Category: FEATURES

PLSP–ECMC Foundation propels educators & students toward career success

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In October 2019, Techniques asked, “What is postsecondary success?”

Now we’re back with another big question:

How do we support CTE students to achieve successful postsecondary transitions?

2020–21 fellows of the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation explored how participation will better equip them to support CTE students, particularly underserved population groups, toward career success.

Engage with these distinguished postsecondary leaders as they discuss their thoughts on the most important elements of professional development for postsecondary leaders and how quality PD can make a difference.

Without further ado, meet:

Learn more about the PLSP–ECMC Foundation.

The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation presents a yearlong professional development experience. CTE leaders develop organizational leadership and management skills, with an emphasis on addressing the needs of underserved populations. Applications for the third cohort open Oct. 1.

Utah Diesel Tech Pathways bring education & industry together

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The Utah Diesel Tech Pathways (UDTP) was formed in 2017 by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) to create a partnership with Salt Lake Community College, Jordan and Canyons School Districts and local industry partners. The pathway was formed to expand and cultivate the talent pipeline for the diesel tech industry — an industry in high demand and vital to economic growth and development in Utah.

Salt Lake County piloted the program, creating a pathway for secondary students to take two diesel courses at the local technology center. The courses offered concurrent enrollment credit at Salt Lake Community College. Students could then continue their pathway with that college to earn an associate degree. Secondary and postsecondary students, alike, participated in job shadows and internships to gain further knowledge of the field.

Because things were so successful in Salt Lake County, the Governor expanded UDTP into Utah County for 2018–19. (The program has since grown to include 12 school districts, seven higher education partners and more than 100 industry partners.) Grant funding from GOED helped Utah County create, upgrade and market the diesel tech pathway. Now, two years later, two new diesel shops are being built in Utah County — increasing its capacity to support pathway completers. Students in many counties have two options:

  1. They can go to the technical college, which usually offers free or low-cost tuition.
  2. Or, they can start on the pathway through concurrent enrollment

Many regions in Utah now offer both options as we have almost half the state involved in the pathway.

Support for a diesel tech career pathway

Utah has seen very steady growth in expansion to different regions in the state. We started with just one region four years ago. And each year has added another state CTE region to the map — up to five. Within 12 participating school districts, there are more than 30 individual schools.

Consider how one Murray, Utah, company — Geneva Rock — best serves their employees to support and maintain a qualified workforce.

Twice a year, Geneva Rock awards a $2,000 scholarship for students currently enrolled in an accredited university, college, trade or vocational school in the pursuit of a construction-related career.

Geneva Rock offers benefits — including paid time off, dental, vision, health and pension. Entry-level employees at Geneva Rock — shop oiler/oiler intern — earn $22.82 per hour to start and increase to $26.85 per hour after an introductory period.

As they grow in skill and experience the salary increases to reflect that growth. The highest paying diesel mechanic — the journeyman/field mechanic — earns $29.44 per hour. Other opportunities for growth include into roles such as assistant shop supervisor, shop foreman and area equipment superintendent.

Valued industry partners play pivotal role.

Industry support has been key in the development of Utah Diesel Tech Pathways program. When UDTP first began, six companies came together with education stakeholders to combat the shortage of diesel technicians in Utah. These companies were:

  • Cummins Rocky Mountain
  • Jackson Group Peterbilt
  • Kenworth Sales Company
  • Komatsu Equipment Corporation
  • Mountain West Truck Center Volvo Mack
  • Wheeler Cat

Valued industry partners provided school districts with the newest technology for students to learn and train on. They provided job shadows, internships, and the opportunity to interview for employment. They visited shops to talk to students, teachers and work-based learning coordinators — leading tours, creating regional advisory boards.

Working under the UDTP, under one singular logo, diesel tech companies showcase an understand of a common need. They all need technicians, and they must work together.

Stakeholders from industry and education work together to make a fluid pathway with stackable credentials. Students become lifelong learners, to grow with the industry and into the jobs of tomorrow.

UDTP most recently expanded into southern Utah, in December 2019, and gained new industry partners in Walmart, Snap-on and Napa Auto Parts among others. These big-name companies are constantly looking for technicians to keep their fleet of trucks and machinery up and running. Without those technicians, there would be more accidents with semi-trucks; our delivered goods would be late. Construction and mining may come to a halt. Diesel technicians help keep our economy going. It is critical that students and their families become aware of the possibilities available to them in CTE.

Schools educate tomorrow’s workforce.

