Our Education Blog

CTeLearning is proud to introduce the AI for the Workplace Course and Certificate . The landscape of work is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and many individuals are struggling to keep up. AI is fundamentally transforming how we work. In the early days of computer science, proficiency in coding was essential to accomplish tasks. As technology advanced, applications emerged that allowed users to perform complex calculations without needing to write code, exemplified by tools like VisiCalc (the first commercially available spreadsheet). Today, we are witnessing a similar shift. Just a year or two ago, interacting with AI often required technical knowledge to program the system. Now, AI tools enable users to communicate in natural language, making them more accessible. However, to maximize the effectiveness of these tools, individuals must excel in communication. Understanding how to craft effective prompts and engage in “prompt engineering” is crucial for guiding AI to deliver desired outcomes. Ultimately, the quality of your communication will determine your success with these technologies. Created in partnership with Web Professionals Global , the industry association for all things web, this course and certification prepares students for the future. Certificate Overview This course and certificate program does not focus on coding the next AI system. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of communication skills to achieve optimal results. For example, an entrepreneur may use AI to conduct a SWOT analysis of their business. In agribusiness, professionals might employ AI to analyze new regulations. An automotive technician could use AI to generate a resume and cover letter tailored to their ideal job. Marketers might leverage AI to brainstorm and organize strategies for new clients. Teachers can utilize AI to develop grading rubrics for project-based learning activities. Landscape designers may consult AI for plant selections in challenging environments. Construction contractors might rely on AI to create promotional materials as they pursue new certifications. Web designers can use AI to refine messaging for specific target audiences, while animators and game designers can enhance their creative processes with AI-generated script concepts and character backstory. Success in the workplace has always required a combination of skills. Those with strong technical abilities are consistently in demand, but individuals who possess both technical and soft skills often ascend to leadership positions. The integration of AI into professional settings represents a new blend of these competencies, akin to coding but utilizing natural language to instruct AI on its tasks. As the demand for effective communication with AI tools continues to rise, the AI for the Workplace Course and Certificate stands at the forefront of this transformation. This credential is designed to empower professionals across various industries and job levels to harness the full potential of AI. It is grounded in the latest research and offers tailored learning paths. Participants will not only gain theoretical knowledge but also practical skills in effective AI interaction. Upon completion, graduates will be well-equipped to leverage their new skills and certification in their chosen career paths. Our course includes a tool called PromptScout, which gives your students access to a database of 5,360 editable prompts across 63 different industries. They can find, edit, and use these prompts in their favorite AI tool to generate any solution they need, offering students a firsthand look at how AI can support them in any career pathway. This is a micro-credential course that can be completed in just over five hours of class time, making it an ideal enhancement to any career course or program of study. No prior experience with AI is needed for either the facilitator or the student. The self-directed learning is auto-graded and requires little to no prep time, and facilitator training is provided free of charge. AI should primarily be viewed as a tool. For most of us, the future lies in leveraging AI to enhance productivity, foster creativity, and drive innovation across all aspects of our careers. While there is a notable push to train AI programmers to develop the next generation of AI systems, 99% of the broader workplace / work world/ jobs needs individuals who can seamlessly integrate AI tools into their workflows, utilizing these powerful capabilities to accelerate their work. As employers seek to hire top talent, they are increasingly looking for individuals who can work quickly, efficiently, and accurately. Just as you would not trust a mechanic with your Tesla if their only tool was a sledgehammer, or allow a heart surgeon to operate on a loved one with only a saw, it is essential to equip yourself with the right skills and tools to thrive in today’s evolving workplace. The AI for the Workplace Certificate prepares learners to succeed in the modern world of AI, no matter what industry they are in. Learn More Reach out to us today to find out more about our brand new AI for the Workplace Course and Certificate by clicking here or calling us at 913-764-4272.

