CTE Resources

Overview

Career and Technical Education Resources

STEM and career and technical education teachers need to be able to offer hands-on learning experiences in a virtual format. Below is a list of resources compiled by various organizations, including the Technical College System of Georgia, the Association for Career and Technical Education, SREB staff and educator participants in SREB’s CTE in a Virtual Setting workshops and webinars.  This list includes virtual labs, simulations and interactive learning objects that allow STEM and CTE students to engage with and explore the world of science and technology in an online setting.

General

  • Merlot virtual labs (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, Engineering, Math)
  • PHET simulations  (Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Math, Biology) from the University of Colorado Boulder
  • EdPuzzle* integrates with learning management systems and can be used to host teacher videos as well as external videos for instruction
  • CTE teachers who participated in SREB’s CTE workshops recommend Screencastify as a tool for capturing teacher videos
  • Commonlit offers a large library of free non-fiction and disciplinary texts as well as lessons and assessment tools
  • Newsela takes authentic content from the world’s most trusted providers and turns it into learning materials that are classroom-ready
  • KnowItAll.org from the South Carolina ETV Commission offers curricular materials and videos for grades K-13+ in all areas, including CTE. KnowItAll’s Let’s Go series offers 3D VR tours and field trips.
  • DitchThatTextbook offers free e-resources, tools and templates for teachers
  • GetEpic offers a digital library of books and reading resources for educators
  • Wisc-Online is a repository of high-quality free educational learning materials, organized by Career Cluster, that were created by subject matter experts from the Wisconsin Technical College System and Fox Valley Technical College.
  • Google’s Applied Digital Skills curriculum

Introduction to Biology

Chemistry of Life

Chemistry

  • The Virtual Lab is an online simulation of a chemistry lab. It is designed to help students link chemical computations with authentic lab chemistry. Students select from hundreds of standard reagents and manipulate them as in a real lab.
  • Phet chemistry from the University of Colorado Boulder:
  • Virtual chemistry from the University of Oxford
  • Virtual Chemistry Experiments is a collection of interactive web-based chemistry tutorials from Davidson College. The current generation of tutorials (currently in development) are based upon HTML5 and run on most modern web browsers.

Computer Science

  • Cisco Networking Academy
    • CCNA R&S Curriculum
    • CCNA Security
    • Cybersecurity Essentials
    • Introduction to IoT
    • Introduction to Packet Tracer
    • IoT Fundamentals
    • IT Essentials
    • Mobility Fundamentals
    • Networking Essentials
  • DevNet Sandbox makes Cisco’s free spread of technology available to developers and engineers by providing packaged labs we call Sandboxes. There are two types of sandboxes, Always-On and Reservation. Each sandbox typically highlights one Cisco product. Sandboxes can be used for development, testing APIs, learning how to configure a product, training, hack-a-thons, etc.

Environmental Science and Natural Resources

Geology

Human Anatomy

Oceanography

Physics

Electronics, Mechatronics, Robotics and Manufacturing

Welding

  • Video from Dunwoody College of Technology

Agriculture

Business and Marketing

Engineering and Technology and STEM

Family and Consumer Sciences and Culinary/Hospitality Education

 

Health Sciences 

Heavy Equipment, Trade, Industrial and Manufacturing

  • Contact local, regional or national heavy equipment companies and inquire about training materials. Many are working closely with educators to provide support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • How It’s Made has a playlist of heavy machinery and construction videos
  • National Geographic’s Megafactories brings manufacturing giants to life
  • Construction trades online lesson plan from the National Association of Home Builders.  See the directions below for joining the sharing site on Google.
    • 1. Go to classroom.google.com and click “Sign In.” Sign in with your Google Account. 2. At the top of the page, click “Add” (or +), then “Join class.” 3. Enter the class code — 7zqbfqb — and click “Join.”
    • To add lesson plans, go to the “Classwork” tab, click “+Create,” select “Material,” and begin to upload your lesson plan and description.
  • Construction design 3-D modeling software from SketchUp

Cross-Disciplinary Resources, Safety and Career Exploration

Note: Some of the resources below are free and others have offered free access through a certain date.

* SREB does not endorse specific service or technology providers or products.

Blog post Linda Floyd, SREB program directorDebra Cullen, educational consultant

CTE Centers: Answering the Call for Care Amid COVID-19

Fred Rogers said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.’” In this unprecedented time of crisis, many are rising to be helpers. All across the United States, healthcare workers are leaving their families and risking their lives to take care of all who are suffering with the coronavirus. Schools and career and technology centers are also coming together to donate much-needed resources and use their equipment to make face masks for those on the front line. 

Blog post Scott WarrenSREB division director
scott warren headshot

Virtual Labs for STEM and CTE Teachers and Students

We know that this is a challenging time for teachers across the country. Many of you have been plunged into the world of virtual learning without a lot of time to prepare. Following sudden school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve had to move quickly to shift your carefully planned lessons online so your students can continue learning at home.  And those of you who are STEM and career and technical education teachers in particular face unique challenges as you work to adapt hands-on learning experiences to a virtual format.