FALL 2007 CITE NEWSLETTER

The Center Enhances the Workforce by:

• Providing professional development resources and workshops on Problem-based Case Learning (PBCL) method
• Implementing models and strategies for secondary school academies and small learning communities
• Developing collaborative partnerships with fellow ATE centers and other practitioners of education reform
• Promoting educational opportunities and career development for lifelong learners
• Providing alternative formal and workplace learning environments for learners

The Center Serves the Education Community
Twenty-first century workplaces demand citizens with adaptive learning capabilities as well as breadth of technical knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) areas. In collaboration with educational institutions and business partners, CITE creates learning environments for faculty to design, develop, and implement innovative approaches.

CITE builds partnerships to provide professional development, instructional resources, and community for faculty to implement innovative teaching and learning strategies; create authentic, performancebased assessments that measure student learning; and incorporate skill standards from business and industry to maintain relevance of content. A partnership with the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET) and the University of Washington’s Learning in Informal and Formal Environments (LIFE) Center will provide online resources through a next-generation knowledge-management system.

CITE fosters educational reform by convening conferences and developing a repository of researchbased practices that effectively prepare STEM students for 21st century work and life.

Synergy Grows from Regional Workshop to a National Movement
Growing out of conversations following a regional workshop in 2003, Synergy 2004 was organized by CITE as a collaborative effort with four ATE centers and two large ATE projects. It provided the opportunity for 233 participants, organized into 28 teams from 70 institutions and 16 states, to explore the context, content, methods, and strategies of technological education reform. Synergy 2006 built on this reputation of innovation in format and content. It provided both returning and new participants the opportunity to learn, share, and experience new tools and approaches to education reform.

IT Academies Provide for Academic and Career Success
CITE has been instrumental in establishing model information technology (IT) academies at three high schools. Each of the academies serves a distinct demographic and economic community. In each case, the resulting academy has been the catalyst for reform within the local school. These changes have led to broader changes throughout the respective school districts and transformed the role of business in supporting education.

CITE Is Known for Its Work in Problem-based Case Learning Methods
Professional development in Problem-based Case Learning (PBCL) methods is a hallmark of CITE. Hundreds of educators from across the nation have learned how to design and implement problembased case studies through immersion workshops, online coaching, and on-site support. Students learn technical content in real-time business situations using the PBCL approach. Faculty experience growth as facilitators in both practice fi eld (classroom) and real fi eld (workplace) learning environments. Students develop adaptive expertise in distributed learning environments; they use electronic devices, face-to-face collaboration, and asynchronous learning via learning management platforms.