Here at CTeLearning we are always seeking new ways to help teachers ensure their students succeed, both in the classroom and the real world. It is also the way we show that we are not trying to replace them with software and AI tools. Today, we are excited to introduce a new AI tool called EMILIA that will help students improve their communication skills. Over the next few weeks, EMILIA will be rolled out in all of our courses including our most popular ones– Web Design , Web and Mobile Video Game Design , and Web and Computer Animation . Background As many of our teachers know, we have been integrating Virtual Internship/Work-Based Experiences into our courses for over 20 years. We have continued to hone these products and expand them. We have fun creating immersive experiences that reinforce the technical skills the students are learning and give them the chance to apply the soft skills they will need in their future careers. However, we always had a single frustration: no matter how hard we tried, we were never able to give the students (interns) the chance to have an authentic exchange with their “client.” That all changed recently, as we deployed EMILIA , an AI tool that allows your students to have a chat and ask questions of their client. Through the power of AI, students will be able to interact with their client by asking questions and receiving answers to better understand the client and project–just like the way it works in the real world. EMILIA Overview EMILIA is being rolled out in the Virtual Internship feature of our courses. The Virtual Internship, also referred to as the Practicum, allows students to get an idea of what it is like to work in the professional world by simulating the experience of working with a client as, for example, a new web designer. For example, students in the Web Design course are tasked with creating a website for a client. In order to build the best possible website for the client, students need to understand client needs, desires, interests and more. The tool allows students to ask questions and receive responses from the client through email, enabling an ongoing dialogue that helps the student better understand the client and improve the website they have been tasked with creating. Not only does EMILIA allow students to interact with the client in real time, but it also provides them with immediate feedback on their communication skills. When students email their client, they will receive a score out of 10 that assesses their written communication as well as offers pointers for improvement. Criteria for the grade include spelling, grammar, punctuation, overall professionalism and more. Teachers also receive reports for each student based on their communications. EMILIA is integrated into the project-based learning (PBL), which means that the students can engage with their simulated clients as part of the natural flow of the project and in context with their work–just like how it works in the real-world. By incorporating EMILIA we are giving the students enhanced opportunities to learn what it is like to “meet” a client, understand their goals and pain points, and create a better product for them. This equips students with the soft skills that are so essential in today’s economy and prepares them for their futures–whether they enter the workforce directly after high school or pursue higher education. Our teachers who have seen EMILIA in action expressed enthusiasm for how it can help improve the learning experience for students and free up time for teachers. We have to be more clever to engage today’s learner. Integrating EMILIA gives us the opportunity to offer an open, genuine conversation with the client that is curated and helps to keep students and their projects pointed in the right direction. Through the process, students build a portfolio and a personal story of real world success they can share with teachers, parents, friends and future employers. We are incorporating more AI tools in the classroom to enhance teaching and learning experiences. Every teacher faces challenges in providing students with real work-based learning opportunities. At the same time, live internships are harder to secure, and teachers are dealing with larger class sizes and increased preparation demands. Our goal is to ensure that our project-based learning curricula make things easier for teachers. One great advantage our teachers love is the Virtual Internship approach, which provides career readiness education through simulated work-based experiences. This allows every student, regardless of local industry support, the opportunity to have an internship, test drive a career pathway and experience the thrill of their future. Your School Could Be Next Interested in learning more about how we are harnessing the power of AI to improve STEM education with tools like EMILIA ? Click here or call us at 913-764-4272 to schedule a free 20-minute demo of any of our courses and certifications.

One of our recent blog articles discussed our work with NOCTI, the nation's largest provider of industry-based credentials and partner industry certifications for CTE programs. Today we are highlighting how we are helping one of our teachers, Ian Kilpatrick, prepare his students for the NOCTI Web Design exams as he uses our Web Design curriculum . Ian teaches at the High School of Fashion Industries in Manhattan, New York City. For more about Ian and his students, check out this article we wrote last year . Aligning to NOCTI To make sure we were aligned to NOCTI, we updated our existing curriculum to meet the Standards and Competencies that make up the foundation for the written NOCTI exam. We then added new content modules to fill in certain areas, which ensures we are covering the necessary topics and content so that teachers using our curriculum can be confident they are preparing their students for written exam success. Next, we updated our performance assessment in which students have the opportunity to use a practicum that prepares them for each stage of the NOCTI assessment. This gives students the chance to practice the web design and development process to better prepare for the performance assessment. Hear what Ian has to say about working with CTeLearning: “The web design curriculum provided by CTeLearning was instrumental in preparing my students for the NOCTI Web Design exam. The team was incredibly responsive and quick to adjust the curriculum to better align with our specific needs, ensuring that the content directly supported the exam requirements.The comprehensive approach to teaching foundational concepts, combined with hands-on projects, has deepened students' understanding of web design principles while building their confidence in applying these skills in real-world scenarios. Thanks to the clear, structured lessons and the emphasis on both creativity and technical proficiency, my students felt well-equipped and knowledgeable as they approached the NOCTI exam. This curriculum has truly laid a solid groundwork for their future careers in web design. I couldn't recommend it more highly!” So what’s next for Ian? This year his school is taking advantage of several new courses as part of their senior capstone program. In this new capstone course, the students will earn two new certificates, Bootstrap 5 and Hybrid and Remote Working Professional (HRWP). Students build websites for live clients who may be fellow entrepreneurs in the fashion and business senior programs, for local startups or for mom and pop stores in their Brooklyn neighborhood. Regardless of who each student gets as their client, they will be practicing the technical and soft skills they learned from going through our Web Design course and preparing for their NOCTI written and performance exams. Throughout the Bootstrap 5 course, students gain skills in developing mobile-friendly sites and applications. The HRWP certificate has sections on interviewing and freelancing to help students prepare for jobs that may not be 100% in-office. All of this helps students build their professional portfolios and add valuable certifications to their resumes for future educational and professional endeavors. Learn More Interested in learning more? Stay tuned for future articles about our work with NOCTI. And click here or call us at 913-764-4272 to schedule a free 20-minute demo of any of our courses and certifications.