Educators in Utah created brand new concurrent enrollment courses to fit the industry need in their area; they participated in advisory boards and events to create and promote the pathway. Currently, students across the state can complete two concurrent enrollment courses in Basic Diesel Theory and Engine Performance. Both courses incorporate safety components. Credit for concurrent enrollment courses stack into a one-year certificate or a two-year associate degree.

Students can also choose to begin the UDTP at their local technical college. From there they can choose to take on employment or continue their postsecondary education at a local university where an articulation agreement has been signed.

Each institution has worked with their local partner to create these agreements, an effort that is now expanding into other regions. This will create more opportunities for students who may want to move to another part of the state or are transferred by their company but want to continue their education. Secondary and postsecondary schools have all come to the table to create a seamless pathway — to meet the needs of students and the local economy.

Students experience life-changing postsecondary transitions.

For students, UDTP presents a chance to explore education outside the traditional four-year degree pathway. They can start in a paid or unpaid internship at 16. They can start their training while they are still in high school. Note: The program also extends to adults looking for more training, or for a shift in their career:

“Clinton resident Andrew Huddleston, 35, joined the diesel pathways program after trying numerous other career options. He said finding the diesel program was a life-changing discovery.

“I’m more of a hands-on person,” he said. “I like to get in and get my hands dirty.

“(Diesel trucking) is the lifeblood of this country,” he said. “I love doing technician work. The program gives me a leg up on everyone else.” (Lee, 2019)

Many of Utah’s technical colleges offered diesel technology programs, but the pathway really opened the door to industry. UDTP gives students the opportunity to interact with multiple companies in their area. They are able to make informed decisions about training for future careers.

Furthermore, many companies have begun offering scholarship opportunities for students of all ages to help them gain the proper tools, training and experience. These scholarships are vital to ensure diversity of access for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Conclusion

The Utah Diesel Tech Pathway creates unique opportunities for businesses to increase their talent pipeline and provide rewarding careers for students. Education and industry stakeholders came together to meet a common goal of rendering successful postsecondary transitions for students, no matter where they go for training. And they are now beginning to reap the benefits — with a growing pipeline of potential employees from across the state of Utah.

Torrie Costantino is the CTE pathways coordinator at Utah Valley University. Costantino was a 2019–2020 fellow of the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. She is intensely passionate about CTE and improving the world of education for all students. Email her.

CTE and SPED teachers collaborate with results

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Forward to the future! The Apply and Communicate for Transition Now Discussion Tool facilitates career exploration as secondary students plan for successful postsecondary transitions.

Interests, preferences, strengths and needs are identified and broken down into manageable steps — steps the student is willing to take and can realistically achieve. Students use their goals and narrative from this documented discussion as they continue to seek information. Development of an action plan will help them connect to resources.

A student’s action plan may include group or individual discussions with:

  • Work-based learning instructors, CTE coordinators, tech college representatives
  • Community resources such as TRIO First Generation, Gear Up, and other community partners
  • Disability supports – such as vocational rehabilitation, WIOA, pre-employment transition service providers, and university disability services

The tool offers career exploration as students learn more about fields of interest and industry standards, and participate in inclusive recruitment activities. Students and facilitators use links to career and technical education (CTE) programs and support services that can prepare them for college and career success based on their interests, strengths and needs for access. The discussion tool combines an action plan with scripted open-ended questions that allow for effective conversations.

Via pre-recorded video (in large and small groups, or one on one), students with disabilities (SWD) engage in conversations about current skills and future criteria (e.g. employment requirements, course objectives, or minimum academic skills) using common language across multiple settings (e.g. school/CTE/SPED, work, postsecondary).

The discussion tool allows students, teachers and trained paraprofessionals to:

  1. Narrow interests and discover options for personalized learning and goal setting. Students explore CTE and work-based learning (WBL) opportunities to determine their preferred CTE Pathways. Before students can be included (access) in CTE options, they must be aware of those opportunities.
  2. Compose narrative statements to explain interests, strengths and needs as related to chosen careers. Through these discussions, students explore and explain their goals and identify supports needed for success toward those goals. Access occurs as the student is introduced to the resources and people who can help them achieve their desired employment and education goals.
  3. Set goals and take steps to prepare for options in interested careers. Once goals are determined (e.g. pass a math class, increase school attendance, apply for funding), students work with CTE and SPED teachers to identify and plan academic support (e.g. resources for textbooks to be read aloud, case managers notified of upcoming tests).
  4. Participate equitably in CTE courses, including WBL. Accommodations allow students to complete courses and meet industry standards, including passing licensing or certification requirements (e.g., proficiency, speed, accuracy, or minimum reading and math abilities) without being penalized for individual barriers such as disability or internet access.

