Facilities, equipment, technology and materials is one of 12 elements of high-quality CTE, defined in ACTE’s comprehensive, research-based Quality CTE Program of Study Framework. This element addresses the alignment, appropriateness and safety of the physical/material components of the program of study, including laboratories, classrooms, computers, industry-specific equipment, and tools and supplies that support learning. The following reports, articles, guides and toolkits can help you develop and maintain high-quality CTE facilities and equipment and support student safety.
Facilities, Equipment and Tools
- How 3D Printing Took One Arizona District to New Heights
Mitchell, ACTE Techniques Magazine, October 2017
Students at the START campus at West-MEC have the opportunity to network with industry representatives and gain real-world experience with the offer of 3D printing services.
- Tech Tools Fuel Today’s CTE & Inspire Tomorrow’s World Leaders
Mumm, ACTE Techniques Magazine, October 2017
The author describes how to deliver project-based learning in a fabrication or fab lab setting.
- Case Study: Transforming CTE Learning Through Mixed Reality
Carbenia, ACTE Techniques Magazine, October 2017
Teachers in Florida’s St. Lucie Public Schools are using zSpace, which combines elements of virtual reality and augmented reality, to create interactive experiences for a diverse group of CTE students.
- Teaching In-Demand Skills: How Healthcare Educators Engage Today’s Students
Kuhn, ACTE Techniques Magazine, October 2017
Health care educators are using simulators and other high-tech tools to engage new generations of students.
- The Mobile Technical Education Center: STEM Career Inspiration on Wheels
McKinnon, ACTE Techniques Magazine, May 2017
The Mobile Technical Education Center offers an interactive exhibit to inspire youth to pursue careers in STEM.
- Makerspaces: Providing Pennsylvania Practical Prefiguration
D’Urzo et. al, ACTE Techniques Magazine, October 2016
The authors give diverse examples of makerspaces and fab labs in Pennsylvania.
- Awesome Toy Trains
Singleton, ACTE Techniques Magazine, October 2016
This article details the Awesome Toy Trains project, which illustrates the effectiveness of creating a teaching/learning environment that embodies the Maker Movement.
- Telepresence Robots: They’re Not Just for the Jetsons Anymore
Craven and Heitschmidt, ACTE Techniques Magazine, October 2015
Telepresence robots can engage homebound or hospitalized students more effectively than stationary video conferencing units.
- Simulated Work-based Learning: Instructional Approaches and Noteworthy Practices
Moyer, Snodgrass, Klein and Tebben, National Center for Innovation in Career Technical Education, September 2017
This paper explores the potential benefits of simulated work-based learning for CTE students. Researchers evaluated CTE programs at nine sites within three models: 1) those using simulation tools to teach occupationally specific skills; 2) simulated workplaces, intended to replicate jobsite conditions; and 3) school-based enterprises, operated as student-run businesses that produce and sell products or services.