Course Syllabus

Course Description

This class is a self-paced mastery course. This means that you are fully responsible for your own learning. All class material is now at your fingertips and you are the only one who can complete it! Are you up for the challenge? I hope so.

I will be available to help, if you need it, and you will find that there is a considerable amount of information in the course to help you when you get stuck. I've written articles, recorded videos, developed applets, and even recorded podcasts to help you learn this information. Now, it's up to you!

Classroom Management/Learning Materials

There is no textbook for this course. You will be learning lessons created and taught by the instructor. All course content is here on Canvas. All assignments are due on Thursdays.

Instructional Organization

Cadets will be responsible for their own schedule in class. Cadets are encouraged to work through the material at their own pace as long as the due dates are met. If a Cadet has completed their assigned work for the day, they are free to explore other learning opportunities during class time.

I do not assign homework but all assignments are due at 11:59 pm on Thursdays.  This is to allow cadets to finish assignments at home if they weren’t able to complete them in class.

There are three categories of graded assignments in this course. They are:

• Discussions - 10%
• Assignments - 20%
• Power Standards - 70%

Discussions

The discussions are higher-level questions that the cadet must respond to, along with other cadets taking this course. These questions deal with current and future technology, and our cultural reaction to them. During the week, cadets will write their responses in an online forum. On Fridays, the class will discuss these issues as a group in the classroom.  

These discussions are only available during the week they are due. You cannot make up those points if you missed them. You will work on the discussion the first 5 minutes of class, every class period.

This group makes up 10% of your grade.

Assignments

The assignments are smaller tasks which help the Cadet learn how to complete the Power Standards (detailed below). These can take many forms but they are always relevant to the Power Standard being taught.

This group makes up 20% of your grade.

Power Standards

This is the main focus of the course. Each power standard block includes lessons, assignments, and a mastery assignment. This mastery assignment is your proof that you understand the subject matter presented in the power standard block (and is usually referred to as the "Power Standard"). 

These mastery assignments, or "Power Standards", can be attempted as many times as the Cadet needs to pass them. Mastery assignments are indicated by the words "Power Standards" in parenthesis after the assignment title.

This group makes up 70% of your grade.

Absences and Make-Up Policy

Cadets are required to show proficiency in each power standard to pass this course. If a power standard assignment is not completed by the due date, I will send a reminder email to the Cadet and their parents/guardians reminding them of this requirement.

Any assignment that is not completed by the due date will be recorded as a zero until they are turned in. Late assignments will NOT be docked points. There is no penalty for turning in late work.

Any assignment that does not meet high school academic standards will be recorded as a zero and will need to be redone. I leave comments on the assignments when they are graded so you can see which areas need to be improved. 

The only assignments that cannot be made up are the discussions.

Accommodations

Most accommodations will be met by default because of the nature of this course. Any others that are not addressed by the class structure, or the instructor, should be brought to the instructor's attention immediately. I am very flexible and willing to work with just about any situation, but I can't fix what I don't know about.

Rules and Consequences

All UMA rules concerning conduct, dress, and academic integrity apply in and out of the classroom.  The UMA Cadet Guide is a great place to familiarize yourself with expectations.

Plagiarism is not accepted at Utah Military Academy.  All instances of plagiarism are recorded as a Class 2 infraction resulting in an office referral. The assignment is automatically graded as a “0” without the opportunity to make it up. Plagiarism is defined as “the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own”.

As a former member of the United States Air Force, I take military discipline and customs and courtesies very seriously.  Any disrespect to, or ignorance of, our standards at this school will not be tolerated in my classroom. For example, I will not allow any cadet into my classroom if they are not wearing their uniform correctly or they do not meet the grooming standards.  When cadets are at the position of attention, I expect them to demonstrate with pride and honor.

I understand that the cadets are not fully-formed, professional, adults yet.  I see my duty as not only academic, but practical. I will try to become a mentor to a cadet if they are struggling with the rigorous standards we set here at this academy.  If a cadet continuously proves that they are unable or unwilling to attempt to follow our standards, I will refer them to administration. My preference, however, is to handle issues inside my own classroom or with parents directly.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: dstorm@utahmilitaryacademy.org

 

David Storm

CTE Instructor

Utah Military Academy