Renee Citlau: CTE Educator and 2013 National Online Teacher of the Year

I had the pleasure last week of moderating a panel discussion that included the 2013 National Online Teacher of the Year (NOTY) and the other two finalists. I have attended all four NOTY award ceremonies and I must admit that it is truly amazing how these instructors continue to expand how students learn and for how they demonstrate what they know. These wonderful instructors are truly the "silver bullet" in education and no matter how much I like educational technology, there will never be an app that can replace them!

The press release from SREB is below, but I want to add a very important fact about the 2013 NOTY Award winner. Renee Citlau is a teacher in career and technical education (CTE) and her subject areas include, accounting, web page design, economics, and digital animation. Congratulations to Renee Citlau, Jennifer Curriin, and Michelle Licata!

Renee Citlau
2013 NOTY Award Winner

Renee Citlau of Anaheim, CA, an online teacher at Cypress High School and a lead online teacher for the Anaheim Union High School District, has been named the 2013 National Online Teacher of the Year, an honor awarded annually by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL).

The National Online Teacher of the Year (NOTY) award recognizes an outstanding educator for exceptional contributions to online K-12 education and dedication to enhancing and sharing best practices across the field.

Online learning “incorporates 21st century skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and creativity,” Citlau said. “Students from different demographic regions collaborate on projects despite geographic and cultural barriers that might otherwise keep them apart.

“I can use images, make word analogies, create a cartoon or animation, record a live lesson, or add audio to help them remember.” Almost daily, she said, “I get to witness students having ‘light bulb’ moments.”

The two additional NOTY finalists were Jennifer Currin, an online English teacher at North Carolina Virtual Public School, and Michelle Licata, a teacher and mentor for other online educators at Florida Virtual School. Citlau, Currin and Licata were recognized at an awards dinner during the SREB Educational Technology Cooperative K-20 Virtual Teaching and Learning Symposium in Atlanta, GA. This year's review committee, made up of five leaders in e-learning from across the nation, selected the finalists from nominations by their peers in online public schools in 19 states.

Renee Citlau is a Leading Edge Certification trainer and active member of Computer Using Educators (CUE), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL). In 2012, she won the CUE and California Learning Resource Network Online Teacher of the Year Award. In 2008, she was Cypress High School's Teacher of the Year.

As the National Online Teacher of the Year, Citlau will represent the online learning field at several events and professional conferences, sharing her expertise and insight with audiences across the country, including iNACOL's Blended and Online School Symposium (October 27-30 in Orlando, FL).

“Online learning is growing rapidly because it gives students — the ‘Net Generation’ — access to the courses that provide opportunity, flexibility and convenience,” said Matlea Parker, program manager for the SREB Educational Technology Cooperative. “The use of Web 2.0 and social networking is changing how teachers must deliver instruction. One of the reasons the NOTY award was created was to provide a model of the best practices online teachers use to maximize their students’ learning experiences. Having amazingly effective teachers who are committed to quality — and to the success of their students — is essential.”

Susan Patrick, president and CEO of iNACOL, said, “Teachers working in online and blended learning environments are pioneering personalized education for their students. Renee Citlau exemplifies the very best of the professionalism, curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit that have led to the development of a new generation of teaching tools and methods that optimize and transform learning in these new school models.”

The National Online Teacher of the Year award is made possible by AT&T, Blackboard Collaborate, Florida Virtual School, the Pearson Foundation, SAS and VSCHOOLZ.

I have been a long-time proponent of the use of online learning in CTE and I can see the importance of its growth in drop out recovery, adult education, business and industry training, and other areas. I hope Renee's award will open open a few doors and expand the role of online learning in career and technical education.

CareerTech: Shrinking the Dropout Rate and Addressing the Needs of At-Risk Kids

I read the January 6th Boston Globe op-ed piece written by Alan Leventhal on the cost of dropouts and have followed the discussion since. The dropout issue isn't just an issue in Massachusetts, but it is a national issue that will cost the U.S. trillions of dollars as Leventhal points out:

The cost of a dropout over a lifetime has been estimated at up to $500,000 in lost wages, increased entitlements, and criminal justice spending. If the dropout rate can be reduced by one-half to 500,000 annually, savings will approach $250 billion over the lifetime of each graduating class. Over a 10-year period this would represent lifetime savings of almost $2.5 trillion. In the context of our budget challenges, this is real money.

On January 23rd, the Pioneer Institute, a Massachusetts-based public policy research group, published "The Incredible Shrinking Voc Tech Dropout Rate" in response to Leventhal's op-ed piece and stated the following:

There are many ways to come at this issue, but perhaps the most hopeful way is to look at the state’s voc-techs, which educate a higher percentage of at-risk students. Statewide, 17 percent of students are in special education, while the number is 24 percent at the voc-techs.