The Apply and Communicate for Transition NowTM Discussion Tool allows CTE and SPED to hold honest and respectful conversations with SWD regarding expectations for entry into a chosen career pathway. Personalized instruction meets individual needs, helping students prepare for inclusive equitable access to CTE opportunities while ensuring they meet industry standards.

The tools and resources in the discussion tool are based on best practices from rigorous evidence-based research and practical applications.

A promising case study of students with IEPs and 504 plans

A total of 203 students with disabilities (SWD) in one large high school (enrollment ≃ 2,400) located in the Rocky Mountain west participated in a rigorous one-year randomized control research trial supported by the U. S. Department of Education (Dawson, 2018). The purpose: to determine the efficacy of the discussion tool during a single year.

Results were very positive.

Those in the intervention group averaged six opportunities to learn about CTE and support services, and to ask questions. Trained facilitators led SWD through program options and personalized exploration activities to each students interests. As a result, SWD were more likely to be interested and engaged. Self-determination scores increased more than seven points for those who participated with the discussion tool. Those not using the discussion tool saw an increase of less than one point.

A community resource sheet was developed to help CTE and SPED teachers discuss with students, parents and other key stakeholders (see part two, next week, for a downloadable template).

Access increase significantly, as measured by the number of contacts with CTE and community resources (p=.02). A higher percentage of SWD reported they have knowledge of how to apply, or they applied for, WBL; see outcomes. Finally, students who used the discussion tool reported more helpful and positive opportunities.

Outcomes

CTE teachers and administrators provide the options and standards needed for students to make decisions; SPED and counselors provide the resources needed for academic success among SSP. The discussion tool relies heavily on regular discussions to ensure students understand what their strengths and needs are in relation to industry standards. Repeated career exploration and goal setting helps to build relationships of trust and encourages the student to achieve.

Conclusion

When school staff collaborate using a multi-tier system of support and universal design for learning, they provide SSP with strategies to overcome barriers to participate in high-quality CTE programs. Inclusive recruitment includes integrated career development, helping them connect with support services to maximize the opportunity for success as students work to meet industry standards.

How can your school can use shared conversations? How can SSP — and all students — in your school or district benefit from shared community resource information? The answers to these questions can help ensure inclusion, access, equity and diversity in your high-quality CTE program.

Still to come:

  • Part two will discuss how to leverage our results for success in your setting.
  • Part Three will discuss how it all applies to Perkins V.

Shirley Dawson, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Weber State University. She researches and teaches courses in special education law, transition planning, and teacher development. Email:

Melanie Allen, M.Ed, is a school special education teacher. She helps students and their parents explore their career options, determine goals, and facilitates school collaboration and interagency connections. Email:

Adam King, M.S., is an assistant principal in Davis School District. He has also worked as a special education teacher and district SPED/504 coordinator.

The research reported for 2018–19 is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R324L180011 to Weber State University. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.

Survey Says #ACTEcares: Tips and Resources for a COVID-19-impacted School Year

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We asked career and technical education (CTE) professionals to share their needs, and tips for success, while navigating back-to-school during the COVID-19 pandemic. The response was amazing — with feedback from all levels and multiple sectors. Here, we have compiled the great suggestions and distance learning resources you provided to share across the CTE community.

Tips for planning virtual or classroom instruction

  • Simplicity: Don’t recreate the wheel. Keep it simple and be patient… Students and their families are under stress, too.
  • Engagement: Think about yourself as a student, and plan lessons that would keep you engaged. If you wouldn’t want to sit through a long boring presentation, neither do the students.
  • Consistency: Consistency with students is key, in-person or virtual. Don’t overwhelm students with too much work or too much technology. Focus on what you need to teach and what they need to learn. Add in the technology once that is worked out.
  • Planning: Back up everything! Digital files are easily deleted or corrupted so be sure to back up all your files.
  • Understanding: Give yourself time to learn new platforms, and don’t be hard on yourself if you try something new but it doesn’t work out! Take a deep breath. Offer grace to yourself and your students. We are all struggling to navigate back-to-school in a new normal environment. Plan for the student who may struggle the most when remote learning. Set an example and share your positivity! Your attitude will affect theirs; lean on each other.

CTE’s most pressing needs

  • Smart cameras, headphones, USB drives and digital drawing tablets topped the list of hardware accessories for digital access.
  • Training, engagement strategy, accessibility, hands-on alternatives, curriculum resources and lesson planning took center stage for your digital and hybrid needs.
  • Safety and sanitation protocols and how to go about crafting a list of best practices that consider the current needs of in-person learning, including social distancing and masks, came across loud and clear.

Many teachers worry about making an emotional connection with their students, regardless of the teaching environment. This final concern is what it’s all about: teachers caring for students.

