Franklin Special District (FSD) is the only district in Tennessee to offer aerospace as a high school credit course to 8th graders. It has no entry requirements, making this CTE opportunity attainable for every student.

“We were hopeful that the students would connect with the subject and find it interesting, but they've really taken to it beyond my wildest dreams,” says Mary Decker, Associate Director of Schools for Teaching & Learning at FSD, who developed and leads the district’s aerospace program. “We have quite a few students who are now pursuing a career in aerospace. Many of them really weren't familiar with aviation before they took this class.”

A Tennessee Department of Education Innovative School Models (ISM) grant provided the district with $1 million to pursue college and career technical education (CTE) programming. Through this grant program, Decker reimagined modes of time, space, and learning in partnerships between middle and high schools, post-secondary, and the aerospace industry.

“It definitely gives them that real-world, hands-on learning that the students are craving,” Decker says. “There are some students who struggle with learning in traditional ways, but when you factor in the simulator time, it's really speaking their language. We've seen them become more open to the academic, book learning side of the class.”

For this and other efforts, Decker was recently recognized with a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award. She shares details about her popular aerospace program implementation and tips for those interested in creating a similar program in their district.

‘Flying Before Driving’

Middle school might sound ambitious for such a program, but Decker says that’s not the case.

“I've had some people say to me, ‘Aren't they too young? Can they really appreciate the time on the flight simulators? Isn't this too much for them?’” she says. “They have absolutely risen to the occasion. They have excelled. Students rise to the level of our expectations, and I think this program has really demonstrated that.”

The program has created opportunities for in-demand and lucrative careers, such as future pilots, air traffic controllers, aircraft maintenance technicians, and aeronautical engineers. Some students will be poised to earn their private pilot license before they are old enough to drive.

“They are just finishing their freshman year of high school and already have aerospace in mind as a career,” Decker says. “They are thinking, ‘How can I start building up my flying hours? How can I start taking flight lessons? What other courses should I be taking? How should I be building my high school schedule so that it fits in with what I'm planning to do?’ Just seeing that sense of direction already in ninth graders is amazing.”

The program also offers other benefits to students.

“Getting the correct education and licenses for an aviation career is expensive and can be complicated,” Decker says. “If there are financial obstacles in the way, or students are intimidated by the process to get where they want to go, we wanted to take all of that away and just say, ‘If you're interested, we are going to do everything we can to take you as far as possible with aerospace.’”

Sims for the Win

Simulators aren’t just about sliding into a machine for a video game session. It involves navigation, management of emergencies, instrument awareness, taxi and hangar skills in a variety of aircraft.

Each FSD aerospace program classroom has at least five Redbird Jay Velocity Flight Simulators that students use daily, and at least one Redbird TD flight simulator, which is FAA-certified as a Basic Aviation Training Device (BATD) and a Redbird LD simulator.

“They can practice radio calls. They can simulate emergency scenarios. It continually gets more complicated and more realistic,” says Decker. “If they are working with a certified flight instructor, these are simulators that pilots can use to actually log flight time. They're authorized Federal Aviation Administration training devices. We offer students the best learning experience and the most realistic simulation of flight.”

The Redbird simulators allow different aircraft to be programmed for different scenarios in whatever type of flight the teacher wants them to learn for the day,

All this exposure sets students up for success regardless of which aerospace track they pursue.

“If they do go on to earn their pilot certificate, they've already banked some of that experience. If they are interested in becoming an air traffic controller, they have experience with radio calls. If they're going into aircraft maintenance, they have a better understanding of flight characteristics in different airplanes they've been introduced to through the simulators. It’s really just a win-win with the sims.”

Find a Teacher With Their Head in the Clouds

The first step in launching an aviation-aimed program is to find the right educators for the job. FSD has one dedicated aerospace teacher, who walks back and forth between adjacent middle schools.

“Not only is he a licensed teacher, he has a private pilot certificate and owns his own airplane,” Decker says. “We just got very fortunate that we have such a great teacher and he obviously knows the content exceptionally well. He has forged really fantastic relationships with the students.”

Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t hit the aerospace-superstar lottery in your district.

“I have talked to other districts where they've had a teacher come in who wasn’t necessarily knowledgeable about aerospace, but was very enthusiastic,” Decker says. “They were still able to use the curriculum, learn about the simulators and teach the class very successfully. We’ve had other STEM teachers attend professional learning around aerospace so that we have a team who are knowledgeable and are able to provide support, but our aerospace teacher handles all of the classes at this point.”

If there is one wish Decker had for the future of the program, it is simply to have more of it.

“I'd love to expand the program someday,” she says. “The way our master scheduling works, this class is an elective. It currently works very well for us to have the two classes at each middle school, so one teacher is able to handle it.”

FSD uses the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) High School Aviation STEM Curriculum, which provides a solid foundation.

“The AOPA sets the standard for a comprehensive aerospace curriculum,” Decker says. “They work closely with Redbird to incorporate the simulator instruction so the teacher knows the best lessons to integrate for a specific scenario in the simulator. The two definitely work hand-in-hand. It includes aerospace history, aerodynamics, engineering, flight characteristics of different aircraft, even a section on unmanned aerial systems.”

A Winning Pilot Program

Part of launching an education program based on the art of aviation is letting students’ ambitions and imaginations take flight.

“We're about three hours away from Memphis, where FedEx is based so a lot of FedEx pilots live in the area,” says Decker. “They have been very generous in coming in and talking to the kids, letting them know what their careers and path to flying looked like. We had a Southwest Airlines representative come in to tour the classes and meet with the students.”

Getting a pilot’s perspective on the industry is great, but seeing them in action is inspiring. Students get to attend the Great Tennessee Air Show in nearby Smyrna to see multiple types of aircraft, and interact with the pilots and various support personnel.

The flight and aerospace industry is broad and varied in the area. For example, pilots from a hot air balloon company have done demonstrations and students have visited the aviation program at nearby Middle Tennessee State University.

“We're definitely trying to involve the community, and specifically the aviation community, to show our students all the paths they can take to achieve their aviation dreams,” Decker says.

Taking the wheel isn’t the only option for interested students.

“We definitely wanted to develop pilots, but there are so many opportunities and jobs available in aerospace careers — air traffic controller, aircraft maintenance, aeronautical engineer, airport manager . . . .” Decker says. “Whatever their interest is, we are here to encourage it.”

3 Tips to Helping an Aerospace Program Take Off

Decker offers advice for others looking to launch a career pathway in aerospace.

1. Build Your Team — “If somebody's looking to start an aerospace program, think beyond finding a great teacher,” she says. “It really has to be a team effort to make it as high quality as possible for the students. Our instructional technology specialists, curriculum supervisor and technology supervisor and members of his tech team have really thrown themself into supporting this program. I’m really fortunate that they saw the possibilities this would offer students and have been enthusiastic from day one.”

2. Give the Team Support and Information — “Make sure the teacher has everything they need with regard to curriculum, provide them with professional learning,” Decker says. “Have your technology team and instructional technology attend training and learn how to set up and troubleshoot the sims so that they are always running perfectly. Make sure school administrators have all the background and are kept well-informed because their support is really important as well.”

3. Find the Finances — “We were fortunate that we have this ISM grant, but I also applied and received a smaller grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation,” Decker says. “If you have money within your budget to allocate that’s great, but take the time to explore state grant funding sources. The AOPA curriculum is free, but plan funding to ensure simulators will be part of your program. They are not inexpensive, but they're worth it and really crucial.”

Tools They Use

• i-Ready
• aimswebPlus
• Discovery Education
• Learning.com
• Destiny
• Code HS
• Quaver Music
• QuaverReady
• Clever
• Skyward
• GoGuardian
• Parsec
• Curriculum-specific tech resources include: McGraw Hill Wonders (K-4); Savvas Realize Science (K-8); Studies Weekly (K-2); Gallopade (3-8); Open Up Reading (5); Savvas My Perspectives Reading (6); McGraw Hill StudySync Reading (7-8); Actively Learn ; McGraw Hill Math (5-6); Big Ideas Math (7-8, Algebra 1, Geometry)

Quakertown Community School District is a diverse suburban district of 5,000 students 40 miles north of Philadelphia.

“We find that many generations of families have gone through our district,” says Superintendent Matthew Friedman. “As a long-time professional in education, that’s always a good sign that people like the school system. When I arrived, I listened to all the internal and external stakeholders to learn the strengths, the pain points, where we needed to grow. What I really wanted to focus on was life beyond the walls of the schools.”

For Friedman, who was recently recognized with an Innovative Leader Award at the Northeast Pre-NYSCATE Summit in Verona, NY, there was one important question to answer: What are kids going to do when they graduate?

“We have a mix of white-collar and blue-collar families and a separate technical high school with about 1,000 kids that feed in from three different districts,” he says. “A lot of our kids go into trades. We support two-year paths, four-year paths, trade school, workforce, military — all the different options. But we really had no dedicated exposure to STEM education at that elementary level.”

To start, Friedman helped design and implement an elementary computational thinking and design thinking course for K through 5.

“It gave the students an opportunity to be hands-on in their learning, to understand the computational thinking process and have exposure to STEM education at the younger level,” he says. “I always use the analogy from a leadership position of building a house. You can build the biggest house in the world, but if you don't have a strong foundation that house is going to collapse."

Friedman saw a lot of schools try to implement things from the top down. He wanted to try to do things from the bottom up, starting conversations in kindergarten to set kids up for success in high school by having K-8 CTE exposure. To do that, he wanted to have career conversations with a common career language K-12 and to take a dialogic approach using the RIASEC taxonomy of career interests.

Far from a one-off concept, RIASEC is now used by many universities such as U of Hawaii, Purdue, FSU, and Michigan State to help students determine prospective majors that speak to their true talents, interest and abilities.

“If you put in your RIASEC results, it will show you what majors align with your letters and what courses you could potentially take,” Friedman says. “It takes a lot of the guessing out and really helps to frame it for students.”

The 6 RIASEC Types to Guide Students

Friedman explains the RIASEC taxonomy:

• Realistic (The Doers): These people are often good at mechanical or athletic jobs (e.g., mechanics, engineers, farmers).
• Investigative (The Thinkers): These people like to watch, learn, analyze and solve problems (e.g., scientists, researchers, data analysts).
• Artistic (The Creators): These people like to work in unstructured situations where they can use their creativity (e.g., artists, musicians, writers, designers).
• Social (The Helpers): These people like to work with other people, rather than things (e.g., teachers, nurses, counselors).
• Enterprising (The Persuaders): These people like to work with others and enjoy persuading and performing.(e.g., managers, salespeople, entrepreneurs).
• Conventional (The Organizers): These people are very detail oriented, organized, and like to work with data (e.g., accountants, clerks, administrative assistants).

Some schools use simple questionnaires to ask students to consider their strengths, dislikes, talents and interests — making it clear there are no wrong answers, as seen here.

Deeper Conversations and Deeper Culture

Friedman has seen a positive change not only in the classroom but the greater school culture.

“We were talking about Martin Luther King Jr's birthday coming up and instead of very low-level factual information, we can integrate career conversations such as, ‘What letters do you think Dr. King would be? What letters are you? Find two or three in the room to have a conversation. What are the similarities between you and Dr. King? What are the differences? Why do you think he would be these letters? Does that align with your strengths and your interests, could you do something similar to what Dr. King did one day?’ It takes the conversation to a whole other level,” Friedman says.

Friedman explains how a third-grade Veterans Day classroom conversation he overheard discussing RIASEC letters in regard to an Army Ranger visitor in the classroom might have affected a student’s career path.

“Students really have to understand all six letters in order to understand where they fit in the framework,” he says. “Their letters could change daily, weekly, yearly. The letters you have in kindergarten are probably not the letters you have in 7th or 12th grade. But if you continue to think about your strengths and your interests, teachers can flexibly group students in classrooms based off of their dominant letter.”

The success stories that are most satisfying to Friedman are those involving helping a student find their own right future path. For example, one strong student admitted he was considering dropping out of school because he didn’t see a fit with what was happening in the classroom. Now an engineering major at a top school, he shared that after being introduced to RIASEC and career conversations using a common language, he realized that his strengths and interests actually had a pathway beyond K-12.

From a leadership perspective, Friedman always wants growth and achievement from his students. A common language is changing the culture of the program.

“We’ve had the kids say, ‘I'm having conversations with people I never thought I would talk to in school,’” he says. “That’s so great. It shifts the paradigm.”

The use of RIASEC also helped in a recent career and jobs fair.

“We’ve created different types of pathways students can take,” Friedman says. “They can take courses and get externships and job shadows and internships throughout high school with local businesses. Integrating Riasec into their decision-making process was invaluable at a recent college and career fair in our high school. We had 96 colleges, universities, businesses, military and trades. Six weeks before the fair, our college and career counselor contacted all 96 attendees. ‘This is the Riasec framework. We want you to list your top 10 majors or job roles with appropriate letters.’"

When students arrived at the fair, rather than wandering aimlessly, they could instantly target the best fit and have productive conversations about their future.

“It’s just such a helpful tool, at any age,” Friedman says. “When we introduced this to parents, a number of adults came up to me afterward and said, ‘I might rethink where I am in my life and my career.’"

The Tools They Use

• Google Gemini
• Google Gems
• Notebook LM
• Streamable Learning
• ClickView

Watch the video above or listen to/download the audio below.

In a Houston-area district serving 60,000 students, career and technical education (CTE) has evolved far beyond the traditional "vocational ed" model. Executive director Brooke Martin oversees programs serving 19,000 students across multiple career pathways, focusing on preparing them for high-paying, high-demand jobs rather than just minimum wage opportunities.

The district's approach relies heavily on data analytics through platforms such as Eduthings, which helps administrators track labor market demands, enrollment patterns, and program completion rates. This data-driven strategy ensures students aren't being trained for outdated or oversaturated fields.

Of course, the cliche holds true—they always do things bigger in Texas. When analysis revealed overwhelming demand for healthcare programs across all five high schools, the district partnered with the Memorial Hermann hospital system to open a $32 million healthcare high school offering five unique pathways not available elsewhere in the district.

Beyond traditional metrics, the district tracks comprehensive work-based learning experiences, including internship hours, job shadowing, and mentoring sessions. The goal is for every student to leave with a detailed resume that tells their complete story — not just grades and certifications, but documented real-world experience that demonstrates coachability and readiness to employers.

Looking ahead, the district aims to ensure every student graduates with an industry credential aligned to their interests — meaningful certifications that open doors, not watered-down credentials that lack market value.

To see and hear more about Aldine’s strategies, click here.

• Tech & Learning Conversations with Kevin Hogan

With 40% of its 850 students at Upper Bucks County Technical School (UBCTS) in Pennsylvania having an IEP, and 50% overall being economically disadvantaged, school leaders realized that their instructional staff might need more professional support than many traditional schools.

“I just wanted to make sure all of our CTE educators and staff had the materials, resources, and knowledge to support all learners,” says Michael Herrera, Executive Director of UBCTS. “Many of our instructors are technical experts who have to come into career tech ed and then learn how to become teachers.”

While looking for help, Herrera discovered Amanda Bastoni, Director of Career Technical & Adult Education for CAST, and realized that the organization's Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which offers learning principles to support diverse and special populations, might be the solution he was looking for to bridge that gap. Bastoni was eager to offer support.

“We first asked how we could build self-efficacy in the teachers, how we could help them see that they could be successful and give them the skills they needed,” says Bastoni. “Many CTE teachers are already using the strategies in universal design for learning but they haven't been told or identified that these are best practices in education. So part of it is just saying, ‘Look this is what you're already doing really well. Keep it up.’”

As a result of the partnership, UBCTS has developed a specialized credential for educators designed to enhance understanding and application of UDL. It also includes a professional badge from NOCTI, the leading provider of industry credentials and resources for CTE.

Herrera says embedding this type of professional development has become sustainable, provided a common language, and built trust, all of which has validated the process. “We saw that it could be the most effective way to change the paradigm and help our teacher support all learners,” he adds.

Now, more than 45 UBCTS staff members have been trained in UDL.

Building Supports

Implementing UDL throughout the program has helped to create a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS), says Daniel Cullen, UBCTS Assistant Director of Student Services.

“Tier One core instruction is going to be founded upon our UDL principles and the tenants of instruction that are associated with each principle,” Cullen says. “And in that system, our Tier Two interventions’ common language is really going to be influenced and informed by UDL because it takes the wonderful instructional pedagogy methods and it qualifies them. It creates a common language amongst the staff, so you see a little bit of fidelity start to take root across programs, which increases that teacher sense of efficacy.”

Building that efficacy is accomplished by the systemic approach that UDL provides, for both educators and schools. Learning to make data-informed decisions is part of that process, and doing so helps teachers build belief in their own skills, says Cullen. If that isn't there, when a student with cognitive, emotional, or language barriers comes in, they’re not going to succeed.

Herrera says that implementing UDL has increased engagement from nontraditional students and special populations, which has freed instructors to focus on delivering content. “It has helped empower the students to own their own learning,” he says.

Bastoni agrees. “The goal of UDL is to create expert learners, or learners who know what they need to learn,” she says, “And so I tried to reinforce that with the teachers. We're trying to create learners who can go out in the world. You don't have to have students who can walk away doing everything perfectly.”

“When you connect UDL to the power of career connected learning, that's when the real magic happens,” adds Cullen.

5 Tips For Implementing UDL In Your CTE Instruction

Bastoni offers advice for those considering UDL.

1. Create A Baseline Understanding - Ensure all teachers have a foundational understanding of best practices, with UDL as the common language. “And then you can build off of that with all these awesome programs,” Bastoni says. “It's much easier to expand when everyone's on the same page originally.”
2. Get Administrative Buy-In - Strong leadership with a clear vision, consistent support (funding, attendance, collaboration time), and integration of UDL training with school goals are crucial.
3. Teacher-Centered PD - Professional development should be designed based on teachers' needs and feedback, modeling UDL principles in its delivery (e.g., multiple modalities, former CTE educators as trainers).
4. Focus on Problem-Solving - UDL implementation is most successful when it addresses specific problems or barriers faced by educators and students.
5. Build Authenticity and Trust - Genuinely listening to teacher feedback and building trust are key to successful adoption. “When administrators have a vision and they force it on their staff, it's not going to be well-received,” Bastoni says. “If you want UDL to be implemented and loved, and to have it really work and be accepted, you have to demonstrate that it's valuable and authentic.”

Helping All Students Find Their Own Way

Ultimately, empowering the teachers with UDL certification has trickled down to success for students.

In particular, Cullen touts the success of the UBCTS ELL population, many of whom leave the school with workplace skills, an industry certification, and a credential in their native language, thanks to UDL pillars that allow them to select different tasks based on level of skill complexity, represent how they're learning, and build autonomy. “It's like a triple threat in the workplace,” he says.