We are proud to announce that CTeLearning has officially joined the NOCTI Alignment Network. Our first alignment is to NOCTI’s Web Design Certification. Our Web Design Curriculum has been developed to support both the written and performance components of NOCTI’s Web Design assessment. This alignment is part of our ongoing commitment to developing courseware to support learners to prepare for and earn industry-based certifications (IBC) as part of building strong career and technical education (CTE) programs of study. NOCTI Overview NOCTI is the nation's largest provider of industry-based credentials and partner industry certifications for CTE programs across the nation. Since 1966, NOCTI has been producing assessments to help institutions verify essential skills for the future workforce. NOCTI provides curricular and instructional improvement tools for secondary and postsecondary institutions. In addition to over 100 industry-based credentials, NOCTI also works with customers to create customized solutions. Services include job and task analysis, assessment construction, assessment delivery, credentialing, score reporting, score interpretation, and digital badging. Nocti Business Solutions, a subsidiary of NOCTI, addresses the needs of business/industry by offering customized solutions to enhance workplace productivity. How Did CTeLearning Get Involved With NOCTI? First, we updated our existing curriculum to meet the Standards and Competencies that make up the foundation for the written NOCTI exam. We then added new content modules to fill in certain areas. This ensures we are covering the necessary topics and content so that teachers using our curriculum can be confident they are preparing their students for written exam success. Next, we updated our performance assessment in which students have the opportunity to use a practicum that prepares them for each of the stages of the NOCTI assessment. This gives students the chance to practice the web design and development process to better prepare for the performance assessment. NOCTI Web Design We chose to tackle the Web Design Credential by NOCTI first as we are heavily invested in helping the SkillsUSA Web Design and Development National competition. We look forward to going through the alignment process for curricula we have that align with existing NOCTI credentials. How Do You Know if Your Curriculum is Aligned to NOCTI? As a teacher, how do you make sure that the curriculum you are using is aligned to the NOCTI Web Design written and performance assessments? One way is to review the Assessment Blueprint and another is to look for the following NOCTI Alignment Network Member logo. This logo signifies that the organization has completed an independent alignment of its product(s) to NOCTI’s publicly available standards and competencies per NOCTI’s alignment guidelines. Note: The use of this logo does not imply endorsement by NOCTI. In accordance with its ISO 17024 accreditation, NOCTI maintains a strict firewall between its assessments and any products labeled as preparation materials. Interested in Learning More? Stay tuned for future articles about our work with NOCTI. And click here or call us at 913-764-4272 to schedule a free 20-minute demo of any of our courses and certifications.