Because you care, anything is possible — and we want you to know that #ACTEcares, too.

Please reach out to us anytime with suggestions for ways we can better serve you and the CTE community!

Foundations of Blended Learning in Early Childhood Education

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In a traditional classroom model

An early childhood education (ECE) instructor provides direct instruction on evaluating the quality of a preschool classroom. Students listen, take notes, view images and ask questions. They are provided with formative checks for understanding and given opportunities to discuss and collaborate.

In a blended learning classroom model

The ECE instructor becomes a true facilitator of learning. Students guide their own learning via LMS and synchronous online learning sessions. There are many opportunities for the teacher to conference individually with students. Students must connect with adults other than the teacher. They must learn to self-report and pace themselves to meet the deadline.

Learning is aligned to the needs of a 21st century workforce.

The ECE teacher begins the lesson with 20 minutes of direct instruction to establish the overall project.

“Every ECE program’s responsibility to young children and their families is to ensure their health and well-being while providing high-quality instruction for cognitive development. Choosing the best ECE program is an important decision with several variables. Your first project involves learning about the many components involved with preschool program evaluation.”

The driving question:

Can we rank the quality of area preschools in a fair and credible way to help parents make the best decisions for their families?

This project-based learning assignment works with the cooperation of preschool staff that agree to partner with an early childhood education student during a six-week period. Staff members are asked to support students with phone, in person and email conversations, and to provide feedback on five standard areas: compliance, health and safety, nutrition, multiple intelligences, and storytelling.

The preschool evaluation assignment begins with email introductions and follows:

  1. The quality child care web search
  2. The health >amp; safety research presentation
  3. Nutrition — weekly menu design
  4. The storytelling experience
  5. Multiple intelligences are alive and well
  6. Your choice! Students will select an evaluation criterion. Challenge them to write a brief justification for the choice.
  7. The comprehensive summative assessment can take the form of a slideshow or video. Conclude the weeks-long assignment with presentations and open dialogue on how difficult it is to suspend our original judgements and make careful evaluations.

Remember to always pause for reflection. Remind students of the driving question; how do we provide fair and credible analysis? How does each task inform our analysis? Ask students to verbalize their observations and growth in a professional capacity. Here might be a good opportunity to lead them in an exercise on identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Notes

  1. As students work on each task independently, they will continue learning from their teacher and classmates via:
    • Teacher lectures and discussions — virtually and/or in class
    • Textbook readings
  2. A key feature of Blended Learning is the flexibility of pacing for students to progress and monitor their own learning. In addition, this approach will create more opportunities for you to conference one on one with students to gain a more accurate sense of their level of understanding and clarify errors in thinking.
  3. Some students will move through tasks much faster than others. Nevertheless it is important to set weekly due dates for accountability.

For more from Sandra Adams, ACTE members can read her article, “Blended Learning: A Foundational Approach,” in Techniques‘ September 2020 issue.

Sandra Adams is a teacher and instructional coach with the Career Academy, Fort Wayne Community Schools. She co-wrote the ACTE-supported book But I’m NOT a Reading Teacher!: Literacy Strategies for Career and Technical Educators with Gwendolyn Leininger. Email her.

Survey Says: Speak Up & Take Time for Yourself

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On social media last week, ACTE asked,

How are you are taking care of yourself during the COVID-19 pandemic?

We heard from career and technical education (CTE) teachers and administrators representing a range of subject areas — including from family and consumer sciences, business education, engineering and design, agricultural education and more.

Here’s what CTE had to say about self-care:

  • Establish time off at home. Step away from the computer each hour for little brain breaks during the day.
  • Communicate when you are feeling overwhelmed; don’t bottle it up! Ask others — your peers and your leaders — for assistance when you need it.
  • Dress up each day.
  • Follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and precautions, such as wearing masks and gloves, washing your hands, practicing social distancing and limiting public outings to primarily work and grocery shopping.
  • Spend quality time with your family.
  • Play a board game.
  • Remove notifications from your cell phone.
  • Read, or journal.
  • Cook a favorite meal.
  • Eat more vegetables.
  • Drink lots of water.
  • Get enough sleep.
  • Exercise! Take walks and enjoy the fresh air. Play ping pong. Ride bikes. Bring a yoga mat and free weights to school to stretch and pump iron on breaks.

Thank you to all who completed the survey! #ACTECares

Techniques Year in Review: 2019–2020

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The school year is wrapping up and you know what that means?! Summer reading season! Read Techniques. ACTE’s flagship publication addresses the issues ACTE members care about most, providing input you can trust when making decisions for your classrooms, programs and school systems — in print and on the web.

Articles published in Techniques are crafted to inspire and enrich the career and technical education (CTE) experience for all.

Find a comfortable spot in the shade and read Techniques.

In January 2019, business and community partnerships took center stage. Nicole Carter wrote “Colorado Partners Educate a Strong, Prepared Workforce.”

To meet the need for a more equipped labor force, communities, local businesses and national industry companies have come together to partner and support the growing requirement for skilled trades workers. …Widefield and Peyton School Districts purchased a 46,000-square-foot building known now as the Manufacturing Industry Learning Lab (MiLL) National Training Center.

Overall, the ultimate goal of the partnership is to promote a stronger and more consistent workforce in Colorado.

The February 2019 issue of Techniques focused on engaging students through CTE. In a centerpiece on career and technical student organizations (CTSOs), readers will “learn more about these nine organizations as they enhance student learning to address workforce development challenges and increase global competitiveness.”

A 21st century education for 21st century students

Dale Winkler and Scott Warren, of the Southern Regional Education Board, strongly recommend a whole school approach to increasing access and equity. Their article appeared in Techniques in March 2019.

We believe that career pathway programs that blend quality CTE and college-preparatory academics offer a way to increase readiness, postsecondary attainment, career advancement and economic stability for youth of all genders, races, socioeconomic backgrounds and ability levels.

States are using career pathways as an essential element of college and career readiness initiatives that satisfy the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act and Perkins V.

We made the case for family and consumer sciences in April 2019. With innovation at the forefront, Lori Wahl introduced fashion students to direct 3D printing on fabric. 3D printers are a versatile tool that can do more than print figures, parts and things. “While used predominantly for rapid protoyping and small-scale production of objects, 3D printing can also be used directly on fabrics to enhance the surface, dramatically change the appearance, or add a built-in feature.”

The future is bright! The future of career development, that is. Monica Amyett explored the important role of instructional coaching for CTE teachers in her article for Techniques in May 2019. “Quality teacher professional development is essential to the outcome of student achievement. In their careers, teachers must be challenged with new ideas in order to foster a classroom culture of student engagement that will lead to achievement.”

At the end of yet another school year, Techniques took a break.

Dear reader, will you share your experience from ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2019? Leave a comment below. Techniques’ September issue gave association members a sneak peek at the innovative professional development to be undertaken in Anaheim, California. Consider Shannon Sheldon’s work on “Supporting the Gender Expansive Student.”

Students who blur the lines between masculine and feminine are considered to be gender expansive (Baum >amp; Westheimer, 2015; Murchison, 2016.) Pushing the boundaries of what is generally accepted as appropriate is not a new concept; at one time it was considered unacceptable for a female to wear pants to school.

But what about students who choose to express their gender outside of the norm? As educators, how can we make all students, regardless of gender identity or expression, feel welcome, included and supported in our classrooms?

October 2019 asked, “What is postsecondary success?” And our leaders in CTE answered.

Nzingha Williams, a fellow in the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation, wrote, “Postsecondary success is about the holistic success of the student and the institutions that serve them. Students come with a variety of different goals and aspirations. We must be able to help students achieve their goals. We also must be able to serve the economy and make sure that industries have enough skilled labor. True success comes when there is an intersection between our students, livable wage and economic mobility.”

California is stepping it up, shifting instructional focus from STEM to STEAM. So wrote Elizabeth McKinstry for the November/December 2019 issue of Techniques. Read more about how the Antelope Valley Unified School District has integrated art and engineering. “As the engineering students were tasked to train their classmates on equipment and use of tools, both groups improved their communication skills. Engineering students, typically focused on optimal and acceptable solutions, began to view their projects through a creative and emotional lens.”

Assessing the future of work

Ah, 2020. What a ride it’s been. The January issue of Techniques laid the foundation for developing effective work-based learning experiences. Consider the following from the Educational Development Center on “The Future of Work.”

A major transformation is taking place in America’s workplaces. The National Science Foundation calls it the Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier (Mervis, 2016) — a future that is driven by combinations of machine learning, artificial intelligence, the “internet of things” and robotics. Today’s students will need new sets of skills, knowledge and dispositions to succeed in workplaces. The CTE community is already giving students a head start in preparing for the future of work. But one key challenge involves predicting the multiple directions in which the workplace is heading and reconfiguring CTE to keep pace.

What has happened since the passage of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act? What steps are being taken toward implementation? In February 2020, CTE professionals from around the country answered these questions and more. Heather M. Jones, a FACS teacher in Virginia, wrote, “Perkins V’s expansion to include middle grades CTE presents opportunities for those launching new initiatives and expanding existing programming. New funding streams create opportunities to reach more students earlier, educate them about future career options, and help dispel long-held myths about CTE in our schools and communities.”