“Over the last two years, 277 students had the opportunity to make $1.8 million just during the school day,” says Herrera. “It's a wonderful opportunity for our students once those barriers are removed and we focus on skills from a strength-based approach. It really helps students find their way.”

• What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?
• CTE Showcase: From Early Exposure to Earlier Exposure

Nine in 10 elementary students surveyed were aware of their interests, skills, abilities, personality traits, and strengths—considered a key step in career prep—in a 2022 study on career development needs. Nearly the same percentage of these students, in grades 3, 4, and 5, could name two or three careers that might be of interest. But more than half didn’t know, or were not sure, who could help them develop college and career readiness plans.

What should elementary educators do?

North Carolina is one state encouraging school districts to start career awareness activities with students in grade 5. A 2024 report found 64 districts had planned career fairs that welcomed nearly 250,000 fifth-graders in 2023-24, compared to 61 the year prior and 50 the year before that. More than 200,000 fifth-graders across the state had been exposed to some form of career and technical education (CTE) in 2023-24.

Cumberland County Schools, based in Fayetteville, is one district answering the call. Inviting grade 5 classes to the established annual CTE Career Pathway Fair meant potentially 4,000 additional individuals at the event, which had until this year just allowed middle and high schoolers to engage with local employers, educational institutions, and agencies to get a look at potential career paths.

Building A CTE Foundation

The 86-school district won a state grant a few years ago to fund a new position focused on expanding career exploration and exposure to the lower grades, says Chip Lucas, executive director of CCS Career and Technical Education. Initially that meant pushing in to the 50 elementary schools—helping with their own career fairs and bringing career exploration manipulatives to classrooms, for example.

Additional grants brought two more middle-grades career development coordinators into the fold, which has created opportunities for fifth-grade field trips to see the district’s career pathways programs in action.

The state support for earlier career exploration also allowed Cumberland administrators to purchase MajorClarity by Paper, their career development platform, for fifth graders rather than just older grades.

“We want students to start exploring early, but how can they do that? Career assessments and inventories, so they can decide their interests before they explore [careers],” says Lucas.

Every middle schooler also must have a Career Development Plan to be promoted to high school.

Meanwhile, district business partners expressed a need to reach students earlier, says Lucas. “We said, ‘Why don’t we just take on the big elephant and invite the fifth-graders to our career fair?”

Planning the Big(ger) Event

This April, nearly 3,000 students in grades 5 to 12 spent time at the 2025 CTE Career Pathway Fair at the county’s agri-expo center, participating in hands-on demos and one-on-one conversations with professionals representing the healthcare, public safety, agriculture, business, education, engineering, and technology industries, plus the trades. One popular high-tech display was the Beta Box mobile technology lab, where kids could fly drones and experiment with coding software, according to Lucas.

Forecasting a bigger event for up to 4,000 students with the addition of fifth grade began prior to holiday break, when Lucas’ team surveyed elementary principals to gauge interest, and ultimately opened the invitation to all, including any school that originally planned to stick with their own career exploration fair. In the end, nearly 1,600 fifth-graders attended.

The first hour after the ribbon-cutting was exclusively for these youngest students, who got some extra motivation and direction with a scavenger hunt challenge. Among the 10 activities:

• Shake hands with a professional.
• Find a career that uses teamwork.
• Talk to someone who works with technology.
• Ask someone about their favorite part of the job.

Lucas got handshake requests and saw how seriously students took the activity. He also had students take note of his clothing: While he was wearing a CTE t-shirt for the event, he had a jacket on hand that day for more professional moments, such as the ribbon-cutting.

Middle school students (also scavenger hunters) had the fair to themselves for the next two hours, and then vendors got a lunch break before spending the final 90 minutes with high schoolers.

“Typically, we’d be over and done by lunch hour,” Lucas says, adding that the longer day was necessary to accommodate the extra students. “We needed to balance the numbers.”

Reflecting and Evolving

Vendor feedback on the fair included praise for the youngest attendees. “They thought they had the best questions,” Lucas says. “It was very, very energetic with all those children in there. I think they set the tone for a really energetic day.”

A survey of principals confirmed the positive experience, and they’ve gotten save-the-date notices for 2026.

The planning for that may involve suggesting to vendors that they stagger tabletop freebies. “In some sense, [the fifth-graders] did wipe out all their swag,” Lucas says. And perhaps high school attendees need more opportunities for one-on-one talks with employers, or separate specific events for that.

Career development coordinators will push into elementary classrooms next year for focused career exploration. And on the high school side, apprenticeship programs and workforce development efforts will get more attention. As Lucas says, “It’s all part of the career development continuum, and we’re working that from both ends.”

• Using Technology To Teach CTE To Incarcerated Students
• KnoPro: How to Use It to Support CTE

Building CTE skills are often requires hands-on experiences. It takes practice to learn a skill such as welding or woodworking, which can make learning a challenge for any student, particularly those who are incarcerated and trying to develop marketable skills while in prison.

However, technology can help, say Michelle Beasley, coordinator of curriculum, instruction, and programs, and Amy Lloyd, assistant principal, at the Placer School for Adults in California, which offers education for inmates.

CTE and Digital Curriculum Access

Over the years, the digital offerings the Placer School can provide incarcerated students have increased.

“There used to be just a few random desktops that we would put in a cabinet when we weren't using them. Now we use Chromebooks in the classroom daily,” Beasley says.

Once a class ends, incarcerated students can’t use their Chromebooks, but they have access to an online curriculum through a Nucleos tablet, which provides access to approved education sites but not the internet at large. The sites incarcerated students are able to access include iCEV’s CTE curriculum, trainings, and certificate resources.

Lloyd and Beasley say this increased digital access allows students to continue practicing what they learned in class during the week.

“It’s really removing an access barrier for continuous progress and keeping momentum going, and keeping a student engaged. Because if you don't see you are progressing, then you tend to give up,” Lloyd says.

Support For Hands-On CTE Training

Students learning a skill such as welding still need practice actually welding, and the Placer School provides opportunities for that while using digital tools to help students maximize hands-on sessions.

“Even in welding, there's a ton of classroom time,” Beasley says. “In woodworking, there is classroom time.” Having the ability to study these various skills ahead of time gives students a head start on class.

Another area technology helps with is the soft skills. Many incarcerated students struggle with digital literacy overall. Increased access to digital platforms can help them learn how to craft professional resumes and cover letters.

Beyond just learning, the certificates earned give incarcerated students a better chance of achieving employment when they are released.

“There's already a bias against hiring someone who has had a conviction,” Lloyd says. “[This] legitimately improves their resume to give them a better chance to be able to find employment.” This is important, Lloyd adds, because helping newly released individuals find employment can reduce recidivism.

A Unique Teaching Opportunity

Beyond CTE education in particular, both Lloyd and Beasley say teaching incarcerated students is a wonderful opportunity for educators.

“Inmate education is one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever had,” Beasley says. “We are non-compulsory. So people come because they want to come, and there are people inside who genuinely want to change and are tired of the way that they’ve been living. It's very satisfying when you are able to give someone the tools and the resources that they need, and the self-confidence that they can be successful when they get out.”

Lloyd has worked in a variety of settings in K-12, including teaching middle school and high school and working as a high school administrator, but says she’s never enjoyed teaching as much as working with this population of students.

“This is one of the purest forms of education I've been able to experience because, again, it’s noncompulsory,” she says. “Students vote with their feet. They do not have to get out of their bed and come see you if they don't want to. If they don't feel that there’s any relevancy or that there’s a ‘why,’ they'll be like, ‘I'm out.’ There's a magic in that.’”

• What Model CTE Looks Like in The Age of AI
• The Disruption of AI in CTE Is Real

For a while, I struggled to find the type of consistent work I was looking for as an adjunct professor. I also work as a freelance journalist, and in that field I did better but still felt like I was not getting as strong a response from editors when I cold-pitched them ideas.

As I continued my job search, I began to wonder if there was something wrong with my application materials. Did my cover letter violate the basic rules of grammar in a way I’d missed? Did my CV reference interviews with a celebrity who had done something horrible? I had some friends who work in academia look at my materials, and they said it all was professional and an accurate depiction of my skills and background.

At first, I thought that was all I could ask for: application materials that accurately and professionally shared my experience. But over time, I realized that isn’t enough.

While not AI-generated, my application materials may as well have been for all the humanity they displayed. I realized that I was missing an opportunity to share not just where I had worked but actually tell my story through my application materials to reveal what kind of writer and educator I am. This was a subtle mindset shift that led to major changes in my approach that has really increased my success rate.

Here’s a closer look at what I did.

Telling My Story As A Writer

The concept of doing a better job telling my story would ultimately influence the way I talked about my teaching qualifications, but I started doing it for writing first.

I used to include in my cover letter that I had written for outlets such as Tech & Learning, The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, and Washington Post. This tells editors--and those of you reading this article--that I’m well published, but it doesn’t make anyone interested in my work or say anything about the kind of writer I am.

So I started rewriting that as: "I’ve written about how AI is helping recover long-lost lines from the Epic of Gilgamesh for The New York Times, about my obsessive quest to track down the sideshow magician who inspired Ray Bradbury’s writing career, and about how learning styles are a myth that refuses to be debunked for Tech & learning."

That level of detail and specificity helped get editors more interested in the kind of work I can do.

Telling My Story As An Educator

After seeing better results by making that shift when describing my qualifications as a freelance writer, I realized I could also translate it to education.

Once again, my cover letter initially just listed my teaching credentials without telling my story as an educator. Initially, I would write something such as: "I have taught undergraduate courses at Mercy University, Quinnipiac University, and Post University, and I have taught graduate and undergraduate courses at Western Connecticut State University."

Now I better tailor how I describe my credentials based on the job for which I am applying. If it’s an online teaching opportunity, for instance, I’ll write something such as: "Since 2019, I have taught an online multi-genre writing workshop, working directly with writers in genres including journalism, screenwriting, fiction, poetry, and more."

Or something along the lines of: "One reason I love asynchronous online teaching is that it allows me to focus on providing individualized feedback, which is my favorite part of teaching writing."

Again, this level of detail distinguishes me from other applicants and help prospective employers get a better sense of my skills and experience.

Recognizing How To Tell Your Story

When I share this advice with graduate students who will soon get their degrees and enter the job market, I find that many of them struggle with this in one of two ways: Either they don’t like to talk about themselves at all, or they get slightly thrown by the “telling their story” advice, and give detailed genealogies and artist statements about their hopes and dreams.

For what it's worth, there’s nothing wrong with tracing your lineage or having big aspirations for your career, but that, in my experience, is not what employers want to see. The trick is finding how your unique experience qualifies you in specific and direct ways for this teaching opportunity.

Questions You Can Ask?

If the job is seeking online teaching experience, think about your experiences with online learning not just as a teacher but as a student. What were instances that worked really well? Where would you improve things?

Or maybe the job requires you to work with students who are expected to struggle in the subject matter you teach. What struggles did you have with this subject? How did you overcome these? If you have teaching experience, how did you successfully reach a student who needed extra help?

These questions don’t always result in answers that are helpful for application materials, but the process of finding new ways to talk about your qualifications is one I think is worth it.

A Final Benefit of Telling Your Story

I used to worry that by revealing too much about myself as a writer or teacher, I’d end up offending someone. What if I railed against traditional lecture to a department chair that did nothing but traditional lecture? Or would highlighting my preference for teaching practical writing over a more traditional scholarly approach cause someone to ignore my email seeking opportunities or applications?

In reality, I’ve found the opposite to be true: the less generic I am, the better, which sounds obvious but wasn’t to me for a long time.

Sometimes, as educators, it’s easy to forget the advice we frequently give to students: be original, be specific, and never be afraid to be 100% you.

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• Cracking the 'Chicken and Egg' Dilemma: How Equitable Internships Can Propel Recent Graduates into Successful Careers

As educators, our ultimate goal is to prepare students for success beyond high school. We aim to equip them with the skills, knowledge, and experiences they need to make informed career decisions and thrive in their chosen paths. At Commack School District, we are deeply committed to fostering career readiness by designing innovative, real-world learning environments that inspire and empower our students.

One of our proudest achievements is the Bloomberg Financial Literacy Lab, which plays a pivotal role in preparing students to manage their financial lives. This state-of-the-art lab provides students with the tools to make informed financial decisions and become responsible stewards of their own futures. Recognizing the critical importance of financial literacy, we’ve made it a graduation requirement for our seniors.

Additionally, our Career in Financial Management course introduces ninth graders to the Bloomberg Lab, where they explore investments, credit, and other essential financial topics. In creating these career-focused spaces, we’ve worked to transform the traditional look and feel of a school. What once were institutional cement walls are now warm, inviting spaces with sheetrock walls, modern flooring, modern lighting, and contemporary furnishings.

Here are five strategies we’ve used to create career-ready spaces that align with our vision for preparing students for life after high school:

1. Design for Functionality, Comfort, and Collaboration

We partnered with MiEN to ensure our furnishings were not only modern but also functional and conducive to collaboration. For instance, the Bloomberg Lab includes mobile seating, sleek couches, and a layout that encourages group interaction. These design choices create an environment that feels like the professional world, helping students envision themselves in future career settings.

2. Incorporate School Spirit

While our career-focused spaces embrace a modern aesthetic, they also reflect our school’s identity. For example, in the Bloomberg Lab, white computer tabletops are paired with contoured couches in Commack High School’s colors. This thoughtful design ties school pride into our innovative learning spaces.

3. Offer Diverse Seating Options

Our redesigned cafeteria features a variety of seating arrangements, including cushioned chairs, high-top and low-top tables, and diner-style booths. This diversity allows students to choose a space that suits their needs, creating a welcoming and dynamic dining environment. Watching students enjoy and take pride in these spaces is incredibly rewarding.

4. Collaborate with the Right Design Partner

Transforming a school into a modern, inspiring space is a significant undertaking. Partnering with a design team that shares your vision can make the process more efficient and effective. Our collaboration with MiEN allowed us to narrow down options and create spaces that align with our goals for career readiness and student engagement.

5. Think Beyond Traditional Concepts

Our newly designed library is a lively, interactive space where students come to collaborate, work, and connect. It features quiet study rooms for focused work and larger classroom spaces for group activities. This balance ensures the library serves as both a vibrant hub and a supportive learning environment.

Unique, Hands-On Educational Experiences

The transformation of our high school spaces has not only redefined the student experience but also brought learning to life in ways that are tangible and impactful. For example, the Bloomberg Lab’s stock ticker and wall-mounted monitors mirror the energy of the New York Stock Exchange. Students arrive well before school begins to set up their real-world trades (using simulated money) before the stock market opens, fully embracing this opportunity for hands-on, real-world learning.

These modernized spaces reflect our commitment to preparing students for the future while fostering a sense of pride and engagement within our school community. At Commack Public Schools, we believe that innovative environments and unique learning experiences are essential to shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

No kid ever dreams of becoming an adjunct professor when they grow up. Most quickly learn that adjunct pay, job security, and benefits all leave something to be desired.

Even though this perception is true, I’ve found working as an adjunct professor for the last 10-plus years to be incredibly rewarding. It can be the perfect way to connect with students and supplement other career options, whether that be a full-time K12 teaching gig, or in my case, a writing career. This is particularly true for me when I teach online, as the flexibility of the schedule allows me to juggle other responsibilities.

Whether working online or in-person as an adjunct instructor, I find the opportunity to teach subjects I’m passionate about rewarding. Additionally, the pay is often not as bad as most people think, though it can vary widely depending on the institution and region. I’ve seen three-credit, semester-long courses that paid the instructor as little as $2,100 and as much as $10,000, though, in my experience, most pay is somewhere in the mid-range between those two numbers.

Of course, as with any profession, it can be difficult to get started in the field of adjunct teaching.

Over the years, I’ve found several strategies that are helpful for landing adjunct teaching positions. These are the techniques I’ve used to find courses at various colleges. So if you’re looking for adjunct positions, these tips can help guide your efforts—just remember not to quit your day job.

1. Skip The Job Applications and Go Straight to The Department Chair  

In all my years working as an adjunct, I’ve never had success applying to an adjunct position that was posted. Either my cover letter is really bad and no one has the heart to tell me, or — and I think this is more likely — my CV is getting lost in the shuffle with dozens, if not hundreds, of talented applicants.

I’ve had much better success by looking up who the department chairperson is and cold emailing them to introduce myself and share my teaching experience. It’s not necessary to have a personal connection to this chairperson, but it definitely doesn’t hurt, as we’ll see in the next item.

2. Cash In Your Connections 

Just the term “networking” has always felt a little cringe to me. I dislike the quid pro quo vibe I get around those who are networking hard.

That said, on the path to getting the advanced degree and/or developing the expertise that is generally required to work as an adjunct, you’ve no doubt made friends, or at least know people in the field who have worked at local universities. As such, there’s nothing wrong with reaching out and asking if they can recommend a contact person who staffs classes in the subject you want to teach. That also gives them the opportunity to offer to put in a good word without any awkwardness, plus can save time in finding the correct contact person.

When networking like this, remember to keep in mind that sometimes adjuncts are competing for limited positions, so not everyone responds in a helpful way to these types of inquiries.

To offset this as much as possible, I always start by asking if the institution is staffing many adjuncts currently, and if so, do they know the contact person? Framing it like this, once again, gives your contact an out and can help avoid awkwardness.

3. Highlight Your Online Teaching Experience 

If you taught online during COVID no matter how briefly or chaotically, you have online teaching experience. If you took an online course or attended an online seminar, you have experience with online learning.

Highlight these kind of experiences when you reach out to department heads if you are interested in online teaching. Stress what you like and find helpful about the medium.

For example, I always write that I have taught online for years and that I love how asynchronous online classes attract diverse students at different points in their lives and provide an opportunity to focus most of my time and energy on my favorite aspect of teaching: one-on-one interactions and feedback. You’d be surprised at how far this goes.

4. Don’t Worry About Reaching Out Right Before The Start of Semester  

In a perfect world, you’d set your adjunct teaching schedule for the year and know when department chairs are staffing courses, and that the Jets would have developed a talented young quarterback at some point in my lifetime.

In reality, different departments staff different courses at different times depending on the year. New classes are added, adjuncts get full-time jobs and have to back out of commitments, etc.

Due to all this, a few weeks to a month before a semester starts can actually be a good time to connect. Because adjunct courses are often contingent on enrollment, I’ve occasionally had a class dropped on me shortly before the start of the semester. I've often been able to fill last-minute openings by reaching out to various department heads.

For instance, I write a query such as, “Hi, I know your adjunct schedule is probably set for the upcoming semester, but I am interested in teaching [insert subject(s)] in general, and would be available should something last minute come up.”

