VIRTUAL CTE DISCUSSIONS
Brought to you by ACTE’s Educators in Action, this online discussion series is designed to empower educators and reinforce their professional skills. Led by career and technical educators, these regular discussions provide a platform for peer-sharing with professionals across the country. Discussions explore hot topics in CTE and tools and tips for strengthening CTE programs. Join fellow ACTE members for these informative and engaging discussions and lend your voice, expertise and ideas to your peers on these important topics. The schedule of upcoming virtual discussions can be found below, as well as recordings of past discussions.
Building Your Toolkit
Building Your Toolkit
Essential Skills & Resources for the CTE Professional Whether you’re new to the CTE classroom or an experienced professional, there’s always something to learn. This series provides tools to enhance your classroom, tips to strengthen your teaching and essential skills to develop as a CTE professional.
Decision-making Strategies Educators in Action Virtual Discussion
March 29th, 3:30-4:30 PM EST
One of the most challenging aspects of leadership is decision making. Learn about multiple methods of reaching a sound conclusion, whether you are exploring the forces supporting and opposing your efforts, trying to bring a group to consensus, or hoping to solve a recurring problem. These are valuable tools for a leader’s toolbox and will help ensure continued success!Led by: Dr. Leslie Bleskachek has worked in education for over 20 years, including 10 years in the Wisconsin Technical College System and almost 4 years in the Minnesota State system. She is currently the School to Career Coordinator for a school district in northwestern Wisconsin. She has worked as an instructor, both face to face and online, a Dean, a Campus Manager and a Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. She holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and has served on numerous non-profit boards related to education and economic development. For ACTE, she has served on local and national committees and as a state delegate, was the Wisconsin President from 2012-13, and an ACTE Fellow in 2015. She lives with her husband of 20+ years in western Wisconsin along with 2 rambunctious kittens, Rusty and Reyna. She enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking and quiet time watching stars around the firepit.”Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader. Don’t fall victim to what I call the ‘ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome’. You must be willing to fire.” – T. Boone Pickens (1928 – ), American Financier
#SpeaklikeTED: Preparing Students for Public Speaking in Competitive Events
One common denominator between all CTSOs is that public speaking and presentation skills count and may be the deal-breaker between going home with a certificate, or heading to the next level, national competitions. This panel discussion with Rachael Mann and student Lennon Audrain provides advisors and teacher leaders with the tools needed to equip students to succeed and advance and an opportunity to hear from students who’ve used this training to take their public speaking to the next level.
Delivering Jaw-Dropping Presentations
How can educators use the techniques used on the TED stage to create and deliver jaw-dropping presentations that the audience will remember and act upon This session will transform your next speaking engagement, whether it’s before students, board members, educators, parents, or community members.
Led by Rachael Mann
Connecting with Social Media
Whether you’re an avid and experienced user of social media or not, understanding this medium is essential for 21st century professionals and educators. This discussion explores how to develop your social media network and strategies for connecting with students.
Led by Robin McLean
Tech Tools: The Best Things in Life Are FREE!
21st century learning shifts our paradigm of education, requiring educators and our stakeholders to address a rapidly changing world filled with new challenges and new possibilities. Help yourself be more efficient and effective through FREE Resources for Educator Excellence!
Led by Dawn Lindsley
Leading by Design
Leading by Design
Upgrading Your CTE Program For teachers and administrators at all levels, this series explores major trends in CTE across the nation and ways to rethink and redesign CTE programs, partnerships, and work-based learning opportunities to add the most value to your program.
Designing High-quality Registered Apprenticeships
The effort to accelerate the development of registered apprenticeship programs is challenged by our capacity to preserve the foundational principals that this system was built on.This session identifies foundational principals and best practices that need to be in place for high-quality registered apprenticeship programs.
Led by Andy Wermes
Resources Referenced: Designing High Quality Registered Apprenticeships PowerPoint
Leading Change
Racine Unified School District has been transforming it’s three major high schools (Case, Horlick and Park) to a Career Academy model of education from a comprehensive model since 2015. Transformation is messy, confusing, and clear as mud at times. This session will provide insight into how the process has been carried out with building administrators, teachers, community members, businesses, students and their families while aligning to leadership concepts from research. Questions are encouraged!
Led by: Christopher Neff
Balancing Academic Integration in CTE
How do you decide the degree of academic content in your specialized CTE curriculum What criteria should you satisfy, and where do you get started Robert Marraccino draws from his experience building rigorous academic-infused health sciences programs to provide solutions to these questions.
Led by Dr. Robert Marraccino
Business and Industry Partnerships
Developing partnerships with business and industry leaders is not only essential for keeping your programs relevant, it’s a powerful way to open up opportunities for your students and grow a network of CTE supporters in your community. Learn where to start and how to strengthen existing relationships!
Led by Dr. Rick Kalk
Resources Referenced: Business & Industry Partnerships (PowerPoint) | ACTE Fact Sheets | ACTE Business & Industry Resources | ACTE Sector Sheets
Selling CTE
Selling CTE
Promoting CTE to All Audiences When it comes to CTE, our educators, administrators and counselors need to be the strongest advocates for our programs and our field. This series explores strategies and talking points for increasing enrollment and support for CTE programs and showcases examples that have worked across the country.
School Counselors: Promoting CTE as a Postsecondary Option
When it comes to helping students and their families make big decisions for their futures, school counselors wield a great amount of influence. Learn about ways school counselors can promote CTE to students through a variety of fun, age-appropriate activities for grades K-12.
Led by Brian Law
Resources Referenced: School Counselors and CTE PowerPoint
Promoting CTE Through the 3 Cs
College, career and community are key areas of focus for delivering a high-impact CTE program. Learn how employing three Cs can shift mindsets, increase program enrollment, and expand the pipeline for growing student leaders through CTE.
Led by Cassandra Miller Washington
Resources Referenced: The Three Cs PowerPoint
Promoting Your CTE Program
Looking for ways to get students, parents, the community and the media excited about your program This discussion provides successful examples of how thinking outside the box when promoting your program can take it to new heights.
Led by Chuck Gallagher
Resources Referenced: Sample Success Stories in the News | Motivational Story
CTE is for Everyone Despite growing interest in STEM and new skills for 21st century careers, CTE is still a hard sell for some audiences. What do parents and students need to know about your CTE program to make the decision to enroll Learn how to make your program appeal to all types of students!
Led by Jonathan Howard
Resources Referenced: CTE is for Everyone PowerPoint | ACTE Sector Sheets | ACTE Issue Briefs | ACTE MicroDocs
Using Your Data Data is a powerful tool for highlighting successes in a CTE program. Learn how to use your data to pull together resources that help advocate for your program to a variety of stakeholders!
Led by Coleen Keffeler
Resources Referenced: South Dakota ACTE Data Sheet Examples: 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 | CTE Fact Sheets | State Profiles | High-quality CTE Tools | Putting Your Data to Work: Improving Instruction in CTE
About Our Discussion Leaders
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Jonathan Howard teaches Audio Production and Technical Theatre at Denver School of the Arts in Colorado. He was a 2013 ACTE Fellow and has been active as a leader in developing CTE pathways for students in programs that support Colorado’s Creative Industries. |
Interested in hosting a Virtual CTE Discussion? Email us! You can learn more about how you can get involved with ACTE’s efforts and volunteer initiatives by joining the Educators in Action.
Interested in more virtual professional development? Check out ACTE’s recorded online seminars!