A commitment to high-quality CTE

Data and Program Improvement is element No. 12 in ACTE’s Quality CTE Program of Study Framework. Gene Bottoms asserted our students’ voices are the key to program improvement. “Students can provide valuable insight into CTE courses. Consider the following data from surveys conducted on two groups of students. Their responses demonstrated that students can discern the type of rigorous CTE assignments that will prepare them for good jobs in the 21st century economy.” Read the March 2020 issue to learn more.

On land, out of this world… and in the watery depths as well. CTE offers opportunities for career success in and around the water. In April 2020, Techniques featured model programs in diverse pathways such as agriculture, STEM, health science, transportation and more. Emily Kuhn wrote “The Future of Hydroponics.” “To grow food (and economies) in and around cities, water-driven indoor farming methods like hydroponics are expanding rapidly, creating a favorable job outlook for students interested in what’s becoming an emerging industry of high-tech greenhouses, vertical farms, hydroponics and aquaponics.”

Learning is a lifelong process. In these unprecedented times, the traditional forms of instruction are being challenged. We’ve all been forced to rethink our strategy for teaching our students, and also for delivering quality professional development in CTE. While the majority of our May issue was developed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following words from Nancy Trivette, ACTE’s board of directors president.

Our personal, social and professional interactions will be shaped as a result of the pandemic of 2020. Working, teaching and learning from home, just weeks ago, was uncommon for many of us. Today, as I write this, it is a reality for most, if not all of us. Everything we know, have done and will do in the future may be different. It is 2020, and our everyday lives have been reinvented and will continue to be reinvented at a speed that is hard to imagine. It is a time of change and a bit of uncertainty. However, it is also a time of great opportunity to change the way we teach, learn and do business! What will not change is the need for quality career and technical education.

ACTE members can read full issues of Techniques online.

Start with the syllabus

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Although remote learning is starting to wind down and educators across the country are once again joyously welcoming the start of summer, there remains a very real undercurrent of anxiety. No one knows what school will look like in the fall. Will schools return to normal with physical classes and traditional hours? Will they be fully remote? Or, will teachers, students and parents need to prepare for a hybrid model yet to be determined?

How can career and technical education (CTE) teachers prepare for these possibilities?

Re-examine your syllabus.

The syllabus serves as a roadmap, a first impression. It sets expectations, provides information about important dates and assignment deadlines, offers pathways for communication between the instructor, students and parents or guardians. The class syllabus guides students along a route to their final destination: course completion. And, like the GPS in your car, the syllabus becomes even more essential when students are at the highest risk for getting “lost.”

The syllabus does something else as well, something just as important. A well-designed syllabus informs class culture — even in remote or blended learning environments — by providing options and promoting accessibility.

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials recommends a strategy — developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (2016) — for ensuring accessibility.

Course materials should be:

Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust (POUR)

Applied to the syllabus the technique would look something like this:

Perceivable: Can everyone see and hear the content?

  • Use videos and images in the syllabus to increase understanding. Visuals are a powerful tool for educators to convey information and connect with students.
  • Create a video introducing yourself (and make sure to include closed captions).
  • Provide a space where students can introduce themselves, demonstrate a skill or practice, provide feedback and more.

Operable: Can everyone navigate with ease?

  • Consider creating a video tour of the course to outline expectations and goals.
  • Within the syllabus itself, apply styles to indicate section headings, which should be descriptive and unique.
  • Additionally, if you include links in the syllabus, they should be descriptive. For instance: “Click here” and the specific internet address, are not user friendly for students using text readers.

Understandable: Can everyone understand what is required?

  • To set the tone, include a syllabus statement that highlights your desire to support all learners.
  • Consider creating an online survey to ask students: What do you wish your teachers knew about you? Use these responses to design assessments and offer accommodations.
  • Include in the syllabus multiple ways for the students to reach out (e.g., email, phone, text, etc.).

Robust: Will the technology used transfer so the content remains accessible?

  • Students today are used to viewing materials on mobile devices. Open your syllabus on your phone; does everything function properly?
  • Perform an accessibility check on the syllabus. K-12 educational leadership, journalism and business. She has a proven record of achievement including being named the 2019 New Hampshire CTE Leader of the Year. Bastoni focuses on increasing equity and access for special populations in CTE. Her first book, From the Inside-Out will be released by Rowman >amp; Littlefield in June 2020. Email her.

    REFERENCE
    World Wide Web Consortium. (2016). Introduction to understanding WCAG 2.0. Retrieved from https://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/intro.html.