Even when this doesn’t work out, it can be a good initial contact with a new department.

5. Remember If You’re A Reliable, Dedicated Instructor, Colleges Are Looking For You 

Adjunct teaching is a transient profession. Some people with full-time jobs try it for a few semesters before realizing they can’t fit it in their schedule, others take on adjunct work while they are looking for something full-time, and still others over-commit and/or are just not suited to the profession so they don’t get asked back by departments they’ve worked with — remember, adjuncts lack the job security of fulltime staffers.

All of this means that there is a lot of turn over, and a lot of opportunity to get hired as an adjunct. If you stick with it and have the required degrees and expertise, you will get hired in the field and live the dream of teaching college — just remember to be careful what you wish for!

After graduating college and trying to get a job, many recent students encounter what Debra Lam calls “the chicken and egg” problem. 

“It's very hard to get your first job if you don't have work experience. You can't get work experience if you don't have a first job,” says Lam, the founding executive director of Partnership for Inclusive Innovation (PIN). “So that starts a terrible cycle, and we want to break through that vicious cycle and provide opportunities for students to learn about what they like, what they don't like, and where they want to spend their time and pursue their expertise and talents.” 

Lam believes one of the best ways to disrupt this paradigm and for students to get valuable early career insight is through internships. However, not all students have the opportunity to participate. According to a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, only 62% of seniors graduating college in 2023 participated in an internship. Female students, students of color, first-generation college students, and Pell Grant recipients were less likely to have obtained internships while in college. 

Lam runs a successful internship program through PIN, which is based in Georgia. She shares thoughts on why equitable internships are vital, and how educators can help support these programs. 

Increasing Internship Equity: Supporting Paid Internships 

Many internships remain unpaid and this impacts the types of students who can participate in these. 

“If you are able to do an unpaid internship, that's great, it means that you are financially able to do that,” Lam says. “But not everyone can afford an unpaid internship.” 

This situation creates inequity as there are earnings gaps between those who take on unpaid internships and those who cannot afford to do so, Lam says. That’s why it’s important for educators to try and steer their students toward paid opportunities and for education leaders to work with organizations and businesses that offer financial compensation for student work. 

“All our internships and fellowships are paid because we value the work that the students do,” Lam says. 

Democratizing the Application Process 

Educators should support a fair and equitable application process for internships in their communities. 

“How you used to get internships, like how you used to get most jobs, was if you knew somebody who then talked to somebody else, you got an interview,” Lam says. 

To make internships less about social connections and more about merit, the application process for the internship program Lam oversees is transparent and accessible. “The students have to submit a resume and application, they have to do an interview,” Lam says. This helps ensure that the students selected for internships do quality work for the organizations with which they are paired. 

On the other side, organizations also have to apply to host an internship with PIN, which helps ensure an experience that is beneficial for everyone. “We want to make sure there's meaningful work and that the students are actually going to be helping,” she says. “You’re not just babysitting students. They’re young professionals, and they're doing really important work in the community that could benefit people.” 

A Cohort Model and More Internships Needed 

Last summer more than 100 students applied to PIN for 60 internships. PIN uses a cohort model, which helps students track their learning through the 12-week internships and also lets them begin to network with one another, an important part of the job application process after college. 

“I have so many more students who want to do this work. It's just I don't have enough places to put them in or funding,” Lam says. This is why she believes educational leaders and other stakeholders should work with organizations such as hers or others in their communities to help ensure all students have the opportunity to explore different career options.  

“The work is out there, students want to do it,” she says. “We identify, promote, hire, mentor, and manage them. We do a lot of work on the backend to make sure that the experience is meaningful, both for the whole site and for the students.” 

• Building CTE Pathways Between Schools and Local Businesses
• How Refocusing CTE Programs Can Help Boost Students and Communities

AI is taking over the job market. 

That’s the thesis of the new book The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired, And Why We Need To Fight Back by Hilke Schellmann, an Emmy award-winning investigative reporter and contributor to The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian, as well as an assistant professor of journalism at New York University. 

In the book, Schellmann recounts how major companies are increasingly turning to AI to scan resumes, assess video interviews, and predict applicant or employee success through games that do not always have a clear connection to the job. 

This is all a problem, Schellmann tells Tech & Learning, because the decisions AI systems make can be arbitrary, unfair, and sometimes, blatantly biased against certain types of applicants. And students preparing to enter the job market, need to know how to navigate the evolving hiring landscape. 

Schellmann offers advice and techniques that you can use to help prepare your students to stand out to AI recruiters and overcome some of the problems associated with the growing AI jobs market. 

Overcoming AI Hiring Algorithms: A Time-Saving Tool for Companies Inundated by Applicants  

"Job platforms, like LinkedIn, Monster, ZipRecruiter, and Indeed, they really tried to democratize hiring and they have — a lot of us can apply to a lot of jobs,” Schellmann says. “That has led to a lot of companies getting a lot of applications for a role. We see large companies like Google, they get about 3 million or so applications a year.” 

And it’s not just a tech giant such as Google dealing with this challenge. Anyone who has ever served on a hiring committee knows that any semi-desirable job will receive at least dozens of applications, many from candidates who seemingly meet none of the requirements for the role.  

“A lot of companies are just overwhelmed by the number of applications," Schellmann says. "So they're looking for a technological solution, and the vendors come in and say, ‘These tools are going to make hiring more efficient, they're going to save a lot of money, they will have no bias and they will pick the most qualified candidates.'” 

These AI screening tools do increase efficiency and save money, but the other claims made by vendors can be more dubious, Schellmann says. “Are they without bias? That’s certainly not true. And do they pick most qualified candidates? We don't have a whole lot of evidence that is true.” 

Problems With AI Bias  

Bias can be built into AI algorithms in subtle and unintentional ways that can have devastating consequences. An employment lawyer Schellmann interviewed for the book found a resume screener that gave people who mentioned baseball on their resume more points and gave fewer points to those who mentioned softball. 

“That's probably a case of gender discrimination,” Schellmann says, since you’d expect more men to list baseball on their resume and more women to list softball. What likely happened in that case is that the AI tool was trained on the resumes of past employees at the company. 

“There might have been historical bias at the company, they may have hired more men than women in the past,” she says. So the AI may have seen more mentions of baseball and inferred, wrongly, that those with baseball on their resume were better employees. 

As bad as bias in individuals is, AI bias has the potential to be much worse. “The problem with resume screeners, or with a lot of AI tools, is the scope is just unprecedented,” Schellmann says. “A human hiring manager can discriminate against only a certain number of people, and I'm really sorry for them, but an AI tool can discriminate against millions of people.” 

Overcoming AI Hiring Algorithms

To standout to AI algorithms when you or your students are applying for work, Schellmann suggests: 

• Keep your resume simple. Forget the old advice to make your resume stand out, the opposite is now true, as you want it to be in a format AI already understands. “Use short, crisp, clear, sentences,” Schellmann says. Images, multiple columns, or other layout flourishes should be avoided. 
• List skills separately. Many AI tools scan resumes for specific skills, so applicants should create a separate section that lists your skills in a clear manner with bullet points. This helps ensure the algorithm will “ingest their skills correctly,” Schellmann says. 
• Quantify wherever possible.  “Anything that you can quantify, quantify, versus just describing it — this is really helpful for machines,” Schellmann says. 
• Use technology to asses your resume before submitting it. Schellmann recommends using a tool such as Jobscan, which allows job hunters to input their resume and the description of the job they are seeking and compare the similarities. “You always try to use the keywords that are on the job description but make sure it's not 100%” Schellmann says. Instead, you want about a 60-80% overlap. “Because if it's 100% of the same words, some of the resume screeners will infer that this is just a copy of that job description,” she says. 
• Reach out to a person. If you are able to learn the name of the person in charge of hiring for that position, it can be worthwhile to send a short message to them on LinkedIn. This ensures a human will look at your resume. This is important for the reasons laid out in this article and described in more detail in Schellmann's book. “It’s hard to understand how machines will treat your resume," she says. 

The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired, And Why We Need To Fight Back is available on Amazon.

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When the end of the school year is approaching, some teachers dream of languid summer days on the beach or extended family vacations. But many prepare instead to spend their summers supplementing their modest salaries. If educators can earn summer income without the time, cost, and hassle of a commute, even better.

The following online summer jobs for teachers promise not only extra summer cash, but also outstanding flexibility, support, and opportunities for advancement and/or year-round work.

Best Online Summer Jobs for Teachers 

Reading for Dollars
Reading is typically one of the pleasures of summer. So why not get paid for reviewing the books you read? Various online platforms pay qualified reviewers (qualifications may vary) to provide an honest review of books they’ve read. Perhaps the best known name is Kirkus Reviews, which pays experienced book reviewers of English and Spanish-language titles to review for Kirkus Indie, the book review magazine's section dedicated to self-published authors. Booklist is another top-flight organization with fairly high standards for its reviewers. OnlineBookClub.org may not be well known, but it pays from $5-60 per review. The catch? You must follow their review guideless scrupulously in order to be paid. The U.S. Review of Books lays out its guidelines clearly and even offers helpful examples, while the aptly-named BookBrowse, an online book review magazine, offers an online reviewer application clearly detailing their review criteria.

Upwork Freelance Platform
Browse thousands of freelance jobs that can be performed online, on your terms. Simply create a profile with your skills and credentials and hourly rate required. Categories include development and IT, design and creative, writing and translation, and much more. There’s no charge to sign up, but the platform will retain 10% of your earnings.

VIP Teacher
VIPTeachers is the companion platform for the online English teaching platform VIPKid. Perfect for ESL-certified teachers who want flexible hours, no commute, and no need to be conversant in any other language. A six-month contract is required, but no minimum hours, so teachers can set their own as they see fit.

Training Large Language Models (LLMs)
While awaiting the inevitable takeover by our robot overlords, we might as well make some money, right? Multiple platforms pay qualified individuals to assess LLMs’ language, logic, and computing outputs, or to test its ethical boundaries. No AI experience is required, but for most, you will need to demonstrate a solid foundation in your skill area. Top sites include Outlier, DataAnnotation, Alignerr, Mercor, and Mindrift.

Best Sites for Online Tutoring and Teaching
Tech & Learning’s comprehensive online tutoring article is a great place to start your summer job search. Choose your preferred subjects, create your schedule, and start teaching and earning.

Pear Deck Tutor
Pear Deck makes it easy to apply to join its community of qualified tutors, who teach according to their own subject expertise and schedules. Its remote platform includes live audio/video chat, virtual whiteboards, screen sharing, and other tools to support high-quality interactions with students. Additionally, Pear Deck handles all billing and pays weekly, so tutors can focus on teaching.

ETS Online Scoring
One of the oldest educational testing companies in existence, ETS (Educational Testing Service) is known for creating and administering several widely used standard tests, including the SAT, GRE, TOEFL, and others. The company employs online test scorers (“raters”) to evaluate and certify various test results. FAQs, guidance, and the online scoring opportunity database allows teachers to explore options before signing up.

Preply tutoring
The Preply tutoring platform allows approved tutors to teach exactly as many hours as they’d like to, with no minimum schedule required. With its global membership, Preply provides numerous diverse opportunities for tutoring, while the well-designed website supplies potential tutors (and students) with everything they need to know before signing up. Preply’s business model relies on commissions, so it’s free to create an account and make use of all site features.

Varsity Tutors Virtual Summer Camps
Lovers of science, tech, art, or finance (Monopoly's Money Matters Camp, anyone?) can find a great summer job with Varsity Tutors, which offers an impressive lineup of virtual summer camps ranging from introductory coding to chess masters to outer space adventures. In addition to the many STEM virtual camps, Varsity Tutors also provides drawing and animation classes.

Teach Online Reading Classes This Summer
Do you love reading? Would you like to share your passion for reading with young learners? Since 1970, the Institute for Reading Development has taught and promoted literacy and a love of reading to students aged 4-18. Its online summer reading program needs dedicated teachers of all levels of experience. Professional training and supervision makes it easy for educators to adapt to the platform.

Skillshare
Skillshare’s online program allows experts in the arts, business, technology, and lifestyle to share their knowledge while reaping financial gains. Create a class, upload video lessons, promote your class, and even engage with students via the website. A robust teacher help center guides each step of the process.

Rev Freelance Transcriptionist or Captioner
If you have top-notch language, listening, or transcribing skills, convert your expertise to cash with Rev freelance work. Select only the jobs that interest you and work as much or as little as you like, all from your home computer. Know a foreign language? Earn the highest rate per minute adding English subtitles to international audio/video.

Teach English Online to Adults
You may love your students, but kids can be a handful. If you’re worn out at the end of the school year, consider teaching adults English online this summer. This article explores the requirements, structure, pay, and features of 11 sites for teaching English to adults.

The Princeton Review
For decades, The Princeton Review (a private company not associated with Princeton University) has provided tutoring and test preparation for students in grades 6-20. The company offers test prep for the SAT, ACT, and AP, as well as tutoring for academic subjects. A rich source of teaching and tutoring opportunities for those who prefer to work from home.

Sell Stock Photos: Comparison of Major Services
Talented shutterbugs who wish to earn income from their hobby should consider selling their digital photos to stock image sites. This detailed article explores the pros and cons of selling to Getty Images, Shutterstock, iStock, and Adobe Stock.

Tutoring Jobs at StudyPoint
If you have two years of teaching under your belt, a bachelor’s degree, and good ACT/SAT scores, consider becoming a personal online tutor for StudyPoint. You’ll help students study for standardized testing or a variety of academic subjects. StudyPoint offers plenty of training, coaching, and support so teachers can transition to online tutoring with confidence.

Career and technical education (CTE) instructors frequently incorporate principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) without necessarily realizing it. 

That’s because coming from the industry sector, these educators inherently value practicality and students with different skill sets, say Dr. Amanda Bastoni and Dr. Luis Pérez. Bastoni is a research scientist and Pérez is a technical assistance specialist at CAST, the nonprofit education research and development organization that created the Universal Design for Learning framework and UDL Guidelines.

“CTE teachers are structuring their classrooms differently, and they're naturally using UDL, and they're naturally using strategies that research tells us are our best practices in learning,” Bastoni says. 

As such, CTE teachers can frequently provide examples that teachers of any subject can learn from and use themselves.

1. CTE Classes Are Hands-On  

In CTE classes ranging from STEM courses to cooking and cosmetology, you don’t learn skills in the abstract. “You practice the skill to create a product to then use the product to achieve something, and it's sort of an apprenticeship model,” Bastoni says. “We have these teachers coming from industry and teaching in this really unique way that we don't necessarily teach if we've gone from kindergarten to high school to college to be a teacher. In UDL, we say, ‘Bring relevance to the learning.’ They bring authenticity, they bring some really key components of engagement. They're giving the students more autonomy. Students are working on the car themselves, not just watching someone else work on the car.” 

2. CTE Teachers Are Often Compelling Role Models  

CTE teachers frequently come from non-academic backgrounds and, as such, can serve as successful case studies for students who don’t necessarily connect with traditional academic subjects. “Often, the traditional schooling model didn't work for them, but they found a different path, and that worked for them,” Pérez says of CTE teachers. “Now they're going back and giving back to education.” 

These mechanics, chefs, welders, etc. help diversify the teaching profession and inspire students to apply themselves to various topics outside of academic classes, and continue their education. “The more people from industry, people with disabilities, people from other historically marginalized communities, can come back and serve as role models, then the more that we increase the chances that students will stick with it,” Pérez says. 

3. CTE Classes Don’t Rely on Writing Alone  

CTE classes often feature assignments and assessments that are more varied than a non-CTE classroom, which is another tenet of UDL. “You should be able to demonstrate your knowledge in a variety of ways,” Pérez says. “It doesn't always have to be by writing, you can demonstrate that you can develop a circuit, or create a circuit by taking a picture of it, and uploading it, or record a video that shows you actually putting a practice in action.” 

These more flexible assignments encourage student success. “There are different ways of knowing and demonstrating knowledge,” Pérez says. “That's really validating for learners. Whereas the message from most of education is, ‘If you can't do it this way, you're a failure.’ You're not a failure, it's just that you need to do it a different way.” 

4. CTE Classes Have Goal-Aligned Assessments  

The tasks behind CTE course assessments are often closely aligned around professional expectations that are clear to students. 

“I'm not just asking you to learn to do this because it's in this textbook. We're setting this goal because you want to go out and become a mechanic or you want to go out and become a chef,” Bastoni says. “Assessments in CTE are really skill-based, which is nice for a lot of kids.” 

Once again, this opens the door to different kinds of success for students. “You can be a struggling reader and be a great chef,” Bastoni says. “You can struggle with math and be a really excellent plumber and make more money than an accountant. It offers validity to different people's different modalities for showing what they know and for engaging with the learning.” 

5. CTE Classes Teach Students How to Learn 

CTE programs have advisory boards with experts from various fields who help keep the programs up to date. Since CTE teachers often come from rapidly evolving tech industries, they frequently embrace the concept of teaching students how to learn. 

“In UDL the goal is to develop expert learners who are good at learning, not good at knowing,” Pérez says. “If we're going to have a well-prepared workforce not for the 21st century but for all centuries coming up, then we definitely want to focus on developing expert learners, that's our goal.” 

This taps into developing a growth mindset, as well as critical thinking and flexibility. “Going through a program and coming out of it with a solid knowledge base is not enough,” says Pérez. “It's knowing how to learn, and being a good learner. That's what's going to keep you being successful in a career that's evolving all the time.” 

• The Future of Career Technical Education (CTE): What Educators Need to Know
• Esports in the CTE Classroom: Discord Bot Development

In order to help organizations that are affected by ongoing staff shortages and individuals who are looking to enter the education field, the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) is hosting a virtual National Career Fair from 1 - 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Feb. 11 and Feb.12, 2022. School districts and education companies from across the country will be at the online event to recruit for a wide variety of jobs, including teachers, school counselors,  school and district superintendents and other education positions, as well as for company jobs such as education consultants. The event includes workshops for job seekers with interview tips, resume feedback and mock interviews. For school districts and companies, it offers an opportunity to make connections with the ALAS network to support diversity within staff.

Job seekers and potential employers can register at https://app.associationsphere.com/OmQ6e. Registration is free for job seekers. Registration is $550 for potential employers that are ALAS members and $750 for non-members.

“We need a strong pipeline of talented, compassionate, equity-minded staff members, educators and administrators in order to improve education, especially for Latino and other historically marginalized students,” said ALAS Executive Director Dr. Maria Armstrong. “Our National Education Career Fair is an opportunity for job seekers to learn about new opportunities to make a difference, and for school districts and companies to recruit passionate employees which will ultimately help to strengthen that pipeline and better serve our students.”

