July 16 Update - Conference Postponed
Dear ALACTE Members and All Others:
Due to the unexpected rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the State of Alabama, I have directed we postpone our ALACTE Summer Conference until a later date. Despite the hard work of our Executive Director, Ms. Ann Gilmore, and the members of the Alabama State Department of Education to ensure a safe conference, I have concluded that the risk of exposure to the 1500+ registered participants is simply too high to continue. Furthermore, I accept full responsibility for this decision. As many of you know, at the height of the Corona virus this spring, every leading expert was convinced that with the onset of warmer weather, the number of cases were expected to rapidly decline as it was believed that the virus could not survive the heat. I was certain that with a decline in the spread of the disease, holding an in-person conference would be a great way to start the new school year after such a difficult end to last year. It appears now that the Corona virus is much more resilient than anyone anticipated as we see the number of cases explode in Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. I realize that many of you will be unhappy that I did not make this decision earlier...perhaps that is a fair criticism.
Regardless, postponing now, even at this late hour, to protect the health of our members is the right thing to do. It is my intention that we will have a conference later this fall, even if virtually. Again, please know that my desire to hold our summer conference in Birmingham was with the best of intentions. I apologize for any inconvenience this brings to our members.
I pray that you have a safe opening of school as we begin our journey into these unchartered waters. It is more important than ever that we adapt to our new reality and teach our Career Tech courses to the best of our ability. We must ensure our students are ready for tomorrow's workforce. A positive attitude is contagious. I ask you to look at our challenges as new opportunities to ensure we remain relevant throughout School Year 2020-2021! Stay safe and good luck!
Additionally, I would like to include in my communication comments from Jimmy Hull, Ed.D, Assistant Superintendent for Career and Technical Education and Workforce Development, Alabama State Department of Education... "After much discussion and deliberation, we have arrived at the decision to postpone the ALACTE Summer Conference. We feel that the health and safety of the staffs and families of the ALSDE and ALACTE, all organization members, and, most importantly, the students we will be working with very soon is the most important priority. The trends across the state related to COVID-19 have made it impossible for us to push forward with an in-person conference and risk anyone's health and safety. Please understand that this is not a cancellation. It is a postponement and our plan is to put together a first class virtual conference at a date to be determined as we monitor the developments with the virus. There will be some presentations that the CTE Department at the ALSDE will be working to put out virtually on topics/subjects that must go out before the start of school. We will provide details regarding that next week. I would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we deal with this unprecedented situation. I also apologize for any inconvenience that we may have caused but the health and safety of everyone is what matters most. “
Conference registration fees will be credited and applied to the virtual conference for each person who pre-registered for the Conference. We will provide information about the new conference dates as soon as details are are completed This will take time so please remain patient and know we are working to provide a conference that is safe and optimal for all. Announcements will be posted online at www.alacte.org and via ALACTE Conference Update electronic communication. This will take a little bit of time for us to pivot to a virtual conference, so please remain patient and know we are working to provide a conference that is safe and optimal for all. Conference registration fees are non-fundable, but will be transferred in the name of the person currently registered. An opportunity, for those not currently registered, to register for the virtual conference will be announced shortly.
Sincerely,
Robert F. Barrow
ALACTE President
Due to the unexpected rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the State of Alabama, I have directed we postpone our ALACTE Summer Conference until a later date. Despite the hard work of our Executive Director, Ms. Ann Gilmore, and the members of the Alabama State Department of Education to ensure a safe conference, I have concluded that the risk of exposure to the 1500+ registered participants is simply too high to continue. Furthermore, I accept full responsibility for this decision. As many of you know, at the height of the Corona virus this spring, every leading expert was convinced that with the onset of warmer weather, the number of cases were expected to rapidly decline as it was believed that the virus could not survive the heat. I was certain that with a decline in the spread of the disease, holding an in-person conference would be a great way to start the new school year after such a difficult end to last year. It appears now that the Corona virus is much more resilient than anyone anticipated as we see the number of cases explode in Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. I realize that many of you will be unhappy that I did not make this decision earlier...perhaps that is a fair criticism.
Regardless, postponing now, even at this late hour, to protect the health of our members is the right thing to do. It is my intention that we will have a conference later this fall, even if virtually. Again, please know that my desire to hold our summer conference in Birmingham was with the best of intentions. I apologize for any inconvenience this brings to our members.