Previous blogs and research I have shared here have underscored how much academic performance has improved in the regional vocational-technical schools, which function autonomously outside the purview of a district superintendent. A quick primer on the issue can be gotten in Vocational-Technical Education in Massachusetts (October 2008); a few blogs (here, here, here, and here), and a Fall River Herald News op-ed in support of expanding vocational education.

Why is this the most hopeful way to look at the issue of dropouts? Because, as a report released yesterday notes, voc-tech schools — especially a subset of them — are hitting it out of the park increasing the graduation rate and lowering dropout rates.

The special education graduation rate for vocational technical schools, which stands at 82 percent, is nearly 20 percentage points higher than that of traditional district high schools.

It has been obvious, to those of us within the CareerTech system, that career and technical education has grown and progressed from those old stereotypical days, into a dynamic system that can quickly modify its instructional delivery system to meet the needs of their students, industry, and their respective states. The improved academic performance in CTE further demonstrates the wide-ranging course offerings and the improved ability to attract some of the brightest students.

CTE's approach to individualized education based upon rigorous standards and competency-based assessment is, in my opinion, the educational model that can best address the dropout issue and ever-growing skills gap (among other educational issues).

Another reason why I believe CTE is an appealing way for students to find success is because its foundation is built upon the 70+20+10 model for learning and development. This model focuses on CareerTech students who spend their class time "Doing" (real life, on the job-type experiences) with "Others" (instructors that have worked in industry) and have based these first two components upon "Study" (formal learning).

Career and technical education should no longer be an after-thought, but a very important part of any educational discussion.

Recognizing Academic Achievement in Career/Technical Education

SREB (Southern Regional Education Board) just released "Recognizing Academic Achievment in Career/Technical Education: Conditions for Awarding Academic Credit for Career/Technical Courses" which details the merits and challenges involved in awarding academic credit to caree/technical courses that embrace rigorous college and career-readiness standards equivalent to those found in traditional academic courses.

As SREB states in their summary:

Putting in place the right set of policies for awarding academic credit for CT courses is one way to recognize CT programs with signature features that truly advance students’ technical, academic and cognitive skills development. It is our hope that this report will assist states in their continuing efforts to develop rigorous optional pathways designed around authentic learning experiences that will result in more students graduating from high school and graduating both college and career-ready.

I hope you will take the time to read this publication and share your thoughts.

Today’s Employees Require Continuous Development

Did you know that the skills you acquire during college have an expected life of only five years?

Did you know that it isn’t only white-collar workers that face a major issue with skills obsolescence?

Technology and certification requirements have affected all of our jobs and it’s an ongoing challenge for employers and employees to remain relevant in the world economy.

All employees must constantly enhance their skills if they are to stay relevant and marketable in today’s workforce. Many employers provide professional development, but 28% of the most promising positions will require “considerable to extensive preparation.” To be honest, most employers will not offer training at this level so I believe “the future belongs to those who take charge of their own learning.”

Career and technical education is a key component in the training and re-training of America's workforce that, all too often, doesn't get the credit that it deserves. CareerTech provides nationally recognized competency-based curriculum, education, and training for a myriad of specialized and customized courses and training opportunities.

Just like I was asked last week, "Isn't CareerTech just for high school students?".... No, it's for high school students, adults of any age, law offenders, and business and industry.

I'm also frequently asked, "Isn't CareerTech just the traditional trade areas?".... No, we instruct students in not only trade and industrial programs, but business, marketing and information technology, health, family and consumer science, agriculture, and science, technology, engineering and math. To be honest, this list is only the major headings for the hundreds of programs that we offer from pre-engineering, culinary arts, 3D modeling and animation, drafting, aviation mechanics, etc. This doesn't even begin to encompass the various customized trainings that we do for business and industry.

CareerTech is a dynamic educational entity that has evolved over time, but they remain consistent in how they utilize business and industy's needs to drive their educational programs. These ties to industry are how CareerTech can best meet the needs of both employers and employees as the seek the training needed to be relevant in today's economy.

I believe career and technical education will continue to grow in significance and become a major force in the revitalization of America's workforce. It's truly a great way to make yourself or your company relevant in an ever-changing world economy.

New from CIMC: Personal Financial Literacy

Many states (including Oklahoma) are mandating financial literacy as a graduation requirement. This curriculum includes all 14 areas of instruction outlined in Oklahoma's Passport to Financial Literacy. It was developed with guidance from the Jump$tart Coalition for Financial Literacy, and is endorsed by the Oklahoma Council on Economic Education.