The ALAS National Career Fair is geared toward educators, administrators and others in the education field who are ready to start or climb their career ladders. Representatives from colleges and universities will also be on hand to meet with attendees who want to discuss their career path.

The event is one of several networking programs and events that ALAS offers. The organization also hosts a major education conference in the fall, as well as vodcasts discussing issues in education, and other professional development opportunities throughout the year. For more information about ALAS, visit https://www.alasedu.org/.

On the back of the COVID-driven esports industry boom, national adoption of scholastic esports has continued to grow at an astounding pace. Scholastic esports, video game competitions between schools, has not only provided students with the same social and emotional learning (SEL) benefits of traditional athletics, such as improved teamwork, leadership, and a sense of belonging, but esports is also being used as a lens to teach everything from career and technical education (CTE) to literacy and STEM to students from kindergarten through high school. 

It should come as no surprise that teachers are the ones doing the groundbreaking work in scholastic esports, but what is surprising is the level to which they have taken their passion for esports. Shunning for-profit esports leagues to ensure the best possible student experience, teachers in more than fifteen states have started their own grass-roots nonprofit organizations to oversee esports competitions in their state. I am one of those educators.

When COVID hit, I decided to start Garden State Esports, a free-to-join 501(c)(3), to help students stay connected through gaming and to help schools in New Jersey use scholastic esports as a platform for ALL students to grow. I quickly fell in with the other state organizations, who together serve almost 40,000 students. 

With access to such diverse perspectives and understanding of what scholastic esports should entail, who better to ask for an update on the current state of scholastic esports and the emerging, exciting trends they’re seeing. 

Scholastic Esports: Dramatic Growth and Deep Connections 

"I don't think anyone should be surprised that esports is taking off in schools,” says Mike Dahle, who has seen his organization Wisconsin High School Esports Association grow more than 500% since 2018. “We know an overwhelming majority of our students are gaming and this uses it to a positive. It creates a structured approach teaching our students teamwork, collaboration, accountability, responsibility and all those other good things. And for many students, this is their only extra curricular that connects them to their school community, which for many districts getting 100% of students involved in extracurriculars is a major initiative."

Last spring when most other sports were cancelled because of COVID, Nick Rider of Esports Ohio had more than 3,000 students across 140 high schools competing from home. Those students were surveyed and it was revealed that 75% of Esports Ohio participants were competing in their first-ever sport. 

Now that most schools and activities are beginning to trend back to in-person, Esports Ohio wants to continue to grow the connections and sense of belonging many students developed during COVID. With in-person play now possible, Esports Ohio has setup regional leagues so schools could play against other nearby schools. They’ve also partnered with several universities across the state so that these regional leagues have a place to play in-person finals. 

Beyond the excitement of face-to-face competition, Rider hopes that students will have the opportunity to meet and grow relationships with the peers they’ve been competing against throughout COVID.  

Prepping the Future Workforce 

Tony Gragnani from Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation is not only seeing the same growth as Ohio and Wisconsin, but they are also one of many state organizations putting new or extra emphasis on educating athletes on the career pathways available in the esports ecosystem. “MOSEF continues to see tremendous growth,” Gragnani says. “We are adding new schools almost weekly. What excites me the most is the opportunities we are creating for students through esports. Our students are doing everything from shoutcasting and graphic design to digital production and statistics through esports.”

The Illinois High School Esports Association is also focused on empowering tomorrow’s workforce. “Not only will IHSEA continue to offer opportunities for students to build community through our online spaces and compete through our tournaments, but we are most excited about new opportunities for students to get involved with IHSEA as an organization,” says IHSEA co-founder Todd McFarlin. “These opportunities include the addition of various internships with IHSEA to gain hands-on skills training that will be useful beyond high school.”

Washington State Scholastic Esports Association Executive Director Jason Dilley is also using esports as a vehicle for CTE. “Ultimately, WSSEA's mission is to help students grow not just socially and emotionally, but intellectually and professionally as well,” says Dilley. “That’s why we’ve partnered with Highschool.gg to provide CTE competitions in shoutcasting, video production, and other up-and-coming, lucrative careers in the esports ecosystem. These CTE competitions will expand our audience that can access and benefit from esports while also giving students authentic career experiences to prepare them for work in the field."

Social and Emotional Growth 

Garden State Esports’ neighbor to the west, the Pennsylvania Scholastic Esports League (PSEL), also continues to grow in popularity. Led by Kammas Kersch, PSEL is supporting more than 100 schools across the Commonwealth. Kersch says administrators and school leaders are seeking ways to get students involved and engaged in their school communities and scholastic esports is helping to make that happen. Esports clubs are being used for more than gaming. “Scholastic esports is a place for students to learn valuable social-emotional, technical, and problem-solving skills,” says Kersch. “We are connecting students to college and career opportunities to help them discover their passions and prepare for their futures through esports.”

Nate Thompson, from the Indiana Esports Network, agrees with Kersch’s belief that scholastic esports has the power to grow students socially and emotionally. IHSEN recently announced that they would be adding Unified Esports, in partnership with Special Olympics Indiana, to IHSEN programming. “The Unified Esports Experience will allow students to meet and connect with peers they may not normally get to interact with,” says Thompson. “It’s a win/win for everyone involved because now students will get to see ALL of the students in their school and not just who they see on a daily basis.”

My own organization, Garden State Esports, will be working with Rutgers University on two different studies that will measure the impact of our SEL curriculum, the Esports Personal and Performance Improvement Curriculum (EPPIC), on a student’s social and emotional growth. We believe that our curriculum will show student growth in CASEL’s 5 Core Competencies and improved attendance, behavior, and learning outcomes.

The incredible growth of our esports communities nationwide is a byproduct of passionate teachers doing the work. As scholastic esports trends continue to evolve, it is becoming more clear that there is a need for the work being done not just in the classroom, but at the state level as well to ensure our programs are safe, inclusive spaces in schools used to help kids achieve more. I’m lucky to have the expertise and passion of these other wonderful leaders to tap into and, like many scholastic esports programs around the country, we are excited to take the work we are doing together to the next level. Big news to come!

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Did you know there were 10.9 million open jobs across the U.S. at the beginning of this school year? The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported a record-breaking 4 million Americans quit their jobs by the end of July. This exodus from the job market has affected almost every field and will no doubt have an impact on local economies in the coming months. In Nashville, a local hot dog restaurant known for its delectable dogs and as a tourist attraction closed because the owner couldn’t find anyone wanting to work. 

In spite of this shift in employment status being referred to as the ‘great resignation,’ some economists are calling this movement the ‘great renunciation’ because workers are ultimately leaving for more flexible options that allow for a better work-life balance. This news could be a silver lining for school districts across the country as they review their programs preparing for the post-COVID era, and career and technical programs can really benefit from a program review on the heels of the Carl D. Perkins Act reauthorization effective July 2019. 

Unless you are a high school teacher and perhaps even a career and technical education (CTE) teacher, you may not be familiar with the Carl D. Perkins Act. CTE was first acknowledged in 1963 when vocational education was identified as a program by federal law. The only problem with that recognition was the fact that it was unfunded. In the 1980s, a politician from Kentucky, who was a former teacher and lawyer, fought to fund vocational programs in schools in what became the Carl D. Perkins Act of 1984. The lack of funding prior to this legislation meant inequities in who would have access to vocational education, leaving high-poverty students out of the running for these programs. 

CTE programs can impact local economies. For example, the challenges of the housing market are not just a result of material and supply shortages but also a lack of talented labor. A trillion dollars is being invested into construction across our nation yet projects are slowed because of the lack of labor. As a nation, we are not producing the workers we need to support local economies. Small towns are becoming extinct because of this overwhelming challenge.  

Refocusing CTE Programs 

When ESEA was reauthorized, the focus was college and career but many read this as college only. A college degree is certainly a great option for many students but it may not be the best option for all students. And, there is nothing that says you can have the technical knowledge and pursue a college degree as well. 

CTE programs are offered in 16 career clusters designed to meet the needs of high-demand fields. These clusters are: 

• Health science
• Business
• Sales
• Finance
• Information technology (IT)
• Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
• Manufacturing
• Logistics
• Hospitality
• Government
• Law
• Agriculture
• Human services
• Construction
• Arts, audio/visual technology, and communications 

Schools overhauling their CTE programs are focusing on aligning their programs with the needs of the workforce in their areas, which could help the construction industry and other industries challenged to recruit employees. 

The focus on careers is beyond school districts. National Career Day was on September 24 and it promoted companies from around the nation in support of recruiting efforts. There are other days that will focus on different careers throughout the year and the entire month of November will focus on career development. 

Many jobs in our economy are designed for high schoolers and college students to take advantage of while they are going to school, while some are good fits for students who choose not to attend college. But it seems the great resignation didn’t just affect career folks, it has also affected pre-career folks, such as high schoolers and college students, and their desire to work. Introducing students to CTE opportunities in school not only offers them skill building but also gives them opportunities to put those skills to work through internships or externships. It should not be an ‘either’ choice when considering college or career, it should be yin and yang. 

Career exploration is something we have all but eliminated in our middle school programs but now may be the time to consider reintroducing it and helping students move into a pathway that prepares them for both college and career. A recent report from the Center for American Progress suggests that introducing CTE programs in middle school actually prepares students for more rigorous pathways in high school. 

A national model for this is the National Career Academies Coalition model, which develops career pathways within high schools for students to explore and are integrated with the academic requirements so that the learning is relevant and rigorous. The secret sauce to this model is partnerships with local industries to develop curriculum as well as offer internships and externships. Leveling the playing field is critical to give opportunities to students who are interested in CTE and boost economies because schools are graduating students who have viable employment skills. 

When the Carl D. Perkins Act was reauthorized, it put into place CTE requirements for states beginning in July 2019. Students who graduate from high school now must take a certain number of CTE courses in order to meet graduation requirements. This isn’t just an asset to a community, but the students benefit financially. Research indicates that 8 years after graduating from high school, students who earned CTE credits made more money than those who did not. And, a recent article from ETS suggests that CTE may be the very program to improve our economy post COVID. The power of CTE programs has also been shown to impact unemployment, which is a big win for any local economy. 

Upgrading Your CTE Program 

Now, are you ready to rethink CTE in your district? If so, here are some great sites to explore: 

Workforce GPS

CTE Research Network

National Career Academies Coalition

Perkins Collaborative Resources - USDE

Association for Career and Technical Education

Advance CTE

Get started by...

1. Checking the guidelines of your state for CTE completers on your state department of education website. 
2. Learn about academy programs accredited by the National Career Academy Coalition and schedule visits. 
3. Reach out to your local chamber of commerce to schedule a meeting about partnerships with the industry leaders in your area. 
4. Schedule a meeting with the local community college to discuss bridge programs and articulation agreements. 
5. Check in with university continuing education and adult education programs to recruit people who are looking for a second career. 

Career and technical education is definitely a pathway every student should take advantage of to build skills that will not only benefit them personally for the rest of their lives but will also help local communities thrive. 

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Truly authentic learning can be difficult to find in mainstream education. Teachers have spent countless hours trying to apply content from the core curriculum to that ‘real world’ we’ve all heard so much about. Sometimes we throw math into a playful story that students supposedly might run into one day. “Jaleel has 4 popsicles. If Sally has 3 less than 2 times as many popsicles as Jaleel, how many popsicles does Sally have?”

However, within our schools there is already an oasis of authentic learning in our career and technical education programs (CTE), sometimes with an added ‘agricultural’ focus to make CTAE. The CTE world includes countless programs, from culinary to auto tech, turf maintenance to cybersecurity, and many more. 

While CTE was once viewed as an alternate path through high school, it is now interwoven into the fabric of learning and even acts as the crown jewel for some schools. These programs can be a huge draw for students looking to build more applicable job skills while they are in school or those looking for an engaging program that lets them get hands-on. 

So what happens when these hands-on, equipment- and experience-heavy courses need to move hybrid or virtual? I sat down (virtually) with CTE leaders to hear about their successes and challenges from the last year.

Dr. Dwionne Freeman 

Director of Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education, Atlanta Public Schools, GA 

CTE courses, especially those such as carpentry, healthcare, and culinary, are often heavy on supplies and equipment. Atlanta Public Schools started in their professional learning communities (PLCs) to identify the most important learning goals and milestones for each course, then planned backward from there to create supply kits that were appropriate for each of the programs that they support. The district worked to provide items that might be available in some households, but not something they could count on to be equitable for all.

During virtual learning, everyone pitched in to find ways to make these hands-on experiences effective in the virtual environment, from purchasing ready-made kits to cutting thousands of pieces of PVC pipe and pool noodles. “It was very, very hard,” says Dr. Dwionne Freeman. “But an incredible amount of innovation has also come from that.” 

Lana Barros 

Coordinator of College and Career Readiness, Martin County School District, FL 

In Florida, where most school districts were operating with face-to-face, hybrid, and virtual options for the whole year, some districts found interesting ways forward. In Martin County School District, the CTE Department worked with Risk Management to identify how the real-life industries were being impacted and then brought that knowledge into the schools. This allowed the learning to be as authentic as possible while still providing the unique teaching and learning opportunities that are a cornerstone of CTE programs.

For Shaun Southwick, a culinary teacher at Martin County High School, this meant modeling their work on both the food delivery subscription service model and the industry shift to meal pick-up by creating a school pick-up for the ingredients and supplies so that culinary students were able to complete their learning at home. 

“These changes allowed students to get the hands-on experience that they need to be successful and still take and pass their certification exams,” says Barros. As an example, all students in the three sections of the district’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) earned their certification, a 100% pass rate. 

Mandy Johnson 

Executive Director of College and Career Programs, Douglas County School District, GA 

While transitioning to virtual or hybrid instruction moved many of us beyond our comfort zone, some districts are planning to adapt their future practices to incorporate lessons learned. As Mandy Johnson, the Executive Director of College and Career Programs for Douglas County Schools in Georgia, shares, “It was a really hard year, but our teachers had grit and persevered. I’m very proud of them and what they accomplished.”

Two of their practices -- mock interviews and job shadowing -- took very different forms this year. Instead of having mock interviews conducted in-person as had been done in the past, Douglas County partnered with TalkHiring to enable virtual mock interviews. In the future, they will resume in-person mock interviews, but also keep the virtual option to augment the impact.

Pre-pandemic, the district held one job shadowing day on-site with many local businesses. This year, they were able to expand to a virtual job shadowing week. Many of the same benefits as from mock interviews were seen, especially the ability to shadow jobs or industries that might exist farther away from the schools and were previously unavailable to students. Johnson is optimistic that the changes they’ve made will positively impact their students. “The sun will rise again and things will be great,” she says. “We’ve had a lot of loss in our community and we want our students to know that they can still dream and have hope.”

Kyle Jones, Ed. D. 

Director of Academies and Career and Technical Education, Gwinnett County School District, GA 

For Gwinnett County’s CTE leaders, providing wraparound support for their teachers is the name of the game. As the pandemic began, they immediately built upon their existing support system of teacher leaders for each pathway to help create a sense of community in an area where many teachers are singletons in their schools. 

What started as informal check-ins became formalized monthly targeted community discussions around relevant topics such as pacing, certifications, and SEL strategies to help support students. "We want to make sure we provide our teachers with resources and support for their students’ well-being, including SEL strategies to help them be seen and heard," says Jones. 

To provide that full support, Gwinnett focused on four key areas:

1. More intentional collaboration among and between CTE pathways. 
2. Increased financial support for affiliate organizations, memberships, and competitions. 
3. Work-from-home technology for CTE teachers (i.e. the choice of an extra monitor or bluetooth headset). 
4. Appropriately powerful laptops or desktops available for home use for student programs that require machines with higher specifications. This allowed the teachers to utilize much of their well-developed curriculum and workflows. 

Jean-Paul Cadet, Ed. D. 

Director of Career and Technical Education, Prince George’s County Public Schools, MD 

While much of the conversation has surrounded the teachers, students, and the courses themselves, some districts reimagined their outreach programs, communication, and interaction with the community. For Dr. Jean-Paul Cadet, Director of CTE for Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, this meant revamping their messaging and social media presence.

Being remote required school system programs to be more active on digital platforms to continue to reach community, students, and parents in the virtual environment. To accomplish this, the team established a social media team within the CTE department with a primary focus to, “ensure [CTE] remains at the forefront of ongoing conversations about education,” says Cadet.

In addition, they leveraged the natural engagement of video content and created a library of 30-second “commercials” to promote CTE programs and linked those to current conversations and fluctuations in the fields. For example, as the County grappled with a nursing shortage amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the CTE team highlighted its Certified Nursing Assistant program — and recent graduates who were serving as essential workers in the community. 

These digital channels for sharing the real-world impact of CTE programs will remain part of the team’s strategy going forward.

Doug Konopelko is a passionate educator, designer, writer, speaker, and leader. He focuses on acting as a connecting point between people and ideas. On his education journey, Doug has served in both urban and suburban school districts as a teacher, coach, high school assistant principal, school district administrator, and state education organization leader. You can follow his work on his blog, DesignedEdu, or on his web series and podcast, Focus on K-12: EdTech and the Education Experience, on YouTube and all popular podcast platforms.

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Career technical education (CTE) is currently receiving increased attention as it is expected to play a key role in the recovery from the pandemic. New skills, approaches, and funding introduced over the past year are helping to drive expansion of programs as many employers continue to struggle to find qualified workers.

Shortly after his confirmation, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona posted an open letter to U.S. students and their families in regard to his plan for education. In it, he suggests that a heavy focus on CTE will be an essential part of what’s next in education. 

Cardona is a product of a CTE, and has been a big proponent of these programs. He went to H.C. Wilcox Technical High School in his hometown of Meriden, Connecticut, and initially studied to become an automotive mechanic. He eventually changed focus and decided to go to college instead, pursuing teaching. Cardona wants to make sure all students have similar flexibility in choosing their career paths. 

“One of the things I want to guard against is tracking or saying to an eighth grader, ‘You’re college-bound,’ ‘You’re not that’—that to me perpetuates inequities,” he told Central Connecticut State University graduates in 2019. “We have a lot of students sitting in our high schools today who need hands-on experiences, who want to build things, who want to develop things, who want to manufacture, who want to go into IT, go into business. And oftentimes, we have students who don’t take those opportunities, because they’re going to be less likely to be looked at by colleges.” 

College and Career Readiness 

CTE advocates welcome Cardona’s focus and commitment to getting students prepared for life beyond K-12.

“I think we've seen that there is this huge interest in CTE and we've heard CTE being talked about at the national level in a way that it really hasn't been before,” says Meredith Hills, Senior Policy Associate for Advance CTE. “And having Secretary Cardona -- he understands it, he gets it.”

