Category: COVID-19 Innovations

Learning management system facilitates skill development

Posted on by acte
Screenshot of a CTEtechWorks simulation on diagnosing circuits. (Image courtesy of HBI)

Welcome to our series, COVID-19 Innovations. Here, we chronicle the innovative ways that career and technical educators continue to engage students as lifelong learners and prepare them for rewarding careers, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the 2020–21 school year.

In March 2020, HBI moved quickly to launch its CTEtechWorks learning management system (LMS). This blended learning solution for residential construction had been in development, but HBI sped up the process when COVID-19 hit.

Blended learning

CTEtechWorks offers multiple types of instruction, including videos and simulations, and allows for self-paced learning. The content includes employability skills and safety topics as well as trade-specific content in plumbing, HVAC, electrical and solar. HBI partnered with virtual reality (VR) provider Interplay Learning to add digital training simulations and VR. Students learning from home can take part in computer-based simulations, such as troubleshooting and repairing a leaking toilet. When in the lab, students use VR tools to further immerse themselves in these simulations. Closed captioning and Spanish translation are available.

Options for assessment

The LMS also includes written assessments that can be completed online; performance assessment still needs to be completed in person. In addition, HBI offers an employer-based option for earning creden­tials. If a student who left their program without earning an HBI credential — due to COVID-19 restrictions — is hired by an employer, that employer can complete an HBI skills evaluation for the student. The employer may then report the results to the instructor, leading to the credential award.

Growing interest

HBI has had a lot of interest in CTEtechWorks: More than 15,000 student and instructor users have completed 112,000 blended learning courses, includ­ing single courses, full learning paths and certification assessments.

Interested in more COVID-19 innovations?

ACTE’s latest publication, High-quality CTE During COVID-19: Challenges and Innovations, generously sponsored by MajorClarity, describes challenges faced by CTE educators during COVID-19. The publication shares examples of innovative practices and provides recommendations for how CTE leaders can better prepare the post-COVID-19 workforce, embracing lessons learned during the pandemic.

YouthForce Internship pivoted to virtual

Posted on by acte

Welcome to our series, COVID-19 Innovations. Here, we chronicle the innovative ways that career and technical educators continue to engage students as lifelong learners and prepare them for rewarding careers, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the 2020–21 school year.

YouthForce Internship (YFI) offers a paid work experience and training program for high school students that includes 60 hours of work-readiness training and a 90-hour internship. It is one service of YouthForce NOLA, an education, business and civic collaborative that prepares public school students in New Orleans, Louisiana, for high-wage, high-demand career pathways.

Developing and supporting virtual experiences

Due to COVID-19, YFI pivoted to remote participation. Interns were paired with either a technical training provider or an employer partner, matched based on interest in one of YouthForce NOLA’s skill clusters:

  • Health sciences
  • Digital media/IT
  • Skilled crafts
  • Business services

Students who paired with training providers gained technical and employability skills. They earned credentials — such as NCCER Project Management — and got exposure to a variety of career options, including those they may not have previously considered. Students paired with employers formed small “consultancies” and worked together to solve problems identified by their employer.

To support the virtual model, internship coaches served a smaller case load than normal, and they held office hours to provide additional assistance. Supervisors received additional one-on-one support to develop work plans for a fully virtual experience. YouthForce NOLA also adjusted its resources and worked directly with supervisors and employers to fit the virtual consultancy model.

More opportunities to interact with employers

Interns still needed opportunities to engage with industry professionals, so YFI changed course. Instead of one Industry Exposure Panel with guests from each of the target industry clusters, they hosted four separate industry panels. Virtual formatting reduced the intern-to-panelist ratio, and more interns asked questions than usual.

Interested in more COVID-19 innovations?

ACTE’s latest publication, High-quality CTE During COVID-19: Challenges and Innovations, generously sponsored by MajorClarity, describes challenges faced by CTE educators during COVID-19. The publication shares examples of innovative practices and provides recommendations for how CTE leaders can better prepare the post-COVID-19 workforce, embracing lessons learned during the pandemic.

College launches virtual advising center

Posted on by acte

Welcome to our series, COVID-19 Innovations. Here, we chronicle the innovative ways that career and technical educators continue to engage students as lifelong learners and prepare them for rewarding careers, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the 2020–21 school year.

At St. Petersburg College (SPC) in St. Petersburg, Florida, advisers and staff had to move quickly to provide remote advising services before the start of the fall 2020 semester. The college created a Virtual Advising Center with advisers available on-demand over Zoom. During virtual advising sessions, students received personalized help with registration, course planning and scheduling, transfer information, financial aid and more.