Personal Financial Literacy will assist teachers in providing students with the basic skills and knowledge needed to effectively manage their personal finances. The objectives and learning activities are based on real-world situations, and will help build a foundation for making informed and successful personal financial decisions.

The Student Guide and Teacher Edition are printed in full color. A Teacher Resource CD is also available, which includes printable versions of all student consumables, PowerPoints®, written tests in Word® and rich text formats (for use with ExamView®), vocabulary puzzles, and more.

CIMC is offering unit 5, "Saving and Investing," as a free sample for you to download. Saving and Investing sample

The CareerTech Testing Center has also developed skills standards and a test that address these requirements.

Follow the links to view the skills standards and to preview curriculum samples. Then contact our customer service department at 800.654.4502 or visit our online catalog to order your curriculum and tests today!

Why Do 50 Percent of New Teachers Leave the Profession After Five Years?

Teacher job satisfaction has declined by 15 percent since 2009 and 50 percent of new teachers leave the profession after five years... What are the reasons? Budget cuts (the economy)? Education reform? Salaries? Job security? Teacher evaluation (and/or state-mandated testing)? All of the above? Additional reasons???

An eSchool News article entitled, "Survey: Teacher morale at its lowest in decades" takes a closer look and reports findings from an annual MetLife survey, "MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Teachers, Parents and the Economy" that suggests the effect on budget cuts on U.S. public education and points to the need for a new approach on teacher development and support.

Bob Wise, former governor of West Virginia and president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, states, "The nation depends on its teachers more than ever to help all students graduate with the high-level skills necessary to succeed in college and a career, but teacher job satisfaction has fallen to the lowest level in more than 20 years. If you believe as I do that the best economic stimulus is a diploma, then the best job creator is a well-prepared, well-equipped, highly effective teacher. Job satisfaction is linked with adequate opportunities for professional development, time to collaborate with other teachers, more preparation and supports to engage parents effectively, job security, and feelings of respect as a professional.”

To find out more about the "Survey: Teacher morale at its lowest in decades" click HERE.
To read the eSchool News article in its entirety click HERE.

Is it Time for #CTEchat?

Is it time for a #CTEchat on Twitter?

Would educators, administrators, and other stakeholders in career and technical education find value in a weekly #CTEchat on CTE issues? 

If you aren't familiar with what I am suggesting, Twitter chats are a great way to stay connected with people with similar interests. These are people that you follow or are followed by on Twitter and they become the foundation of your personal learning network (PLN).

There are numerous education chats that you can join to find out about new methods for teaching, tech resources, and even jobs for teachers. Most chats are held on a weekly basis and they provide an opportunity to converse and shared with like-minded educators. I frequently follow the #edchat discussion as well as #lrnchat. Another great issue with Twitter chats is that you can always go back and review the transcript of a chat if you miss the regularly scheduled time (Twitter keeps the discussion there just like an archive)

Check out the following collection created on the Online Colleges Blog to find a list of Twitter chats that are great for all kinds of educators (just not any for CTE education):

20 Terrific Twitter Chats for Every Kind of Educator

I also hope that you will follow us on Twitter: @CareerTechTest

Understanding the “Depth” of Testing

What do you think are good synonyms for the word “test?” Evil, horrible, despicable…should I add more? I get those comments and more from a wide variety of people and groups. I sometimes feel hated as I can almost feel the knives in my back, but to be honest with all of you, testing really is a good thing!

For testing to be considered a good thing, we have to consider much more than just the test score. Just as in the picture on the right, the “Test Score” is only the tip of the iceberg, underpinned by “Program Improvement,” “Instructor Improvement,” and at its greatest depth, “Individual Student Improvement.” Without the “Individual Student Improvement,” evaluation of the “Test Score” is not totally meaningful or useful.

The “Test Score,” or the tip of the iceberg, is actually comprised of many factors such as:

• Reliability and validity of the test itself
• Intellectual functioning
• Genetics programming
• Maturational status
• Environmental influences
• Personality, social, and gender influences
• Education and training
• Life and work experiences
• Testing environment
• Examiner characteristics

The score is also important to many different stakeholders and therefore, there are many reasons for why we test (educational, psychological, legislative, etc.) At the present time, most educational discussions seem to focus solely on accountability and there are justifiable reasons for that. As long as money is involved, there will always be that argument, but that isn't what I consider testing in its “purest” theoretical form (more about the “purest” form later).