“In regard to CTE, for a long time, we've talked about college or career ready -- we want it to be college and career ready,” says Kimberly A. Green, Executive Director of Advance CTE. “The Secretary of Education actually has lived that college and career, and I’m hoping that he will be able to use both his positioning as well as opportunities that are presented to the department to really solidify the college and career readiness, because that's what CTE is.” 

Green also anticipates the Cardona-led education department to focus on equity in regard to CTE, and to have a renewed emphasis on community colleges. “The recent [COVID relief measures] include a package of investment and infrastructure, this time on human capital,” she says. “That potentially includes a focus on opening up access to post-secondary education through free community colleges.” 

What's really important for CTE leaders is making sure they're at the table when decisions about that funding are being made, says Alisha Hyslop, Senior Director of Public Policy for the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). 

“We need to make sure that some of the resources coming down from the federal government actually get into building and expanding programs and support wrap-arounds,” Hyslop says. “For example, there's a huge number of laid-off workers from the hospitality industry who need to get back to work and how the role that community technical colleges can play in that is going to be critical.”

CTE Without Borders 

Part of boosting CTE is getting school districts to make a deeper commitment to programs, courses, and resources.

“CTE should be offered to students across their educational career, not as an add-on in the last semester of your senior year,” says Hyslop. “Work-based learning shouldn't be just a one-time, one day per year type of experience. You need a work-based learning continuum. It starts with light touch things, such as guest speakers or watching videos of real employers, and then maybe it progresses in intensity to job shadowing or mentoring, and then into more rigorous internships or long-term projects with employers.” 

“We have a vision of CTE without limits,” says Green. “That's really about making sure that any learner, every learner who wants to participate in CTE, has full access and support.”

For example, as a result of the pandemic, CTE opportunities and connections are now being forged in new ways. “You can be in Connecticut and talk to a professional in California, Montana, Hong Kong, Paris, wherever, and you can have virtual mentorship or do a virtual tour,” says Green. “No matter where they live, a student should be able to access the education program that connects to their talents, their passion, and their interests.’”

In rural regions that didn't have geographic access to hands-on learning opportunities on a daily basis, virtual CTE was a necessity before the pandemic, says Mills. “Continuing to create those opportunities, be it fully virtual or through some kind of hybrid model, will be vital in expanding access to high-quality CTE in a really equitable way,” she says.

Alignment with business and industry partners can also help students see pathways, which should be connected all through the education spectrum. “If you can get students a jumpstart on post-secondary education while they're in high school or, at minimum, connect a high school program with the post-secondary program so that students aren't having to start over when they get to post-secondary, that's definitely a best practice,” says Hyslop.

Work-based learning for students is also getting a lot of attention, as students try to balance financial and family challenges exacerbated by the pandemic.

“If you are from a low-income family and you are working to contribute to your family's household, you're faced with this kind of false choice of connecting to free work-based learning experiences versus actually doing work that will help to contribute to your family,” says Green. CTE leaders need to connect the dots and help people get credentials that result in higher-paying jobs, whether that is in high school or in post-secondary education. 

Districts have also been investing stimulus funds into rapid re-skilling programs and short-term credentialing programs to support people to pivot when the economy changes. These types of programs are largely in use in the adult space right now, but could be considered to boost equitable opportunities for students, says Green.

CTE’s Current Path 

Going forward, making CTE a foundational piece to education and exposing learners to the world of options before them will be critical. “As is giving them those real-world experiences to decide and affirm, if this is the right choice for them,” says Green. “It's empowering.”

And as the U.S. and the world recovers from the pandemic, the CTE community is in a prime position to play an important role, says Hyslop. “It's hard to plan five years down the road, like you might have done a strategic plan, but we're encouraging educators to continue to do that long-term goal setting but also to be willing to make shifts and changes in the short term to meet students where they are and meet employers where they are, and be flexible in responding to the current dynamic.” 

Educators also need to overcome instincts to cut back on programs such as CTE when trying to marshal resources to deal with learning loss. “I've seen this happen in previous times we've that had disruptions -- although obviously nothing to this scale -- that there will be this kind of force hierarchy of like, ‘Oh, we've got to get the test scores up so we can only double down on the academics in the way that we've always taught them,’” says Green. “Subjects such as CTE are important complements that add relevance to the academics and actually help students improve.”

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How can we help college students improve their networking skills and gain access to internships and jobs in today’s virtual world?

For ProMazo, a firm that helps Gen Z gain work experience, the answer was The 100k Mentor Challenge, a project to connect 100,000 underrepresented college students with 100,000 mentors in the way today’s generation knows best: via an app.

“When the pandemic hit, college students lost internships and work opportunities,” says Sylvia Cravens, a ProMazo public-relations intern and senior at California State University, Fullerton. “Companies weren’t allowed to recruit on campus and many jobs disappeared.” 

With students’ networking abilities hampered and face-to-face interactions limited, Cravens and a group of 40 ProMazo interns developed and marketed the 100k Mentor Challenge platform. ProMazo partnered with 20 different companies including Best Buy, Protiviti, NBC, Goodwill Industries, Pepsi, CDW, and Neiman Marcus to ask their employers to serve as mentors. 

Building networks and careers 

To recruit LGBTQ students, women, minorities, first-generation students, and students with special needs, the development team reached out to university clubs and national organizations. At the same time, others were developing an app that asks students for mentorship and career goals, and mentors about their backgrounds and experience.

“We created a matching algorithm that gives four to five different options on each side,” says Adam Lies, director of talent for ProMazo. “Students and mentors rank those options and get a match.” 

Students and mentors are required to meet at least every three weeks. “We want it to be enough to build strong relationships but not be overwhelming for either party,” says Lies. “At the end of the semester, you can work with the same mentor or get paired with a new one.”

Because the ultimate goal is for students to build their networks, career-guided content has been added to the platform, covering three phases: 

1. Discover (“What are the possibilities?”) 
2. Identify (“I want business, but do I want marketing, finance, or something else?”) 
3. Pursue (“I know what I want and who I’d like to work for but need help to secure an internship.”) 

All three phases have materials to help students learn how they might fit as they learn more about networking and personal branding and work with their mentor to develop a career roadmap. 

Since launching the app in November, the student team continues to handle research and communicate with corporate partners and university clubs as they try to grow the program.

“As public relations interns, we’re writing press releases and spreading the word,” says Gabrielle Aberson, a sophomore at Boston University. “We want to make sure students know that the app is free.”

So far, the app has been downloaded more than 1,000 times, with 93 percent of the students and 77 percent of the mentors coming from an underrepresented background. 

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Dr. Mark Lombardi is president of Maryville University, a private college in St. Louis with a reputation for innovative, hands-on, student-focused learning. Among its many accolades, the college was named as the fourth fastest-growing university in 2017 by the Chronicle of Higher Education and also ranked in the top 10 percent of all major universities in the U.S. for the economic value of its academic degrees by nonprofit firm Educate to Career.

T&L spoke with Lombardi about how his college has transformed workforce development.

T&L: What is your perspective on higher ed and workforce development?

Lombardi: Universities have always focused on students obtaining a degree. At Maryville, we focus on those essential areas but are moving into ‘skilling up’ the existing workforce, whether in data analytics, healthcare, or cybersecurity. It’s not necessarily about a degree, but a degree could be in the offing.

How does this work?

We sit down with a company and ask: "What is your biggest workforce challenge right now?" We then work with that company to co-design online or blended programs to meet that need. So many workers were hired to do a job and the job changes and their skill sets fall behind. It’s an empowerment initiative to keep workforces current, to help companies not have to let go and recruit new people, and to help the workers see their jobs and careers as a series of skill development.

I need to emphasize that it's not technical training. We’re working in the fields in which we already have expertise and degree programs. 

The key—and I can’t emphasize this enough—is that it’s not a fully prepackaged certificate. We sit down and ask what the company needs and design it together. The employees have a much higher level of vested interest.

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What kind of feedback are you getting?

Companies have discovered that you have to invest in your people and their professional growth and development. The old model of tuition reimbursement wasn’t targeted. Employees would pursue what they wanted, earn a degree, and leave. This program is more of an investment in the people. It has great longevity and long-term benefits.

The other part that’s exciting is that these skills development certificate programs are stackable down the line toward a degree if the employee wants. Down the road, people can take this experience and apply it toward a degree at Maryville or elsewhere. It’s flipping the model a little bit. 

Who pays for the classes?

We don’t charge the employees—the company will buy 400 subscriptions for 400 people. It’s a new and different model, and the companies get to put their stamp on it to meet their particular goals. Even better, we can replicate the courses over and over again.  

Can you describe a program or two?

We’re in the middle of a program for Keeley Companies, which has six different companies spread around the Midwest. They wanted to develop a program for their mid-level employees in all six companies that would help them identify who could move up in the company. We’ve designed a 16-week program for over 200 people that includes experiential exercises and projects designed to recognize leadership potential.

We’ve also begun working with Commerce Bank on a project for their IT department that focuses on IT skills development.

What's next?

We’re in the early stages but the response has been great. This can become a very important local and regional economic imperative to help workforces keep workers here and attract local business. Our goal is to replicate this in St. Louis, regionally, and eventually nationally. 

According to Dr. Mark Lombardi:

1. Focus on student outcomes

As universities explore new corporate partnerships, student outcomes must guide every action taken. If graduates don't land jobs or employers say that graduates aren’t prepared for those jobs, we’ve failed. The more we equip students to enter a challenging work environment, the more choices they’ll have beyond graduation. 

2. Shut up and listen

Universities need to stop telling corporations about how great their graduates are and start listening to what corporate partners need from graduates. Corporate partners often tell us that they don’t care about GPAs. They need graduates who are ready to tackle work on day one. Providing meaningful skills and preparation for day-one readiness is why we built experiential learning into the Maryville curriculum. 

3. Involve corporate partners in curriculum from the beginning

To help students compete in the workforce, universities must work closely with corporations to tailor the education they provide to the skills graduates actually need. 

One example is our Rawlings Sport Business Management program. Rawlings, the equipment manufacturer, was heavily involved in creating the program and developing the original curricula for product development and sports marketing courses. The Rawlings program’s advisory council has representatives from Stadia Ventures and other sports entities. Council members meet regularly with Jason Williams, Maryville’s director of sport business management, to help ensure that the program’s curriculum and the skills attained by students are relevant in the changing sports market.

Cybersecurity is clearly a growing field, with endless challenges. When things go south, digital forensics experts secure the cyber scene, collect evidence, and solve the whodunit. One Kentucky university is training these detectives of the digital world.

We chat with Ed Zuger, Associate Professor and Director of Digital Forensics, about the creation and evolution of this unique masters program.

Who: University of the Cumberlands, School of Computer and Information Sciences, ucumberlands.edu

Where: Williamsburg, KY 

What: Master of Science in Digital Forensics (MSDF)

In 2014, the University of the Cumberlands, under the direction and force of Dr. Donnie Grimes, saw the severe gap between industry and government’s cybersecurity needs and the pittance of professionals, particularly leaders, with such distinct skills. We created our M.S. in Information Systems Security and within three highly successful years grew to over 100 faculty helping thousands. The natural academic and practical progression—“What next after all these cyber pros inevitably cannot stop the black hats?” It’s the uniquely talented digital forensics experts who secure the digital scene, collect evidence, and solve the whodunit. The MSDF was born.

There’s no point for us at UC to teach to our fancy, so I identified the market’s need for digital forensics analysts and made sure the necessary hard skills were balanced with complementary soft skills to create professionals, leaders, innovators who want to practice and apply their service. Atop the main MSDF curriculum of hard skills, such as mobile forensics or malware analysis, UC’s MSDF students learn the regulatory domain. They take a deep dive into evidence law; leadership and communications attuned to information security environments. It’s an education with a substrate of ethics and growth into servant-leaders.

Though we have a beautiful main campus in the bucolic Appalachian Foothills (and satellite campuses in D.C., Seattle, and Dallas-Fort Worth) all of these graduate-level, School of Computer and Information Sciences programs are available online.

• How Higher Ed is Handling Cybersecurity During COVID-19
• Cybersecurity Planning for Next School Year

Positive Results

We’re securing your information security and privacy, first and foremost. It’s the DF version of cops chasing robbers. We’re expanding students’ opportunities in cybersecurity and IT, drawing in students with biology, real estate, and legal backgrounds to join forces with the techies and security nerds. A forensics investigation, at its base, follows the scientific process, or in a more entertaining view solves a puzzle. That, in the end, is what students become. Smart, efficient, courtroom-ready problem solvers.

Some graduates land in law firms using digital forensics to solve divorce and other civil disputes. Others enter the corporate world where keeping internal fraud, waste, and abuse out of the public eye—and operating securely in the global minefield of networks—are critical to share value. One of the first to earn the degree became a U.S. Secret Service special agent. (She’s my go-to exemplar with a biology B.S. whenever non-tech students are nervous about getting into the MSDF at UC.) 

Biggest Challenge

Slow growth. Students might have a sense of the field from TV or films, but we had to really polish how we discussed digital forensics with prospective students. We have a worldwide student body so the messaging language needed to be particularly clear. 

We now have a formal advisory board of talented program directors (of complementary degrees at Cumberland) who share their diverse academic experience. Sappy as it sounds, it’s the proverbial group effort that fixes things at this level.

Pro Tips

First, know that you can’t take the reins, batten down in your office and come out a couple months later, “program-in-a-can.” Build a team and immerse yourselves into the cybersecurity community. We’re surprisingly small—insular almost, but a very collegial bunch. After all, when your network gets hit, we’re all connected down-or-upstream. We’ll help you, help us. 

Identify and perfect some standards to create the program skeleton. These will ultimately become your courses and learning outcomes. Make sure the institution’s leadership understands, even champions, the program. We are blessed at UC—if you do the groundwork with students’ educational welfare in mind and can conform to the mission, there’s a green light coming. This support makes all the difference. 

Finding Funding

Successful internal budgetary proposal, alongside the academic proposal, proffered to our curriculum committee.

Tech Tools

Many of our DF tools are open source. By the time the student gets to my capstone project and conducts an actual forensics examination, they have a useful toolkit. 

The federal government provides “dummy” hard drives and data sets to investigate. Global academicians create simulations and solutions for practice. The students “defend” their investigation via Zoom. We have encountered forensic findings from publicly acquired devices that cause me to contact state or federal law enforcement, C-level leaders of organizations, or other need-to-know actors.

Gale, a Cengage company, today announced the launch of Gale Presents: Udemy, a new online learning platform for public libraries – powered by Udemy for Business –that provides patrons access to over 4,000 on-demand video courses across more than 75 categories. 

Studies show that on average, workers change jobs 12 times in their lifetime[i], making it essential for libraries to offer services that help adults build new skills that align with industry trends and to prepare for the shift toward workforce automation. Gale Presents: Udemy provides opportunities for users to boost their skills in areas such as business, tech, design and more.

With a library card, along with a Google or Microsoft account at participating public libraries, patrons can access thousands of online courses as well as select instructors and content that best match their skills needs and learning preferences. 

Gale Presents: Udemy provides:

• Unlimited, On-Demand Access to 4,000+ Curated Courses Across More Than 75 Categories
• Curated Collection of Courses from the Udemy.com Marketplace
• Up-to-Date Courses
• World-Class Instructors
• Smart Recommendations
• Supplemental Course Resources
• Anytime, Anywhere Access with the iOS and Android apps

Gale will showcase Gale Presents: Udemy at the Public Library Association (PLA) Conference, February 26-28 in Nashville, TN at Gale booth #712.

For more information or to request a trial, visit the Gale Presents: Udemy webpage.

Today at the annual Texas Computer Education Association Conference (TCEA 2020), zSpace Inc., zSpace announced a 100% sales increase in Texas of its augmented and virtual reality learning platform.

One of the company’s largest customers in Texas, Longview ISD, is in the process of deploying zSpace learning solutions to about 6,000 of the district’s students in seven of its schools. 

zSpace provides more than 2,000 school districts, technical centers, medical schools, colleges and universities worldwide with access to STEM content supporting core academic and Career and Technical Education (CTE) curricula. 

zSpace facilitator Ali Worsham, an Instructional Technology Specialist at Longview Independent School District in Longview, Texas, was nominated as the 2019-2020 TCEA Instructional Technology Specialist of the Year for her work in technology planning and curriculum integration through the use of AR/VR. This award honors those who work in technology planning and curriculum integration and recognizes the significant contribution these educators made toward successful technology use in schools.

“I see zSpace inspiring curiosity because it’s innovative and different. Students are engaged with the product in ways that help them master content through new and creative learning,” said Ms. Worsham. “zSpace allows my students to gain a deeper understanding of complex subjects because they can really pick apart all the layers. They can see how different things work. They can manipulate objects and really get in there and look at things in a different way.” 

For Texas educators who want to learn more about teaching through AR/VR, zSpace AR/VR in Texas includes posts, events, professional development opportunities, and video case studies from Texas schools and Districts of Distinction.

zSpace will be at TCEA in Austin, February 4-6, 2020, demonstrating its AR/VR education solutions in booth 2043. Join zSpace and Everman Independent School District to learn more about enhancing STEM and CTE programs with AR/VR on Friday, February 7 from 12:15 p.m.-1:05 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center, Level 4, Room 18A.

One of the first things the Chief Opportunity Orchestrator (COO) needs to decide before integrating entrepreneurship into the classroom is the structure of their Education Corporation (EdCorp); the type of model the COO will use to run their business. The main variables to consider when picking a model is the number of students you see and the frequency with which you see them. For example, as a sophomore English teacher, I saw kids every other day for 90 minutes. Because I saw kids so frequently and for an extended period of time, I let them start and run their own businesses. When I started the Fair Haven Innovates program at Fair Haven, I saw every kid in the school – more than 600 students – once every six days. Because I saw kids so infrequently, it was best if we all ran an EdCorp together. Having taught with so many different schedules and class sizes, I’ve found that there are three structures that work best for integrating entrepreneurship into your classroom:

FH Gizmos: The Amazon-Style EdCorps

In FH Gizmos, students set out to find and solve problems and then sell the solutions. All students are part of a product team and when they have a product ready to sell, it goes up on our line store. When a customer visits the website, they see all of the solutions FH Gizmos product teams have created. Like Amazon, FH Gizmos is a marketplace.

I am in charge of FH Gizmos. Students create the products while I handle most of the day-to-day operations of the EdCorps such as marketing. When it is time to sell a product, it is marketed as part of the FH Gizmos family of products. The FH Gizmos model is focused primarily on the design of new products and the experience of collaborating in teams. 

If the entrepreneurial process is new to you as an educator, this EdCorp structure can be a great way to get started as it eases the class into a more student-driven environment while allowing the teacher to retain most of the control. 

