Career-focused students disassemble and reassemble vehicle braking systems on augmented and virtual reality computers while other learners watch videos about off-the-field MLB careers. Career and technical education now also features high school coursework for adults and hands-on projects in which K-12 students control LEDs with sensors and actuators. Outside the classroom, school administrators can strengthen ties with local businesses. This list covers products that educators are using to enhance CTE.
AR and VR laptop
This Windows 10 laptop comes preinstalled with zSpace applications that provide augmented and virtual reality experiences. Students can practice vehicle assembly and disassembly within a virtual auto mechanic shop, and perform detailed dissections on large and small animals. The Wave NG app includes a hand-held welding simulator that lets students practice welding techniques.
STEM Connect
The Career Connections program on the STEM Connect digital platform links lessons with STEM careers, which now include MLB operations and data analytics executives and groundskeepers. STEM Connect presents these MLB opportunities through videos produced by Discovery Education. Teachers and students can access STEM Connect using laptops, tablets, smartphones and interactive whiteboards in career and technical education classes.
CareerScope Online
Students can use this web-based platform to complete an assessment that measures their career interests and aptitudes. This subscription-based model provides recommendations for selecting the most appropriate education/training program, or can be used to develop transition plans, career development portfolios, or individualized education programs. A new option integrates CareerScope results to provide real-time occupational information.
Related: AI instruction readies K-12 students for future careers
The Robotics Sensor & Motor Training Kit
Students perform hands-on projects using these motor- and sensor-equipped boards to learn about electrical components, such as actuators. Students can watch a steer gear in motion on the motor board, and perform temperature and humidity experiments using the sensor board. The bundle includes a power adapter and connection cables for use in career and technical education classrooms.
Spark3000
Adults can take these high school courses to obtain the skills they need to advance in their careers. K-12 students can learn how to create an appropriate online presence and how to write a rÁ©sumÁ©. Other lessons cover proper job conduct and the potential challenges workers face, such as encountering new technology.
Business Advisory Board Services
RTI’s Center for Education Services provides consulting and strategic planning for schools launching and strengthening business advisory boards. An effective board bridges the gap between schools and industries by establishing shared missions that meet local workforce demands. The Center for Education Services conducts needs assessments so business advisory boards can help schools provide students with the skills that industry demands.
HVAC curriculum
NCCER has updated this curriculum to comply with the Clean Air Act. The career and technical education course features recent technology advancements such as communicating thermostats and dual-fuel heat pumps. It also provides information on how technicians can use tablets and smartphone apps on the job, and how to create digital work orders and invoices.