Just under the waterline on the iceberg is “State Improvement” or program improvement. Test scores, when aggregated and analyzed across a state or geographical area, can lead to overall program improvement. In order to use scores in a valid way to make decisions about students or programs, we must also remember that we must clearly define and measure the psychological/educational constructs or traits that a test purports to measure. Once this is accomplished, there are several things that we can analyze at this level such as whether the curriculum matches up with the specified state standards and the high level of thinking in those standards? If not, should a different curriculum be used or should the existing curriculum be revised? Should professional development be implemented across the state to ensure that the standards are being adequately addressed?

The next thing we should consider is “Instructor Improvement.” Has the instructor addressed all of the standards during instruction or has the curriculum been fully utilized? Does the instructor utilize effective teaching methods? As long as the tests are aligned with the standards then the instructor can aggregate and analyze their own student’s scores and improve their own instructional performance. This level could also encompass the local school site and the administrator could make recommendations for improvement across grade-level or academic area.

We now find ourselves at the greatest depth of the iceberg…“Individual Student Improvement.” This is what I consider the “purest” reason for assessing students. First and foremost a test involves an "individual" and it is simply a point in time reference of a student's ability on a set of predetermined standards/objectives. The “individual” is where we, at times, tend to lose our focus, but we should be mindful that preparing a student for education, the workplace, and for life is our goal and the reason for instruction and assessment.

I think there are two primary views that most people consider when testing and I would hope that we consider both of these views and others when evaluating individual results:

One view …is to determine whether or not the students have mastered the objectives.

Another View …is to identify individual relative strengths and weaknesses and to help the student by building upon relative strengths and by remediating relative weaknesses.

In other words, how do we help an individual student become as prepared for their future as they can be? Testing can be a difficult thing for a student as the results will demonstrate the concepts that they could not recall, did not understand or did not know. Test anxiety can also be a factor that affects performance, but we should communicate that most students will have an area of relative weakness and that a test not only points out what they don't know, but what they DO KNOW. After all, even your best students may demonstrate an area of relative weakness. For example, if a student scored 94/100 on an exam, but every question missed was in a specific area, then we should never just hand the results back and say, "Great job!" We should say, "Great Job!' and use positive reinforcement as we address their area of relative weakness. Assessment, in an educational setting, is a form of important feedback and it should discriminate, not against individuals, but across variables as we seek to maximize their learning.

To briefly summarize, a student will find success on any educational test when their ability and effort are effectively combined with instruction and resources. This is really a fluid equation as one portion of this concept may be weighted more heavily than another and this may effectively offset a weakness in any portion of the equation. The key is to analyze the results from a number of different perspectives and to always ask, "WHY?" We should always analyze the results and use the information to modify our instruction according to a student's needs. We should never receive an individual student's test score and just file it away.

My main point is that many internal and external factors (home environment, socio-economic status, genetics, cognitive ability, testing environment, specific learning disabilities, etc.) contribute to a test score and we should always do our best to analyze the results for each individual student.

Our goal is to try and understand "ALL" of the factors that comprise an individual score and to maximize each and every student’s learning experience.

Transform CTE From an Educational Backwater Into an Engine of Our Economic Recovery

A recent National Review article by Andrew P. Kelly, “Beyond Home Ec: Vocational Programs Are A Good Investment”, presents a strong case for career and technology education (CTE).

The author cites several issues concerning CTE such as the “skills gap” issue, a mismatch of skills in college graduates and high school students moving into postsecondary programs, and the education policies that perpetuate this problem. The author also mentions how students at the secondary and postsecondary level desire for learning to be tied to the world of work.

The article also goes on to cite the underfunding of CTE despite the obvious need and evidence in support of it, the lifelong economic benefits of graduating with a CTE-focused degree or certificate from secondary and postsecondary institutions, and the efficiency of the public dollar when it is applied to CTE programs.

Here is a short excerpt from the article:

For post-secondary students, evidence is mounting that the payoff for occupational-certificate programs of at least one year can be quite large--often outweighing the benefits of an associate or bachelor's degree. Nationally, the Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce estimates that 43 percent of workers with occupational certificates and licenses out-earned associate-degree holders, and 27 percent had higher earnings than bachelor's-degree recipients.

Evidence from Florida reveals a similar pattern: Graduates with a post-secondary certificate from a Florida community college earned $2,500 more per year than bachelor's-degree recipients from the state's four-year colleges. Certificates in health care, nursing, and information technology tend to post the strongest returns, and almost 45 percent of the certificates awarded in 2007-08 were in health care and related fields.

I hope you will take the time to read the article in its entirety as "with some initiative and imagination, policymakers and leaders in the private sector can transform CTE from an educational backwater into an engine of our economic recovery."