Get Back to Basics: Strategies for Remote Learning in CTE

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The transition to remote learning has left educators reeling. Being asked to design lessons, learn new technology, all while educating your own children and simultaneously trying to stay connected to family and friends in the middle of a pandemic is a herculean task. For career and technical education (CTE) teachers, the loss of balance is even further compounded. Why? Because CTE curriculum is often dependent on access to specialized tools and large machines

Imagine trying to teach woodworking without a lathe, or automotive without a lift. Imagine trying to teach biotechnology without a pipette, or HVAC without access to a soldering table.

It’s hard to picture — let alone do.

The truth is, CTE teachers can’t replicate the experience of hands-on learning in industry-specific lab spaces. What they can do is this:

Get back to basics.

CTE students learning in a remote environment can still learn something essential.

They can still learn how to learn.

After all, in the real world, CTE students must be able to acquire new knowledge. Today’s CTE students will soon be plumbers, electricians, cosmetologists, news anchors, entrepreneurs, engineers and doctors. They will all encounter novel situations that require deeper understanding and the independent discovery of answers.

The following strategies are designed to help CTE teachers develop curriculum, projects and lessons that guide students to take ownership of how they learn.

Think about the barriers.

  • Before you design a lesson plan or an activity, pause and think about what barriers students might experience as they try to learn in a remote environment. For example, some students only have one computer at home. Plan virtual “office hours” with tons of advanced notice; offer alternative options for students to connect with you.
  • If you haven’t heard from a student in a while, don’t ask why before considering the barriers. Ask yourself, “How can I design the lesson to better engage this student?” Connect with the student’s counselor for advice on outreach strategies.
  • You might also develop an assignment that asks students to think about barriers they and their peers may be experiencing. Encourage them to be as honest as possible. Waking up might be a barrier if they are constantly staying up later than they would normally due to a lack of school-based scheduling.
  • In remote learning environments many educators are leveraging video resources. If you choose to do so, make sure you don’t unintentionally create more barriers. Render all videos so they include closed captioning. That way students who are hearing impaired can access the learning. Captioning will also benefit students in noisy environments and enriches the learning experience for all.

Focus on the goal.

Student engagement may increase in remote learning environments if educators place a strong focus on making sure they are truly assessing the learning goal. For example, it might seem natural to ask students to write an essay response to the following question: Describe how you use a tool safely. But, if that is the only option you provide for students to demonstrate learning, what are you assessing really?

A student might know how to use the tool safely, but they might not be able to access a computer for writing, or they may not feel confident in their writing skills. What if you provided students with options for demonstrating their understanding? Can you still assess the learning goal of safety…

  • If the student makes a video explaining how they would use the tool?
  • If they draw a poster and submit a photograph of it?

Ask students to describe their learning goals. Consider creating an assignment that asks students to answer the following question: What are the three most important things you would like to learn with the remaining time in the school year? Use these answers to drive your unit development and activity planning.

Keep it relevant.

Students learn best when they feel the materials, tools, units or concepts are relevant or authentic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, keep it relevant by focusing on themes and tools students can access at home. Here’s an idea from Abraham Ewing, a CTE woodworking and manufacturing teacher at ConVal High School, in Peterborough, New Hampshire.

Share your home projects.

Ewing sends daily videos to students. He teaches woodworking students about estimating wood costs, project design, drawing, planning and more as he builds raised beds in his own backyard. “When I call home to talk and share what students are learning about building raised beds, most of the parents seem really excited because they want their kids to build them too.”

Ewing recommends teachers stay flexible and be ready to improvise. “For my manufacturing class I bought my own 3D printer. I use it for visuals in my class videos and I showed them how local people were using 3D printers to make masks for hospitals.”

Consider asking students what projects they are working on at home. Could students create short how-to videos detailing the projects they are working on? If they can’t work on projects at home, ask students to draw or make a video of what project they would like to do at home. How can you use students’ interests to increase engagement and make the material relevant?

If I had to craft an essential question for this time in education, it might be:

How can CTE educators design remote learning so lessons are accessible, relevant and engaging?

While the answer will look different for each teacher, and will largely depend on support, student population and subject area, the common denominator will be the need to develop strategies that bring us all back to the heart of learning.

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Before working at CAST, Amanda Bastoni, Ed.D., was an accomplished CTE director and teacher with 20+ years of experience in K-12 educational leadership, journalism and business. She has a proven record of achievement including being named the 2019 New Hampshire CTE Leader of the Year. During her time in education, Amanda has focused on increasing equity and access for special populations in CTE. Email her.

