The 2009 ACTE Convention is over and life is returning to semi-normalcy. Many thanks to everyone who participated in the conference or followed from afar using ACTE's online resources. Special thanks to our official bloggers Chris Droessler, Tracey Newman and Barry Brantley.

This blog will be on hiatus until the spring, when we'll start running announcements on the 2010 Convention in Las Vegas, December 2-4! Until then, check out ACTE online tools such as:

• CTE Policy Watch Blog
• ACTE on Twitter
• ACTE on Facebook
• ACTE's LinkedIn group
• ACTE discussion forums
• Career Tech Talk podcast

By Chris Droessler

This introvert is totally exhausted after four long days of social networking at the ACTE Convention, but it's a good kind of tired. I've met new colleagues and renewed acquaintances with those that I see only at these conventions.

I've learned a lot from others and had an opportunity to share a little of what I know. This is truly a great professional association whose members are committed to helping each other become better educators.

In order to stay connected between conventions, come join me and your colleagues at the ACTE discussion forums. I frequent the School-to-Work, Tech Prep, Career Guidance, and other discussion forums. It's a great place to share with colleagues between conventions.

I hope to see you all in Las Vegas in 2010.

 
From Chris Droessler

Stedman Graham gave the same talk that he gave recently at the NCPN Conference. His talk was a seemingly disconnected collection of stories. What was the overall point he was trying to make? What was he hoping that we would take away from his presentation?

This was the second time that I have seen this same presentation, and I'm still trying to figure out the essential message that he was trying to convey. If you found the message, please add it here.

 By Chris Droessler

I've been noticing throughout the conference that I'm usually the only one in a session who is typing my notes on a laptop computer. But here in this session on social media, all four of the people sitting at my table are typing away. Two have little HP computers and two of us are on Macs.

Blogs, twitters, FaceBook, discussion forums, photo galleries; which is the best for you to communicate your message? Which formats is your audience already using?

by Tracey

Well, I guess I can't call them all the best session ever, but I really did hit the session jackpot this year--all I attended were full of excellent resources I can use in my classroom. The most recent was a presentation from the guidance division by Steve Beutler who demonstrated the My Life Junior online simulation he created to help students understand the relationship between lifestyle and spending choices and the career needed to support such a lifestyle. Anyone who teaches careers or personal finance has probably been searching for this type of resource--I know I was. Here's the website if you would like to check it out:
http://pages.minot.k12.nd.us/votech/File/mylifejunior.htm

On Saturday, November 21 from 2:15-3:15pm in Governors Chamber C, Evan Sveum from the University of Wisconsin-Stout will present “Determining and Comparing the Computing and Internet Skills and Learning Experiences of Freshmen and Senior Education Majors at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.”

You can view a preview of this presentation, or read about this session’s learning objectives:

Session Learning Objectives
1.    Challenge the notion, through performance data, that students from the 'digital generation' possess a basic computing and Internet literacy.  Destroy assumptions of students possessing basic computing and Internet skills.
2.    Understand that preparation for students to use computing and Internet technologies in the public school system is marginal at best; inconsistent at worst. Students do not have enough quality formal and informal learning experiences connected with developing computing and Internet technology skills.
3.    Based on the results of this study, speak to the need of providing future educators with planned, appropriate formal learning experiences and to encourage every student to develop their own 'self-directed' informal learning system.

Learn more about this presentation.

 From Chris Droessler

Thanks to the folks who participated in my lunchtime keynote address about preparing our kids for the future.  Second Life and all of the other realities that I presented are a lot to digest for educators who spend most of their time in the classroom.

We've got a tough road ahead getting these kids ready for a world that is hard to define, but working together, we can turn this next generation into passionate employees who look forward to Monday morning in what ever they choose as their profession.

Have your say about ACTE face to face, 3:30-5pm in Governor's A/E.

Also, "Energize Your Classroom: Which Modules Work in Teaching Alternative and Renewable Energy" at 3:45 has been cancelled.

 by Tracey

I wanted to start this post by saying I just left the best session I've been to in a long time, except the ones I attended yesterday were great, too. Ellen Thompson & Natasha Mortensen just shared a ton of activities that any teacher in any subject can use to get their students engaged and having fun while learning! I'm really excited to get some hands on things that I know my students will love. You know its a great session when you don't check your watch once to see what time it is. Great job, ladies, thanks for sharing! This afternoon: on to learn more about the art of digital storytelling--something I've been trying to use in my classes but need to know more about in order to really use it well.

This is the first time I've been an trespasser at the ACTE conference. All I mean by that is I usually only check out the sessions from my division. As I browsed through the program, though, I found some great sessions addressing topics I know are relevant for my students--service learning, using wikis and blogs, total student engagement, digital storytelling are all things I'll be able to take back home. I would strongly encourage all attendees to mix it up and don't be afraid to check out the sessions that other divisions are offering, there's just too much you might miss out on if you don't!

 By Chris Droessler

What a shock it was to hear Brenda Dann-Messier, the new Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, talk about many of the topics that I am going to talk about in my “Changing World” presentation later in the day. In reality, it confirms that I'm right on track and know that there are more people looking the same direction that I have been for many years. I'd like to think that maybe she attended one of my past presentations to get the information that she presented this morning.

The bottom line is that the world is changing faster than ever, and it will not be an easy task to get this next generation prepared for careers that we truly know little about. Together we can do it.

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Please consider attending my Friday session for what will appear to be a continuation of Ms. Dann-Messier's talk. If you do attend, please let me know that you saw me here on the blog. The session is at lunchtime, so feel free to bring your lunch and eat while I talk.

A Changing World: Helping Students Prepare for Life in a Scary World that We Know Little About
Friday, Nov 20, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Lincoln D (upstairs from the Presidential Ballroom)

On Saturday, November 21, from 8-9am in Canal E, Debbie Peabody will present “Job Search 101: Putting Your Students a Step Ahead.” Here’s the 411 on this presentation:

All students need to leave high school with basic job search strategies. To ensure your students have these survival skills a Mock Job Interview Fair could just be the answer.

Union Grove High School, in McDonough, Georgia, has hosted such an event for every Career, Technical, Agriscience and ROTC student for the past nine years. More than 10,000 interviews have been given to Union Grove students by hundreds of advisory committee members as well as business and community leaders.

Learn the steps to manage a successful Mock Job Interview Fair for your students. Organizational strategies, timelines, sample assignments and rubrics will be shared.

With the job market as it is, plan to attend the “Job Search 101: Putting Your Students a Step Ahead” session so you can help your students reach the top of their job search potential.

To stay current with Convention news and attendee blogger feedback, check this blog frequently, or subscribe by e-mail or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

unConference sessions

Friday, November 20
10:00 a.m. Professional Development and CTE, Al Silberstein, professional development section of the New and Related Services Division
10:30 a.m. Employability Transcripts, Elaine Metcalf, Lee's Summit R-7 School District
11:00 a.m. Ed Tech Idea Swap, Catherine Imperatore, ACTE
1:00 p.m. Science in CTE, Donna Pearson, NRCCTE
2:30 p.m. ACTE Policy and Advocacy Resources, ACTE Public Policy staff
3:00 p.m. March2Success as an Effective Assessment Tool, Al Silberstein, United States Army

Cancelled sessions

"National Honor Society of Sports Medicine for Secondary School Students," 10:45-11:45am
"The Best High School Career Fair Ever," 1:15-2:15pm
"Is Online Teaching for You?" 2:30-3:30pm
"From Pencil and Paper to the Push of a Button: Automation Takes Guesswork out of Career Clusters and Student Coding," 3:45-4:45pm
"Classroom Tech for Diverse Learners," 3:45-4:45

Repeated sessions

"GE2: Girls Exploring Engineering," 3:45 in Canal C

By Barry

Can you believe the line for book signing? I don't remember a line that long in the past 11 years I've participated in the convention. Chef Jeff was genuine and inspiring. I love the fact he is from Culinary Arts too as I teach in the Culinary Arts & Hospitality program in New Orleans.

By Barry

Wednesday was the longest day of the convention so far with committee orientation begining at 7:30 am. The Nominating Committee met to interview two candidates and we are excited to have them meet our attendees at the regional meetings later this week. The rest of my day included the Region IV Policy meeting and Marketing Division Policy meeting. Region IV is hosting our Southern Hospitality in Jack Daniels's Saloon 6:30 - 9:30 pm on Friday night. Sure to have lots of country dancing!

By Barry

I started my week with the NEDA meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Pam Ferguson from Arizona did a great job in covering a very full agenda. I love sharing ideas from other states. The ACTE Board joined us for dinner Tuesday evening and we had a great discussion among the state executive directors and board on engaging members with value and relevant products.

by Tracey

Chef Jeff brought us a great message this morning, the exhibitors had excellent materials to share, and sessions I attended this afternoon gave me some great ideas about incorporating wikis and blogs into my classroom as well as service learning and new strategies for helping the mathematically challenged students working with measurements and fractions in my nutrition classes. Long day, good day, can't wait for tomorrow.

By Chris Droessler

I was a little nervous going into my first presentation of the conference. First, I was scheduled to present from 4:30 to 5:30. Having been a teacher, I know that teachers turn off their brain at 3PM unless there is a faculty meeting, where they keep half their brain engaged until 4PM at the latest. And here I was faced with a 4:30 PM presentation time and a big shopping mall across the street enticing the conventioneers to go shop. And to top it off, there were about 40 other presentations or committee meetings happening at the same time. And if that's not enough, I was in a remote meeting room that almost took a GPS to find!

I was truly impressed that 40 of my CTE colleagues found and participated in my presentation. Forget about afternoon nap time and the shopping mall, these folks are here because they are committed to improving instruction in order to get this next generation ready for the real world.

I'm proud to be a part of the ACTE. I hope you are too!

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Please consider attending my Friday session, and if you do, please let me know that you saw me here on the blog. The session is at lunchtime, so feel free to bring your lunch and eat while I talk.

A Changing World: Helping Students Prepare for Life in a Scary World that We Know Little About
Friday, Nov 20, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Lincoln D (upstairs from the Presidential Ballroom)
 

I've never been to a convention or conference (what's the difference?) where there are so many brightly colored ribbons descending from name badges. I really didn't need to wear a necktie today, since I have a long string of nine colorful ribbons hanging down from my name.

So what does it all mean? Without trying to seem like I'm bragging or anything, this myriad of colorful ribbons means that these educators are committed to their professional association. Each ribbon relates to a committee, office, or other commitment that the wearer has made to further the mission of the Association for Career and Technical Education.

How many ribbons are you wearing?

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If you are still undecided about which sessions to attend, please consider coming to one of my two presentations, and let me know that you saw me on the blog.