This is the third and final article in our series about supporting Texas Schools with TEKS standards (you can find part I here and part II here ). Today we are highlighting our Web and Mobile Game Design course and certification , which meets the 126.48 Web Game Development TEKS standard in collaboration with our certification partner, Web Professionals Global , the international association for those who work in the world of the web. Currently, the state where we have certified the most Web and Mobile Game Designers in our schools is Texas. So, needless to say, we are proud of our Texas teachers and students. Industry Trends Web and mobile game design is a growing industry that isn’t going away anytime soon. By 2025, revenue for mobile games will be more than $138 billion and over 70% of Google Play revenue will be from mobile games. The game design industry in Texas is substantial and continues to grow. Texas has the second largest concentration of game studios in the U.S. with over 100 studios in Austin alone that contribute approximately $1 billion annually to the local economy. Other major hubs include Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. Texas' vibrant game development scene is further fueled by the state’s role as a major center for mobile app development. In terms of employment, game designers in Texas earn an average annual salary of about $88,140, with job opportunities spanning from indie studios to larger developers. Course Overview Our curriculum exposes your students to this exciting career pathway and shows them the opportunities that exist in the industry. The project-based learning approach guides students to earning their first international industry-recognized certifications. They learn critical STEM skills, develop confidence, and build a college- and career-ready portfolio. Thanks to our industry partnership, students have the option of obtaining a third-party international industry-recognized certification in web game design. This certification is free to schools and students thanks to a unique sponsorship program. As students naturally progress through the course by completing lessons and projects, they also meet the certification’s industry requirements. At the end of the course, students have the option of registering and receiving their new industry-recognized credentials. This is an exciting introduction and a great first step for students to become future-ready for advanced education or a promising career path. The new Boaring Game in the course was inspired by the feral pigs in Texas. This game module is essentially a game development code a long, so that students can see the complete game design and development journey to bring a game to market. The game has quickly become a favorite in and out of Texas. For the 2024-2025 school year, we added several new features to the Web and Mobile Game Design course: Critical Thinking in the Workplace This module allows students to earn a resume-building certificate sponsored by a professional association. This lesson set was developed in collaboration with Web Professionals Global. As a development team, we hear from educators and employers about the struggles they face in the classroom and workplace. One of the most common issues is students and recent grads who struggle with critical thinking. Critical thinking impacts work ethic and decision-making in both the classroom and the workplace. It's essential for analyzing facts, situations, statements, and media reports. These lessons focus on teaching students how to think on their own and analyze what they see and hear. Thinking critically allows students to learn how the right mindset can de-escalate verbal conflicts and move the conversation to fact-based discussions rather than personal attacks. If we are to truly teach problem solving, we must first engage with critical thinking. The initial feedback we have heard from teachers is that we have hit the nail on the head of this common problem. Color Theory and Accessibility It is so easy to forget just how powerful color is in our lives, and how color can be used to help our clients with their messaging to their target audience. In this exciting module, students learn how far back color theory goes. They learn that even Sir Issac Newton had a hand in shaping what we now think of as modern color theory. As a global society, color theory becomes increasingly important as different cultures see and use specific colors to mean different things. As professional designers, how we use color can help our clients grow their businesses or do irreparable damage. This set of lessons helps students develop professional portfolios that are global-ready and demonstrate that they understand international-based design. Color theory is crucial to designs that meet and exceed accessibility standards, helping design clients reach broader markets and avoid costly legal issues. Typography with Accessibility Typography is a crucial design element that profoundly impacts user experience. Whether designing a personal blog, e-commerce site, or corporate portfolio, text appearance affects readability, brand perception, and overall aesthetics. This lesson module covers key typographic terminology, highlights the importance of typography in web design, and shows how different styles can transform your client’s website. Students learn to choose and pair fonts effectively, make text stand out without overwhelming readers, and apply typographic scales and line spacing for mobile devices. Good typography supports accessibility and aligns with WCAG standards, ensuring that content is accessible to all users. The skills gained are invaluable for creating engaging, accessible, and professional digital experiences across all design, marketing, and development fields. Take the Next Step Check out this article and this article for testimonials from schools in Plainview and Sadler on the impact our curriculum is making in the classroom. And click here or call us at 913-764-4272 to schedule a free 20-minute demo with a member of our development team. We would love to help your school join our community of Texas schools that are giving their students the opportunity to explore web and mobile game design and other in-demand STEM careers.

