This blog series provides readers with insight on the valuable content that is being shared at the NASDCTEc Spring Meeting. Guest bloggers are partner organizations, supporters and other experts that will be present at the national gathering in the Washington, DC area.

“Yeah, like I’m ever gonna use any of this stuff in real life!”

By Mercedes Doyle

Think about how many high school students have said something similar to this. I know I did once or twice during my teenage years. Sometimes it’s a very true statement. However, for students enrolled in Career Technical Education (CTE), it’s a rare expression.

More than ever before, CTE is a powerful driver in college and career readiness. For the high school graduates moving on to higher education (approximately 66%), CTE empowers them with valuable “real life” perspectives, and equips them with unique problem-solving skills that don’t always come from core textbooks. For fresh graduates going directly into the job market, having a CTE head start in a chosen Career Cluster can mean the difference between employment and frustration.

For college- and career-bound high schoolers, CTE is ideal for both career exploration and position-specific preparation. Students can dabble within multiple Career Clusters to zero in on industries that resonate with their interests and proficiencies. Or, if they’re passionate about a particular career pathway, they can focus their concentration within one cluster and potentially earn certifications that can pay dividends in the workplace.

However, CTE can only work it’s magic if it’s well implemented, properly staffed and comprehensively executed. Herein lies some definite challenges: The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) has identified 16 Career Clusters (http://www.careertech.org/career-clusters/glance/careerclusters.html). Within each cluster there exists a number of focused subjects.

Ask yourself: what Career Clusters appeal to my region’s distinct industries, economy and cultural landscape? If you teach in heart of New York City, then maybe Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources isn’t a preferred Career Cluster for your students. But if you live in rural New York Mills, MN, then courses in agriculture can truly benefit your students.

Need help answering CTE questions?

If you feel overwhelmed by the many considerations involved with CTE implementation, Odysseyware can help. No other online curriculum provider offers more CTE courses or Career Clusters than Odysseyware – including recent introductions in Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Career Cluster and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Career Cluster, plus Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security Career Cluster coming soon! We’ve invested the time, effort and expertise in developing the online content and technology you need. So ask us for recommendations, and lean on us for professional development by calling 877-795-8904.

CTE is here to stay. It’s growing roots and growing fast, because it prepares our nation’s young adults to be viable and competitive in the ever-changing workplace. As an online component to blended CTE instruction, Odysseyware allows individualized, self-paced learning – which provides valuable life lessons in independence. It also empowers educators to make a big impact on students’ lives, and enjoy the tangible rewards that come with blended learning. In a nutshell, Odysseyware CTE inspires students to say the words every educator wants to hear: “yes, I’ll use this stuff in real life.”

(Mercedes Doyle is an Education Specialist at Odysseyware)

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

This blog series provides readers with insight on the valuable content that is being shared at the NASDCTEc Spring Meeting. Guest bloggers are partner organizations, supporters and other experts that will be present at the national gathering in Washington, DC in April.

Today’s Class is a web-based educational program delivering interactive coursework to school systems and technical institutions. Today’s Class programs, supplemental resources, are designed to enhance an instructor’s existing curriculum with self-paces textual content, vivid animation, and interactive exercises. Supplying concepts and theory allows for up to 50% reduction in lecture time, which in turn allows instructors more time for hands-on lab work and in-class demonstrations.

Currently, Today’s Class offers cosmetology, health science, and automotive programs. The cosmetology program aligns with most states’ standard cosmetology curricula, providing comprehensive theory and step-by-step methodology. The health science program explores each system of the body and the protocol for vital sign measurement and emergency response. The automotive program touches on seven of the eight core NATEF areas and related technician services.

The newest program by Today’s Class is agriculture-based and contains: Concepts of Agriscience, Science of Agricultural Animals, Science of Agricultural Plants, Science of Agricultural Environment and Science of Agricultural Mechanization.

Over 5,600 instructors currently manage their classes and students using the Today’s Class Learning Management System.

Today’s Class offers more than 55 uniquely interactive courses designed to enhance student learning.