Getting and Using Current Career Data (Labor Market Information) to Help Students Prepare for Careers that will be in Demand When they Graduate
Thursday, Nov 19, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM, Lincoln C

A Changing World: Helping Students Prepare for Life in a Scary World that We Know Little About
Friday, Nov 20, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Lincoln D

From Chris Droessler

The lunch speaker for the Guidance and Career Development Division talked about Serious Gaming using America's Army Technology.
The Army showed off their simulation programs that they use to train the troops. They hope to bring this technology to the classroom, since kids seem to like to play video games. This technology turns video games into real learning experiences.


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If you are still undecided about which sessions to attend, please consider coming to one of my two presentations, and let me know that you saw me on the blog.

Getting and Using Current Career Data (Labor Market Information) to Help Students Prepare for Careers that will be in Demand When they Graduate
Thursday, Nov 19, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM, Lincoln C

A Changing World: Helping Students Prepare for Life in a Scary World that We Know Little About
Friday, Nov 20, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Lincoln D

 

by Tracey

There is a poster hanging outside the library in the school where I teach that reads, "You miss school--you miss out." I understand that the point of it is to encourage high attendance in our students but I always think of it when I'm not at school as well. It sort of popped into my head today at the ACTE conference during the exhibit time, but it didn't stay long.

I started thinking about all the things I'd miss out on if I weren't here....new teaching strategies for my classroom, networking with other professionals (some of whom have figured out how to handle issues I'm dealing with at school) and new and innovative instructional materials available from our many exhibitors. The FEFE booth looked like a lot of fun, with an actual free lesson plan about how to use a Twister game in class to reinforce financial education requirements, a few booths away I found a huge line--people couldn't wait to spin the Army wheel, and all the many areas of CTE in our country were represented whether it was with textbooks, fundraisers, or instructional equipment.

Yes, it can be tough to arrange for a substitute and make sure your own family can survive for a couple of days without you, but if you miss ACTE, you miss out! 

From Chris Droessler

“Chef Jeff” Henderson keynoted the Opening General Session. He went from crack dealer to celebrated chef, and he's not ashamed to admit it.
He's working with kids with low self-esteem to help keep them from making the same mistakes he made. He grew up in a family where education was not important. While in prison he learned the value of education and hopes to empower kids with an education.

He got to work in the prison kitchen as a form of punishment, but he soon saw it as a way to get better quality food, and he then discovered his passion for cooking.

Chef Jeff says that the most important teacher is the effective teacher. They take real interest in the students. They go to work everyday to make a difference in somebody's life. Are we doing that?

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If you are still undecided about which sessions to attend, please consider coming to one of my two presentations, and let me know that you saw me on the blog.

Getting and Using Current Career Data (Labor Market Information) to Help Students Prepare for Careers that will be in Demand When they Graduate
Thursday, Nov 19, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM, Lincoln C

A Changing World: Helping Students Prepare for Life in a Scary World that We Know Little About
Friday, Nov 20, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Lincoln D

 

"The Role of Career/Technical Education in High School Reform" at 2pm today has been cancelled. FYI!

Our remaining unConference sessions today are: 

1:30 p.m. Professional Development for Educators on the Use of Assessment Data, Sandy Pritz and Pat Kelley, NOCTI
2:00 p.m. ACTE Policy and Advocacy Resources, ACTE Public Policy staff
3:00 p.m. Business and Computer Science Teacher Curriculum Search, Roderick Hames, Crews Middle School
3:30 p.m. Student Outcomes in Programs of Study, Marisa Castellano and Kirsten Sundell, NRCCTE  

Carol Dvorak, last year’s winner of the Community Service award, will present a session on Saturday, November 21 from 2:15-3:15pm in Governor’s chamber D on “Community Service: What You Do When Things Slow Down.” Here’s how she describes the session:

The presentation that I’m going to do this year is on how you can incorporate community service activities into your regular classroom. I’ve been able to do that in the years that I’ve been teaching here at Meridian Technology Center. We’ll choose the kinds of community service that are related to what we do in the classroom.

For instance, on handling a blood drive. My students that are all business technology students get out promotional materials, they do all the scheduling, they make sure that the details for the event are all taken care of up front. And then we do participate and help on that day, but it really lends itself to a nice learning experience because they do learn the importance of scheduling very carefully and just the management of that day, management of time for that day. Since many of them could end up being office managers, it’s very helpful.

I think [attendees could walk away with] ideas on how they can take different kinds of community service activities, look at what their program is and just figure out a way to choose activities that become a learning opportunity for their students. There are needs everywhere for volunteers, and I think with some creative brainstorming we can help people in every different kind of program come up with ways they can incorporate some of that community service into what they’re already doing, make it part of their curriculum.

You know what I’m trying to do is get it to where people don’t see it as “well, this is a time-consuming extra activity and how can I possibly work that in?” to “Well, this is just part of what we do.” In some cases it could be that the community starts counting on it. I hope that it makes it interesting and fun, and I do hope that some of the people that come to this session come with their own ideas or share how they’ve made it work in their classroom and have an opportunity to do a little bit of brainstorming with that.

To stay current with Convention news and attendee blogger feedback, check this blog frequently, or subscribe by e-mail or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

From Chris Droessler

Wow, this hotel is big! It reminds one of those themed hotels in Las Vegas. I should have brought my GPS to help me find my way around.

Seriously, it's a great hotel with a friendly staff, and it appears as if they have rolled out the red carpet for our convention. (I actually walked on a red carpet coming in the front door.)

I'm going to spend some time this evening looking through the convention program to plan my schedule of sessions to attend. There are so many to choose from, and sometimes there are as many as 40 to choose from that occur at the same time.

If you are still undecided about which sessions to attend, please consider coming to one of mine (see below), and let me know that you saw me on the blog.

More from me later...

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Getting and Using Current Career Data (Labor Market Information) to Help Students Prepare for Careers that will be in Demand When they Graduate
Thursday, Nov 19, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM, Lincoln C

A Changing World: Helping Students Prepare for Life in a Scary World that We Know Little About
Friday, Nov 20, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Lincoln D

 

Attendees have two opportunities to attend a listening session with the Office of Vocational and Adult Education about the Workforce Investment Act reauthorization.

When: Thursday, November 19, 10:45am-12:45pm and 3:15-5:15pm
Where: Ryman Ballroom B

From Chris Droessler

I just finished participating in a High Schools That Work visit and am now sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to Nashville. It's been many years since I've been to Nashville, and I'm looking forward to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. I understand it is magnificent!

My first meeting at the ACTE Convention is the New and Related Services Division Policy meeting. The officers in the New and Related Services Division get together once a year to talk about policies. As president of the School-to-Work/Careers Section, I will represent the section at the New and Related Services Division meeting.

I look forward to seeing my colleagues form across the country at the Convention.

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Getting and Using Current Career Data (Labor Market Information) to Help Students Prepare for Careers that will be in Demand When they Graduate
Thursday, Nov 19, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM, Lincoln C

A Changing World: Helping Students Prepare for Life in a Scary World that We Know Little About
Friday, Nov 20, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Lincoln D

Learn about "Understanding by Design (UbD) for Trade and Industrial Education" in a session hosted by Steve Hurdle. He describes his presentation below:

Do you sometimes feel like all you do is prepare your students for end of course testing? Are you experiencing success at getting your students to master key concepts and practices within your area? This session will allow you the opportunity to develop lesson plans and curriculum with the goal of increasing students’ mastery of subject matter and at the same time preparing them for end of course assessments without "teaching to the test". Career and Technical educators are already experts at teaching students usable knowledge and skills. This session is designed to help you focus more of your energy on what you do best. By utilizing the information from this session teachers and curriculum developers can better prepare lessons and assessments to ensure that students are getting the "big ideas" of the subject.

Join me Friday at 3:45 in Canal E for a fast paced presentation and information that you can put into use as soon as you get home.

To stay current with Convention news and attendee blogger feedback, check this blog frequently, or subscribe by e-mail or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

Here are a few cancellations and room changes to alert you to:

Cancelled Sessions

Thursday:
"The PIC Programming for the Awesome Cube and Much More!" 2-3pm
"Getting More from Web 2.0: Using Twitter and Google to Enhance CTE Student Collaboration," 4:30-5:30pm

Friday:
"National Honor Society of Sports Medicine for Secondary School Students," 10:45-11:45am
"The Best High School Career Fair Ever," 1:15-2:15pm
"Is Online Teaching for You?" 2:30-3:30pm
"From Pencil and Paper to the Push of a Button: Automation Takes Guesswork out of Career Clusters and Student Coding," 3:45-4:45pm

Saturday:
"Sit and Get Lessons are Gone, Integrative Lessons have Arrived," 1-2pm
"Life in Career and Technical Education," 1-2pm
"Assessing Student Technology Literacy," 2:15-3:15pm

Meeting Room Changes

Wednesday:
The Pre-Convention workshop on developing a crisis response plan has been moved to Governors Chamber D.

Join Roderick Hames of Crews Middle School on Friday, November 20 from 10:45-11:45am in Canal A for his session on “Stock Market Simulations: Bullish on Engagement, Blogs and Brainy Work.” What it’s all about:

Mirroring real life problems is a critical element that can turn a boring computer project into a highly engaging and brainy experience that increases information retention. This stock market simulation is a proven successful instructional method. It saves teachers the time to create these lessons from scratch. This session will provide participants with direct access to class notes, teacher handouts, PowerPoints, assessments and valuable online resources.

In this project using the stock market, a novice teacher or veteran teacher can leave with tips, links, and specific strategies for use in their classroom. With some minor adaptations, this project can be used with students from 5th grade to college. The unit is easily broken down into specific components that can be simply adapted to suit the needs of the teacher.

This stock market project relies on collaboration, mathematics, literacy, analysis, competition, and most importantly a strong focus on student engagement and autonomy. The unit begins with students who know little to nothing about the stock market and finishes with student-executives who own and operate their own simulated investment firm trusted with over half million dollars from different clients. If this sounds engaging, challenging, and fun just imagine what students will think.

Rod will also be presenting at the unConference at booths 429 and 435 in the exhibit hall on Thursday, November 19, from 3-3:30pm. He’ll lead an interactive presentation and discussion on project-based learning curricula, with an emphasis on middle school students and business and computer science courses.

To stay current with Convention news and attendee blogger feedback, check this blog frequently, or subscribe by e-mail or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

Josette Schlafer discusses “Education and Career Planning: The Right Tools for Success!” in a Guidance and Career Development Roundtable Session on Friday, November 20, from 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM in Governor's C. She describes the roundtable below:

My name is Josette Schlafer. I am the CTE Computer Lab Coordinator in Cumberland County, Tennessee. One of my job responsibilities is to make sure all students in Cumberland County, beginning in the eighth grade, have the tools they need to help them choose, plan and prepare for their intended career. In Cumberland County that means approximately 2,500 students. I'd like for you to join me for this roundtable discussion on what I've found to be the right tools for this task. I will zero in on our use of the Tennessee College and Career Planning System powered by Kuder as the right tools for the overwhelming majority of our students. (We use CareerScope for the few students for which Kuder is not appropriate. CareerScope is not free though for anybody.)