Do You Use or Misuse Social Media to Reach Your Students?

Does your school or state agency use social media to reach your students, potential students or other interested parties?

I no longer think a website, no matter how slick and shiny, can make that "connection" with students or potential students. I think students are looking for a social connection and not from just the adults. They want to hear what their peers are saying about a school and/or a program. Does it scare you to provide an uncensored look at what you do? I admit, the thought can scare me as well, but I think it is best to deal with the truth and try and control the discussion.

It has been said for years that athletes on a college football team are the best recruiters for future players. Why doesn't that same line of thought hold true for your school or your business? To be honest, your students or co-workers are your best salesmen. If you provide a great program and a great environment with a chance for future success, why wouldn't you want the word to spread about what you have created?

According to a recent study by the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 100% of universities surveyed use social media to communicate with students, up from 61% in 2007-08. The study found that 98% of the responding colleges have a Facebook page and 84% have a Twitter account.

What about your school? Are you where your customers (students) are at? Are you willing to have an open, online discussion with your students? Are you willing to let your students join your marketing efforts? To be totally honest, social media is well past the "fad phase" and its use will only continue to grow. I think students will take pride in promoting their school and in their program of study. It will also help them develop a feeling of ownership in their school as well. 

Please read the thought-provoking CNN article by Umika Pidaparthy entitled, "How colleges use, misuse social media to reach students" for more information about using social media in your school.

Also see StudentAdvisor.com's "Top 100 Social Media Colleges," which classifies the universities on how well they use social media. It also provides great social media examples from many of the universities.

Intelligence in Teenagers Can Increase or Decrease Over Time

I always thought that intelligence was fixed, but apparently there is hope for teenagers (mine included).

Cognitive abilities can increase or decrease during the teenage years and it's important to keep children mentally active and off the couch. I've often "preached" how some people give up on certain kids, but these findings demonstrate how important it is that we challenge every student. Will this affect how you teach?



In the article, As Brain Changes, So Can IQ, published in the Wall Street Journal by Robert Lee Hotz, the author states, "the new findings by researchers at University College London, reported online in Nature, suggest that IQ, often used to predict school performance and job prospects, may be more malleable than previously believed—and more susceptible to outside influences, such as tutoring or neglect." As the article states:

A teenager's IQ can rise or fall as many as 20 points in just a few years, a brain-scanning team found in a study published Wednesday that suggests a young person's intelligence measure isn't as fixed as once thought.

The researchers also found that shifts in IQ scores corresponded to small physical changes in brain areas related to intellectual skills, though they weren't able to show a clear cause and effect.

"If the finding is true, it could signal environmental factors that are changing the brain and intelligence over a relatively short period," said psychologist Robert Plomin at Kings College in London, who studies the genetics of intelligence and wasn't involved in the research. "That is quite astounding.".....

...."An important aspect of the results is that cognitive abilities can increase or decrease," said Oklahoma State University psychometrician Robert Sternberg, a past president of the American Psychological Association who wasn't part of the study. "Those who are mentally active will likely benefit. The couch potatoes among us who do not exercise themselves intellectually will pay a price."

Another great resource on this subject is: Larry Ferlazzo's: The Best Articles On The New Study Showing That Intelligence Is Not “Fixed”

I hope you will take the time to research this subject further:
Nature: Verbal and non-verbal intelligence changes in the teenage brain
The Atlantic: Study of the Day: IQ Rises and Falls During Teenage Years
The BBC: IQ in teenagers 'can change more than thought'
Education Week: Study: Adolescents Can See Dramatic IQ Changes
Science: IQ Is Not Fixed in the Teenage Brain
Science: What Does IQ Really Measure?
The Los Angeles Times: IQ changes in teens as brain changes, study finds
The Wall Street Journal: As Brain Changes, So Can IQ

New Advertising and Design Curriculum is Now Available

We are happy to announce that MAVCC's Advertising and Design curriculum is available for purchase!!

Advertising and Design is available as a Teacher Edition and as a Student Edition. The Teacher Edition includes a Teacher CD and one Student Edition. The Student Edition consists of a Student CD and a spiral-bound Student Guide.

The Teacher CD contains customizable Word files for the learning activities sheets, written tests, and unit reviews, as well as PowerPoint presentations for each unit. Test banks are also available for each written test and unit review. These RTF files can be used in testing software, such as ExamView.

The Student Edition consists of a spiral-bound Student Guide that contains the unit objectives, information sheets and student supplements, and a Student CD that contains interactive assignment sheets and job sheets. The Student CD also contains various student resource files, as well as two optional units and a printing supplement. Please note that you will receive a discount, if you order six or more Student Editions.