Making Connections: Nonfiction & Postsecondary Success

Posted on by acte

On Oct. 4, 1917, Virgil Cook from Unionville, Missouri, enlisted at age 19 to serve in the U.S. Army. He was expected to understand words in context (specifically, medical terminology). He was asked to interpret, synthesize and use evidence found in a wide range of sources, whether that be from hand-drawn maps, weather data, verbal directions, his own common sense, or applying knowledge of the fighting in Central Europe before the U.S. entered the War. The aptitudes demonstrated by Cook and thousands of other World War I soldiers are universal; many of these essential skills that are now tested on the SAT: problem solving, reading comprehension, vocabulary, data analysis, algebra or geometry.

Although I never met Virgil Cook, I work with many high school students who mirror his characteristics. Why teens decide what path to pursue after graduation is, in large part, a mystery. We do know that providing a sound instructional base of essential skills in problem solving, literacy and math will prepare students to make reasonable decisions regarding life after high school. As educators, we need to provide appropriate and engaging reading options for students so they remain invested in their education.

The SAT Reading Test always includes the following:

  1. One passage from a classic or contemporary work of U.S. or world literature
  2. One passage or a pair of passages from either a U.S. founding document or a text in the Great Global Conversation they inspired, such as the U.S. Constitution or a speech by Nelson Mandela
  3. A selection about economics, psychology, sociology, or some other social science
  4. Two science passages (or one passage and one passage pair) that examine foundational concepts and developments in Earth science, biology, chemistry, or physics

The above list may seem like a challenge to use in just one content area. There are many nonfiction choices available for student reading that will resonate with all students.

  • The National Council of Teachers of English offers extensive lesson plans utilizing nonfiction. My favorite is “Analyzing Famous Speeches as Arguments” highlighting Queen Elizabeth I’s speech to the troops at Tilbury in 1588. This speech is a contrast to the one given by King George VI in 1939.
  • The National Council for the Social Studies features new books, lesson plans and a discussion board appropriate for teachers, parents, and students. Links to state social studies consortiums are also available. For example, Mark T. Kissling and Jonathan T. Bell, both from Penn State University, have integrated history, science, economics, and data analysis in their study “Climate Change and Pennsylvania Social Studies Teaching.” This approach to climate change can be duplicated by any high school and a comparison then made between the new findings and Kissling and Bell’s work.

Learning the vocabulary, systems, applications, and history of scientific areas is an intense process for any student. However, teens with no interest in biology or chemistry, for example, might resonate with physics.

  • The Science Teacher published by the National Science Teaching Association focuses on high school applications. Michael Blair researched my favorite approach in “Applying Age-Old Physics to Teach Modern Physics Concepts.” Blair highlights spears, atlatls, and trebuchets. Many of these inventions were first conceptualized by Leonardo da Vinci in the early part of his career over 500 years ago. My students created a reflection (essay, art, new machine, podcast) on Blair’s quotation “When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”

Nonfiction options for reading and instruction are not limited to reading, writing, social studies, science and math. Nonfiction infuses music, art, dance, theatre and the movies. From each of these disciplines we reflect on various events in history with honor and perspective, and even see our own vision of the future. No matter where a school is located, there are always opportunities in the arts that are not geographically near enough for individual/class study. But opportunities abound in our digital age! Several outstanding museums have their entire collections online with accompanying lessons and essays, including The Louvre, Solomon R. Guggenheim, National Gallery of Art, British Museum, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and more.

Nonfiction is also found in our own personal letters and family treasures, and here is where we return to Virgil Cook. After serving his country, Cook wandered back to Missouri and then to northwestern Nebraska, where he began a new life as a rancher. He and his wife raised one child, my father-in-law. His story is reflected not only in family lore, but in the archives of the Imperial War Museum. The IWM was founded in the midst of the First World War with a mission to preserve and tell the stories of all kinds of people. The museum sites feature a unique collection of objects that tell the human stories of lives engulfed in war and show how conflict has shaped the world in which we all live. This resource alone could engage teens in reading, history, geography, math and technology.

We have many Virgil Cooks in our classrooms across this country. We, as career and technical educators, have a responsibility to these students, to help guide them toward postsecondary success — whatever shape that path may take. To accomplish that, however, they need that synergistic spark: to learn and feel and lose themselves in our best writing, to discover topics they never knew existed, and to understand the interconnectedness of all subjects, all topics in the past, present and future.

Leanne Cook is a postsecondary education specialist as well as gifted education coordinator at a small, rural high school in Colorado. Learn more and discover additional options for nonfiction reading that will resonate with your students at ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2019, where she will present a session — Nonfiction Options = Increased CTE Skills and SAT Scores — on Thursday, Dec. 5. This is an event you won’t want to miss! Register today; the VISION advance registration discount expires Friday, Oct. 25.