We're in our third year of implementing the Kuder program countywide. I'll be glad to admit the mistakes I've made, humbly tell you about some of the successes we've had and share additional resources we've created to use along with the wealth of resources Kuder provides.

Colleagues from all states are welcomed but those of you from Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee will be especially happy to hear the word "FREE" for your students in my discussion! (If you're wondering why it's not free for your state, go talk to the Kuder folks at their exhibitor booth 917.)

By the way, I am not an employee of Kuder. I just discovered their program, love it and am willing to endorse it because it's good for students. It's the right tool!

To stay current with Convention news and attendee blogger feedback, check this blog frequently, or subscribe by e-mail or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

ACTE has taken the lead in developing an U.S. Consortia to promote the export of U.S. technical and vocational education training goods and services around the world. The workshop at the Convention will introduce the Consortia's objectives, services and opportunities.
 
When: Thursday, November 19, 4:00-5:30pm
Where: Exhibitor Workshop # 2 in the Ryman Hall

Carol Larkin, a practitioner and teacher for over 30 years, will present “Rigorous and Relevant Technical Writing in the Career and Academic Classroom” on Friday, November 20, from 10:45-11:45am in Ryman Studio L. Why should you attend this session?:

Why would you want to include technical writing in the tech and academic classroom? Two reasons: preparing your students properly for college and actively engaging them in writing and thinking. Come and join this presentation for an upbeat, energizing and creative experience. This session provides you with three critical components to creating rigorous writing assignments. The first is an explanation of how tech writing differs from the academic writing we are all used to experiencing. The second component discusses solutions about bringing together Academic and Tech teachers to create rigorous writing assignments and projects, and last the presentation offers some real time projects that combine the technical class work with Language Arts Standards. It is an exciting, energizing presentation. Please join us.

Is something missing in your classroom? Arland G. Reinhard presents a session entitled “No Heart Left Behind” on Thursday, November 19 from 4:30-5:30pm in Ryman Studio AB. Learn more about this presentation:

As teachers focus on standards and paperwork, they sometimes lose sight of their special opportunity to touch student lives. Distracted by “No Child Left Behind,” teachers may be leaving the hearts of their students behind, as well as their own. If you sense a need to rekindle your passion for teaching, this presentation is for you.

The goal is to inspire, encourage, challenge, and stimulate the thinking of both new and seasoned teachers.

An award winning teacher and speaker, in the past four years Arland has spoken at 23 venues in 6 states. During his PowerPoint presentation, he gives listeners a peek into his teacher’s heart and soul, sharing things he wishes an experienced teacher would have shared with him during his early years, and even now as he approaches retirement.

LISTENER COMMENTS & REACTIONS: A blessing. A great motivational speaker. Very inspirational. He is amazing. Very encouraging. I want more. The best in-service in my 35 years. Very informative and entertaining. His positive attitude is inspiring. Listeners laugh as they connect and reflect, and at the end many wipe away tears.

Sit back, relax, and soak in the message.

To stay current with Convention news and attendee blogger feedback, check this blog frequently, or subscribe by e-mail or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

Looking for something to do after a day at the Convention? The Grand Ole Opry is offering five dollars off Grand Ole Opry tickets and two dollars off Ryman Auditorium Tours for attendees. To order tickets, visit www.opry.com or call 800-SEE-OPRY (733-6779) and use code CONV09.

With all the activities going on at the Convention, make sure you don’t waste any time getting situated. Here are a few tips, highlights and resources to get you going once you arrive in Nashville.

Hours and Locations of Some Key Areas
Registration – Delta Ballroom Concourse
Tuesday, November 17
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
 
Wednesday, November 18
6:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Satellite registration will remain open until 7:00 p.m. for those who already have their badge.
 
Thursday, November 19
6:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
 
Friday, November 20
6:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
 
Expo Hall
Ryman Hall
Thursday, November 19
10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
 
Friday, November 20
9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
 
Bookstore
Near ACTE Registration in Delta Ballroom Concourse
Wednesday, November 18
12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
 
Thursday, November 19
7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
 
Friday, November 20
7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
 
Saturday, November 21
8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
 
Book signing for General Session speakers Jeff Henderson and Stedman Graham will occur immediately following their sessions. Signings are located just outside the bookstore.
 
E-mail Stations
Near ACTE Registration in Delta Ballroom Concourse and ACTE's Expo in the Ryman Hall.

Jump Drives in Convention Bags
In an effort to reduce waste and use of paper, each registered attendee will receive a USB flash drive in their tote bags. Generously provided by the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, this device includes a number of resources as well as your certificate of attendance.

Also, attendees can use the flash drives to download presentations, which will be available at specified computers near the registration area.

Here are the unConference presentations and discussions we have lined up:

Thursday, November 19

10:30 a.m. Using ACTE's Web Site & E-Media Resources, Catherine Imperatore, ACTE
11:00 a.m. Career Integration for Our Future Workforce, Dr. Joseph Iannetti, Western Area (PA) Career and Technology Center
1:30 p.m. Professional Development for Educators on the Use of Assessment Data, Sandy Pritz and Pat Kelley, NOCTI
2:00 p.m. ACTE Policy and Advocacy Resources, ACTE Public Policy staff
3:00 p.m. Business and Computer Science Teacher Curriculum Search, Roderick Hames, Crews Middle School
3:30 p.m. Student Outcomes in Programs of Study, Marisa Castellano and Kirsten Sundell, NRCCTE  

Friday, November 20

10:00 a.m. Professional Development and CTE, Al Silberstein, professional development section of the New and Related Services Division
10:30 a.m. Employability Transcripts, Elaine Metcalf, Lee's Summit R-7 School District
11:00 a.m. Ed Tech Idea Swap, Catherine Imperatore, ACTE
1:00 p.m. Science in CTE, Donna Pearson, NRCCTE
2:30 p.m. ACTE Policy and Advocacy Resources, ACTE Public Policy staff
3:00 p.m. March2Success as an Effective Assessment Tool, Al Silberstein, United States Army 

The ACTE/NRCCTE unConference will feature short, informal sessions emphasizing openness and dialogue, located at booths 429 and 435 at the 2009 ACTE Convention and Career Tech Expo. The unConference is for you if you have a passion for and knowledge about CTE that you want to share outside of the formal Convention session schedule, or if you like to learn and engage in an informal environment.

Today is the last day to sign up for a half-hour slot using the online form (check the schedule for available times). After November 16, sign up on-site at the unConference area at booths 429 and 435. To attend a session, check out the schedule online or on-site at booths 429 and 435, then grab a seat to listen, learn and share your thoughts.

The Career and Technical Education Equity Council (CTEEC), an affiliate of ACTE’s Administration Division, will be holding its business meeting on Thursday, November 19 from 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. in Delta Island B. During this meeting, which is open to all attendees, CTEEC will be reviewing its next year’s program of work and would like input as it moves forward to help CTE’s efforts to meet the needs of diverse students.

Learn about preparing the next generation of FACS educators when Dr. Darby Sewell and Dr. Yvonne Gentzler present the following session on Thursday, November 19, from 3:15-4:15pm in Lincoln E:

Maintaining and growing Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) education programs is a common concern for current FACS educators at the secondary and postsecondary levels especially when demand for FACS educators outweighs the supply. Are you interested in discovering what has motivated today’s undergraduate FACS education majors to pursue this area of study? This presentation focuses on three significant outcomes gleaned from a study examining the development of passion for the profession in undergraduate students majoring in FACS education: 1) Increasing and sustaining the supply of FACS educators; 2) Examining the development of professional passion and commitment to FACS education by FACS education majors; and 3) The significance of instructing undergraduate students majoring in FACS education about democratic engagement with a focus on involvement in public policy. A model depicting the process of developing professional passion for FACS education will be shared. The content of this presentation is of interest to both secondary and postsecondary FACS educators.

To stay current with Convention news, check this blog frequently, or subscribe by e-mail or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

 Here’s Chris Droessler (dress-ler), getting ready for the ACTE Convention next week.

In North Carolina I’m the state coordinator for College Tech Prep, Work-Based Learning, and High Schools That Work.

For my professional association, I’m the national president for the School to Work/Careers Section, and I post a lot of text to the ACTE discussion forums (http://www.acteonline.org/memberforums.aspx). Those forums are a great place to share and learn from your colleagues from around the world. Try it, you’ll like it!

I was excited to receive my credentials in the mail this week. That’s a sure indicator that the convention is really close at hand. I’m finalizing my travel plans and putting the final touches on my presentations that I will be doing at the convention. Which neckties should I take with me?

The Convention is only a week away! ACTE wants to make sure your Convention experience gets off to a great start. Here are a few things for you to check on this week so that you’re all set once you arrive.

Registration
Online registration is closed, but you can still register on site. If you are already registered, your Convention registration materials were mailed to you at the end of October. Please bring this badge with you to the Convention to pick up your program guide, bag and name badge holder.
 
If you are pre-registered and you did not receive your materials in the mail, you can get your badge at the registration counters labeled "Onsite Registration."
 
Hotel Information
If you have not done so already, you will want to book your hotel. ACTE has sold out at all five hotels and has recently contracted with the Residence Inn Nashville Airport, 615-889-8600 (mention ACTE).
 
You may also want to browse through the room- and ride-share forum to find available space for your stay or to find a roommate to help you cut costs.
 
Convention Online Tools
In addition to this blog, we have other online resources you can check before your departure to get a heads up on any last-minute news. Or if you can't be with us, you can use these resources to keep up to speed with what's happening:

• ACTE on Twitter: Get real-time reminders and play-by-play action by following ACTE on Twitter. Use the hashtag #09acte in your Convention-related tweets so that we can pull together updates from everyone conversing about the conference. (What is a hashtag?)
  
• Attendee Twitter and Blog Roll: Planning to update your own blog or Twitterstream from Convention? Add your blog URL and/or Twitter ID to our directory and connect with colleagues who are also blogging or tweeting about Convention.
• Convention Discussion Forum: Share anything and everything about your Convention plans and your experiences at the conference and expo.
• Flickr Photo Gallery: Photos from the Convention, updated constantly! Send your photos to cimperatore@acteonline.org to be posted. If you have your own Flickr account, add “ACTE Career Tech” as a contact.
  

Visit our tutorials page to see how easy it is to use these and other ACTE online resources.