These competency-based materials are structured so that instructors and students have a clear understanding of what will be covered and how students will be evaluated as they move through each unit of instruction. The contents of Advertising and Design are tied to measurable and observable learning outcomes that align with PrintED’s Advertising and Design competencies.

To download a sample unit from this book, the Instructional/Task Analysis, PrintED Crosswalk, and Basic Skills Matrix, visit http://www.mavcc.com/resources.htm.

For more information about this publication or to place an order, visit the MAVCC online catalog, or contact their customer service department at 1.800.654.3988, or e-mail Cheryl Dorris at cdorr@okcareertech.org.

The Power of Learning and Forgetting Curves

Dr. Will Thalheimer provides an in-depth look at his work on learning and forgetting curves in the following video that you can access from his Will at Work Learning blog.

I think Dr. Thalheimer's work is extremely relevant in the field of career and technology education as we design and employ learning interventions. We need to analyze not only how we train our students, but what is the result of the training on performance? Did we engage the learner and build understanding during training? After training, did we provide additional learning, prompting mechanisms, reminding mechanisms, and applications for learning? Did we remember that measurement is also an important aspect in the evaluation of learning?

Please watch the following video to understand the power of learning and forgetting curves:



I hope you also took time to consider Dr. Thalheimer's "7 Step Training Maximizer Model" that is at the end of the video. This action item will help ensure that learning curves occur during and after training and the effects of the forgetting curve should be minimized.

Up to the Challenge: The Role of Career and Technical Education and 21st Century Skills in College and Career Readiness

I recently had the opportunity to meet Tim Magner, Executive Director for The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. We discussed how the United States faces a “skills imperative” and how college and career readiness should be the new direction for K–12 education.

He later shared the following publication from The Partnership for 21st Century Skills and I have listed a few of the highlights from the publication. I hope you will take the time to read the document in it's entirety as it demonstrates the importance of CTE in developing a student's college and career readiness skills. Please read:

 

Up to the Challenge: The Role of Career and Technical Education and 21st Century Skills in College and Career Readiness (follow the link to read the entire publication)

Highlights
Three developments make it possible to anticipate better student outcomes that are more tightly aligned to postsecondary, business and civic needs in the future:

1. Consensus that the foundational academic knowledge needed for postsecondary education and for careers is virtually the same, with growing recognition that academic skills, and employability and technical knowledge and skills, are essential as well.
2. Widespread agreement that lifelong learning and “learning how to learn” are key drivers of success in college, careers and civic life
3. Collaborative efforts in states, districts and communities to strengthen their collective capacity to deliver results that matter

Shared understandings

• All students need to be college- and career-ready.
• College and career readiness requires both knowledge and skills. It’s time to abandon the false dichotomy between knowledge and skills.
• How students learn has a decided impact on what they learn

 Action agenda:

• Emphasize opportunities to master 21st century skills.
• Prioritize strategies to engage students in learning and meet the needs of students with different learning styles.
• Prepare students for STEM occupations and other high-growth, high-wage careers.
• Give students opportunities to earn valuable credentials.
• Foster productive relationships between students and teachers, employers and higher education.
• Support transitions to postsecondary education.
• Employ best practices for college and career readiness.

Again, I hope you will read: Up to the Challenge: The Role of Career and Technical Education and 21st Century Skills in College and Career Readiness!

The Sigmoid Curve and "Messing With Success"

“If we did not exist, would we reinvent ourselves and, if so, what would we look like?”

I created the following post in 2010 but I wanted to revisit the idea of Charles Handy's Sigmoid Curve after attending several meetings during the last two weeks. When discussing educational technology, the predominant feeling consisted of helplessness and a hope for many administrators to retire so we could fully embrace educational technology.

I disagree with this line of thinking because I actually have hope for the near future and for administrators (most administrators anyway). Technology is becoming more invasive in our everyday lives and as students, teachers, parents, and administrators become more familiar with technology, their fears and negative thoughts toward technology will change (laws and regulations are another story).

I tend to think of things in more of a historical perspective and we need to retain our senior level executives as they are the foundations of our businesses, agencies, and schools. They are the reasons for our success and their experience is knowledge and this knowledge is a resource that should be utilized. The only thing that needs to occur is a change in philosophy.

What this means in practice is that we must constantly engage in second-curve thinking (Sigmoid Curve). We need to stay skeptical, curious and inventive, challenging the assumptions underlying our current curve and developing alternatives. We need to ask questions!

Please read more about the Sigmoid Curve and how we should "Mess with Success" below:

The Sigmoid Curve, Personal Learning, and the "Business" of Education

I have been thinking the last couple of weeks about my own personal learning habits, the CareerTech Testing Center, and on the "business" of education.