Staffing and promotion

Work schedules were created so that at any given time, a minimum of 20 advisers would be online and available to help students. Preparation included Zoom training for advisers as well as training for staff members who would manage the online environment and con­nect students with an adviser. In addition, the college’s marketing department communicated the new initiative to the thousands of students who would participate.

Enrollment success

The Virtual Advising Center launched two weeks before the beginning of the fall term. More than 75 college staff members — including career and academic advisers, administrative support staff, advising managers and associate provosts — took part in the daily operation. During the first three weeks of the initiative, more than 3,100 students met virtually with advisers. Through the success of the Virtual Advising Center, the college met its budgeted enrollment goal for the fall semester by the first day of the term.

After the peak registration period ended, SPC made virtual advising a regular component of student services. SPC students can now choose between appointments with advisers over Zoom or phone, the drop-in Vir­tual Advising Center over Zoom, and walk-in advising on campus (following COVID-19 protocols).

Interested in more COVID-19 innovations?

ACTE’s latest publication, High-quality CTE During COVID-19: Challenges and Innovations, generously sponsored by MajorClarity, describes challenges faced by CTE educators during COVID-19. The publication shares examples of innovative practices and provides recommendations for how CTE leaders can better prepare the post-COVID-19 workforce, embracing lessons learned during the pandemic.

Capture student skills with e-portfolios

Posted on by acte

Welcome to our new series, COVID-19 Innovations. Here, we chronicle the innovative ways that career and technical educators continue to engage students as lifelong learners and prepare them for rewarding careers, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the 2020–21 school year.

During COVID-19, Rachel Conover of Indian Valley Vocational Center in Sandwich, Illinois, has provided her students with choices. Conover’s culinary arts students demonstrated learning in various ways, including videos, photos and written reflections, using CTEfolio.

Brockton and Somerville school districts in Massachusetts are also piloting CTEfolio. This image shows one of many customizable challenges for Somerville students.

Documenting skills digitally

CTEfolio presents a digital portfolio of student knowledge, skills and experiences. Developed by CAST, a nonprofit education research and development organization, CTEfolio aligns with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a framework for designing accessible and rigorous learning environments for all.

Through CTEfolio, students curate evidence that demonstrates their learning in one central location. Conover offers feedback directly on student work, and students make improvements based on her input. Learners have access to CTEfolio for five years after graduation, and employers can gain access to see evidence of student competencies.

Supporting students with disabilities

Tools like CTEfolio are particularly useful for learners with individualized education plans, Conover said. Students with disabilities can struggle to effectively navigate multiple digital platforms. She described how digital portfolios help students that struggle with verbal communication, memory, anxiety and organizational skills. In CTEfolio, students learn how to assemble and display learning and skills to instructors and potential employers. Built-in accessibility features — text-to-speech, speech-to-text, dictionary and translation — help achieve this goal.

Do you have a COVID-19 innovation to share?

ACTE wants to hear about the innovative ways you are coping with the impact of the pandemic on CTE and career development. Please fill out this short form, and you could be featured in this series. For additional ideas on remote, blended and socially distanced in-person learning for CTE, check out ACTE’s comprehensive guide High-quality CTE: Planning for a COVID-19-impacted School Year and CTE distance learning lesson plan resources.

CTE students promote mask wearing

Posted on by acte

Welcome to our new series, COVID-19 Innovations. Here, we chronicle the innovative ways that career and technical educators continue to engage students as lifelong learners and prepare them for rewarding careers, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the 2020–21 school year.

Instructors at Nassau Technical Career Center (NTCC) — a shared-time center that offers career and technical education (CTE) programming for learners in grades 9-12 on the campus of Florida State College of Jacksonville in Yulee, Florida — faced many challenges in fall 2020. Among them was getting students to wear face masks properly. Teachers shared that instructional time was being used to enforce mask-wearing policies.

Design and development

NTCC’s entrepreneurship and marketing teacher partnered with digital media teachers in Nassau County to promote proper mask wearing.

Entrepreneurship and marketing students researched successful business slogans and developed key phrases to promote proper face mask usage. Digital media learners studied graphic design principles and used Adobe software to design posters and flyers. Upon receiving finished artwork, the entrepreneurship and marketing students assisted with the printing and distribution of campaign materials.

A sense of ownership

Now more students across the district are aware of the importance of proper mask wearing. In addition, the learners that actively participated in the campaign have a sense of ownership and pride. Now, they advocate for proper masking.

Do you have a COVID-19 innovation to share?

ACTE wants to hear about the innovative ways you are coping with the impact of the pandemic on CTE and career development. Please fill out this short form, and you could be featured in this series. For additional ideas on remote, blended and socially distanced in-person learning for CTE, check out ACTE’s comprehensive guide High-quality CTE: Planning for a COVID-19-impacted School Year and CTE distance learning lesson plan resources.