Paul Vitale of Vital Communications, Inc., a professional speaker and author, will present a session on leadership skills on Thursday, November 19, from 3:15-4:15pm in Jackson C. Paul describes what attendees will gain from this session:

Throughout generations there have been those called on to lead—courageous individuals who have taken great interest in the well-being of others. In the presentation Legendary Leadership in Action, I demonstrate concepts crucial to becoming a legendary leader. I outline ideas that might seem basic at first glance, but are vital for the continued success of any organization. (1) Express genuine interest in mankind; (2) encourage steady streams of dialogue; (3) ignite the eagerness in others; (4) compose unique designs; (5) exhibit authentic actions; (6) reinvent tendencies and techniques; and (7) trust in the truth of courage are the primary concepts introduced during this thought-provoking and energetic presentation.  For more information about me and my leadership topics and to view segments of past presentations, visit online at www.paulvitale.com/video or www.youtube.com/user/paulvitalespeaks.

To stay current with Convention news, check this blog frequently, or subscribe by e-mail or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

There has been a flurry of activity surrounding the Convention these past few weeks. We’ve been updating the blog with every detail, but in case you need to catch up…

• Today, November 11, is the last day to register online!
• Newly appointed Assistant Secretary to the Office of Adult and Vocational Education, Brenda Dann-Messier, will speak at Friday's General Session. 
• The unConference will take place in the Exhibit Hall at the ACTE booth. Join us for informal, lively discussions and explore common interests with your colleagues.
• KP Education Systems is now generously sponsoring the opening General Session with "Chef Jeff" Henderson. 
• You can attend a fun evening of networking and fundraising at the CTE Support Fund Silent Auction. 
• We're offering members the chance to become more involved with the Association with a Young Professionals Feedback Session.
  

The closer we get to the Convention, the more frequent updates will be. To stay current, check this blog, or subscribe by e-mail or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

In “Fractions and Fraction Operations: The Gate Keeper to Successful Mathematics Performance,” Lloyd Richardson presents techniques for helping students with fractions, a concept that readies them for problem solving and higher level math. The session will be held Thursday, November 19, from 2:00-3:00pm in Ryman Ballroom E. Richardson describes the presentation below:

Learners lack of understanding of fractions results in mathematics under performance. Learners are overwhelmed with too many confusing rules. A successful approach to developing conceptual understanding of fraction operations using “Dr. Loyd’s Fraction Kit,” a manipulative modeling all the fraction operations and supplement to any current curriculum materials used, will be demonstrated.

Focus will be on the rationale for deep fraction knowledge serving as readiness for proportional thinking & algebra readiness. Models connecting the fraction concept to numeral operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of fractions.

Continued difficulty with fraction operations is the result of a weak knowledge of the underlying fraction concept. Operations are presented rotely rather than conceptually. This model is the basis for all fraction operations and algorithms. Fractions are readiness concept for algebra and problem solving.

Attendees will be able to:

• Describe (1) the role of fraction concepts in developing deep knowledge of fractions, fraction operations and (2) connections to basic algebra skill and problem solving.
  
• Illustrate and relate the use of fraction manipulatives in teaching fractions and fraction operations.
• Explain the role of fraction manipulatives in modeling the fraction operations.

Visit the Convention Web site for more information and to register online by November 11 (tomorrow!). Subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column), to keep up with news and, during the event, to follow official ACTE bloggers as they share what they’re learning, who they’re meeting and what fun they’re having in Nashville.

Assessment is a critical step in preparing students for careers. Below, William Camp describes a model for comprehensive student assessment that he will present in a session at the 2009 Convention:

The Agricultural Education Technical Assessment System (AETAS) is a model with significant implications not only for ag education but for many other areas in CTE as well.  A workshop entitled "Technical Assessment for Agricultural Education" scheduled for Friday afternoon, 2:30-3:30 in Gaylord Opryland, Cheekwood G will provide details about a comprehensive student technical assessment system for agricultural education that was developed for use in New York State.  Agricultural education curricula vary greatly between schools and across states so the essential consideration of AETAS is flexibility.  The system is designed to be individualized to the local curriculum and can be personalized to each student's individual program.  AETAS includes three components:

Part 1 is a written examination designed to be individualized to the specific program needs of local schools based on the nature of the curriculum. The examination includes questions on:

• Agricultural Foundations and at least two of the following specialized areas:
• Agricultural Business
• Agricultural Mechanics and Technology
• Animal Science
• Plant Science
• Natural Resources Management
• Environmental Science
• Small Animals
• Veterinary Science
• Equine Systems 
  

Part 2 is an individualized general student skills portfolio with a series of optional ways to demonstrate achievement in:

• General Employability
• Personal Development
• Work Experience
• Academic Integration
  

Part 3 is a competency-based system in which the student demonstrates industry-specific skills as related to the chosen career pathway and consistent with the agricultural education curriculum offered locally.

Visit the Convention Web site for more information and to register online by November 11 (tomorrow!). Subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column), to keep up with news and, during the event, to follow official ACTE bloggers as they share what they’re learning, who they’re meeting and what fun they’re having in Nashville.

The easiest way for you to keep up with this blog during the Convention is to subscribe by e-mail or RSS! If you subscribe by e-mail, updates will be delivered to your inbox. If you subscribe by RSS, you can get updates in your RSS feed reader (learn more about RSS).

In addition to attendee updates from our official Convention bloggers--which are starting this week (scroll down to see introductory posts)--we are also publishing profiles of specific Convention sessions, with descriptions and photos, to give you a taste of what you can expect in Nashville.

We've already published profiles on the following, and more are on the way!

• Entrepreneurship
  
• Helping Students Get the Picture: memory techniques and more
• Career and Living Skills Programs
• Career Academies and the Community
• Instructional Tech in the CTE Classroom
• E-Mentoring
• Moodle in Action
• Literacy in CTE
• Demonstrating the Benefits of CTE
• Grant Writing
• Preparing Students for Future Careers
• Using Career Data

SuperShuttle Nashville is offering Convention attendees a $5.00 discount on round-trip tickets to/from the airport and the Gaylord Opryland. Reservations can be made here or by phone at 800-258-3826 (attendees staying at the Radisson, Holiday Inn, Hyatt Place, Doubletree or Residence Inn, click here). The discount code is QNPVP.

By Barry

Better late then never. I am planning my daily schedule and entering the time/location on my cell phone of my selected workshops and presentations in order to make sure I don't miss a thing. The days will fly by and I want to make sure I maximize this year's trip. I know I'll have a few conflicts with timing so hopefully I can plan my appointments with the hotel floorplan online.

by Tracey

In just a little over a week I’ll be at the ACTE Conference in Nashville and I’ve got to say, “looking forward to it” is an understatement! As a secondary family and consumer sciences teacher, I often have students who are not the overachieving type as well as a lot of students who are interested in a culinary career. No pressure, Chef Jeff, but I’m really looking forward to some insight about success with students who are not familiar with success—I can’t wait for that opening session.

Along those same lines, this population of students really tends to struggle with some of the required courses—like math. I continue to be amazed every year at the teenagers in my room who have not yet grasped some of the essential math concepts—like fractions. One particular session I found on the program for Wednesday offers new approaches for students who find this concept challenging.

In all, to say there are lots of choices as far as this year’s sessions, presenters, and exhibits go would be another understatement—I think my biggest problem might be deciding which sessions to attend. Look out, Nashville—only six days until ACTE!!

Hotel rooms at the Gaylord Opryland, the Radisson Hotel, the Holiday Inn Opryland/Airport, the Hyatt Place Opryland and the Doubletree Guest Suites are now SOLD OUT. ACTE has secured rooms at the Residence Inn Nashville Airport. Please call 615-889-8600 and mention ACTE. All hotels will run shuttles to and from the Gaylord.

If you have a room, please help a colleague in need of housing on ACTE's room-share forum. You can cut your costs in half by finding a roommate!

Young Professionals Feedback Session

What will ACTE look like in five or 10 years? We want to find out, which is why we are inviting you to participate in the Young Professionals Feedback Session that will take place on Saturday, November 21, in Governor’s Chamber E, starting at 1:00 p.m. If you are under 40, we want to learn from you during this session. Bring your insights, thoughts and ideas as well as answers to questions such as: How do you want to learn? How do you communicate? Does ACTE have the resources and networks you need? What can we change to make ACTE a more responsive association? Is ACTE relevant? The future of ACTE will be driven by its younger members—let’s hear what you have to say!

Students and Exhibitors Record, Tweet from Convention

As you explore the aisles of the Career Tech Expo, you may run into one of our teams of videographers who will be recording the Convention. These video teams include exhibitors from SchoolTube, a moderated media sharing site for schools, and students from local Mount Juliet High School working with Apple. Students will also be twittering about the event. It’s all part of our attempt to capture what’s really happening at the conference. If asked to share your opinion, please do!

Entrepreneurship is no longer the arena of a lone genius with a million-dollar idea. Future entrepreneurs can develop the skills and hone the knowledge needed to launch a successful business. During the 2009 Convention, Horace Robertson of the Consortium For Entrepreneurship Education will present on “Entrepreneurial Skill Building through Business Education.” Learn more about this session below:

I will be presenting a session on Saturday, November 21st at 9:15 AM in Canal Room A that will help educators prepare students to take their business skill to the market places of the world. Come gain insights into our changing workplaces that require students to be more in charge of managing themselves as entrepreneurs in order to be self sufficient in our rapidly changing economy. Learn about the free tools available from the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education for assisting individuals who desire entrepreneurial skills to position themselves for self sufficiency. Prepare to use these free tools available to assist teachers as they prepare students for the future in a world whose workplaces have become increasingly entrepreneurial. Also you will see new tools developed in conjunction with the US Department of Labor around the Entrepreneurship Competency Framework recently posted on the Web.

Bring your questions and listen to what has been learned from member organizations of the Consortium as well as from initiatives of the Workforce Investment Boards across the nation. Your questions will direct a portion of the session so that you can return to your school ready to use some new instructional resources.

Visit the Convention Web site for more information and to register online by November 11. Subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column), to keep up with news and, during the event, to follow official ACTE bloggers as they share what they’re learning, who they’re meeting and what fun they’re having in Nashville.

We're trying something new! The first ever unConference will feature short, informal sessions emphasizing openness and dialogue, located at booths 429 and 435 during the 2009 ACTE Convention and Career Tech Expo. The unConference is for you if you have a passion for and knowledge about CTE that you want to share outside of the formal Convention session schedule, or if you like to learn and engage in an informal environment.

How to sign up for the unConference
Sign up for a slot, using this form, through November 16 (check the schedule for available times). We'll get back to you within 2-3 business days to confirm your slot, at which point you will be added to the chart. After November 16, sign up on-site at the unConference area at booths 429 and 435.

How to present at the unConference
Any way you want to! We’ll have a microphone on hand, as well as a monitor into which you can plug your laptop, if desired. This is your stage—unplugged or plugged in, with or without note cards, you can deliver your own presentation or host an informal discussion.

How to attend the unConference
To attend a session, check out the schedule online or on-site at booths 429 and 435, then grab a seat to listen, learn and share your thoughts.