The last few days I began to think of Charles Handy and his Sigmoid Curve. This S-shaped curve can be used to describe the life-cycle of products, organizations, and even relationships. As the curve symbolizes the fact that nearly all of life’s endeavours start slowly, dip and falter through an experimental stage before rising to a pinnacle of success, after which there is inevitable decline.

To avoid such decline, decisions have to be made about further improvement at the point where success is still growing and before the entity/individual starts to experience this plateau. For many, this is a difficult thing to do. After all, if you have just survived the difficult and trying times, who wants to begin new sacrifices and give additional effort? Shouldn't there be plenty of time to relax and bask in your success?

I think good leaders and good learners know that this is the time to think about the next phase of change; resting on laurels will invariably lead to decline.

On its own, the S-shaped curve is a kind of depressing, and not particularly helpful. Is my life and/or my organization on the downward curve? What's left? Just thinking of putting your head in the sand and waiting for the inevitable end?

Actually, the power of the Sigmoid Curve comes when you begin to add a second curve to the original curve (see below). Charles Handy suggests that constant growth and development is achievable if we start a new initiative before the first one begins to decline (point X).

Paradoxically, this means making changes when the first curve is nearing its peak and the venture is flourishing. This is when an organization has the time, resources and the energy needed to see a new curve through initial explorations and floundering. Although there will inevitably be more motivation to change at “Y” when the first curve is in decline, at that point it takes enormous effort to move to where one ought to be on the second curve.

How do you make the second curve happen?

Knowing when to start a new curve is one thing and getting it started at the right time is quite another thing. Whether the second curve is a new product, a way of operating, a strategy or a culture, it will require fresh ideas and inspiration; and always be different to the first.

Handy believes that in an organization, the people who lead the second curve will also have to be different. Not only do original leaders need to keep the first curve going while the second takes off, they will also find it difficult to abandon their first curve while it is doing so well: there is a strong temptation to recapture past glories. What this means is that for a time there will probably be tension, confusion, chaos, backstabbing, anarchy (the area between X and Y) while new ideas and new people coexist with the old until the handover between first and second curves is complete. I recommend that everyone be as open as possible and just communicate. Develop feelings of mutual trust.

As Handy puts it, the paradox of success is that what got you where you are won’t keep you where you are.

When do we begin the second curve?

The key question becomes, “where are we on the first curve, and when do we need to start the second?” Handy suggests we will only know this for sure when we look back and, without hindsight, it is best to proceed by guess and assumption.

What this means in practice is that we must constantly engage in second-curve thinking. We need to stay skeptical, curious and inventive, challenging the assumptions underlying our current curve and developing alternatives. We need to ask questions like, “if we did not exist, would we reinvent ourselves and, if so, what would we look like?”. It is this kind of thinking that gives birth to second curves.

I think this is a different way of thinking for many of us and in reality, we should celebrate different points of view and different personalities. Our culture should be one that creates an attitude of messing with success.

In summary, the message of the Sigmoid Curve is that we need the foresight to start making changes even when it is not yet obvious that change is necessary, and the courage to switch from one curve to the next when the time has come.

In these trying economic times, the management philosopher thinks he can survive -- even prosper -- in the tough new downsized world as long as he understands the forces that are shaping it.

Now I ask that you will examine your personal Sigmoid Curve for learning and also where your organization (school/Agency/business) is on the curve?

Most importantly, remember to:

• Courageously ask the tough questions.
• Cultivate an attitude of messing with success.
• Creatively experiment with new combinations of old ideas.
• Celebrate different points of views and personalities.
• Encourage and celebrate new ideas.
• Remember that contraries are your friends and not your enemies.



iTeach-CareerTech...A Wiki for Collecting and Sharing "Resources and Best Practices" for K-12 Career and Technology Education

 

I wanted to announce the creation of a new wiki. iTeach-CareerTech, for Career and Technology Education!

We are currently adding new content daily so check out the following pages for some great resources and join the wiki! We hope you will add your resources as well and be an active member!!!

• Academic Integration
• Agricultural Education
• Automotive and Diesel Technology
• Business and Marketing Education
• Career and Technology Education
• Career Information and Exploration
• Construction and Building Trades
• Cosmetology
• Culinary Arts
• Family and Consumer Sciences Education
• Graphic Communications
• Green Living
• Health Careers Education
• Information Technology Education
• Life Skills
• Manufacturing
• Private Security and Law Enforcement
• Skills Standards
• Study Skills
• Teaching and Advising
• Tech for Teachers
• Technology Education
• Test Development, Administration, Interpretation, and Remediation
• Testing in the News
• Using Wikis
• Web 2.0

The Nation's Best Kept Secret...Career and Technology Education

Despite its enormous impact on the nation’s labor market, its direct tie to economic stability and recovery, and its proven success addressing the nation’s high school dropout issue, career technical education (CTE) remains the nation’s best-kept educational secret.