FH Grows: The Whole-Grade EdCorps

In FH Grows, students sell herbs and produce to restaurants and community members in our town. Every student is responsible for maintaining our gardens. When we have downtime in the garden, my seventh graders are responsible for growing our business. Teams take on a “department” role in areas they are interested in. I choose to let students stay in these departments as long as they like because growing student passion and developing expertise is important for middle schoolers. You can, however, rotate students through departments if you want them to try out each department. 

The Design department is responsible for creating products for FH Grows to sell. The design department surveys the community to get a feel for what they might want to buy. Students have come up with products such as upcycled planters and garden ornaments, holiday flowers, spring vegetable starters, catnip bags, worm farms, and organic seed packets. The Design team is responsible for using our design process to create new and exciting products to sell alongside the produce we harvest from our garden. 

People can’t support your business if they don’t know it exists. Our Marketing department is responsible for developing creative, engaging ways to tell the community the FH Grows story which lets them know that we’re open for business. It is a two-step process. First, students find the customers that make up our target market using market research, customer segmentation, and community outreach. Once we know who and where our customers are, students advertise our story with a call to action to encourage customers to buy our products. 

Once people know our EdCorp exists, the Sales department is responsible for closing deals and generating revenue by helping customers see the value in our products. Whether potential customers visit our website, contact us via email or social media, or even send in a handwritten letter or note with their child: it is the job of the sales team to reach out and make contact with customers. They then move customers through our sales cycle. After a purchase, the sales team is responsible for gathering customer feedback, encouraging future purchases, and generating new leads to explore. 

The Design, Marketing, and Sales departments can’t be successful without the Finance department. The finance department is responsible for tracking sales and making sure our financials are in order. They manage our ledger, inventory, and work with stakeholders in our district to make sure we have the money we need when we need it. Often, the finance team is tasked with using their creativity to minimize expenses and maximize revenue in FH Grows, which takes critical thinking and creative problem-solving. For example, one of our best selling products in FH Grows is our worm farms. Students start the worm farm for customers and then give it to customers along with a guide on how to maintain the worm farm and harvest the worm castings for fertilizer. We sell the worm farm for $150. In the beginning, we were only making 33% profit off the worm farms. Not satisfied with the low margin, the finance team found a new worm supplier, explained to them that we are a student-run business, and were able to secure a discount, which brought our profit margin over 50%. 

An EdCorp that includes a large group of students or an entire grade and is structured like FH Grows sees the COO move to a support role. The level of control you want to have in this environment is totally up to you, but you can’t have total control (nor should you want it). In FH Grows, student teams work together to come up with ideas to grow our business. Then, they pitch them to me and the rest of the students. We hold all-hands meetings where we look at our Business Model Canvas, as a simplified, one-page version of our business plan and decide on next steps. My vote, so long as students aren’t proposing something completely egregious, counts just as much as their vote. While I give my thoughts about a proposal, I’m often outvoted. I’m ok with that since half of the time the ideas I’m outvoted on end up doing well – which is awesome. Students feel empowered and make sure to let me know that their idea worked despite my protests. The other half of the time, the idea fails miserably, and that’s fine, too. Failure is a fantastic teacher, and I try to capitalize on these teachable moments as we break down why an idea failed and if there is anything worth saving about the idea. 

FH Leads: The Incubator EdCorp

In FH Gizmos, my sixth-graders answer to me (and their customers, of course). They follow the vision I’ve laid out for FH Gizmos and focus on creating products rather than running the business. In FH Grows, my seventh graders take on more responsibility as they make grade-wide pitches they think will help our business grow. In this whole-class, whole-grade EdCorp, students take on more ownership of the business since we run it together. In FH Leads, our incubator-style EdCorp, students take full ownership of their learning because we do not run a business together; they start and run their own business. 

A business incubator is an organization designed to accelerate the growth of other businesses. In FH Leads, my goal as the COO is to help students start successful businesses that they can take with them when they graduate from middle school. 

Students start by picking their teammates or co-founders. Next, students find a problem and develop a product or service to solve that problem. When students have a prototype of their product, they do user testing. A user is someone who will benefit from a student’s solution. If you develop a better dog leash, you wouldn’t test it with someone who doesn’t own a dog. User testing consists of putting our prototypes in the hands of users to get feedback. They watch users with their prototype and take notes on how the user reacts to the prototype. They ask users what they like about their prototype, what they would change, and how their prototype compares to the product they are currently using. After a lot of user testing, it is time for students to bring their product or service to market. Student teams create a Business Model Canvas to outline the next steps for their business. When they have a sound business model, they can apply for a business grant to help get their business off the ground. If I approve the grant, I will give them between $50-100, real money, to get their startup going. Students are then responsible for the continued design, marketing, sales, and financing of their business. If I have total control in FH Gizmos, I give up total control in FH Leads. Students are solely responsible for their business and its success. 

To this end, as the COO of FH Leads, it is important that I provide advice and feedback, but also opportunities to hear from others’ advice and feedback as well. I open up FH Leads to business owners in my community and experts I find worldwide. I have a pool of talented business professionals locally and abroad that can mentor students. Between my support, these mentors, and the experience they’ve gained in FH Gizmos and FH Grows, most of my eighth-grade startups are able to turn a profit before they graduate. 

In my experience, starting a business isn’t in every student’s wheelhouse. Even though I make it well known that FH Innovates classes are about disrupting the status quo, I still have students who aren’t comfortable with being their own boss. Some kids are afraid of failure, others are afraid of success, and some can’t find the creative confidence to build a business around solving a problem they care about. That is why if some students in FH Leads don’t want to start their own business, they can help a local, small business owner grow their business. If students choose, they can team up with a small business owner – almost like an intern – and help solve the challenges their business owner faces. If students don’t want to work for themselves, they have the option to work for someone else. Either way, students are put in a leadership position as they finish out the FH Innovates program in the FH Leads EdCorp, where they are pushed to find the agency needed to be responsible for their own success. 

Picking the model that is right for you comes down to how comfortable you are giving up control, class size, how often you see your kids, and experience level of students. The Amazon style EdCorp sees a teacher remain in control of the EdCorp. The decentralized style EdCorp puts the teacher on equal footing with students as they make decisions together. Finally, the EdCorp as a business incubator sees the teacher give up control so students take complete ownership of their businesses and learning. Choose the one that is right for where you are in your EdCorps journey, even if it changes as you get more experience being the COO.

Until Next Time,

GLHF

The 12th of October is Old Farmers Day.  This Interactive decision-making game lets you be a farmer. What crops should you grow? Which animals should you raise? Can you make a profit?

Brought to you by Knovation, powered by ACT  

Xello, the K-12 college, career, and future readiness program, today announced the addition of Xello for Elementary. Created to engage elementary aged students, Xello for Elementary aims to encourage self-discovery, create career awareness and nurture future-readiness skills.

Xello for Elementary employs these tactics to give students an early start in becoming future ready: 

• Encouraging Self-Discovery: Students celebrate what makes them unique by identifying their interests, skills, and achievements
• Creating Career Awareness: Through self-directed explorations, students discover and learn about a variety of careers.
• Nurturing Future-Readiness Skills: Students acquire age-appropriate skills and knowledge needed to smoothly transition from elementary to middle school.
• Exploring Options, Building Knowledge: Students define their interests, skills, and aspirations while learning about career possibilities and educational pathways.
• Identifying Goals, Self-Reflecting: Students identify their goals and have the opportunity to build on the knowledge acquired at each age and stage.

“The early years are absolutely critical in helping students discover their strengths and interests. One of the goals in our school district was to find a solution that would provide students with engaging resources for exploring their goals,” said Dana Jackson, Executive Director of Counseling Services at Grand Prairie Independent School District. “While most college and career readiness tools only focus on middle and high school, Xello has filled the gap with their new Xello for Elementary product and we’re looking forward to offering our K-5 students a well-rounded, engaging experience.”

Xello for Elementary is available in English and Spanish in the U.S. In Canada, it’s available in English and French. These options allow students to learn in their preferred language. The program has been tested with educators to ensure that it fulfills age-appropriate learning objectives and includes lessons that align with regional and national learning objectives, like the ASCA Mindsets & Behavior Standards for Student Success. The program is fully accessible, exceeding WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards, and built with original content written at a third-grade reading level.

To learn more about Xello for Elementary, visit http://www.xello.world/elementary

The Expo Hall showcased even more edtech tools that are changing and enhancing today’s learning. When you walk on to a vendor floor at a large national convention two things happen:

1. You get overwhelmed with the magnitude and don’t know where to start.
2. You could get swallowed up by the big name vendors with larger booth and tons of conference swag. 

[Report from ASCD, Part 1: Sessions Covered, Classroom Coding, Leadership Strategies and More]  

Sometimes the small booth with a small or no table can be the exact resource your classroom needs. Below are just some of the standout products from smaller or lesser-known companies, but get to know them because they will help your instruction, student learning, and growth.

Freckle is a tool that allows for differentiation in Math, ELA, Social Studies, and Science. Freckle’s power is that the tool takes the manual work out of differentiation so teachers can focus on the important work of helping students grow. The tool helps reaching every student at their own level. You can even get a free teacher account at www.freckle.com. 

Flocabulary is an online learning tool for all grades that uses educational hip-hop music to engage students and increase achievement across the curriculum. Flocabulary uses standards-based videos, instructional activities and student creativity tools to supplement instruction and develop core literacy skills. Check it out at https://www.flocabulary.com.

Gab-on: Communication between family and children is decreasing and I saw a tool that is trying to support an increase in home communication.  GAB-on! is the first platform I have seen that links a child's school day to a conversation starter at home. It's not a report from the teacher or school; it's a conversation between student and family. Students enter GABs  about their day, in live time while they have meaning and relevance. GABs are hints/cues about what a student is doing that remind him/her what they did, later in the day. GABs also prompt families to ask more specific questions about their student’s day to increase conversational productivity, student voice and improve achievement. Check it out at https://gab-on.com.

Milestone C: I stopped at the booth and was impressed how this program brings internship-style experiences into the classroom by simulating technology career tracks. They have half-year courses, multi-year learning tracks, and supplemental modules to support schools and districts nationwide. Additionally impressive was the staff. They had engineers, scientists, aviators, and seasoned educators on the team to develop learning products designed for and aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. Visit them at https://www.milestonec.com.

Empatico: I saw this great display about global communication and had to check it out. Empatico is a free tool for educators to connect their classrooms with others around the world through live video and activities designed to foster meaningful connections among students. I was impressed at how simple the virtual connections were to make to classrooms by combining everything needed in one platform. They connect classes with  a partner classroom, live video, file sharing, and standards- and research-based activities. Empatico empowers educators and students to explore the world through experiences that spark curiosity, kindness, and empathy.  Check them out at https://empatico.org.

Alive Studios: I walked by the Alive studio booth and was quickly drawn in by the interactive visuals and graphics. Once I was at the booth it wasn’t just “cool” graphics; they create supplemental resource kits that use Augmented Reality to enhance the learning experience for all types of learners. Each resource kit supports multiple learning styles by appealing to students through sight, sound, and interactivity. Alive Studios programs are aligned to the Common Core State Standards to root lessons and activities in standards lesson planning to match learning with a purpose. Visit them at  https://alivestudiosco.com.

Writable: Writing is an essential element in learning and finding a digital tool to support that need is important. I learned by stopping at the Writable booth that this tool is a guided writing practice program that connects any style of instruction to a cycle of authentic feedback and revision. I learned that the tools can build more independent, reflective writers, and helps schools assess & monitor writing growth. Visit Writable at  http://www.getwritable.com.

Sibme was not a learning tool but caught my attention. It is an online video coaching and collaboration platform designed to improve professional practice. Sibme enhances classroom observation, allowing teachers and instructional leaders to record classroom instruction for the purpose of reflection, conversation, and feedback. Check it out at https://sibme.com.

Podcasts from Experts: Ryan McHale, the host of Pondering Education, (@PonderEducation) recorded, posted, and tweeted interviews with many featured speakers. Check out all ASCD podcasts at http://ponderingeducation.com.

There is never a dearth of great ideas at national events like these and ASCD Empower19 did not disappoint. Read more of my ASCD takeaways @MatthewXJoseph and click here read how to turn ideas into actions from events like ASCD.

LiketoBe.org is demonstrating its online platform, free to schools, during BETT 2019. 

LiketoBe.org  is an online networking platform that allows students to engage with employers and professionals in a secure environment. Students can:

• Learn about the variety of careers available to them
• What it’s like to live those careers in the real world and 
• What it takes to achieve them. 

The company also provides free lesson plans, created by experienced educators to support teachers in discussing careers with their students. 

Dave Strudwick, Headteacher at Plymouth School for the Creative Arts explains why he supports LiketoBe.org. “As a school we are keen to look at how careers, employability and a sense of the horizon are integral to all learning. Young people need the chance to explore these areas in both primary and secondary schools."

LiketoBe.org will be exhibiting at stand FS74 within BETT Futures

College and career readiness was popularized in 2009 under the Obama administration's Race-to-the-Top initiative and it is what fuels the Common Core Standards. College and career readiness is the directive under which most government schools have been operating since then. 

The problem is that honoring, respecting, and preparing our nation for college and career readiness leaves two thirds of our nation's adults (according to the most recent census bureau statistics) as outcasts. Unworthy. Disrespected. Less than.

Most of the generation of parents who raised us and the parents of our students did not graduate college. The college and career readiness mantra is a constant reminder that they have failed in some way even if they did not feel like failures before.

Not only that, but the college degree today has become devalued. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that the underemployment rate for recent college grads was 43.5 percent. A report issued  by the Pew Research Center found that only 46 percent of employed Millennials believe their education was very useful in preparing them for a job or career.

The dependence on college clearly is not keeping up with workforce demands.

At this year's World Maker Faire Ed Forum in New York City speaker Sarah Boisvert author of “The New Collar Workforce" explained to the attendees that educators embracing the "College for All" mindset are neglecting the majority of the population for whom college graduation is not a reality. That doesn't mean given up on students. It means recognizing it is okay if college graduation is not a goal. It doesn't need to be. 

That's because today's workforce has many positions available that don't require a traditional college degree. Instead these are skills students can learn in fab labs, maker spaces, and tinker studios. Maker educator Kevin Jarrett, gives them a more familiar name: Digital shop class. There students make things that matter using tools like laser engravers, 3D printers, robotics, and more. These are relevant vocational skills that can prepare students for what some are calling "new collar jobs." These are jobs operating and maintaining machine tools that look a lot different than the blue collar jobs of the past. Instead they have a new set of required skills. Knowing how to operate the machines commonly found in the digital shop class is key for success.  

In her work with the Fab Lab Hub, Sarah Boisvert is using a different strategy than college to prepare students for the new collar workforce. She is developing a digital badge micro-certification program that provides new collar job training. To do this she and her team spoke with 200 large, medium, and small employers in the industry. These employers said they need people with hands-on experience in making things and knowledge of how to repair faulty equipment. The exact activity that happens in these digital shop classes. 

Digital Badges for New Collar Jobs Include:

• Design for 3D Printing
• Introduction to CAD Design
• Fundamentals of SLA 3D Printing
• Troubleshooting FDM 3D Printers
• Laser Safety in Manufacturing
• Master Badges as 3D Printing Operator or Laser Service Technician are a stack of Digital Badges that certify a higher level of skill.

Digital Badges were developed by a collaboration between IBM and Mozilla. They are a secure platform to recognize achievement.

Boisvert, along with Dale Daughtery who created the World Maker Faire suggested that this college obsession was one of the factors that led to our current president being elected into office. He understood that there was a large segment of the population for whom college is not the holy grail.  He saw these people. He spoke to them. He respected them and told them they were important too. Even if they had not graduated college and even if the old factory jobs were gone, there would be new opportunities available.

Possibly influencing Trump is IBM CEO Ginni Rometty who when he was running for office, advised President-Elect Donald Trump of the importance of this new collar workforce. Her letter expressed what she shared in her opinion column for USA Today which urged politicians and business leaders to not think in terms of white collar or blue collar jobs, but to broadly consider these future unfilled positions as “new collar” jobs.

Rometty stresses the importance of looking beyond the four-year degree and instead looking to whether a potential employee has “relevant skills, often obtained through vocational training.” She explains that there is a current talent shortage in the tech industry. IBM alone plans to hire 25,000 new employees in the course of four years and that’s just one company. Code.org says we have 570,926 jobs nationwide and only 49,291 qualified workers.

A New Educational Model – Pathways in Tech Early College High School

Preparation of the workforce for these new collar jobs, many of which don’t require a four-year degree, is crucial. While the Micro credential certification Boisvert’s Fab Lab Hut is putting in place is one path, IBM has designed a new educational model that many other companies have embraced. It is six-year public high school that combine a relevant traditional curriculum with necessary skills from community colleges, mentoring and real-world job experience. The first of these schools – called Pathways in Technology Early College High School, or P-TECH has achieved graduation rates and successful job placement that rival elite private schools. 35% of students from the first class graduate one to two years ahead of schedule with both high school diplomas and two-year college degrees. 

Your Turn

How are you or your school preparing students for the new collar workforce? In what ways do you ensure all your students have opportunities to develop hands on experience? What type of new learning spaces are being embraced by your school are district? What conversations are you having with students and families about some of the new paths to success that are now available to them? 

Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) has worked as a public-school educator and administrator since 1997. She is a prolific writer best known for her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator. Nielsen is the author of several booksand her writing has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times,The Wall Street Journal, Tech&Learning, and T.H.E. Journal.   

With jobs in the trades going begging and too many kids exiting four-year colleges with crippling debt only to find their degrees don’t have labor-market currency, Janesville (WI) Superintendent Steve Pophal says more people need to consider the value of certifications and two-year technical degrees. Many businesses say they can’t find enough skilled workers to fill jobs in manufacturing and the trades. Pophal is helping to send teachers back to school for master’s degrees at the local Blackhawk Technical College so they can teach more specialized classes that also count for college credit. The city’s two traditional high schools are creating programs in mechatronics, a growing field that combines mechanical engineering and electronics; Pophal is also courting businesses and adding more opportunities for workplace learning. The district offers classes that demand interdisciplinary and real-world thinking and helps juniors and seniors focus on job-linked areas of study, such as health and human services; business, administration, marketing and arts; and technology, engineering, agriculture, manufacturing and science. Education in the state has become a central election issue as Governor Scott Walker runs for another term. His Democratic challenger Tony Evers, state schools superintendent, estimates Walker’s cuts to schools and universities between 2011 and 2017 to total $1 billion, leaving schools and districts looking to nonprofits and grants to make up budget shortfalls. At the same time, not everyone agrees that it’s the job of schools to give students workplace expertise — or even that a so-called skills gap exists.

https://tinyurl.com/yardw6le

Lockheed Martin has partnered with Discovery Education on Generation Beyond: Aviation, a digital STEM curriculum that takes students behind-the-scenes with Lockheed Martin engineers and scientists to solve real-world technology challenges, from fighting wildfires to making flight suits for military pilots safer.