Questions? Contact Catherine Imperatore or stop by booths 429 and 435.

Dr. Mark Johnson and Dr. Mark Threeton present a 2009 Convention session entitled “Helping Students Get the Picture!” on Thursday, November 19, 3:15-4:15pm, Ryman Ballroom E. They describe this interactive and fun session below:

Participants will not want to miss one of ACTE's most popular presenters in this lively demonstration of helping students discover the hidden power of their photographic memory that lies within. Participants will experience firsthand amazing techniques on how to remember names, dates, definitions, facts, details instantly. Plus, the presenters will give hands-on tips how to drastically improve PowerPoint and slide presentations that are lasting and memorable. Dr. Johnson, ACTE's National CTE Educator of the Year in 2000, and his former student and a current Assistant Professor at Penn State, Dr. Threeton, will share picture making techniques that can be effectively learned in just a few short minutes and practiced a lifetime. After this session, you will be able to learn ALL of your student's names in just a few minutes and teach them this incredible skill easily and effectively!

Visit the Convention Web site for more information and to register online by November 11. Subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column), to keep up with news and, during the event, to follow official ACTE bloggers as they share what they’re learning, who they’re meeting and what fun they’re having in Nashville.

Do you want to create or expand a career and life education program? Then plan to attend the 2009 Convention session “Developing and Enhancing Career And Living Skills Educational Programs,” presented by Mrs. Mary Sue Burkhardt, CFCS, a Family and Consumer Sciences educator at Twin Lakes High School in Monticello, Indiana, on Thursday, November 19, 4:30-5:30pm, in Lincoln E. Mrs. Burkhardt briefly describes her session:

This session will provide information to educators, counselors, and administrators interested in developing or enhancing career education. The focus will be on equipping students with skills and attitudes necessary for successful high school careers and transitions into postsecondary, community, family, and workplace environments.  Students will investigate personal career preferences, trends in careers, and life skills via a wide variety of resources and activities which the session will provide.

Visit the Convention Web site for more information and to register online by November 11. Subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column), to keep up with news and, during the event, to follow official ACTE bloggers as they share what they’re learning, who they’re meeting and what fun they’re having in Nashville.

It's very exciting that so many CTE professionals are attending the 2009 Convention, but it's causing a run on hotel rooms! Rooms at the Gaylord, Radisson, Holiday Inn Opryland/Airport and the Hyatt Place Opryland are SOLD OUT. ACTE has secured rooms at the Doubletree Guest Suites; please call 615-889-8889 and mention ACTE. The rate is $109.

You can also check out ACTE's room-share forum to share a room with a colleague who has already secured housing, or if you are one of the lucky ones who already has a room, you can cut your costs in half by finding a roommate!

Part of the growing popularity of the career academy model is the impact these schools can have on their communities. Jerry Crocilla and Dr. Kathleen Weigel of Atlantic Community High School will present a session at the 2009 Convention entitled “Meeting Community Needs Through Career Academies” on Friday, November 20, 10:45-11:45am in Lincoln E. Read what they have to say about their session and what attendees will get out of it:

Career academies are more effective if they tied to their community. At Atlantic Community High School, our career academies reflect the needs of their city, Delray Beach, Florida.  

Hear how Atlantic Community High School’s nationally recognized Criminal Justice Academy started as a recruitment tool for the city’s police department or how the Eagle Nest construction academy participated in the city’s affordable housing program by building a three-bedroom house that turned a $37,000 dollar profit for the construction academy. Hear about our Sports Marketing Academy students in action as they will work the nationally televised Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in February. Atlantic’s Army JROTC is more than just a color guard available for city functions--hear how they partnered with the city to write grants to fund the city-sponsored literacy program with cadets reading and working with struggling elementary students. Learn how the school built on the success from these city-sponsored career academies and has blossomed into a growing Fire Academy with working Delray Beach fire fighters that are now part of Atlantic’s instructional staff.

Learn how Atlantic fosters the school-to-city relationship to create effective career academies that meet community needs.

Visit the Convention Web site for more information and to register online by November 11. Subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column), to keep up with news and, during the event, to follow official ACTE bloggers as they share what they’re learning, who they’re meeting and what fun they’re having in Nashville.

Brenda Dann-Messier, assistant secretary to the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), will speak at Friday’s General Session. Come hear what the newly appointed Dann-Messier says is in store at OVAE for strengthening career and technical education and promoting the value of CTE in today’s global economy.

In her previous role as president of Dorcas Place Adult and Family Learning Center, Dann-Messier developed partnerships between adult basic education and English as a Second Language programs and created a college preparatory program for low-income, first-generation adults.

Dann-Messier is a welcome addition to an already stellar lineup of General Session speakers. On Friday, Dann-Messier will be joined by Department of Labor Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Jane Oates and by a panel session on CTE in high school reform with Mark Elgart, president and CEO of AdvancED; Stuart Udell, CEO of Penn Foster; Don Henderson from Apple; David Wakelyn, National Governors Association; and Bill Daggett from the International Center for Leadership in Education.

Visit the Convention Web site for more information and to register online by November 11.

Subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column), to keep up with news and, during the event, to follow official ACTE bloggers as they share what they’re learning, who they’re meeting and what fun they’re having in Nashville.

Photo from Rhode Island College, www.ric.edu.

Rooms for the 2009 Convention are continuing to sell, so we have added a room block in the Hyatt Place Opryland. There will be free shuttle service to and from airport and to and from the Gaylord. To reserve at the Hyatt, please call (615) 872-0422 and be sure to mention the ACTE Convention.

You can also check out ACTE's room-share forum to share a room with a colleague who has already secured housing, or if you are one of the lucky ones who already has a room, you can cut your costs in half by finding a roommate!

The advance registration deadline has passed, but you can still register for the Annual Convention and Career Tech Expo.

For those already registered, start making plans by visiting the Convention Web site: Check out the the draft of the day-to-day schedule. Secure housing. Learn about the unConference, college credit opportunities, and distinguished speakers and panelists.

Advance registration for ACTE’s Annual Convention and Career Tech Expo is only open for a few more hours! After today, the price goes up 20 percent.

Don't miss a beat - catch the new rhythm of CTE at this year’s Convention, with college credit opportunities, Chef Jeff, Friday's panel session on CTE in high school reform, a packed expo floor and the recently announced unConference. Check out profiles of some of the 250 sessions you can attend, including how to conduct an e-mentoring program; how educators are implementing technology in the CTE classroom; how to prepare students for careers that may not exist yet; how to demonstrate the benefits of CTE to parents, policymakers and businesses; and how to integrate practical literacy strategies into the CTE classroom.

Hurry up and get your hotel room! Rooms are sold out at the Gaylord and the Radisson, but you can still reserve a room at The Holiday Inn Opryland/Airport. Call 1-866-871-1171 and ask for code AAC - Association for Career and Technical Education. There will be a free shuttle between the Opryland and the Holiday Inn.

You can also check out ACTE's room-share forum to share a room with a colleague who has already secured housing at the Gaylord or Radisson.

We’ve been updating this blog for months with the details about the 2009 ACTE Convention. But sometimes you want to hear about an event from those that attend. Here is what some of your colleagues had to say about coming to Convention:
 
"The entire opportunity to network, see materials and equipment, attend workshops and participate in other CTE opportunities makes the Convention a one-stop shop for CTE educators." - Lester B. Leopold, Buffalo Public Schools Adult Education, Buffalo, New York
 
"I got good information as well as hands-on ideas to take right back into my classroom." - Shannon Braxton, Orange High School, Hillsborough, North Carolina
 
"One of the best Conventions I have attended in my professional career in 20 plus years." - Lisa Stange, Waukee School, Johnston, Iowa
 
Join your colleagues and see for yourself! Advance registration is open until next Monday, October 19. ACTE members will only pay $330 when they register by the deadline. After October 19, the price goes up 20 percent.

Secure housing now as rooms are going fast!

The Gaylord Opryland and the Radisson Hotel are now SOLD OUT.

ACTE has secured rooms for Convention-goers at The Holiday Inn Opryland/Airport. Call 1-866-871-1171 and ask for code AAC - Association for Career and Technical Education. There will be a free shuttle between the Opryland and the Holiday Inn.

You can also check out ACTE's room-share forum to share a room with a colleague who has already secured housing at the Gaylord or Radisson.

Remember, advance registration for the ACTE Convention closes Monday. Save 20 percent!

Technology Education Concepts (TEC) will nationally unveil the RapManUSA at the 2009 ACTE Convention & Career Tech Expo. RapManUSA is the first, complete rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing machine for under $1,500. The RapManUSA not only allows the teaching of rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing but is also available in kit form, so that students can build it themselves. Visit TEC at booth 529 (right next to the ACTE booth) to see the RapManUSA in action.

TEC is not the only exhibitor at the Career Tech Expo to be showcasing products and services you and your students need. Check out the exhibit hall floor plan and the exhibitor workshop schedule to plan your time on the expo floor.

Advance registration for the ACTE Convention closes October 19. Save yourself 20 percent and avoid the hassles of registering on site! You should also secure your housing now. The Gaylord Opryland is sold out: please check their housing information for last-minute cancellations and to be put on a wait list. ACTE has also acquired a block of rooms at the Radisson Hotel at Opryland. To secure a room at the Radisson, please call 1-888-777-6779 and tell them you are with the ACTE conference and want a room at the Radisson.

Advance Registration Ends October 19
Advance registration for ACTE’s Convention and Career Tech Expo is only open for a few more days. ACTE members will only pay $330 when they register by the deadline. After October 19, the price goes up 20 percent.

Housing Updates for Convention
The Gaylord Opryland is SOLD OUT. Please check their housing information for last-minute cancellations and to be put on a wait list. ACTE has also acquired a block of rooms at the Radisson Hotel at Opryland. To secure a room at the Radisson, please call 1-888-777-6779 and tell them you are with the ACTE conference and want a room at the Radisson.
 
You can also check out the roomshare forum to find a colleague who already has a room in the Gaylord Opryland.

Need some reasons to head to Nashville, November 19-21? Check out the latest information, including session details, speaker bios and exhibitor descriptions by scrolling this blog and on the Convention Web site.

We're pleased to announce that Jane Oates, assistant secretary of the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration, will be speaking at Friday's General Session.

The ETA is a sub-agency tasked with administering federal government job training and worker dislocation programs, federal grants to states for public employment service programs, and unemployment insurance benefits. Prior to joining DOL, Oates was the executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and senior policy adviser to Governor Jon S. Corzine. She also served as a senior policy adviser to Sen. Edward Kennedy and is a former educator.

Expect Oates to address topics in workforce development, apprenticeship and certification, and green jobs.  

Advance registration for the ACTE Convention closes October 19. Save yourself 20 percent and avoid the hassles of registering on site!