Recently we published an article outlining our work with Texas schools to meet specific Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards in the classroom. Today we are highlighting our Web and Computer Animation course and certification , which meets the 130.83 Animation TEKS standard. Let’s take a look. Course Overview Animation for the web is a simple and fun way to introduce the STEM career of animation. Business educators love the marketing emphasis integrated into real-world projects. “Tools of the Trade” media-rich tutorials focus on understanding animation concepts and creative principles as well as using the tools and technology professional animators use every day. Portfolio-building projects and optional international industry-recognized certification enhance students’ marketable skills, college preparation, career readiness, and hireability. Our approach has your students living the life of a new hire at an animation studio. Crafted within this interactive career-simulation, students meet their boss, co-workers, and clients. They get emails, text messages, and voicemails as they live and apply the design process to solve problems and create solutions for their customers. Through this uniquely designed career-themed course, students gain valuable experience with animation creation and design software in making animations for the web. This highly interactive and hands-on course guides students through the thrilling process of creating their own animated shorts. Tutorials, videos, and animations guide students through every stage of animation creation, and they also hear from industry professionals along the way. Students learn critical STEM skills, grow their talents, develop confidence, and build a college and career portfolio they can use to show off their new abilities in this always in-demand STEM field. For the 2024-2025 school year, we added several new features to the Web and Computer Animation course: Critical Thinking in the Workplace This module allows students to earn a resume-building certificate sponsored by a professional association. This lesson set was developed in collaboration with Web Professionals Global , our industry partner that develops and backs the industry certificates offered in CTeLearning courses. As a development team, we hear from educators and employers about the struggles they face in the classroom and workplace. One of the most common issues is students and recent grads who struggle with critical thinking. Critical thinking impacts work ethic and decision-making in both the classroom and the workplace. It's essential for analyzing facts, situations, statements, and media reports. These lessons focus on teaching students how to think on their own and analyze what they see and hear. Thinking critically allows students to learn how the right mindset can de-escalate verbal conflicts and move the conversation to fact-based discussions rather than personal attacks. If we are to truly teach problem solving, we must first engage with critical thinking. The initial feedback we have heard from teachers is that we have hit the nail on the head of this common problem. Color Theory and Accessibility It is so easy to forget just how powerful color is in our lives, and how color can be used to help our clients with their messaging to their target audience. In this exciting module, students learn how far back color theory goes. They learn that even Sir Issac Newton had a hand in shaping what we now think of as modern color theory. As a global society, color theory becomes increasingly important as different cultures see and use specific colors to mean different things. As professional designers, how we use color can help our clients grow their businesses or do irreparable damage. This set of lessons helps students develop professional portfolios that are global-ready and demonstrate that they understand international-based design. Color theory is crucial to designs that meet and exceed accessibility standards, helping design clients reach broader markets and avoid costly legal issues. Your School Could Be Next Check out this article on how we are working with a high school in Manor, TX to equip the next generation of animators. And click here or call us at 913-764-4272 to schedule a free 20-minute demo with a member of our development team. We would love to help your school join our community of Texas schools that are giving their students the opportunity to explore web and computer animation and other in-demand STEM careers.

We are fortunate to have so many Texas CTE programs working with us here at CTeLearning. We have a number of schools using our courses including Web Design , Web Animation , and Web and Mobile Video Game Design . Today we are taking a look at the Web Design course and certification and why our customers love how it aligns with Texas educational standards to put students on the path to success.  BTW - High employment regions for web designers include California, New York, Illinois, Texas , and Florida, offering employment rates 20-25% higher than the national average. The Web Design course (like the Web Animation and Web and Mobile Video Game Design courses) were spun out several years ago from our original Web Technologies course. We created these new courses to be able to meet specific Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards (TEKS 126.47 for the Web Design course) to show our support for our Texas educators and take advantage of the feedback they give us to better align to their state needs. For anyone not familiar with Texas, TEKS are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do in each subject and grade level. The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) has the authority to adopt the TEKS for each subject of curricula. We know not every company takes the time to align their curricula to the TEKS. We find the Texas standards very useful in our development and ongoing updates. Finding quality curricula can be difficult, and it is just one of the many reasons our administrators and teachers continue to work with us year after year. Our course is designed to support you in preparing your students for the NOCTI Web Design certification, including both the written and performance assessments. The Web Design - Job Ready certification is listed on the TEA 2022-2024 IBC List for Public School Accountability. The course meets the TEKS 126.47 standard through the industry-based certification (IBC) opportunity we offer to students. Through our partnership with Web Professional Global , the industry association for all careers related to the web, learners can earn their Web Design certification as they progress through the course and build real-world projects. Course Overview Our Web Design career curriculum is a media-rich and highly interactive hands-on course. We created over 200 tutorial videos to guide your students through coding and teach them how to use HTML5 and CSS3 to build websites from scratch. Over fifty individual expert videos coach students through the broader concepts of aesthetics, design, typography, accessibility, color theory, security, content development and managing a web design team. Throughout the course, we engage them with the technical skills they need to make high-performing sites. The course features interviews with working professionals to give real-world perspective to students about putting skills to use in an industry context. And our teachers know that we continue to offer our legendary customer support, as our developers are just a phone call away for any questions you may have. Students also earn two industry certificates as they progress through the curriculum, both of which are terrific resume builders and add depth to your student portfolio. The Ethics in the Workplace module and certificate teaches students core lessons to be ethical working professionals. And for the fall of 2024, we added the Critical Thinking in the Workplace module and certificate. This was in response to what we have heard from our teachers and industry advisors who shared that they were seeing students struggle with critical thinking, problem solving, and being able to argue their position without resorting to verbal fighting. Our lead developer, Steve Waddell, has helped support the Texas SkillsUSA program with their Web Design and Development competition for the past several years. This state competition, like competitions in other states around the country, offers awardees the opportunity to compete at the national SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference that is held in Atlanta, GA every June. Contact us Today Are you ready to introduce your Texas students to the growing world of web design? Our Web Design course is an exciting introduction to future educational and professional opportunities in the world of the web. Web design isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and now is the perfect time to show your students how fun it is to design websites like the ones they use everyday. Contact a member of our development team today by clicking here or calling us at 913-764-4272 for a free, no-pressure demo of any of our courses. If you are in a state other than Texas, ask us about how our courses align with other state standards. And stay tuned for future articles on our Web Animation course and Web and Mobile Game Design course. We are excited for another great year serving our teachers and students.