Through video challenges, a virtual field trip at Lockheed Martin’s famous Skunk Works® and surprise STEM lab takeovers in select U.S. high schools, the Generation Beyond: Aviation curriculum will engage students in learning about a range of cutting-edge technology areas, applying critical thinking skills, discovering what a STEM career can offer and hearing directly from people who are doing that work today.

[Top 10 K–12 Educational Technology Trends]

Learn more about the new Generation Beyond: Aviation curriculum: generationbeyondinschool.com.

View on the web in presentation mode here or as a pdf here.

[Freebie & Ideas For Parent-Teacher Conference Success]

Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) has worked as a public-school educator and administrator since 1997. She is a prolific writer best known for her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator. Nielsen is the author of several books and her writing has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Tech&Learning, and T.H.E. Journal.

-- Virtual Field Trip of Arconic in Austin, Texas brings exciting STEM careers to classrooms and explores how 3D printing is revolutionizing aerospace manufacturing --

Silver Spring, Md. (Wednesday, September 26, 2018) – In celebration of National Manufacturing Day, , the independently endowed philanthropic arm of Arconic, Inc., and , the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, are hosting a Manufacture Your Future Virtual Field Trip from Arconic in Austin, Texas on Friday, October 5, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. During the immersive virtual experience, students will explore how 3D printing is shaping the future of manufacturing and meet Arconic employees who are using this cutting-edge technology to build high-performance aircraft parts. Educators, classrooms and communities may register for the virtual field trip at ManufactureYourFuture.com.

“Arconic Foundation aims to give students an unprecedented view of the spectrum of STEM careers available, and our longstanding partnership with Discovery Education provides opportunities to collaborate on programs like this that influence the way young minds conceptualize the future of work,” said Esra Ozer, president, Arconic Foundation. “By showing students how emerging technologies such as 3D printing are shaping the future of manufacturing, we are helping to build the workforce of tomorrow.”

Manufacture Your Future, designed by Discovery Education’s curriculum experts for 3 – 12 grade students, offers educators, guidance counselors and families, hands-on resources that build excitement around post-secondary manufacturing career opportunities. Comprehensive, cross-curricular lesson plans range from a look at the history of manufacturing to STEM-based interactives on robotics, and are designed to stimulate insightful conversations between educators and students. The program’s family discussion starters extend the conversation beyond the classroom, giving parents a way to highlight the crucial role that manufacturing plays in day-to-day life.

“Arconic Foundation and Discovery Education are committed to advancing best-in-class immersive learning approaches, through the ‘Manufacture Your Future’ initiative, to cultivate the next generation of manufacturing innovators, said Kristin Hirst, Corporate Education Partnerships, Discovery Education. “We are invested in showcasing stimulating manufacturing careers that empower kids to ‘see that they can be’ the solution-seekers and problem-solvers that create products to help shape our world.”

As manufacturing continues to evolve and require 21st-century skill-sets, employers have continued to develop a pipeline of qualified workers who are passionate about the industry. Manufacture Your Future empowers educators to connect to classroom-based STEM lessons and enriched, real-world career experiences. These experiences provide students with opportunities to gain valuable workplace skills prior to graduation. The initiative encourages the development of critical thinking skills through real-world applications. Available at no cost to classrooms nationwide, the comprehensive program offers standards-based resources focused on STEM; lesson plans; a manufacturing career guide; family discussion starters; and virtual field trips to give students an up-close look at some of today’s most prominent manufacturing careers.

“The ability to have students, educators and parents connect with advanced STEM concepts in an innovative way strengthens our efforts to engage this generation,” said Dacia Jones, STEM Coach, Durham, North Carolina. “The ‘Manufacture Your Future’ Virtual Field Trip increases our aim of fostering the curiosity of youth, while engaging them in practical applications of science, technology, engineering and math, and how those disciplines can be used to pursue careers in STEM.”

Every year during National Manufacturing Day, Arconic comes together with more than 1,600 manufacturers across the country to motivate the next generation of manufacturing leaders and innovators. Participants can join the celebration by sharing their Manufacturing Day ideas and inspiration with @DiscoveryEd on social media using #ManufactureYourFuture for a chance to have their classrooms featured during our virtual event.

For more information on the program or to access the site’s free resources, visit . Manufacture Your Future materials are also available through Discovery Education Streaming Plus.

For more information about Discovery Education’s digital content and professional development services, visit . Stay connected with Discovery Education on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @DiscoveryEd.

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About Discovery Education

As the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12 classrooms worldwide, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional learning, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education’s services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries around the globe. Inspired by Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.

About Arconic Foundation

Arconic Foundation supports programs that help prepare the 21st century engineering and advanced manufacturing workforce. Arconic Foundation is an independently endowed foundation with assets of approximately $320 million and is the charitable arm of Arconic, Inc. – which works in close partnership with customers to solve complex engineering challenges to transform the way we fly, drive, build and power. Through collaboration with our nonprofit partners, our initiatives make quality STEM education opportunities available to students; support engineering and technical skills training through community colleges, technical schools and universities around the world; and help to create access for underrepresented individuals to the STEM fields. The work of Arconic Foundation is further enhanced by the thousands of Arconic employee volunteers who share their talents and time to make a difference in their communities. Established in 2016, Arconic Foundation is active in 26 countries around the globe.

About Arconic

Arconic (NYSE: ARNC) creates breakthrough products that shape industries. Working in close partnership with our customers, we solve complex engineering challenges to transform the way we fly, drive, build and power. Through the ingenuity of our people and cutting-edge advanced manufacturing techniques, we deliver these products at a quality and efficiency that ensure customer success and shareholder value. For more information: www.arconic.com. Follow @arconic: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

– ‘Beyond the Sale: Careers That Deliver’ Virtual Field Trip Underscores Pathways to Career Readiness through 21st Century Skill-Building –

Silver Spring, Md. (Thursday, September 20, 2018) – The National FFA Organization, Tractor Supply Company, and Discovery Education – the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms – are teaming up to host a new virtual field trip entitled Beyond the Sale: Careers That Deliver at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. During the immersive virtual experience, students will learn more about diverse career opportunities within the industry of agriculture and meet Tractor Supply Company employees. Beyond the Sale: Careers that Deliver will transport classrooms beyond the walls of their schools to learn how product development, marketing, distribution and merchandising play a role in delivering wholesale products every day. Tractor Supply Company has grown to become the largest rural lifestyle retail store chain in the United States.

“At Tractor Supply, we believe that providing opportunities to students through FFA’s agriculture education program is important, as it provides insights to the vast array of opportunities across a broad range of agriculture career pathways. Tractor Supply is proud to be an ardent supporter of the FFA and Discovery Education, as they provide students with the future skills they need to carry themselves into the community and workplace,” said Christi Korzekwa, senior vice president of marketing at Tractor Supply.

The Beyond the Sale: Careers that Deliver Virtual Field Trip will open up access to students’ understanding the role of business firms while encouraging them to analyze various types of market structures in our national economy. During the experience, students will be encouraged to analyze how competition among many sellers lowers costs and prices, and prompts retailers to produce more. The virtual event will be hosted from Tractor Supply Company’s Merchandising Innovation Center (MIC), and will showcase aspects of Tractor Supply Company career paths that aid in bringing new products to market through an innovative and calculated production pipeline that maximizes business scale. Educators, parents, student advocates and members of the community may register for the Beyond the Sale: Careers That Deliver Virtual Field Trip at agexplorer.com/virtual-field-trip.

“We are excited to continue the AgExplorer mission in partnership with Tractor Supply Company and Discovery Education to transform today’s high school students into the field’s leaders of tomorrow,” said Mark Poeschl, CEO of the National FFA Organization. “With job openings expanding rapidly every year in agriculture, there is no better time than now to start sparking student interest in the field.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 7-in-10 production jobs are sourced from the manufacturing industry sector. The Careers That Deliver experience will provide a companion activity that engages students and will illustrate a range of highly-skilled careers involved in advanced manufacturing. The educational immersion will also underscore how advanced manufacturing utilizes product development, distribution, marketing and e-commerce processes to expand reach and sales.

To aid educators and participants in integrating this virtual event into classroom instruction, the National FFA Organization, Tractor Supply Company and Discovery Education have made educational standards-aligned resources Virtual Field Trip teaching resources available for classroom use online. Educators and classrooms are also invited to deepen their experience by joining the conversation and asking questions of participants LIVE on Twitter @NationalFFA, @DiscoveryEd and using the hashtag #AgExplorerVFT. Following the premiere, the Virtual Field Trip will be made available on-demand through AgExplorer.com.

“Discovery Education and The National FFA Organization, through Ag Explorer, shows students aspects of next generation careers in the agricultural business and compels them to better understand STEM-driven integration into the industry overall,” said Rita Mortenson, Educational Technology Coach, Verona Area School District. “Career exploration is an important part of students discovering opportunities that they are passionate about. With the wide variety of careers available in the agricultural industry, including high tech career opportunities, Ag Explorer is a valuable resource for our students.”

Launched in 2016, AgExplorer.com offers teachers and students a deep database of career profiles that help students connect what they are learning in school to future careers. Career pathways highlighted, include: power, structural and technical systems; biotechnology systems; environmental service systems; food products and processing systems; animal systems; natural resources systems; plant systems and agricultural education. In addition, AgExplorer.com includes more than 250 career descriptions, education requirements, average salary, links to a college and university database, and more, all designed to help students. To access the site’s free resources, visit here.

“AgExplorer provides schools and communities with innovative digital resources that build STEM bridges to career explorations,” said Lori McFarling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Discovery Education. “Discovery Education is thrilled to support the important work of the National FFA Organization in inspiring young people about the exciting world of 21-century manufacturing careers available to today’s innovators and solution-seekers.”

The Beyond the Sale: Careers That Deliver Virtual Field Trip is also available through Discovery Education Streaming Plus. For more information about Discovery Education’s digital content and professional development services, visit DiscoveryEducation.com. Stay connected with Discovery Education on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @DiscoveryEd.

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About National FFA Organization:

The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 669,989 student members as part of 8,630 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization is supported by 344,239 alumni members in 2,051 local FFA Alumni chapters throughout the U.S. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org and on Facebook, Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.

About Tractor Supply Company:

Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO) is in its 80th year of operation and, since being founded in 1938, has grown to become the largest rural lifestyle retail store chain in the United States. With more than 28,000 team members, over 1,725 stores in 49 states and an e-commerce website, Tractor Supply is passionate about serving its unique niche, as a one-stop shop for recreational farmers, ranchers and all those who enjoy living the rural lifestyle. Tractor Supply offers an extensive mix of products necessary to care for home, land, pets and animals with a focus on product localization, exclusive brands and legendary customer service that addresses the needs of the Out Here lifestyle. The Company leverages its physical store assets with digital capabilities to offer customers the convenience of purchasing products they need anytime, anywhere and any way they choose at the everyday prices they deserve. At June 30, 2018, the Company operated 1,725 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states and an e-commerce website at Tractorsupply.com.

About Discovery Education:

As the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12 classrooms worldwide, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional learning, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education’s services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries around the globe. Inspired by Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.

Pearson VUE has entered into an agreement with Splunk Inc. to deliver its certification exam programs worldwide.

As part of the new agreement, Pearson VUE will provide Splunk certification candidates access to its network of secure test centers in 180 countries around the world.

[Do you have an innovative edtech product? Nominate it for the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence Contest! Click here for details.]

The exam titles include: Splunk® Core Certified User, Splunk Core Certified Power User, Splunk® Enterprise Certified Admin, Splunk Certified Developer, Splunk Enterprise Certified Architect, Splunk Enterprise Security Certified Admin, and Splunk IT Service Intelligence Certified Admin.

[GoGuardian Announces Beacon, Self-Harm Prevention Tool for Schools]

To better understand the struggles teachers face in preparing young people with digital skills, PwC conducted a survey of more than 2,000 K–12 educators.

Results include:

Most teachers aren’t confident teaching higher-level technology skills: Only 10% of K–12 teachers surveyed nationally feel confident incorporating higher-level technology into student learning.

Technology-related courses are not offered to many high school students: At least two out of five high school teachers surveyed report their schools do not offer courses in data analytics (80%), app design/creation (64%), computer programming languages (46%), robotics (42%), or web design/creation (41%).

Students do not spend much time in school actively practicing the higher-level technology skills: More than half, 60%, of classroom technology use is passive (e.g., watching videos, reading websites).

Teachers want more support from their districts: Of the teachers surveyed, 79% of them say they would like to receive more professional development for technology-related subjects.

[Welcome To Fair Haven Innovates]

The full report can be downloaded here.

StudySync® is launching SyncBlasts™ to support social studies and science teachers as they help students build essential skills.

SyncBlasts connects social studies and science curriculum to the daily lives of students. Lessons illuminate connections between content standards and the contemporary world, and the SyncBlasts platform allows teachers to leverage the power of social learning in a safe environment.

[The Real Way to Avoid Hearing from the Same 26 Facebook Friends]

SyncBlast is available in multiple Lexile®-levels and scaffolds and includes hundreds of articles and videos that are aligned to social studies and science content standards. In addition, StudySync publishes new SyncBlasts each school day.

Vegas PBS, through a state grant for distance education, has partnered with Nevada Learning Academy (NVLA) to provide additional opportunities for students to prepare for industry-recognized certifications in Health Science, Information Technology, and Business Management. This initiative enables students to enroll in online career pathway courses through NVLA at a reduced cost of $75 per course, per semester. To enroll, visit NVLearningAcademy.net/admissions.

[Drones to Drop Tech Learning Assets to Detroit School]

There comes a point in some teachers' careers when they consider going freelance. That can take many forms of course, including becoming a full-time substitute teacher, a consultant to schools, a freelance writer or something else entirely. Whatever the case, you need to think carefully about the potential advantages and disadvantages of taking the leap. Having been a freelancer since 2004, I thought I'd share my views on the matter.

Main advantages

Main disadvantages

Conclusion

So, would I recommend freelancing? I think it depends on your personality, and your circumstances. If you have a mortgage and kids, you would have to be pretty sure of yourself, or have a supportive partner earning a decent salary, before embarking on this road. That's because of the lack of a safety net and sometimes having to work long hours when you have more work than time.

On the other hand, it does afford you a certain degree of freedom, and there's nothing quite like the thrill of receiving a check as a direct result of some work you've done for a satisfied client.

Terry Freedman is an independent ed tech consultant and freelance writer based in London, England. He publishes the ICT & Computing in Education website.

IDEA Public Schools, a network of tuition-free Pre-K-12 public schools today announced a new initiative to support students in transitioning to college. Through a partnership with student coaching provider InsideTrack, IDEA Public Schools will develop a coaching program to foster college-going attitudes and competencies in its students.

Over the next three years, InsideTrack will work with IDEA Public Schools administrators and staff to develop a student coaching program based on InsideTrack’s research-backed methodologies. Through the program, coaches will work one-on-one with IDEA students to help them make informed college enrollment decisions, develop long-term success plans and build the skills required for college and career success.

Program design is underway and coaching is expected to begin during the 2018-19 academic year. The initiative is being funded through an Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Edgenuity, provider of online and blended learning programs, today announced that it has added more than 50 new career and general elective courses to its platform. Middle and high school students can engage in a range of interests and skills –from Journalism to Forensic Science– through courses provided by eDynamic Learning.

eDynamic Learning courses give students exposure to industries and jobs through a range of topics such as Business and Marketing, Energy and Conservation, Law and National Security, and STEM.

New courses include:

· Introduction to Renewable Technologies

· Music Appreciation: The Enjoyment of Listening

· Criminology: Inside the Criminal Mind

· African-American History

· Introduction to Manufacturing Product Design and Innovation

· Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources

Schools can use their own teachers or Edgenuity Instructional Services virtual teachers to deliver instruction in a blended or virtual learning environment.

To learn more about Edgenuity’s career and general elective course offerings, click here.

Adobe released a global research study today at Bett that highlights the importance of teaching creative problem solving skills in the age of automation.Adobe also announced exciting new education offerings to help improve accessibility, starting in April 2018, including:

1. Making Spark Premium available to all schools and universities at no cost.
2. Granting access to Creative Cloud to students under the age of 13, consistent with U.S. children’s privacy regulations.
3. New School I.D. integration, which will enable students to use their school identification to log into Creative Cloud apps at school or at home.

Key findings from the report include:

• 97% of educators feel creative problem solving is important for students to learn
• 74% of educators and 76% of policymakers and influencers believe professions that require creative problem solving are less likely to be impacted by automation in the future
• 86% of educators say students who excel at creative problem solving will have higher-earning job opportunities in the future
• 69% educators agree that there is not enough emphasis on creative problem solving in today’s curricula
• 80% of educators and 67% of policymakers believe that creative problem solving should be integrated across all courses

To see the full study and an infographic, visit the Adobe Education microsite and the Adobe Blog.

There’s no question that expanding our K–12 students’ proficiency in STEM is critical to preparing them for careers in fast-growing sectors of our economy. But top candidates for the jobs of the future will require much more. As my colleagues and I applaud the administration’s focus on boosting STEM education—and private-sector promises to help pay the bill—we urge that these efforts reach far beyond teaching coding in schools.

Today’s young people must receive a full complement of educational experiences that enable them to develop the wide range of skills they will need to adapt to the jobs of tomorrow and succeed in the STEM economy.

The priority list is long, especially for the least-served students, who may not have Internet access in school, let alone a single computer science course. But based on Jobs for the Future’s 35 years working to increase economic opportunity for lower-income youth and adults, I’d like to highlight three essentials for schools of all backgrounds:

1. Incorporate key employability skills into learning, such as communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork.
2. Provide real-world work experience, such as internships and other forms of work-based learning. Students learn countless intellectual, personal, and social skills when on the job with experienced workers.
3. Develop youth-friendly career navigation resources. Learning about career options and making smart choices to reach one’s goals can be daunting for most people.

Creating better education and training pathways to the jobs of the future is a national imperative. We encourage the administration to think boldly and expansively about the full range of educational experiences our students need to help build a vigorous American economy—and thrive in it.

Maria Flynn is president & CEO of Jobs for the Future.

As a futurist and innovator, Tim Brown looks at emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and robotics to figure out where the economy, industry, and technology will intersect in the future. He’s the vice president of innovation and advanced research for the United Services Automobile Association (USAA), which provides its 12 million members with everything from mortgage advice to retirement planning. Recently, Brown served on an innovation panel that’s focusing on innovation in education by preparing corporations for students graduating from our schools and preparing schools for what corporations need. His message for administrators? “Advancement is happening at an exponential rate, and it is much closer than you think. Our children need to adapt more quickly than anyone ever has. And our schools and curriculum have to move even quicker.”