Jan's Nashville blog on About.com is promoting the ACTE Convention and Career Tech Expo. And the conversation is picking up on our Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook sites.

You can share your thoughts on the Convention, too: add your blog URL and/or Twitter ID to our Convention roll.

And don't forget to register for the Convention by October 19 to save 20 percent!

Listen to Brenda Tuckwiller describe her 2009 Convention session, “Instructional Technology in the Career and Technical Classroom and Laboratory: Teacher Use and Perspectives” on Thursday, November 19, 2:00-3:00pm in Lincoln D. You can also read a transcript of her remarks below.

With my doctoral committee chair—I’m in a doctoral program at Marshall University—we’re going to share research that we’ve done in the past year. And this is going to give us an opportunity to get some feedback from peers in other states, and let us know perhaps a different direction that we could take on our research.

This research that I’ve done is actually statewide—I’m a teacher educator with career and technical education here in West Virginia—and I have studied the informational and instructional technology use that teachers employ in our state, and some of their perspectives on professional development that they’ve had, with respect to the informational technology. And we’re looking to find trends in teacher attitudes and whether or not the training is sufficient prior to expecting them to integrate it in the classroom.

Keep checking this blog for more profiles of some of the 250 sessions included on the program for Nashville. You can also scan the draft of the day-to-day schedule to start planning your days in Nashville.

You can subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column). And don't forget to register for the Convention by October 19 to save 20 percent!

Listen to Carol Eicher of Eastern Kentucky University describe her 2009 Convention session, “GEAR UP E-Mentoring for a Purpose” on Saturday, November 21, 8:00-9:00am in the Ryman Ballroom A/B/C. You can also read a transcript of her remarks below.

We’re presenting on E-Mentor for a Purpose, and it’s our program that has been underway—the first year was developmental and the last two years have been actually implementing the program with Eastern Kentucky University-trained mentors with middle school students and high school students across the state of Kentucky.

So we’re going to present about that. We have a safe and secure platform, we use Blackboard, and that’s what we are replicating. It’s all about college—it’s under a GEAR UP grant—and it’s all about college access, college prep, college choices. And this year we’re going to be adding the financial literacy for the older high school students. We’re excited about that! We’ve presented in several places and we’re honored to be able to do it at the ACTE Convention.

[Attendees] would walk away with the knowledge of how to develop and conduct and implement an online mentoring program. We also have the curriculum that can be given to people under certain circumstances—you know, knowing what they’re going to do and where it’s going to go. And how to do a secure online mentoring program. We would also show how we use that on Blackboard. Our operations specialist is coming and she will be showing how that’s done and how we track that and how we secure a safe platform for both the mentees and the mentors.

Keep checking this blog for more profiles of some of the 250 sessions included on the program for Nashville. You can subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column). And don't forget to register for the Convention today!

Royce Bell will present “It’s Moodle Time!” an in-depth session on the popular online learning system, Moodle, at the 2009 ACTE Convention on Saturday, November 21, 1:00-2:00pm in Canal A. Here’s what she has to say about her presentation:

Moodle is a free open source Learning Management System/Virtual Learning Environment that provides unique learning opportunities for teachers and students.  This presentation will show how a small, rural high school vocational Business/Information Technology teacher is preparing her students for online college courses using Moodle. Students in the program rebuilt an older computer to act as a Moodle server enabling the classes to be managed in-house.

The presentation will feature the presenter's actual Moodle classroom and attendees will be able to learn how to set up their classes, add assignments, set up course calendars, check assignments and calculate grades. The Moodle Virtual Learning Environment is a great alternative to WebCT and Blackboard--the best part is that it is FREE!   

Keep checking this blog for more profiles of some of the 250 sessions included on the program for Nashville. You can subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

It might seem like November 19-21 is a long time from now for ACTE’s Annual Convention and Career Tech Expo in Nashville, but registration and housing deadlines are coming up fast. Don’t miss out on your premier professional development event because you forgot about these important dates:

Registration closes October 19. Register by October 19 and save yourself 20 percent and avoid the hassles of registering on site.

Housing closes October 26. Book your stay at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and save yourself $200 off their published rate.

There are other ways to save on the Annual Convention this year from room and ride share opportunities to discounted airfares. You can check on these savings and other Convention news at the Convention Web site.

If you were lucky enough to relax and unplug this summer, you may have missed some important announcements about the 2009 ACTE Convention and Career Tech Expo:

• You can now earn college credit for attending Convention and pre-Convention activities
• You now have multiple ways to save on your hotel room and transportation costs
• You can now attend a distinguished panel on CTE's role in high school reform at the Friday General Session
• You can now attend sessions and pre-conference events on the green industry
• You can preview great sessions on topics such as: how to prepare students for careers that may not exist yet; how to successfully write grant proposals; how to demonstrate the benefits of CTE to parents, policymakers and businesses; and how to integrate practical literacy strategies into the CTE classroom.

Register for the 2009 Convention!

You can subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

Get relevant tips on how to integrate literacy into the CTE classroom with a 2009 Convention session presented by Dr. Travis Park, an assistant professor at the Cornell University Department of Education, on Thursday, November 19, 2:00-3:00pm, Ryman Ballroom B. Here’s what Travis has to say about his session:

Hey, CTE teachers, over here!  Do you want to make a difference in your students’ careers?  Of course you do.  This workshop is for you.  

CTE students interact with text all day long in multiple different scenarios.  Whether it is reading feeding charts on a dairy farm, understanding technical drawings in an auto trade class, deciphering operating manuals in an outdoor power equipment class, or reading labels on the backs of hair product bottles in a cosmetology class, text appears throughout the CTE classroom as an essential part of the inner workings of learning.  Unfortunately, teachers often express difficulties with getting reluctant readers on board, or helping students who find text difficult.  This later impacts their careers and their lives, as the lack of strong reading skills could potentially lose clients or, much worse, cause injury or even death on the job.  How do we prevent these negative results?  Up until now, there has not been much in the way of a CTE-wide answer to this question as there has been little research on literacy in CTE.  That is starting to change.   

This interactive workshop draws on research-based realizations to give teachers tools to improve reading and writing in their classrooms, which will propel students towards stronger understandings of their career choices.  It makes the case for literacy strategies and frameworks in the hands-on CTE classroom.  If you would like to learn about literacy strategies that could help your students now and in the future, come to this workshop for more information.

Keep checking this blog for more profiles of some of the 250 sessions included on the program for Nashville. You can subscribe to this blog by e-mail, or by RSS (click the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column).

We've completed the panel for Friday's General Session discussion on trends in high school reform and the role career and technical education can and should play:

Glenn Cummings, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, administering programs related to adult education and literacy, career and technical education and community colleges; and

Karen Cator, director of education leadership and advocacy for Apple, responsible for strategic business development, managing Apple's involvement in education policy efforts, the Apple Distinguished Educator Program and the publishing of best practices on the Apple Learning Interchange.

These two panelists will join Mark Elgart of AdvancED, Stuart Udell of PennFoster and moderator Bill Daggett from the International Center for Leadership in Education for this in-depth dialogue.

Register for the 2009 Convention.

NOCTI will facilitate a pre-conference on assessment on Wednesday, November 18, prior to the official start of the 2009 ACTE Convention on Thursday. This year’s focus will be on turning green standards into curriculum. There will be sessions on wind energy, green building and how to effectively use assessment data, as well as a networking reception. Explore the tentative agenda and watch this video on what you can expect from the NOCTI pre-Con:

Attending this NOCTI pre-Convention activity or activities being held by the Association for Career and Technical Research or the International Vocational Education and Training Association could earn you up to two college credits.

Register for the ACTE Convention and select the NOCTI pre-Con.

In-depth discussion and celebration will be the focus of the ACTE Annual Convention's Friday General Session on November 20.

First, attendees will hear an expert panel discuss trends in high school reform and the role career and technical education can and should play. This session will be moderated by Bill Daggett from the International Center for Leadership in Education and will include:

•    Mark Elgart—President and Chief Executive Officer for AdvancED, the parent organization for the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), the National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).
•    Stuart Udell—CEO of PennFoster, an online institution billed as the largest accredited school of independent study.
•    Additional speakers—We have invitations out to a few key business and governmental representatives, and will let you know as soon as we finalize the panel.

In addition, on Friday we’ll present our annual national awards. Sponsored by CEV Multimedia, the awards presentation highlights the best career and technical educators from around the country.

This is the one time a year where career and technical education shines a national light on itself, and it’d be great to have as many attendees there as possible to support these individuals and the image of career and technical education. You’re attending the Convention and Career Tech Expo because of your passion for career and technical education and its importance to the future of our economy. Celebrate the achievements of like-minded educators!

Register  for the conference.

Interested in showing the value of CTE to your community? Then check out the 2009 Convention session that will be presented by Dave Buonora of the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium on “Demonstrating the Benefit of Career Clusters and High Quality CTE to our Communities" on Saturday, November 21, 9:15-10:15am in Ryman Ballroom D/E. Here’s how Dave describes his session:

Limited resources and growing accountability means we must demonstrate how our programs help students and our communities. If we don’t take the lead in exhibiting the effectiveness of CTE who will? Participants will learn proven strategies that have been effective in showing the benefit of career clusters and CTE to policy makers, economic development leaders, businesses, parents and students. This will include demonstrations of marketing materials, the effective conveyance of data such as student success rates and economic benefit/return on investment data, and the use of media and advocacy campaigns.

Participants will be able to take away strategies that have worked in other states and local areas that they can then apply to their own situations. A CTE State Director will be on the panel to present strategies from their state that have proven effective. I will provide a national perspective and share success stories from other states and local areas.

Keep checking this blog for more profiles of some of the 250 sessions included on the program for Nashville, or subscribe by clicking the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column.

We talk a lot about the 250 sessions you can attend at the 2009 Convention. But the event isn't just about that formal programming:

There will be more than 300 exhibitors ready to answer any questions and demonstrate products. There are also Exhibitor Workshops where you can get detailed explanations of how certain services meet your needs.

You have the choice of six pre-Convention activities to enhance your Convention experience: a tour of a leading metal and woodworking equipment manufacturer as well as workshops on the role of CTE in high school reform, implementing the NRCCTE Math-in-CTE model, and other key topics.

You can earn up to two credits for attending the Convention and pre-Convention sessions.

Register today to take advantage of these and other Convention offerings at an advance registration discount.

Grace Decken, vice president of the Health Science Technology Education Division, is presenting a session at Convention called "'Don't Do It Your Way, Do It Our Way:' Grant-writing Tips for Success!" on Thursday, November 19, 4:30-5:30pm in Hermitage D. Grace describes the session below:

My session’s going to be on grant writing, and I know with everyone having to deal with budget cuts and people concerned about where they’re going to be getting funding for certain equipment, this is a hot topic. I’ve had several successes in receiving grant funding, and so myself and a peer are going to work on doing this presentation together. We’ve done it together at our state conference, and I’ve also presented at the National Consortium on Health Science. And it seemed to be very well-attended and we just have a lot of good tips to pass on to folks.