I pray that you have a safe opening of school as we begin our journey into these unchartered waters. It is more important than ever that we adapt to our new reality and teach our Career Tech courses to the best of our ability. We must ensure our students are ready for tomorrow's workforce. A positive attitude is contagious. I ask you to look at our challenges as new opportunities to ensure we remain relevant throughout School Year 2020-2021! Stay safe and good luck!
Additionally, I would like to include in my communication comments from Jimmy Hull, Ed.D, Assistant Superintendent for Career and Technical Education and Workforce Development, Alabama State Department of Education... "After much discussion and deliberation, we have arrived at the decision to postpone the ALACTE Summer Conference. We feel that the health and safety of the staffs and families of the ALSDE and ALACTE, all organization members, and, most importantly, the students we will be working with very soon is the most important priority. The trends across the state related to COVID-19 have made it impossible for us to push forward with an in-person conference and risk anyone's health and safety. Please understand that this is not a cancellation. It is a postponement and our plan is to put together a first class virtual conference at a date to be determined as we monitor the developments with the virus. There will be some presentations that the CTE Department at the ALSDE will be working to put out virtually on topics/subjects that must go out before the start of school. We will provide details regarding that next week. I would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we deal with this unprecedented situation. I also apologize for any inconvenience that we may have caused but the health and safety of everyone is what matters most. “
Conference registration fees will be credited and applied to the virtual conference for each person who pre-registered for the Conference. We will provide information about the new conference dates as soon as details are are completed This will take time so please remain patient and know we are working to provide a conference that is safe and optimal for all. Announcements will be posted online at www.alacte.org and via ALACTE Conference Update electronic communication. This will take a little bit of time for us to pivot to a virtual conference, so please remain patient and know we are working to provide a conference that is safe and optimal for all. Conference registration fees are non-fundable, but will be transferred in the name of the person currently registered. An opportunity, for those not currently registered, to register for the virtual conference will be announced shortly.
Sincerely,
Robert F. Barrow
ALACTE President
Teaching CTE Courses Online
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is offering a selection of free online courses to prepare CTE teachers to teach online. Go to Online Teachers on CTE Learn and click on Delivering Online Instruction. You’ll see the following online courses that you can access for free.
- EL102 Online Teaching Techniques
- EL103 Teaching Online: A Student-Centered Approach
- EL104 Teaching and Organizing a Virtual Learning Environment
- EL105 Online Language: Communicating with Students
- EL108 Preparing Students to Become Good Online Learners
- EL112 Workload Management Strategies for Teaching Online
Register/login on the CTE Learn site and enter the master key “MK-ACTE” to enroll in any of the above courses. This complimentary key is valid through May 1st. Contact support@ctelearn.org if you have any questions. CTE Learn courses are self-paced and each course takes approximately 4 hours to complete. Designed and developed specifically for the CTE community, CTE Learn courses focus on practical strategies and techniques that participants can apply right away.
- EL102 Online Teaching Techniques
- EL103 Teaching Online: A Student-Centered Approach
- EL104 Teaching and Organizing a Virtual Learning Environment
- EL105 Online Language: Communicating with Students
- EL108 Preparing Students to Become Good Online Learners
- EL112 Workload Management Strategies for Teaching Online
Register/login on the CTE Learn site and enter the master key “MK-ACTE” to enroll in any of the above courses. This complimentary key is valid through May 1st. Contact support@ctelearn.org if you have any questions. CTE Learn courses are self-paced and each course takes approximately 4 hours to complete. Designed and developed specifically for the CTE community, CTE Learn courses focus on practical strategies and techniques that participants can apply right away.
Career Technical Education in Action
Counselor Intern from East Alabama Medical Center present to Health Science students on Erin’s Law Picture 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Alabama Student Named Best in U.S. for Microsoft PowerPoint
Ivey provides update on Alabama’s workforce development efforts
SKILLED TO WORK: ALABAMA Legislation aims to significantly expand the apprenticeship program
JROTC and CTE - A conversation with Lt. Colonel Robert F. Barrow
MCPSS gets $1 million grant from National Science Foundation for JROTC STEM Leadership Academy
Students transforming shipping crate into classroom
ECS Workforce Development Council Website
Alabama Student Named Best in U.S. for Microsoft PowerPoint
Ivey provides update on Alabama’s workforce development efforts
SKILLED TO WORK: ALABAMA Legislation aims to significantly expand the apprenticeship program
JROTC and CTE - A conversation with Lt. Colonel Robert F. Barrow
MCPSS gets $1 million grant from National Science Foundation for JROTC STEM Leadership Academy
Students transforming shipping crate into classroom
ECS Workforce Development Council Website