In August of every year we like to inform our readers about the course updates we have been working on for the upcoming school year. For the 2024-2025 school year, we have been hard at work on a number of updates for some of our most popular courses . This includes a major revamp of the first course we ever released, which has been in high demand in recent years. Let’s take a look. Web Design Typography with Accessibility Typography is a crucial design element that profoundly impacts user experience. Whether designing a personal blog, e-commerce site, or corporate portfolio, text appearance affects readability, brand perception, and overall aesthetics. This lesson module covers key typographic terminology, highlights the importance of typography in web design, and shows how different styles can transform your client’s website. Students learn to choose and pair fonts effectively, make text stand out without overwhelming readers, and apply typographic scales and line spacing for mobile devices. Good typography supports accessibility and aligns with WCAG standards, ensuring that content is accessible to all users. The skills gained will be invaluable for creating engaging, accessible, and professional digital experiences across all design, marketing, and development fields. Critical Thinking in the Workplace This module allows students to earn a resume-building certificate sponsored by a professional association. This lesson set was developed in collaboration with Web Professionals Global , our industry partner that develops and backs the industry certificates offered in CTeLearning courses. As a development team, we hear from educators and employers about the struggles they face in the classroom and workplace. One of the most common issues is students and recent grads who struggle with critical thinking. Critical thinking impacts work ethic and decision-making in both the classroom and the workplace. It's essential for analyzing facts, situations, statements, and media reports. These lessons focus on teaching students how to think on their own and analyze what they see and hear. Thinking critically allows students to learn how the right mindset can de-escalate verbal conflicts and move the conversation to fact-based discussions rather than personal attacks. If we are to truly teach problem solving, we must first engage with critical thinking. The initial feedback we have heard from teachers is that we have hit the nail on the head of this common problem. Color Theory and Accessibility It is so easy to forget just how powerful color is in our lives, and how color can be used to help our clients with their messaging to their target audience. In this exciting module, students will learn how far back color theory goes. They will learn that even Sir Issac Newton had a hand in shaping what we now think of as modern color theory. As a global society, color theory becomes increasingly important as different cultures see and use specific colors to mean different things. As professional designers, how we use color can help our clients grow their businesses or do irreparable damage. This set of lessons will help students develop professional portfolios that are global-ready and demonstrate that they understand international-based design. Color theory is crucial to designs that meet and exceed accessibility standards, helping design clients reach broader markets and avoid costly legal issues. Introduction to Browsers, Protocols and Security We had several teachers express a desire to better introduce their web design students to the process of how data is delivered to users. In this set of lessons, students learn about domains and how they are hosted. They will explore the fundamentals of browsers and web protocols such as HTTPS, TCP/IP, FTP, FTPS, and POP3. Additionally, students will understand how DNS allows people to locate their clients' domains from anywhere in the world. The lessons also cover important security concepts, including SSL, firewalls, virus protection, malware defense, and rootkit safeguards. Horticulture and Sustainable Landscape Design This fall, we will also reveal our revamped Horticulture and Sustainable Landscape Design course. Some of our customers will remember that the original version of this course was the first of our courses to hit the market followed by our AI and Mobile Robotics and our Coding and 3D Video game design curricula. The Horticulture and Sustainable Landscape Design course has been updated regularly over its 20 years of existence. However this