The Association for Career Technical Education (ACTE) has taken action to share that secret by asking friends of CTE to join ACTE as they launch a promotional campaign to promote CTE. ACTE applied for a grant to the Pepsi Refresh Project, which is giving monetary awards to deserving individuals and organizations who want to make a positive impact on their local communities. In this project, voting determines which ideas get funded. If ACTE wins, the proceeds will go directly to an image campaign aimed at benefiting all those in the CTE community. Everyone can vote daily throughout the entire month of October by visiting http://www.refresheverything.com/cteimage AND Texting 103403 to Pepsi (73774). For more information about the Pepsi Refresh project, visit http://www.refreshcte.com/.

CTE friends, we encourage you to get behind this effort and show your support. We urge you to vote twice daily by text and online. Pass this message on to your colleagues and friends!

Please vote on a daily basis and turn this situation from the best kept secret to:

AMERICA'S BEST KNOWN FACT!!!

Department of Treasury Proposes Financial Education Core Competencies

I was reading the CTE Policy Watch Blog last night and I noticed their post from a few days ago concerning U.S. Department of the Treasury's notice in the Federal Register inviting the public to comment on a proposed set of financial education core competencies.

The CTE Policy Watch Blog post states:

According to the Financial Literacy and Education Commission, the financial education field lacks a standard curriculum. Specifically, there is no agreement on the appropriate basic content for financial literacy and education. In response, the Commission developed a set of core competencies, which would help establish a better understanding of what individuals should know and the basic concepts program providers should cover. The Department identified five core concept areas:

• Earning
• Spending
• Saving
• Borrowing
• Protecting against risk

Specific core competencies for each concept area can be found in the table in the Federal Register.

Ultimately, the Department’s goal is to format these core competencies in such a way that is easily remembered, such as the ``food pyramid,'' and they could have an impact on financial literacy instruction in schools and CTE programs. Therefore, it is important to comment by September 12 if you have any input on the Department’s proposed set of financial education core competencies. Comments are requested specifically on whether the list of Core Competencies is complete and whether there are portions that should be deleted, revised, or expanded. Written comments can be sent via e-mail to FLECstrategy@do.treas.gov or by mail to the Department of the Treasury, Office of Financial Education and Financial Access, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20220.

Please visit the Association for Career and Technical Education's (ACTE) website for more great information on career and technology education.


Here are a couple of additional Financial Literacy resources:

Passport to Financial Literacy Act

Financial Literacy Update: New Credit Card Rules Starting in February 2010

2010 Exhibit Schedule

We hope you will take the opportunity to visit us at one of the following locations during 2010.

As always, our goal is to provide the highest quality testing and curriculum resources that will enable individuals and organizations to reach their goals!

Oklahoma FFA - April 27-28 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Skills USA - June 21-24 - Kansas City, Missouri

FCCLA - July 4-8 - Chicago, Illinois

SREB - July 14-16 - Louisville, Kentucky

Oklahoma CareerTech Summer Conference - August 2-3 - Tulsa, Oklahoma

National FFA - October 19-22 - Indianapolis, Indiana

National Health Consortium - October 19-22 - Minneapolis, Minnesota

National Career Pathways - October 20-23 - Dallas, Texas

ACTE - December 2-4 - Las Vegas, Nevada

If you can't make it to one of the above locations, you can ALWAYS contact us at:

CareerTech Testing
1500 West Seventh
Stillwater, OK 74074-4364
1.405.743.5412
http://www.careertechtesting.com/

CIMC
1500 West Seventh
Stillwater, OK 74074-4364
1.405.743.5195
www.okcareertech.org/cimc

MAVCC
1500 West Seventh
Stillwater, OK 74074-4364
1.800.654.3988
http://www.mavcc.org/

ACTE and the CareerTech Testing Center

You can now find the CareerTech Testing Center at ACTE!

The Association for Career and Technical Education has now included our blog on their website (click on the "Blogs" tab) and on their blog, the CTE Policy Watch Blog.
I also wanted to remind everyone to check out the January 2009 issue of Techniques magazine. Given what we do here at the blog, I thought Catherine Imperatore's article, "What You Need to Know about Web 2.0" was especially interesting.

Thank you ACTE and please check out ACTE's Online Communities! J.T.