Students practice hands-on skills outside

Posted on by acte

Welcome to our new series, COVID-19 Innovations. Here, we chronicle the innovative ways that career and technical educators continue to engage students as lifelong learners and prepare them for rewarding careers, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the 2020–21 school year.

Career and technical educators have shown creativity and flexibility in the face of campus closures and social distancing requirements. In fall 2020, the career and technical education (CTE) department at Rockbridge County High School (RCHS), in Virginia, collaborated to provide students, as much as possible, with a genuine CTE experience. RCHS faculty supplemented virtual instruction with an outdoor CTE classroom along with prepackaged materials for hands-on practice.

Open-air learning

While RCHS delivered most instruction remotely, students in certain CTE programs could sign up to work one-on-one with their instructor: automotive technology and auto body, building trades and construction technology, manufacturing and electronics. In addition, aerospace technology students flew drones. Family and consumer sciences learners carved pumpkins.

The outdoor, socially distanced setup enabled students to complete performance assessments and check off competencies. Those learners who chose not to participate in the open-air classroom participated in virtual learning and assessment.

To comply with safety regulations, learners completed health screenings and had their temperatures taken at check-in. All students and instructors wore masks at all times. Workstations were sanitized after each use, and some learners also wore gloves.

Going mobile

Throughout the fall, educators worked to ensure that all learners who chose to participate in the outdoor classroom had transportation. RCHS hoped to take the classroom mobile, traveling to locations around the community with equipment loaded on trailers. However, rising case rates and colder weather resulted in the closure of the outdoor classroom in mid-November.

Do you have a COVID-19 innovation to share?

ACTE wants to hear about the innovative ways you are coping with the impact of the pandemic on CTE and career development. Please fill out this short form, and you could be featured in this series. For additional ideas on remote, blended and socially distanced in-person learning for CTE, check out ACTE’s comprehensive guide High-quality CTE: Planning for a COVID-19-impacted School Year and CTE distance learning lesson plan resources.

Business partners, students interact through remote Interview Week

Posted on by acte

Welcome to our new series, COVID-19 Innovations. Here, we chronicle the innovative ways that career and technical educators continue to engage students as lifelong learners and prepare them for rewarding careers, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the 2020–21 school year.

The past year has presented significant challenges as well as inspiring examples of CTE programs and partners collaborating to provide students with meaningful interactions with their peers and industry leaders.

Virtual Enterprises International (VEI) partners with secondary schools to deliver a school-based global business simulation that enables students to develop business, professional, technology and financial literacy skills for future success through hands-on entrepreneurial experience. This allows students to learn business by doing business and to test drive potential careers.

Expand access.

In spring 2020, VEI shifted its in-person learning experiences to online platforms. Students expanded their networks, engaging more actively with other student-run businesses across their state and in mentorship with business professionals in other states. In addition, more students are participating in virtual events because certain barriers to entry are eliminated. This particularly benefits VEI students attending schools in under-resourced communities.

This technological shift also helped expand the hiring process for leadership of student-run businesses. Normally, the teacher is solely responsible for hiring decisions. In 2020–21, VEI facilitated a virtual Interview Week, during which business professionals participated in 15-minute interviews with prospective candidates. The interviewers shared their feedback with the instructor to help them make a final decision.

Develop transferable skills.

The interview presented a real-world learning experience for students and a venue for demonstrating their leadership skills. Students received immediate feedback from business professionals about their strengths and growth areas in interviewing. Some of the business partners who facilitated interviews were former VEI students, providing students with role models to emulate.

Participants, both students and industry professionals, offered comments about their experience, which is being used to refine next year’s program. Overall, learners and business partners have shared how meaningful it was for them to engage in conversation with one another.

Do you have a COVID-19 innovation to share?

ACTE wants to hear about the innovative ways you are coping with the impact of the pandemic on CTE and career development. Please fill out this short form, and you could be featured in this series. For additional ideas on remote, blended and socially distanced in-person learning for CTE, check out ACTE’s comprehensive guide High-quality CTE: Planning for a COVID-19-impacted School Year and CTE distance learning lesson plan resources.

Virtual tri-state event trains CTSO leaders

Posted on by acte

Welcome to our new series, COVID-19 Innovations. Here, we chronicle the innovative ways that career and technical educators continue to engage students as lifelong learners and prepare them for rewarding careers, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the 2020–21 school year.

This first article in the series describes how COVID-19 restrictions spurred the creation of a virtual FCCLA Tri-state Officer Development event.

Cross-state collaboration was key.