year brings the biggest update ever with a complete revamp and many new lesson modules. As always, these updates are guided by our conversations with and feedback from our teachers. We have updated our sections on plants, soils science, nursery, design concepts, etc. It would be too much to list out all the updates, but here are some of the major new additions to the course: Intro to Urban Agriculture, Edible Landscapes, Medicinal Landscapes, Trees and Arboriculture, Design and Sketching, and Introduction to 3D CAD Best Practices. The release date for the Horticulture and Sustainable Landscape Design curriculum is Labor Day 2024. Web and Mobile Game Design The new color theory lessons are added to the curriculum and with it the opportunity for your students to earn the Critical Thinking in the Workplace certificate from Web Professionals Global. We had some students request a deeper dive into how to create a game from scratch, so we added the Boaring Game. This is a fun and engaging game that takes students through all the aspects of how a mobile game works. Students do a “code a long” and build the game as they learn what it takes to go from zero to an actual game. Hybrid and Remote Working Professional The rise of hybrid work–a flexible model that allows employees to work a schedule that involves days in the office as well as days at home–prompted us to update our Remote Working Professional course. Now known as the Hybrid and Remote Working Professional course, this curriculum built on lessons teaching learners how to be successful working at home and incorporated new lessons on how to succeed as a hybrid worker. The course prepares learners to be ready for the ever-changing world of work once they graduate and move into the professional world, giving them an edge over other job seekers who may not be as prepared for work arrangements outside of the traditional 9-5 in-office schedule. Curriculum-Wide Updates Enhanced Teacher Classroom Control Along with our course updates, we also updated how teachers control student curriculum flow, pacing, onboarding and overall class management. We also have updated our teacher classroom management tutorials. These changes are all thanks to feedback from our wonderful teachers, administrators and their students who help us continue to make things better. Updated Support This is really a shameless plug for our legendary teacher support. All our team members, some more shy than others, enjoy knowing that our work matters. One of the best ways to hear about the impact of our work is by getting to know our teachers who are using our curriculum in their classrooms. We regularly chat with our teachers to hear about how we can deliver an even greater impact in the classroom. We are proud that CTeLearning has always supported teachers directly, and any teacher at any time can reach a member of the development team directly through a phone call or email. Since we are the creators and curators of the curriculum content, who better to help a teacher? So, in summary, there are no updates to our style of support‒just reaffirming our commitment to be there to help. Closing Thoughts All of our courses have been updated for 2024-205, but these courses are the ones that received some extra attention this year. Why don’t all our courses get major updates each year? Well, that is an easy question to answer. Our existing customers know that we update our courses on a regular basis throughout the year. This comes as a benefit of having great relationships with our teachers. If we see something that needs to be fixed we fix it. If we see something we can add, such as a new lesson, new piece of content, new video, etc. that makes things better for the teacher and students, then we do it right then and there. We have a flat organization with no bureaucracy. So each year, by the time we go into our update season (April - Aug), most of the fixes needed are already done. Therefore, this update season really is about finishing off development we have been working on all year. Now you know a bit about our development philosophy and how we keep our development team connected directly to those we serve‒the teachers and by extension the students. We are always thrilled to work with new teachers and students to introduce them to our exciting STEM courseware. Are you interested in learning more and seeing a free demonstration of these courses or any of our other courses ? Connect with a member of our development team today by clicking here or calling us at 913-764-4272.