They’ll leave with a template of how to get started, some Web sites to investigate to find out where they could get the best funding - some of it is general funding; some of it may be more specific, if not to health science, to certain disciplines. And time permitting, we’ll have a chance to start writing their first grant.

Keep checking the blog for more profiles of some of the 200+ sessions included on the program for Nashville, or subscribe by clicking the orange icon next to "Blog RSS" above the photos in the right column.

This year's conference will feature a strand of sessions and workshops designed to help career and technical educators prepare and plan for the impact the green tech industry will have on their schools, programs and classes.

The strand begins with a pre-Convention conference led by NOCTI on turning green standards into curriculum, on Wednesday, November 18, at 1:00 p.m. Sessions focus on wind energy standards, green building standards and program implementation, and include a variety of case studies. There is a separate registration fee for this pre-conference - register online or print and fax the registration form.

As a part of the general ACTE Annual Convention programming, there are sessions on:
Preparing the New Green Collar—a copy of The Green Collar Workforce curriculum will be shared.
Green STEM Technology—focuses on the STEM side of green jobs.
Green CTE—focuses on the greening of CTE curriculum.
Sustainability—delves into the teaching of sustainability as a 21st century skill.

You'll find other sessions presented by many of the ACTE Divisions that address the issues of green tech and sustainability - see all accepted sessions for the conference to identify green and other sessions you'd like to attend.

Why is ACTE’s Annual Convention the premier professional development event for career and technical educators? Check out these numbers:

250 accepted sessions spanning 15 specialized fields.

200 exhibitors available to discuss their products and services.

Six partners providing additional content to expand and enrich the Convention program.

Six Pre-Convention programs with in-depth examinations of key topics and issues.

Four ways to save on the Convention.
 
Two graduate student credits for attending the Convention and a Pre-Convention Workshop.

... all rolled into one event. Register today and take advantage of advance registration discounts!

For the first time, ACTE Annual Convention attendees have the opportunity to receive college credit for their participation! ACTE, NOCTI and Penn State University have teamed up to provide Convention goers the opportunity to earn up to two graduate credits - one credit for attending the Convention and an additional credit if you also attend the NOCTI, ACTER or IVETA pre-Convention activities.

You’ll have a Penn State University instructor assigned to you, and you’ll also be responsible for getting yourself to the Convention and for demonstrating the implementation of new concepts you learned during the Convention.

Starting today, this blog will periodically feature profiles of some of the informative and inspiring sessions you’ll be seeing at the 2009 Convention in November in Nashville.

Listen to School-to-Work/Careers Section President Chris Droessler describe, in his own words, the two sessions he’ll be presenting to you at the Convention: “Getting and Using Current Career Data (Labor Market Information) to Help Students Prepare for Careers” and “A Changing World: Helping Students Prepare for Life in a Scary World That We Know Little About.” You can also check out the transcript of his remarks below.

Stay tuned to the blog to learn about more sessions that will be coming your way in Nashville!

Hello, I’m Chris Droessler, the president of the School-to-Work/Careers Section of ACTE. I’m very excited to be coming back to another ACTE Convention to share what I know with my colleagues from across the country. The ACTE Conventions are always a great meeting of the best minds in career and technical education. I’m excited to be a part of it.

One of my presentations is called “A Changing World: Helping Students Prepare for Life in a Scary World That We Know Little About.” That’s certainly a long title, but the message I want to convey is that the world is changing so rapidly that we must constantly change the way we are teaching in order to truly prepare our students for the world that we are leaving them. What are we doing to prepare students for careers that do not yet exist, in worlds that may not even exist? What should drive our K-12 school-to career programs? Should we be listening to the expert educators, or should we be listening to the employers? This presentation examines job market trends, economic epics, skills that employers are demanding, changes in postsecondary education, and economic globalization. I’m also going to talk about the reality of virtual businesses, where people are working in virtual worlds like Second Life, without creating tangible projects or services, and they’re making real money – real enough to be taxed by the IRS. The world is changing quicker than ever and we have the responsibility to prepare our students for life in a world that we really know little about. This presentation is listed under New and Related Services on Friday from noon to 1pm. Feel free to bring a bag lunch.

My other presentation is “Getting and Using Current Career Data,” which some call labor market information, to help students prepare for careers that will be in demand when they graduate. The job market for Generation Y is unlike any we have ever experienced. I believe that without current career data, we will continue to send our students to the wrong postsecondary schools and prepare them for nonexistent jobs. There is a huge disconnect between our high school graduates’ postsecondary education plans and the postsecondary education demands of the employers. This session looks at the trends in the job market, including the creation of new jobs, jobs with high demand, changes in salaries and educational requirements for employment. I created a student-friendly 36-page document, and a Web site using North Carolina career data. I’ll show you where to find this same labor market information for any state or region. This presentation is listed under New and Related Services on Thursday afternoon at 4:30pm. That’s right about the time that most teachers take their afternoon nap.

The magic word is … savings! There are many ways to save this year on ACTE’s Annual Convention and Career Tech Expo, November 19-21, in Nashville. Make sure you take advantage of these savings you can so that you make it to the Convention even on the tightest of budgets.

Advance registration (online and print form) saves you 20 percent on your registration fees.

Book your housing through ACTE and save $200 off the hotel’s published rate.

American and Continental Airlines are providing discounted airfare to Nashville for ACTE.

Take part in a room or ride share. Split the costs of traveling and staying in Nashville and you could potentially save hundreds of dollars.

There are only a few more days left until the early bird registration ends on July 15! Register by Wednesday and you save 30 percent on your registration fees. After July 15 the price goes up, so hurry and register today.

Book Your Room
Don't forget to register for housing at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel when you register for the Convention (reserve a single room or multiple rooms). ACTE's rates are $169 a night, nearly $200 less than the hotel's advertised rate on the Internet.

Check Out the Program
ACTE has hundreds of sessions spanning dozens of fields of interest in CTE. Browse the descriptions (PDF) and see what suits your interests.

Convention News
Stay tuned to all the Convention updates, including tours, the first-time attendee breakfast and more fun events, by checking this blog periodically, visiting the Convention Web site and following us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Register now for your early-bird registration discount and save 30 percent on your registration fees to the 2009 ACTE Annual Convention and Career Tech Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, November 19-21. Take advantage of any set-aside funds that you might lose at the close of the school year!

After you register, make sure to visit the Convention Web site for the latest updates to the program, including tour additions, session details, information on Nashville, and more.

Attention: Registration requires log in. You will be prompted to log in if you haven't already done so. Members should already have their accounts set up, but any users can obtain a username and password by clicking on "Sign up as new user" when you go through the registration link.

For a Pre-Convention activity on Wednesday, November 18, you can now be part of a tour of the WMH product showroom and distribution center. WMH is a subsidiary of Walter Meier Holding AG, an international company manufacturing high-quality, precision woodworking and metalworking equipment, including Powermatic®, Jet® and WILTON®. The tour, which will include WMH executives, engineers and managers, will address innovations in woodworking and metalworking and illustrate how WMH designs high-quality and innovative equipment, manufactures it around the world, and distributes in the United States.

You will depart from the Gaylord Hotel and travel by bus to the WMH headquarters, about a 45-minute ride. Lunch will be provided. The bus will depart at 9:00 a.m. and return to the Gaylord Hotel at approximately 2:00 p.m. Registration for this tour is $25 and seats are limited to 50.

Other Wednesday activities include Pre-Convention Workshops on academic excellence through CTE, CTE in broader high school reform, career clusters, and developing disaster response plans.

Learn more about the Convention at www.acteconvention.com!

ACTE announces another Pre-Convention Workshop! Willard Daggett, President of the International Center for Leadership in Education, and Richard Jones and Jim Miles from the Center will address developing creative new programs that blend the best of academic and CTE programs. Topic include: CTE in school reform, leadership strategies for integrating CTE and academics, and rigor and relevance. Learn to raise student achievement on high-stakes tests, use data, overcome organizational and cultural barriers, identify embedded academics and more.

This full-day event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will include morning coffee and refreshments, as well as an afternoon drink break. Participants will eat lunch on their own. The registration fee is $150.

You can also participate in Pre-Convention Workshops on CTE in broader high school reform, career clusters, and developing disaster response plans.

In addition to 2009 Convention Pre-Con Workshops on CTE in broader high school reform and career clusters, we've just added one called Developing a Crisis Response Plan. 

In this half-day workshop, participants will hear a case study of how a Midwest technical college, serving 34,000 students/year, has developed a plan to respond to crisis on campus. Two perspectives will be presented: one from Student Services and one from Administrative Services. Topics include violence prevention plans, National Incident Management System (NIMS) training, behavioral intervention teams, employees’ roles and more. From what I hear, this workshop will provide the tools and information you need to create and implement your own crisis response plan!

That's for Wednesday, November 18, at 1:00 p.m. Registration fee is $140.

Please watch, and share with your colleagues, this short video that shows the engaging and informative sessions and workshops, the new technology and products, and the networking opportunities CTE professionals can expect at the 2009 ACTE Convention.

Just a short FYI that the early bird deadline is now July 15. That gives you even more time to save on registration for the 2009 Convention!

Registration has opened for the 2009 ACTE Convention and Career Tech Expo in Nashville, TN! There are a couple things that will make this year's event special:

- An earlier date: In response to member requests, ACTE has moved the Convention to just before Thanksgiving, November 19-21.

- One location: Most of the sessions, and most of the attendees, will be conveniently housed in the luxurious Gaylord Opryland.

In addition, we'll have two great keynote speakers: Jeff Henderson, who went from crack dealer to award-winning chef, and Stedman Graham.

For Pre-Convention Workshops, we've already got two lined up: Career Clusters 201 and Linking CTE to Broader High School Reform. More to come.

This will be the professional development event of the year for CTE professionals. Register by July 15 for early bird rates!

Thanks for reading along with the 2008 Convention blog. We'll be back with updates throughout the year as 2009 Convention approaches, and then we'll be in full swing November 19-21 in Nashville, TN!

SchoolTube has posted a pile of videos they recorded at last week's Convention, including interviews with members and with ACTE award winners. Check it out!

The convention is now officially over.  It has been a long and busy day.  I started off my day at the Strategic Planning meeting for the Business Education Division.  Business Education is my primary membership and teaching area.  Since I am very active at the state level I wanted to glean some of what happens at the national level so I can report back to my state newsletter group. 

I was pleased to see that the strategic planning was very similar to how we operate at the state level.  I found myself trying to say no to additional responsiilities but did not quite pull that off.  That's the danger of attending meetings.  If you want to get involved and know what is going on then it helps to really get involved and you can't attend a meeting without doing that.

