2024 CTE Works! Summit

The world of work is changing, and traditional career pathways are too. What does this mean for students and career exploration? This interactive workshop will provide hands-on experience in using new technologies and human centered design hand-in-hand to lead to deeper, more actionable insights in Career and Technical Education program design and implementation to help move collective strategies forward.

The world of work is changing, and traditional career pathways along with it. Where can we use technology differently to organize ideas, identify partners, and move collective strategies forward in Career and Technical Education? In this interactive workshop, participants will have the opportunity to explore strengths and challenges that consortia are experiencing around topics of their choosing (such as AI and emerging technology, CTE educator recruitment and credentialing, student performance gaps, and more) and create a “mini action plan” to move forward. RealTime Talent will facilitate the group through use of a live polling platform, generative AI tools geared toward career exploration, and the process of Focused Conversation to provide participants with deeper insights about the future of CTE and a set of practical tools to take back to their own consortium teams.

You'll leave this session knowing how to:

• Explore common strengths and challenges faced by Minnesota CTE Consortia 
• Identify promising practicesfor improvement of CTE planning, including strategy session development and Talent Pipeline Management 
• Experiment with live polling software, generative AI career navigation tools, and an interactive facilitatedapproach to collaborative action planning

Empowering educators to integrate AI in CTE requires overcoming skepticism, building capacity, and developing comprehensive plans. This session will guide participants in creating AI implementation plans rooted in purpose, community, and teacher agency, aiming to foster ethical AI leaders and innovative learning environments.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize the landscape of education, offering unprecedented opportunities for enhancing teaching and learning experiences. However, the successful integration of AI into Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs requires more than just the introduction of new technologies. It necessitates a deliberate and strategic approach to foster teacher buy-in, build a supportive community, and develop comprehensive implementation plans. This session aims to equip educators, administrators, and stakeholders with the tools and strategies needed to embrace AI in their institutions, ultimately preparing students for a future where AI is ubiquitous.

Session Goals:

• Identify the Purpose: Anchor AI integration in student-centered values, ensuring that AI technologies serve the educational and developmental needs of learners.
• Invite the People: Build capacity towards educational innovation by engaging teachers, administrators, and the broader community in the AI integration process.
• Develop the Path: Chart a path for broader AI implementation that is centered around student and teacher voice and agency.

AI integration in CTE has the potential to transform education, but it requires a concerted effort to build teacher buy-in, foster community support, and develop thoughtful implementation plans. By focusing on purpose, people, and path, this session will empower participants to lead their institutions in becoming ethical AI leaders, creating innovative and inclusive learning environments for all students.

After this session:

• Understand AI's Educational Impact: Participants will be able to articulate the potential benefits and challenges of AI integration in CTE, ensuring alignment with student-centered educational goals.
• Build Capacity and Community: Participants will develop strategies to engage and empower teachers and stakeholders, fostering a collaborative community for AI initiatives.
• Develop Implementation Plans: Participants will create actionable AI integration plans, incorporating best practices for ethical use and continuous improvement.

Demand for workers in the skilled trades is growing, and these careers offer stability and good pay, which make them desirable for many students. This session will review stories and examples from dozens of CTE classrooms that are using these tools. You’ll walk away with actionable ways that you can use these emerging technologies to empower your school to start or strengthen their construction trades program while creating flexible, safe, and customizable learning experiences for your students.

The skilled trades, such as HVAC, electrical, solar, and more, offer stable careers and good pay, which make them desirable for many students. Learn how incorporating AI, VR, and 3D simulations into your classroom can expand access to these in-demand, well-paying jobs.

Hear how instructors are already using these tools and how you can as well. For example, some teachers are using these technologies to more easily differentiate their curriculum. Others are taking advantage of 3D simulations to increase safety by allowing students to practice on equipment in a virtual environment first.

Additionally, you will learn about research showing the effectiveness of VR and 3D simulations for students, such as a 2022 study by PwC that showed learners using VR are 3.75 times more emotionally connected to the material and 275% more confident in applying skills after training.

What you'll get from this session:

• You’ll walk away with a better understanding of how you can use these tools to start or strengthen your CTE trades program.
• Discover the possibilities of AI and how it can be used as a 1:1 teaching assistant to promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Learn how tools like online 3D simulations make it easier for instructors to build a more flexible learning environment that caters to a diverse range of learners.
• Understand how AI and simulation-based learning can be leveraged to create impactful skilled trades CTE programs with limited space and resources.

Step into the shadows of the digital revolution and uncover the enigma that's silently reshaping the economic landscape. Is artificial intelligence the key to unlocking unprecedented prosperity, or merely smoke and mirrors in the world of ones and zeros?

In this thought-provoking talk, we'll peel back the curtain on AI's true impact:

• The Invisible Hand: From revolutionizing healthcare to optimizing agriculture and enhancing tech innovation, AI is the new technology on the block. But is it a helping hand or a hidden puppeteer?
• The Oracle's Prophecy: Decode the cryptic future of Minnesota's job market. Will AI be your ally or your replacement?
• The Alchemist's Secret: Learn the arcane art of thriving in an AI-enhanced world. Remember, it's not about outrunning the machine, but outsmarting it.

Prepare to question everything you thought you knew about the future of work. We’ll walk through what it means for workers with high and low exposure to AI in their jobs. AI might not take your job, but the person who masters its mysteries just might.