Our founder and lead developer, Steve Waddell, recently returned from the 2024 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference that took place in Atlanta, GA at the Georgia World Congress Center from June 24-28. Steve has been helping Web Professionals Global administer the Web Design and Development competition in various capacities since 2005 and in person since 2013. Steve was part of a team that included other web professionals who are passionate about helping students develop their skills and compete at the national competition. The team, led by CTeLearning curriculum partner Web Professionals Global, also helped a number of states administer their state Web Design and Development competitions in the months leading up to the national competition. Competition Overview For those not familiar with how the SkillsUSA National Web Design and Development competition operates, the guidelines were as follows: Teams of two completed a series of challenges focusing on creating a website for a client and a specific target audience. Judging focused on meeting the client's needs, usability and accessibility, and industry-standard best practices. Teams were evaluated on the process they used to meet the challenges and how well they worked as a team. Teams used the internet to access all competition materials (including the coding environment). This year's main project was to build a website for a new non-profit organization embarking on a project building small studio homes for the homeless and struggling veterans. The design teams not only had to create the website but also take the organization’s logo, images and story and bring them to life on the web to help generate support and get the message out to the greater community. The competitors had the opportunity to interview the client, asking questions about the project vision and target audience. The Web Professionals Global Organization SkillsUSA team provided the students with not only a competitive environment to test their technical skills but also real-world training from real-world professionals and networking opportunities. The competition was divided into the following days: Monday, June 24 Mark, Executive Director of Web Professionals Global, arrived late Sunday and worked with Courtesy Corps to get the tables set up and covered with paper for the competition. He also tested the wireless environment as best he could prior to the stress test of numerous teams on Wednesday. Tuesday, June 25 Competitors took an online exam to verify their knowledge concerning web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, for example). Each team had one hour to complete the exam. We held a mandatory training session where we reviewed the online coding environment and how to use it. The competition was discussed and the teams were read passages from the book of wisdom, a collection of past common mistakes teams make that serve as a cautionary tale of what not to do over the next two days. Additionally, we hosted a panel discussion with Dan and Tammy (both practicing web professionals) to help competitors better understand the current landscape and job opportunities. AI was discussed at length and competitors developed a better understanding of how this is presently being incorporated into work flows. Wednesday, June 26 The secondary (high school) competition was held on Wednesday. Competitors were presented with client assets (often oversized images or in the wrong format) along with a back story of the client. Teams were introduced to the client and had the opportunity to ask questions of the client as a group. Each team was asked to develop their own process and low fidelity wireframes to address the business problems brought by the client. Once the team had completed their wireframes, they were asked to place those aside and they were given more professionally developed low fidelity wireframes for multiple pages. This is what they were asked to implement as a solution in a website (with multiple pages). Each team was also interviewed and was asked separately (by other web professionals) to describe their process and explain how they developed the wireframes they made. Thursday, June 27 The post-secondary (college) competition was held on Thursday. Competitors were provided with similar materials and a similar approach to creating the websites. Teams were introduced to the client and had the opportunity to ask questions of the client as a group. It was interesting to see the slight differences in the questions asked by the post-secondary teams vs. the secondary on the previous day. After this competition ended, both secondary and post-secondary teams were invited to a debriefing session held in a different room. Competitors were asked to provide feedback regarding improvements they would like to see in future competitions. Judge comments were also reviewed in general to help competitors better understand what judges saw (and how they might improve on their processes as well as tips for better interviewing in the future). Scores were submitted by 9 p.m. Friday, June 28 The event wrapped up Friday night with the awards ceremony held in the State Farm Arena. Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded to teams at both the secondary and post-secondary levels. Roughly 17,000 individuals were present in the arena to witness the awarding of medals. There were 115 separate competitions with roughly 6,700 competitors this year. We understand that is the largest number of competitions and competitors in the history of SkillsUSA. Steve had this to say about the experience: “This year we had the largest number of web professionals helping us with the event than ever before. In the past, we have always scrambled to wear many hats to make sure the competition ran smoothly. However, this year we had three new people join our event team. Tammy, Dan and Na'Im were there for the whole event along with four regulars: Mark, David, Bryce and myself. This year we were missing Jonathan, who took a break to spend time with his two-week old daughter—big congratulations to Jonathan and his family. The competitors once again brought their A-games and the quality of their work speaks well for their futures and the future of the web design industry as a whole. The SkillsUSA national team was terrific as always and everyone should put it on their bucket list to attend the final award ceremony at least once in their lives. I so much appreciate all of our team who showed up and helped Web Professionals Global put on this competition. Also, shout-out to the SkillsUSA advisors and competitors' parents who worked so hard to make the trip to Atlanta happen and for their sacrifice of time and money.” Competition Winners High School Gold: Rhys J./Steven S., Meridian Technical Charter High School, Meridian, ID Silver: Leah S./Tyler C., Barren County Area Technology Center, Glasgow, KY Bronze: Alexander R./Ethan D., Dover Area High School, Dover, PA College Gold: Chloe G./Zachery S., Ozarks Technical Community College, Springfield, MO Silver: Sam T./Caeden S., Southern Adventist University, Collegedale, TN Bronze: Kenli S./Yan D., Northwest Kansas Technical College, Goodland, KS Stay tuned for future articles from us with more details about the week in Atlanta.