KCCTE offers free workshop series
Thursday, February 19, 2015 2:00 AM
News
Pittsburg, KS
Area career and technical education instructors will have an opportunity to sharpen their skills in a series of free upcoming workshops at the Kansas Center for Career and Technical Education (KCCTE) at Pittsburg State University. PSU officials say the workshops highlight the role the newly established KCCTE will play in career and technical education in the region.
Created last year thanks in part to $1 million in targeted funding from the Kansas Legislature, the KCCTE provides technical and professional development opportunities for Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructors.
Bill Brown, KCCTE workshop coordinator, said the workshops teach technical skills and provide valuable training lessons for the educators.
“Along with the technical content the educators are learning, the workshops also provide what is often called ‘train the trainer’ opportunities,” Brown said. “They’re learning the skills while also learning how to take it back to their own classrooms and pass along that knowledge to their students.”
The workshops, which are free for participants, include a series of welding courses in February hosted by Hutchinson Community College. On March 12, the Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies will host a workshop on the video editing software Adobe Premier Pro.
On Friday, March 27, Pitt State assistant professors Christel Benson and David Oldham will host a workshop on Adobe Illustrator at the Kansas Technology Center.
Brown said he expects more workshops to be added to the schedule soon. He hopes to have at least 30 workshops on the calendar each year.
Kelley Manley, KCCTE web coordinator, said offering the workshops free of charge opens the door to many educators who may not otherwise attend.
“Budgets are tight everywhere, and we know many teachers may not choose to attend workshops if they have to pay,” she said. “We’re fortunate and proud to be able to offer these for free.”
More information about the KCCTE and upcoming workshops is available at kccte.pittstate.edu.