To serve our students better, Brown says schools have to change the way they operate. There needs to be more collaboration with students and corporations, and schools have to be open-minded and allow students to experiment and learn from their mistakes. “This will require a different way of teaching, one that calls for agility and is based on feedback and adjustment,” he says. “The tools and the application of the tools will have to change to be relevant.”

OUT-OF-THE-BOX CAREER COUNSELING

As the first district to use G Suite in 2008 (back when it was still called Google Apps), Maine Township (IL) High School District 207 is well known for being innovative and ahead of its time. When it comes to career and workforce skills, the district has already made a lot of changes to revamp its program.

“In a perfect world, we’d be able to offer a class for every student, based on their hopes, dreams, talents, and passions, that they could make their life’s work,” says Superintendent Ken Wallace, who was recently named Champion of the Year by the 2017 Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education. Since the world isn’t perfect, District 207 is offering integrated courses with real-world experience and work experiences like internships and apprenticeships. The district has also remodeled its college and career counseling program to be more relevant and useful.

In geo-construction, a blended geometry and construction course, students gain math skills while building houses for Habitat for Humanity. “This kind of learning really moves the students; they get the ‘why’ as well as the ‘what,’” says Wallace. The course also includes a small business strand for students who want to start their own construction company. Not only do these students graduate with marketable job skills, but they also outperform their peers who take traditional geometry classes, on the same assignments.

The district is developing more blended courses (algebra is next), and Wallace hopes these courses will help students figure out what they want to do after high school. District educators are embedding DefinedSTEM—real-world, project-based lessons—into all of their courses, and they’re helping students get internships so they can gain firsthand experience in different careers and find the right fit. “We’d like to spare students from realizing ‘I don’t want to do this’ after two years of college.”

Guidance counselors meet with incoming freshmen and their parents the spring before they start high school to discuss individual career plans. “Instead of having students wait until their junior year, we’re encouraging them to begin the career exploration process earlier and do job shadowing, internships, or apprenticeships. We want them to have at least one relevant career experience, because better-informed students make better decisions,” says Wallace.

The district has also started to offer financial advice, hoping to help families understand the economics of various degrees. “If you’re going to be a pharmacist you may be able to carry a larger debt load,” Wallace says, “but not all bachelor’s degrees are created equal.”

THE BENEFITS OF BLENDED

Blended courses are a key component in the strategy at Huntley High School, part of Huntley Community (IL) School District 158. The district offered its first three blended courses in 2010; today, there are 60 teachers and about 1,000 students taking at least one blended course. “The beauty of blended courses is that students are able to control their learning path, pace, time, and place,” says Scott Rowe, principal.

Because the classes are a combination of online modules and face-to-face instruction, students have to develop strong time-management skills. If they don’t maintain a C average, they’re required to attend class every day with a teacher until they figure out why they’re off track. Before taking a blended course, students meet with their parents and counselor to determine how to maximize their time and create a learner-focused experience. “They figure out what they need to learn so that our school can serve them,” says Rowe. “In most cases, students have to conform to school, but that’s not the right way.”

At first, Huntley’s blended classes were only offered during certain times, but in year three they decided that any period of the day could be blended. That same year they also completed a $36 million expansion, which involved putting tables and chairs in the hallways and converting a gym into the Hub—a modern space with collaborative work spaces, a technology bar, and study carrels.

According to Rowe, blended courses won’t make students perform better, but they will enhance the learning experience so that students are engaged and ready for what happens next. “They are learning how to learn and how to control their learning, both of which will benefit them for the rest of their lives,” he says.

Since going blended, Huntley has seen many benefits. ACT scores continue to improve, and graduates have strong academic success. “We stay in touch by surveying our alumni, and they tell us they are more prepared than any of their peers and find freshman year easier because they’ve already figured out the time-management piece,” says Rowe.

EXPOSING EVERYONE TO CTE COURSES

As the newly hired director for student achievement at Bastrop (TX) Independent School District (ISD), Jennifer Edenfield oversees and advanced academics. Her mission—which was the same at her former district—is to mesh the core curriculum and advanced academic courses into the CTE pathways. “Texas has identified 16 career clusters in the CTE field, ranging from IT to public service to agriculture, and within each area there are a lot of certifications we can offer our students.”

Certifications give students a foot in the door and can be the deciding factor when there’s only one spot and multiple applications. That’s why Edenfield offers certifications from industry-recognized to non-traditional, from providers like Certiport, Microsoft, NCCER, and iCEV. She’s especially fond of iCEV’s beginner-level/non-traditional certifications because they get students excited and motivated to keep going.

“For so long, the perception has been, ‘I’m core academic and you’re CTE,’ but that needs to change so that every student knows all of his or her options,” she says. She’s working with core academic teachers to help them understand the CTE career clusters and pathways and how their courses are aligned. She wants the teachers to see that these classes can help students be more prepared for their careers of choice. “If a student is interested in health science, he or she can take CTE anatomy or physiology. In math, we offer math in agriculture, math in construction, or engineering mathematics. The students still learn what they need, earn their credits, and get to take a class that’s geared to their interest.”

Edenfield doesn’t want to discourage students from following the traditional route; she just wants people to know that there may be a course that’s a better fit. She also works with community colleges to provide dual-credit courses within CTE so that students can graduate from high school with credits already earned. “CTE students are leaving high school with 12 to 18 hours of college credit and two or three different certifications. With just another 12 hours of postsecondary work they can be earning twice as much as the teacher who just taught them,” she says.

CERTIFICATION KEEPS IT REAL

Marty Roettgen worked for IBM/Lenovo for more than 30 years before she became a business education teacher at East Wake High School and Green Hope High School in Wake County, North Carolina. She’s an avid supporter of technology certification, especially after seeing how much it motivates students. “When a student passes an industry certification, his or her confidence soars,” she says. “Many of my students found a life path as they got more involved in certification and technology.”

Ryan, a sophomore, was very shy when Roettgen met him. She discovered his interest in computers and encouraged him to take the school’s Microsoft IT Academy courses, which are designed to help students pass Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification. He took an MOS exam and never looked back. In one semester, Ryan passed all of the 2010 MOS certifications and became a Microsoft Master.

When Roettgen heard about the new US and world championship competitions presented by Certiport (the MOS exam provider), she knew her students would be intrigued. “I used the competitions as a motivator, but learning technology skills and earning certifications were the main focus in my courses,” she says. “I ran my classroom like a business and gave students the freedom to perform. In that environment, students start to chase learning—not just grades—and it is really fun to teach when that happens.”

Before her recent retirement, Roettgen’s students were averaging three certifications per semester. “Technology certification prepares students for college and career, but it can also change their lives by helping them find new interests and become confident learners,” she says.

Roadtrip Nation

Outstanding site motivates kids to follow dreams, work hard 

Pros: Diverse, relatable, and just-plain-fun video content will knock the socks off even the most blasé teen.
Cons: Curriculum has to come from a classroom; kids can't go exploring the site on their own.
Bottom Line: Incredibly inspirational, fun, and helpful guide for kids trying to figure out a sustainable, happy future.

Read more here.

By Common Sense Education

Site of the Week picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best edtech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

Couragion

Individualized STEM career exploration targets students' values 

Pros: Well organized and quickly exposes kids to a broad variety of STEM careers.
Cons: Videos and web quests cannot take the place of actual role models and mentors.
Bottom Line: Students identify career values and use them to evaluate STEM options.

Read more here.

By Common Sense Education

Site of the Week picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best edtech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

So, you’ve landed that dream job of school technology leader. Now what? Here are ten principles that should form a useful starting point.

Have a vision

There’s an old saying, that if you don’t know where you’re going, you never know where you’ll end up. It’s the same with technology leadership. You need to have an end result in mind. Vision statements need to be aspirational, but also as vague as possible to prevent their looking dated in no time at all.

For example, a statement like “Every child will be able to bring their own device to school may sound far-sighted, but many pupils these days have several devices. A better version might be “Every child will have access to the technology they need when they need it.” That also doesn’t limit you to devices. It would, for instance, still be relevant even if pupils started wearing their technology or even, in years to come, come to school with it embedded in their bodies.

Another reason that that statement is better is because it should also form the basis for thinking about the wider infrastructure in the school. For example, if a time comes when pupils come to school with technology implanted, embedded in their clothing, wearing it on their wrists and with two or three devices in there purse or pocket, the school’s wi-fi is going to need to step up to the plate!

There’s no such thing as “enough”

School finances are never ideal, but as technology leader you should, in m,y view, take the view that you can never have enough money or resources. Even if you have enough laptops and tablets for every pupil, teacher, and visitor, there’s always scope for more.

For example, it is very useful to have spare printers and computers so that when one goes wrong you can replace it immediately, and not ask everyone to wait for weeks while the faulty one is repaired.

If you already have enough spares, then how about starting an innovation fund? A few hundred dollars could be used to try out a new handheld scanner, or some wireless headsets.

And if all the boss can offer is 50 bucks, that will buy a few printer cartridges.

Have high expectations

In my experience, all students can achieve more than you might think they can. Offer them an easy course, and they may feel patronised and belittled, while offering them a difficult course could help them feel respected. Obviously, each school and pupil is unique, so you have to judge these things for yourself, but people do tend to live up or down to others’ expectations of them.

Honesty

There’s a tendency these days for people to “big themselves up” — probably one of the malign effects of social media. But if things are to improve in school, then you have to be honest — even if only with yourself, if honesty could be career limiting in your present employment. Thus, if an experiment with teaching programming didn’t work out, you need to acknowledge that in order to change your approach for the better. Being upfront about such things should also encourage people in your team to adopt the same attitude.

Don’t shoot the messenger

If your response to someone delivering unwelcome news is to start shouting at them, I guarantee they won’t tell you the full truth next time. It is a really self-defeating approach. See under “Information” below as well.

Delegation

Speaking of team members, delegating responsibilities, not just tasks, is a good idea. It’s good career development for them, and it also means that you will be able to trust them to get on with things if you’re off sick.

Some poor managers try to do everything themselves.That’s not only impossible, it also leads to team members not even bothering to contribute more than they have to. In one job I had, I said to one of the members of my new team, “Why doesn’t anyone come up with solutions? Why do they expect me to do all the thinking for them?” I’ve never forgotten his reply: “Our old boss never wanted to hear our ideas, because he was also so sure of himself. In the end we just stopped offering any and just let him get on with it.”

Information

I’m a great believer in the value of information. Keeping parents informed, for example, will help to get them on board. For example, if you decide to experiment with having a live Twitter stream going on in your lesson, tell the principal and the parents, explaining why. (You may need to obtain permission, of course, and the protocol for contacting parents may be that you don’t do so directly, but the general principle still holds.) Otherwise all that will happen is that a student will tell her parents that all you did in the lesson was look at Twitter, and the next thing you know you’ll be on the carpet in the principal’s office.

You also need information from your colleagues about what has gone well and what has not — another reason for the honesty discussed earlier.

And, of course, data relating to pupils’ achievement in your subject will be crucial. Not only individual pupils, but groups of pupils. For example, how are the girls doing compared with boys? Is there a difference? If so, why, and what are you doing about it?

Finally, you need information about what’s going on that could affect ed tech. The Technology & Learning website, news feed and magazine are a good start. You might also like my own website, ICT & Computing in Education, and newsletter, Digital Education.

Proactivity

A useful side effect of keeping well-informed is that it enables you to be proactive. For example, if a new report is published about education technology, you could summarise the report and its implications on a sheet of paper. You’ll not only be keeping her informed, but you’re making it very clear that you’re up to speed yourself. Principals tend to like to know that they can trust their teachers to make decisions based on knowledge, not conjecture.

Reciprocity

Put simply, one good turn deserves another. If you help out a colleague, they are more likely to help you out if the occasion arises. This principal is especially important in the online world, where your reputation can be made or marred on the basis of very few parameters. For example, if someone writes a blog post about the great things you’re doing in your school, don’t take that for granted. At least thank them, and better yet, publicise something they are doing too.

Be responsible

Above all, one of the reasons you’re paid to be an ed tech leader is that you’re expected to act responsibly and to take responsibility if things go wrong. And, of course, to graciously accept responsibility when all goes according to plan!

Terry Freedman is an ed tech writer, speaker and consultant. He publishes the ICT & Computing website and the Digital Education newsletter.

“The transition to adulthood starts in preschool.” This sentence is fueling the educational reform in the Kankakee (IL) School District, where conversations about college and careers start earlier rather than later. From the moment students walk through our doors to the time they walk across the stage to receive their high-school diplomas, it’s our job as educators to do everything we can to prepare them for life outside the classroom and for the jobs of the future.

Every day, I push my teachers and principals to think past the traditional style of teaching and to offer our students a chance to explore a plethora of careers through hands-on experiences and project-based learning.

Ask a third-grader what they want to be when they grow up, and you’ll likely get answers like “a teacher,” “a police officer,” or “a doctor.” To a child, the idea of what those careers entail is narrow. For example, to a six-year-old, a doctor is the person they see to make them better when they’re sick. Today’s students have little to no awareness of the schooling and experience a person needs to earn an M.D. Neither are students likely to be aware of doctors outside of those in the medical field: professors, psychologists, and researchers can be “doctors,” too. When we take the time to dig deeper into specific fields, we open our students’ minds to new career paths they may never have thought of: engineer, builder, or scientist.

STARTING THE CAREER CONVERSATION EARLY

In the College and Career Academy classrooms in our elementary school, each grade focuses on a different range of careers, so as students move through school they have a chance to explore a variety of fields and decide where their interests lie. For example, first graders focus on careers in agriculture, food, and natural resources; third graders focus on engineering, outer space, and plant life. The idea is for students’ knowledge of, and curiosity about, different career fields to evolve as they progress through elementary school.

During the school year, students undertake four large-scale projects that align with their grade-level focus and appropriate state standards. We use the supplementary curriculum, Defined STEM, which breaks down tasks by grade level, subject, and standard. It also keeps all lesson materials, such as articles, videos, and rubrics, in one spot. The projects give students room for individual creativity as they master career skills, including problem-solving and collaboration.

The hands-on projects make the careers come alive, because students can apply their classroom knowledge in a real-world setting. When they’re working on the projects, students change their mindsets to think like engineers, designers, doctors, or whatever position is relevant to the task. The students are engaged because they’re using creativity and critical-thinking skills to solve a problem and play a role. They’re not memorizing facts for a test; they’re applying what they’ve learned and demonstrating their skills to create an end product, such as a 3D model or a multimedia presentation. When these career projects are incorporated into relevant teacher lessons, students are pushed to think towards the future and determine what they want to be when they grow up.

As students enter middle and high school, they participate in career-investment inventories and choose from numerous educational tracks, including our Freshman Academy, Business Academy, and Medical Academy. In the near future, we will be adding a STEAM or STEM Academy and a Leadership Academy with ROTC. Currently, as part of the required career projects, all students at Kankakee schools are involved in project-based learning, which puts a spotlight on the collaborative skills needed to enter the workforce.

The format we’ve created at Kankakee prepares students for every stage of life by giving them the skills and experiences they need to be successful. Setting cognitive ability, skill level, and achievement aside, we make college and career options available to all students and prepare them for life after primary education. Because we’re starting career and college conversations at 5 instead of 15, our students are more prepared for the transition to adulthood and to find success on whatever path they choose.

Dr. Genevra Walters is the superintendent of schools at Kankakee School District.

One of the most valuable components of college and career preparation can be partnering with area businesses, colleges, and government. Since many students will be seeking jobs in these organizations, knowing specifically what they look for in potential employees is key to navigating meaningful career preparation. But where do schools begin this conversation?

Wheeling High School, one of six comprehensive high schools in District 214 in Illinois, has answered that question in a how to guide. This guide, called “Pathways and Partnerships,” is a blueprint for matching high school students with local businesses, colleges, and government. As the idea for the program began to take shape, they designed a plan to bring partnerships into their schools, developed capacity for ongoing dialogue with partners to ensure sustainability, and conceptualized a model that fits their demographics and community.

They offer the following tips for creating a similar program in your school or district.

PARTNERING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR

To establish private sector partnerships, Wheeling High School administrators suggest the following steps:

■ Research and contact potential stakeholders from private and public sectors.

■ Contact trade and local organizations and ask to attend meetings and/or establish membership.

■ Develop marketing to create awareness.

■ Host open houses at your schools for potential stakeholders.

■ Offer to host the meetings of local organizations at your schools.

■ Establish an advisory council for your program with representatives from these local organizations.

Wheeling has partnered with the TMA (Tooling and Manufacturing Association), the Wheeling Rotary club, the Chamber of Commerce, the SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers), and other national and local businesses. The benefits of these partnerships have included scholarships, internships, financial support, curriculum input, and equipment and material donations.

PARTNERING WITH HIGHER ED

Wheeling High School has also worked with area colleges to offer educational partnerships such as dual-credit courses, certifications, research, and other professional development opportunities for teachers and students. To begin this partnership conversation, they suggest that schools do the following:

■ Designate a point person on your end and a contact person at the college or university.

■ Design goals for the partnership.

■ Establish clear expectations for all parties involved.

■ Meet regularly throughout the school year to ensure open lines of communication.

■ Evaluate the partnership annually to improve programming.

When Wheeling partnered with Northern Illinois University, the university provided monthly professional development opportunities led by professors. D214 also partnered with William Rainey Harper College, which offers D214 students dual-credit and certification opportunities in fields such as manufacturing, engineering, nano science, and nursing. Because students in the nursing program can receive certification at the end of year three, juniors and seniors at Wheeling High and Elk Grove High School can graduate from Harper College with a CNA certification.

PARTNERING WITH GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS

Wheeling High School has also developed governmental partnerships. They began these partnerships by doing the following:

■ Developing relationships with elected officials.

■ Inviting them to their school for events.

■ Mentioning them in school literature when appropriate.

Wheeling invites local officials to events like their manufacturing job fair and original research competitions, and they even hosted US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for their nano lab grand opening. The benefits of school-government partnerships include opportunities for internships, curricular input, grants, financial support, and publicity.

As schools and districts continue to explore the ways in which they need to prepare students for further education and careers in the 21st century and help them to develop career pathways, partnerships will be an integral part of that preparation. These partnerships could lead to internships, career shadowing, field trips, curricular support and, in many cases, to job placement beyond high school.

Angela Sisi is the principal of Wheeling High School and Kevin Muck is the CTE/PE/health division head at Wheeling High School in Township High School District 214 in Illinois.