Normally, FCCLA officers hold in-person trainings for chapter officers in each state. When COVID-19 interrupted fall 2020 trainings, three FCCLA state advisers — Reeca Carver from Kentucky, Mary Jo Kohl from Ohio and Cynthia Rodrigues from Michigan — decided to collaborate on a virtual conference. These three states shared the heavy work of hosting a virtual event. Students and teachers benefitted from the opportunity to interact and share project ideas with FCCLA students and advisers from different states.

The event used a mix of live and pre-recorded sessions through Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other technology. The agenda featured keynote speakers, a networking session and training on leadership roles and responsibilities. Students participated in a companion virtual 5K, and three winners received medals. All race participants were entered into a drawing for an FCCLA Store gift card.

Virtual training event engaged advisers and students in CTE.

The conference included specific presentations that explored topics of interest for chapter advisers and student members. In addition, pre-recorded student sessions addressed topics such as:

  • Running for office
  • Presenting at professional conferences
  • Conducting community service projects
  • Enhancing diversity in FCCLA

State officers led these sessions, called Member RED Talks, for the benefit of regional and chapter leaders.

The event was deemed a success! More students participated in the virtual event due to the lack of registration and travel costs. Carver and her colleagues are reviewing survey data to consider future virtual events, even when the pandemic is over.

Do you have a COVID-19 innovation to share?

ACTE wants to hear about the innovative ways you are coping with the impact of the pandemic on CTE and career development. Please fill out this short form, and you could be featured in this series. For additional ideas on remote, blended and socially distanced in-person learning for CTE, check out ACTE’s comprehensive guide High-quality CTE: Planning for a COVID-19-impacted School Year and CTE distance learning lesson plan resources.

CTE students promote mask wearing

Posted on by acte

Welcome to our new series, COVID-19 Innovations. Here, we chronicle the innovative ways that career and technical educators continue to engage students as lifelong learners and prepare them for rewarding careers, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the 2020–21 school year.

Instructors at Nassau Technical Career Center (NTCC) — a shared-time center that offers career and technical education (CTE) programming for learners in grades 9-12 on the campus of Florida State College of Jacksonville in Yulee, Florida — faced many challenges in fall 2020. Among them was getting students to wear face masks properly. Teachers shared that instructional time was being used to enforce mask-wearing policies.

Design and development

NTCC’s entrepreneurship and marketing teacher partnered with digital media teachers in Nassau County to promote proper mask wearing. Entrepreneurship and marketing students researched successful business slogans and developed key phrases to promote proper face mask usage. Digital media learners studied graphic design principles and used Adobe software to design posters and flyers. Upon receiving finished artwork, the entrepreneurship and marketing students assisted with the printing and distribution of campaign materials.

A sense of ownership

Now more students across the district are aware of the importance of proper mask wearing. In addition, the learners that actively participated in the campaign have a sense of ownership and pride. Now, they advocate for proper masking.

Do you have a COVID-19 innovation to share?

ACTE wants to hear about the innovative ways you are coping with the impact of the pandemic on CTE and career development. Please fill out this short form, and you could be featured in this series. For additional ideas on remote, blended and socially distanced in-person learning for CTE, check out ACTE’s comprehensive guide High-quality CTE: Planning for a COVID-19-impacted School Year and CTE distance learning lesson plan resources.

CTE students promote mask wearing

Posted on by acte

Welcome to our new series, COVID-19 Innovations. Here, we chronicle the innovative ways that career and technical educators continue to engage students as lifelong learners and prepare them for rewarding careers, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the 2020–21 school year.

Instructors at Nassau Technical Career Center (NTCC) — a shared-time center that offers career and technical education (CTE) programming for learners in grades 9-12 on the campus of Florida State College of Jacksonville in Yulee, Florida — faced many challenges in fall 2020. Among them was getting students to wear face masks properly. Teachers shared that instructional time was being used to enforce mask-wearing policies.

Design and development

NTCC’s entrepreneurship and marketing teacher partnered with digital media teachers in Nassau County to promote proper mask wearing. Entrepreneurship and marketing students researched successful business slogans and developed key phrases to promote proper face mask usage. Digital media learners studied graphic design principles and used Adobe software to design posters and flyers. Upon receiving finished artwork, the entrepreneurship and marketing students assisted with the printing and distribution of campaign materials.

A sense of ownership

Now more students across the district are aware of the importance of proper mask wearing. In addition, the learners that actively participated in the campaign have a sense of ownership and pride. Now, they advocate for proper masking.

Do you have a COVID-19 innovation to share?

ACTE wants to hear about the innovative ways you are coping with the impact of the pandemic on CTE and career development. Please fill out this short form, and you could be featured in this series. For additional ideas on remote, blended and socially distanced in-person learning for CTE, check out ACTE’s comprehensive guide High-quality CTE: Planning for a COVID-19-impacted School Year and CTE distance learning lesson plan resources.