Many attendees know Dr. Rod Boyes, a long-time NASDCTEc supporter and President of the organization. Representing Today’s Class at the Spring Meeting will be Peggy Albano – please say hello to her and learn more about Today’s Class programs and initiatives. Today’s Class is a Gold Level Sponsor at the NASDCTEc Spring Meeting. Today’s Class is also on Twitter!

The NASDCTEc Spring Meeting will be held in Washington, DC April 1-3 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

This blog series provides readers with insight on the valuable content that is being shared at the NASDCTEc Spring Meeting. Guest bloggers are partner organizations, supporters and other experts that will be present at the national gathering in the Washington, DC area.

Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, is the world leader in performance-based certification exams and practice test solutions for academic institutions, currently delivering nearly 2 million certification exams each year around the world.

There has never been a more important time for Career Technical Education programs to implement certification. There is a global technology skills gap, with more open positions in technology than there are qualified individuals to fill them. Helping students earn relevant certification builds their resumes and prepares them to win jobs and internships.

Many CTE programs are already arming students with industry-recognized certification to boost student resumes while satisfying state assessment requirements. In Alabama, for instance, the Department of Education started a statewide technology program just one year ago that has already reaped amazing results. Alabama’s Microsoft IT Academy provides opportunities for students to earn Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification in areas such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint.

“Through this program, we can assure business and industry of a skill set in the area of technology and ensure students entering college are equipped with the technical skills to succeed academically,” Alabama State Superintendent of Education Tommy Bice said.

During the 2012-2013 school year 96 Alabama schools offered MOS certification and students earned over 1900 certifications.  An additional 51 schools have joined the program during the 2013-2014 school year and the number of certified students is expected to double.

Greene County High School’s Career Center Certification Wall

In addition to MOS, Certiport manages a sophisticated portfolio of leading certification programs including: the Microsoft Technology Associate certification program, the Adobe® Certified Associate certification program, the Adobe Certified Expert certification program, the HP Accredited Technical Associate, the CompTIA Strata™ IT Fundamentals, the Autodesk Certified User certification program, the Intuit QuickBooks Certified User certification program and the Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®).

To learn more about how Certiport can help your CTE program teach and validate in-demand workforce skills with industry-recognized certification, visit Certiport’s sponsor table or visit www.certiport.com.

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

This blog series provides readers with insight on the valuable content that is being shared at the NASDCTEc Spring Meeting. Guest bloggers are partner organizations, supporters and other experts that will be present at the national gathering in the Washington, DC area.

Greetings to all conference attendees and organizers!

We look forward to seeing you at the NASDCTE Spring event in Washington!

The students in your states are in the process of becoming the workforce of tomorrow and they need to be as prepared as possible to meet the challenges of the workplace. The rapid pace of change in computer technology has created a constantly growing skills gap. Businesses are struggling to find qualified job candidates that have the documented skills they need to implement critical innovation or to simply keep them current on existing technologies.

Like you, our main interest is student success.  We’re participating in this conference to meet with educational leaders, listen to your ideas and concerns and discuss ways that we can assist you in helping prepare students for their careers. We believe that working together with you, we can begin to close that skills gap.

Schools and dedicated teachers are on the front line – doing their best to lead their students to high achievement and prepare them for the challenges of college and careers.

We can help your teachers keep their skills current and provide industry recognized documentation of skills that provide your students with a valuable credential to accompany their diplomas or degrees.

CompTIA has been facilitating the development of high stakes certification exams with subject matter experts from the IT industry for over 20 years. As the technology industry has expanded into more specialized areas, CompTIA has been a leader in developing standards that detail the knowledge and skills needed by the workforce.  Since the release of our first A+ exam in 1993, we now have 18 vendor neutral certifications that are consistently listed as some of the most valuable credentials for job seekers.

The CompTIA Academy program is our Association’s academic outreach program that was designed to help schools implement effective technology program and help students gain experience and industry credibility as they transition from education to the workforce.

We would like to meet with you and share information about our programs, our professional development conference and the other services that we provide to support your efforts in helping your students succeed.

Visit us in our Studio in the Calvert Room April 1-2, 2014.

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager