Technology: a bridge between academics and CTE.

DeWitt, Stephen

TWO YEARS AGO, I ATTENDED AN ESPECIALLY MEMORABLE briefing on Capitol Hill sponsored by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center and the National Writing Project. The event featured the good work of three teachers who were leveraging the use of technology in their classrooms to improve students' writing and communication skills. The use of video streaming, podcasts, wikis and other technology in the academic setting engaged students in their own learning and transformed their attitudes about reading and writing.

As I listened to the teachers presenting, it was obvious that their instructional focus was much different than that of a traditional reading or writing class. Student work was often project-based, the digital world was an integral part of the curriculum and real-world issues were being used as subject matter. These academic classrooms had a lot in common with career and technical education (CTE).

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The event demonstrated what the theme of this month's Techniques is about. Embracing the use of technology as a teaching tool is also a topic that many policymakers and national education-focused organizations believe is needed in today's schools in order to keep students in school, improve the graduation rate and prepare students for today's and tomorrow's careers.

Policymakers are interested in helping more schools implement this type of effective practice in the academic setting. A 2009 hearing in the House Education and Labor Committee titled "The Future of Learning: How Technology is Transforming Public Schools" broached the subject, and hearings addressing the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act often include questions from Members of Congress focused on the same issue.

This focus is beginning to be reflected in policy. The Common Core State Standards require students in grades 6-12 to use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others. The mission statement also states that the standards "are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers."

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) believes this focus on the use of technology and real-world application is a good thing and that CTE is situated to play a pivotal role in helping transform education for the 21st century. The focus will, hopefully, help to break down some of the walls that exist between CTE and academics.

ACTE is working to promote these connections. Not long after the Hill briefing, ACTE joined five other national education associations to form the Connected Learning Coalition. This organization, which includes five national teacher-focused associations--the Consortium for School Networking, National Council for the Social Studies, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and National Science Teachers Association--is working together to identify how to make teaching in the 21st century look more like the teaching of the three teachers highlighted at the Capitol Hill briefing.

All the Connected Learning Coalition members realize educators will need to work more collaboratively and that policies will need to support that work in order to be successful. We are working together to help support 21st-century learning that includes integration of technology as one key element. Read more about the Connected Learning Coalition at www.connectedlearningcoalition.org.

You can read more about ACTE's policy activities and the latest happenings in Washington, DC, on ACTE's CTE Policy Watch blog. Check it out today at www.acteonline.org/ctepolicywatchblog.aspx.

Stephen DeWitt is senior director of public policy at ACTE. He can be contacted at sdewitt@acteonline.org.