Are you looking to leap, or at least dip your toe, into the Web 2.0 world? ACTE has a variety of online resources for CTE professionals—blogs about CTE topics, online communities for networking with colleagues, Webinars and podcasts with CTE innovators are only the starting point. Start exploring below! Or, if you are already an old hand at social media, consider helping ACTE grow its online presence.

Recent news and upcoming events 

• Prepare for CTE Social Media Advocacy Day on February 23.
• Show student-made video PSAs promoting CTE during CTE Month in February.
• Register for the upcoming Webinar on CTE=Economic Development: A Five-step Process to Ensure a Strong Return on Investment for Your Program  (Jan. 31, 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT).
• Sign up to receive text alerts when urgent action on CTE issues is needed by clicking here or texting CTEALERT to 88202. You will only be contacted when it is vital that you act; for instance, when important legislation is coming up for a vote. Support CTE quickly and easily!

Blogs
The CTE Policy Watch Blog gives you the latest in CTE news, advocacy tips and the inside scoop on the Public Policy Department's work to promote CTE with policy makers, legislators and other education and workforce organizations. And during our Annual Convention, member bloggers describe their experiences at the premier professional development event of the year for CTE professionals.

Podcasts
The Career Tech Talk podcast brings you information and opinions from policymakers, education professionals, authors, industry representatives and other CTE innovators at your computer or with a portable media player.

Webinars
ACTE offers a variety of Webinars that explain important policy initiatives and provide professional development to CTE educators.

Discussion Forums
ACTE's discussion forums are your place for CTE-related conversation and information sharing on the Web.

Social Networks and Other Resources
ACTE has active online communities on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as a SchoolTube channel and a Flickr photo gallery. 

Monthly Tweet Chats
What Is a Tweet Chat?
A Tweet (or Twitter) Chat is an online, real-time guided conversation about a particular topic. Each chat uses a hashtag, or keyword, which makes it easier for people to identify the chat and to participate. The hashtag for ACTE-hosted chats is #actechat.

Past Tweet Chats
Social Media in Schools
Advocacy Tips
CTE Month^TM Planning
2010 Convention Feedback
Q&A with Chef Jeff 

How Do I Participate in a Tweet Chat?  

1. Create a free Twitter account. (In addition, if you choose, you can sign up for a service such as TweetDeck or HootSuite, which will help you organize incoming updates from your social networks, schedule updates to your social networks, and more.)
2. If participating from school, verify that the service you intend to use is not blocked. You can also join in using Twitter, TweetDeck or HootSuite on a mobile phone.
3. Follow ACTE at twitter.com/actecareertech.
4. Before the chat begins, log in to Twitter or open your TweetDeck or HootSuite page.
5. If using Twitter, enter #actechat into the Search field on the right sidebar. If using TweetDeck or HootSuite, create a new column for #actechat. The real-time stream of tweets organized by #actechat should appear. When someone adds this hashtag to their tweet, it will appear on the page. When we all use it, the conversation really gets going!
6. Ask questions, ending tweets with #actechat to be part of the dialogue!

Can’t make it to the Tweet Chat? We’ll have an archived version available after the fact. ACTE may experiment with different times to find one that works for the majority of CTE tweeps. If you have a suggestion about the time, the topics or any other questions, please e-mail Ashley Parker.