20, 15, even 10 years ago - when you thought about Career and Technical Education (CTE), you would picture a wood shop or auto mechanics class at a high school. But things have changed, and CTE isn't your dad's trade training anymore. Career & Technical Education Programs built for the 21st Century look drastically different - with schools building skill-development for many real-world jobs such as engineering, graphic design, teaching, business management, and so much more. The goal is achieving what schools have always worked towards - preparing students for college or careers - but this broader spectrum is geared towards a new kind of learner.

CTE programs are built for students to learn their coursework by applying their knowledge to real-world scenarios, prepping them for future education or careers. The Career Academy (TCA) in Lincoln, Nebraska is an exemplary model for this. A collaborative effort between Southeast Community College and the Lincoln Public School District, high school juniors and seniors are invited to attend the academy for two hours each day during the regular school year, participating in high school and dual-credit courses through 16 different career pathways, while taking the rest of their classes at their “home” high school. Upon graduation, students are better-prepared to enter the workforce, work towards a certificate in their chosen field, or continue on to college – taking their career course credits with them. Thanks to an anonymous gift from a generous donor, Southeast Community College purchased the VariQuest suite of tools for TCA and through various activities, they’ve been able to fill the walls of classrooms and support various career pathways; preparing students for whatever endeavor their future holds….

Despite being 18 years into the new millennium, we hear a lot about "21st Century Learning Environments" these days, as schools are struggling to adapt to meet the needs of a new kind of learner - one who is constantly immersed in technology, and thus needs engaging, hands-on activities to feel connected to the real-life, real-world. With this in mind, we've created a 6-step checklist to help you assess building new, or enhancing your current CTE program, based on tactics our customers have implemented, as proof these techniques really work. For example...

STEM education has traditionally focused on teaching subjects individually, with math and science as completely separate courses. But new standards suggest a more integrated framework, where students learn to make connections across all subject areas, and connect these disciplines to the world around them...and 3D Printing is a perfect way to do just that. Teaching STEM education with 3D Printing automatically combines technology and engineering, in addition to the objectives of each lesson, which might be English, social studies, or even art-based, providing a hands-on project to bring concepts to life. For example, here's a lesson (from the eBook) that could involve at least 5 disciplines...

STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics curriculum is meant to be an immersive solution to teach students learning those four disciplines in a way that is meaningful for real world application. As a Kinesthetic Learning approach is based in our need to move, touch, and feel to understand, the two concepts are an obvious pairing. Research has found that a student’s learning process, not their level of intelligence, is the most important indicator in determining learning abilities. With this approach, movement and action replace more passive forms of learning, fostering curiosity and creativity, and allowing students to confidently and actively absorb concepts while connecting them to real life. And with STEM careers increasingly shaping our future, integrating STEM-focused curriculum and activities with kinesthetic learning into your classroom will excite and encourage students to further explore their interests in STEM fields, and provide them with a bright future ahead.

Tuesday, November 7th at 9:00am CT The focus of student achievement has extended beyond reading and math scores and shifted to a “learning by doing, making, building, and discovering” approach. Despite the fact that this resurgence in experiential learning is supported by recent brain-based research about cognition, problem-solving, and innovation, females are still under-represented in STEM-based programs and careers. Join us on Tuesday, November 7th for a free professional development webinar at 9am CT, and learn about this often-discussed hot topic.

The floors are polished, the desks are clean, the pencils are sharpened, and the “Welcome Back” bulletin board is up. Teachers across the country have spent the last few weeks cleaning, organizing, decorating, and planning for their new classes. A new school year is underway! As educators, we have a huge responsibility to our students, along with the parents who have entrusted their children to us. Whether you’re a rookie or a veteran, there will be days that it feels like you’re trying to push a peanut up a mountain. And there will be days that you feel every effort goes unnoticed. And then, there will be days that you see a child’s eyes light up with excitement when they finally “get it!” Those are the days that you’ll know exactly why you chose to become a teacher.

It's back-to-school time, you're crazy busy, and your brain is being stretched in a million different directions. We want to help! In partnership with The Curriculum Corner, VariQuest® presents a cross-curricular free lesson plan unit for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students titled, "Explore Your World."

Color is believed to be the most important visual experience to human beings. More specifically, significant research has been conducted in recent years exploring the function of color as a powerful channel to cognition and memory. Marketers have known for years how effective color can be with brand recognition and attitudes consumers form about products and companies. For example, a 2004 marketing study found that color increases brand recognition and influences purchasing decisions by up to 80%.

Until recently, we believed that intelligence and creativity were fixed traits. We now know differently. The capacity to learn, solve problems and be creative is hardwired into our brains – we either tap into it and nurture it, or we don’t. Join us for an informative professional development webinar series hosted by Dr. Melissa Hughes, author of "Happy Hour With Einstein", and STEM Fuse, creators of STEM:IT, where we will explore these concepts and how to infuse this knowledge into your classroom curriculum to nurture more active, engaged students.