 I had just enough time after that to race over to Dr. Daggett's presentation.  I have heard him speak several times in the past and he was just as dynamic now as then.  A few points that I gleaned from his presentation:

•  The bottom line is that you need to be contributing more to academics than you are today. 
  
•  The issue is Instruction - not Structure
• CTE needs to think out of the box.

The context of the first comment was in reference to CTE teachers getting involved in the academic areas and assisting those teachers in making the curriculum relevant by helping them add CTE examples.  The other two comments stand on their own.  We need to get back to good instruction and not worry about the structure.  We also need to think of new ways to deliver instruction and get on the same wavelength as our students.  They live in the digital age and we must join them to capture their attention.

 My evaluation of the conference is that it was very worthwhile.  I am excited by what I saw and learned and hope to be able to be released to attend in Nashville next year.  ACTE knows monies are tight and they are working hard at delivering more value for the dollar. 

 I hope to see you in Nashville

Julia Ray

By Joe:

Hi you guys (I am returning to NJ so I need to change back from y’all). When I posted my 1^st blog I asked about what is an educated person? I also spoke to people about, passion, trust and a sense of humor. I spoke to people from Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, California, Oklahoma, Indiana, Florida, Utah and a host of others, even New Jersey!

The answers that I have been looking for the entire convention were found in the movie Pressure Cooker

(http://prod.takepart.com/social_network/action/pressurecooker/) Everybody in CTE “must” be required to watch this move! At the risk of sounding like a movie critic (which I did in another life) Culinary Arts teacher Wilma Stephenson takes a no hold barred approach with a white hot passion for for making her students educated people. She doesn’t settle for any baloney, she approached her class with a white hot passion, they trust her that they are going to do well and she does it all with a sense of humor ! Her forty years in the education business is an inspiration to me and hopefully many other educators.

I am sitting at the Charlotte airport as I author this, reflecting on the movie Pressure Cooker and the many, many people who I spoke to. It is a bitter sweet feeling to be leaving the convention, but at the same time, the “real world “waits for me in NJ…family, school, college, etc. I need to model what I have learned by taking the teachings of Ms. Stephenson and model her passion, her trust and her sense of humor. She did not let anything stand in the way of educating her students. I know that there are hundreds of other CTE educators like Ms. Stephenson out there who truly believe that nothing is more important than the teaching and learning process…

Special thanks to Catherine Imperatore who has “forced” me to do something that I have always wanted to do. Look for a continuation of this blog down the road….

 Today started off with another convention wide session.  The award winners were announced for the various national awards.  My hat is off to all the winners and the nominees.  It was a pleasure to watch an amazing young lady in action.  The DECA president acted as the announcer for the morning session.  She was simply amazing.  Watching a young lady be very poised at meeceeing the presentation in front of such a huge audience was well worth seeing.  There is no doubt we have youth who will be amazing leaders in the future.

Our speaker for this morning's opening session spoke about the traditional definitions of the various generations and gave us a bit to think about the generation we have in our classrooms right now.

 This afternoon I am off to attend the Web 2.0 gathering and find out what the latest is in technology and how it affects us in the classroom.  I promise to post more later.

 Julia Ray 

By: Jody

Here I am in Charlotte--finally getting up with the technology. Our school techie is the best ever. She can fix almost any problem related to my computer--except she is not here. I finally got connected to the blog - thanks for the help, Catherine.

My Wed. evening started with two of our Drage graduates who are attending Johnson and Wales. Brad and Marissa picked me up at the airport and gave me a great tour of the city, including JW buildings. We had dinner together and I truly enjoyed listening to them tell me all that they are experiencing.

President Bryan Albrecht truly commanded the podium and represented all of us in a very professional and fun manner during the opening session. Dan Pink was "on," kicking off another good conference. Sessions have been good and the food really good. This conference seems to be running very smoothly. I enjoyed spending time in the vendor exhibit - what a lot of time and energy they put into presenting.

Unfortunately, we over slept this morning (Fr) and are late arriving. More later.

By Joe:

Hi y’all:

 The 1^st day of the convention is over and I cannot begin to tell you what a blast I had interacting with many people at the convection. I go to Bryan Albrecht, President of ACTE, he would not give me a cheese head hat, but he did make me an honorary citizen of Wisconsin. 

I then got to spend some time on School Tube where I had the honor of being interviewed about CTE and this blog…she tells me that the web cast will be up loaded in a few days.... See photo above...

The highlight of the day was watching Kari (as part of the audience) from Ohio sit in the message chair and laugh hysterically (remember what I said about a sense of humor)-she felt that there should be one in the teacher’s room of every school (my wife felt the same way)….

I did not even come close to getting any of my “questions” answered... but I will….I am planning on spending some time with the research folks tomorrow and talking to more people about how I can change the image of Career and Technical Education in my area……

I also continue to look for answers to the four essential questions about the teaching and learning process...

More to come....

What a day it has been so far.  Just taking a quick break to post before the next session.  I hit the ground running at 7 this morning for the First Time Attendees gathering.  Since then I have been running from session to session with a brief tour of the exhibit hall as well.  

The speakers have been dynamic, the atmosphere charged with electricity from all the members and the enthusiasm of the ACTE staff and presenters.  One of my favorite things I heard today was a new way to label the generations - the Inner Tube generation (those around when four tires became a basis for a mode of transportation), the vacuum tube generation (those of us around with the old vacuum tube televisions), the boob tube generation (those that grew up with the television as a babysitter), and finally, today's generation - the YouTube generation.  Isn't it easy to identify with one of those generations?  At last I can call myself something different than a baby boomer. 

 I would stop to write more but I want to race back to the Apple lab presentations.  If you can get to the conference next year, plan on it.  You won't be sorry.  In fact, I am sure you will walk away from the first day just saying "Wow!" as you try to absorb all there is to see and do.

Julia Ray

Wow!  Here I am at the national conference and faced with so many decisions.  My first decision is which sessions to attend.  Since I teach both Business and Marketing I have two different areas to consider.  Even though my teaching is split down the middle, I am primarily a business teacher and that is where my national board certification is found.                                        

I arrived just in time to attend the Business Education Division Rap Session right after I arrived this afternoon.  I did not realize that this session was primarily for the state level folks.  It was very interesting to listen to what is happening in the various states as they strive to match their curriculum with the career clusters and Perkins funding.                                                        

The various organizations reported about their activities that are upcoming as well as what is happening with the curriculum in each state.  I enjoyed visiting with folks from various states and comparing what is happening.  In addition to hearing about the Business Education Division, MarkEd was there to talk about what is happening with Marketing as well.                             

After this it was back to the hotel and was I in for a treat.  I am staying at the Hilton Garden Inn.  The Hilton Garden Inn and the neighboring Hampton Inn had a reception for guests of the hotels. After touring a few different rooms in the two hotels many of us staying here attended a reception with door prizes. Many of us were lucky enough to win door prizes that ranged from gym memberships to dinners at local restaurants.  Many ACT members walked away with top door prizes.  Yours truly was able to trade a local gym membership for dinner at a nice restaurant.                                                                                    

Tomorrow will be an early start with a 7 AM First Time Attendees Orientation followed by the Opening General Session at 8:30 AM.   Stay tuned for more updates!

Julia Ray

By:Joe

Hello y'all!...Welcome to my blog…as always, I am scrambling around like a crazy person trying to get everything done before I leave my office as Director of Special Education at Somerset County Vocational Technical School (www.scvths.org/scvths ) in Bridgewater, NJ to catch my early morning flight from Newark, NJ to Charlotte, NC. I have downloaded the program manual and I cannot believe how much cool stuff that there is to see while I am at the convention, plus... I look forward to posting as many blogs as I can as I get the opportunity to talk to people from all over the country who are in all walks of Career and Technical Education. So... as I run around the house looking for a toothbrush and a clean pair of socks while trying to write my 1^st blog [ever], I will travel to the convention with the program manual on my lap hoping that the convention (and you!) will be able to address the following things on my mind;

1. Nothing is more important than the teaching and learning process-what can I glean from the convention to help me with that?

2. Passion, Trust and a Sense of Humor are “required” to be successful in this phase of education. What can I learn from the convention about those salient points?

3. Career and Technical education is often “looked down upon” in the area where I work and live. How can I change that perception in the community and increase our enrollment?

4. What is an educated person? (I have been searching for that answer for years!)

I look forward to many, many posts and interacting with all many people. I have been told that I will have a “blogger ribbon” on my badge, so feel free to stop me and say “Yo Joe, I got something to share!”

Until next time…

Good morning. Jody Koenigseker, R. G. Drage Career Center (Massillon, OH) Assessment Specialist back again at the blogging center.  I fly out tomorrow and the race is on to see if I can get 4 days worth of work done today and then get home in time to do laundry, pack, spend time with my husband and dogs, check emails, and so on. I know that once I am at the airport I will be totally into going away for 5 days, but until then............

This will be my second conference; yes, Vegas was exciting last year, but I look forward to visiting Charlotte. In addition to attending some terrific conference sessions, I will be visiting former students who attend Johnson and Wales, and touring some of Charlotte's homes on a holiday walking tour, with my good friends Monica Gaal and Joyce Brouman.

The photo I attached is me presiding over our state special needs conference last March. The theme was the Magic of Transition, so I tried to ham it up a little. It was a successful conference and we are currently in the midst of plans for next March. Everything I have done through ACTE has been so positive and rewarding. I am certain that this conference will be the same. More later

By: Catherine, ACTE e-media coordinator

This year we have several online resources to enhance the conference:

ACTE on Twitter: Get real-time Convention updates on your computer or mobile phone.

Convention online discussion forum: Talk about sessions with your colleagues.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Hi!

I'm Julia, a business and marketing teacher on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  With the conference in my state, I am taking advantage of the opportunity to attend my very first ACTE annual conference.  It's hard to believe that convention is just about a week away.  I received my registration name tag and membership tags in the mail this weekend and now I am thinking about the sessions I want to attend. 

With two areas of interest - both business and marketing - I will have to make some decisions along the way.  It looks like many of the pre-sessions have filled already.  My next step is to sit down and figure out which sessions are priorities and make a draft schedule of what to see.  I want to have a little bit of time to explore Charlotte as well so I don't want every minute filled with activities. 

I look forward to meeting so many new friends at the conference and picking up new tidbits along the way to make me a better teacher.

By: Catherine, ACTE e-media coordinator

Welcome to the 2008 Convention blog! On this blog, attendees will share their Convention experiences with you. Over the next week, the Convention bloggers will share their plans and preparations for Charlotte. During the Convention, they will reflect on sessions, workshops, meetings and networking opportunities, and probably tell you a little about the fun they’re having in the Queen City.

Whether you’re attending the Convention or couldn’t make it this year, you can join the conversation – click on “Comments” below a blog post to tell the bloggers what you think.