies in a myriad of specialized and customized opportunities.
One of the strengths of our CareerTech System is its accessibility. Students in grades six through 12 can receive CareerTech hands-on learning while exploring career paths. More than 139,000 students take advantage of this opportunity. Young people experience career options and get to see first-hand how their passions can fuel education and training for careers.
More than 20,000 high school and adult students attend one of Oklahoma’s 29 technology centers, and adult enrollments in career programs, industry-specific training and career and development training total more than 339,000. A study conducted by economist Mark Snead found that graduates of CareerTech programs in technology centers annually add more than $3.5 billion to Oklahoma’s economy. CareerTech students earned more than 15,000 certificates and/or industry-recognized credentials. Through CareerTech programs 94 percent of students were employed, entered the military or continued their education.
Another valuable component of Oklahoma’s CareerTech System is specialized occupational training offered to more than 1,800 adult and juvenile offenders at Skills Centers sites throughout the state. These individuals are completing programs that will allow them to earn living wages for themselves and their families when they are released.
Not only does Oklahoma CareerTech work to fill the workforce pipeline through its Business and Industry Services, in FY17 CareerTech worked directly with more than 7,800 companies, helping them increase profitability through training, entrepreneurial services, bid assistance and more.
Individuals who dropped out of high school can also receive help from Oklahoma CareerTech. In FY17, CareerTech served more than 1,000 students through Dropout Recovery and served more than 17,000 individuals through Adult Basic Education, which offers high school equivalency, English as a second language and literacy.
Through all of these delivery arms, Oklahoma CareerTech plays a vital role in advancing Oklahoma workforce and powering our economy.
