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Want to learn more about Universal Design for Learning? Need to brush up on research-based family engagement practices? CETE Program Director Barbara Boone will present a webinar on October 11, 2017 with Ron Rogers from the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI). In the live webinar, "How can UDL Revive our Family Engagement," they will share the basic concepts of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and offer ideas for using multiple means of engagement, representation and expression to give fresh perspectives on the opportunities schools create for families to support student learning. With these two dynamic presenters, it is sure to be a great webinar! Sign up today: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5555628128228139522

CETE was abuzz earlier this year when a group of eight beekeepers participated in a DACUM workshop. According to Denise Ellsworth, Ohio State Extension, the panel of beekeepers from Ohio and West Virginia brought a combined total of nearly 200 years of beekeeping experience!

During the 2016-2017 school year, CETE staff partnered with the Ohio Department of Education’s southern Ohio regional teams to offer a professional development class for early childhood education teachers titled, “Partnering with Families to Support Early Literacy.” In coordination with State Support Team representatives from each region, CETE staffer Dr. Barbara Boone lead 4 day-long class sessions that covered topics for teachers such as Communication with Families, Adopting a Growth Mindset, and Family Engagement to Support Early Literacy. Teachers who took the class developed and implemented a project with families at their school and presented the results on the last day of class in May. Drs. Boone and Wellman from CETE have partnered with an EHE faculty member, Dr. Laurie Katz, and graduate student Ruba Hamam to incorporate a research study that tracks changes in teachers’ efficacy, knowledge, and practices.

Spring is a time for renewal. At CETE this year, Spring meant a substantial renovation of our building. If you walk by you might see glistening new windows, and a casual walk through the building will reveal a new entry space for guests, new flooring, trim, signage, and fresh paint. The new windows are double-paned and glazed for more energy efficiency, and will keep out drafty winter winds. Along with new windows, there are new exterior doors with keycard entry. The new floors are a durable laminate, easy to keep clean and fresh looking, and should last for a long time. And last but not least, we always want to put our best foot forward and to show our Buckeye pride! Our new color scheme is consistent with OSU’s branding, with red and gray accent colors to spark imagination and energy. In total, the renovation makes our building shine, with professional hallways and rooms ready for all the various groups that walk through our doors every day. This renovation was jointly funded by the College of Education and Human Ecology and the OSU Facilities, Operations, and Development (FOD) Department. We are so grateful to those who worked hard to see this project through. We invite you to stop by and see our newly renovated building this Fall!

Susan Nell, a Research Specialist at CETE, recently received a commendation from the Correctional Education Association in recognition for her Dedication, Effort, and Support of the CEA Executive Office. To learn more about Susan’s work as a Corrections Career Technical Education Resource Specialist, go to https://cete.osu.edu/projects/corrections. Way to go, Susan!

The Ohio Aspire Professional Development Network (PDN) is a collaboration of content experts, trainers, and researchers who deliver and support evidence-based, high-quality, and effective in‐service professional development in areas of importance to nearly 1,000 Ohio Aspire professionals.

In March and April of 2017, our CETE Assessment Services staff conducted three workshops, serving 95 career-technical education teachers and administrators. These workshops were part of a professional development series offered through a partnership with the Office of Career-Technical Education at the Ohio Department of Education. CETE staff developed and delivered this customized training on how to implement quality classroom-assessment practices and use WebXam reports effectively. This highly interactive workshop involved a mix of instruction and hands-on activity. CETE is currently developing additional workshops and e-learning modules as part of their partnership with the Ohio Department of Education. These workshops and modules will help teachers and administrators effectively align and use assessment-related tools in the classroom.

CETE Instructional Development Specialist Cara North is a guest on Episode #9 of the learning and development podcast “5 Trainers in a Car.” This podcast, which focuses on learning and development issues in an informal environment, is accessible via the website http://5trainersinacar.thebackstoryproject.com/ or can be downloaded in Itunes. The participants shared information about what they learned during the Central Ohio Association for Talent and Development (COATD) Learning Technology Day while driving around the parking lot of the conference center.

CETE Assessment Services staff completed work in the first quarter of 2017 on testing projects involving different configurations of the test development cycle. Collaborative work with the DACUM International Training Center supported the revision of professional development and certification systems for two different organizations.

CETE staff member Greg Nagy and OSU Professor Belinda Gimbert have been exploring new virtual reality technology over the past few months, and have begun sharing their knowledge in a series of demonstrations for groups on campus. So far, Greg has done demonstrations about the Oculus Rift Virtual Reality Equipment for the Exploring Learning Technologies group (http://u.osu.edu/eltosu/) along with CETE staff, Wexner Medical Center doctors, the Office of Distance Education and eLearning, and Dr. Andrew Richmond's advanced English class. Greg is enthusiastic about the potential of partnering with many more groups to explore uses of this technology. The next step for Greg is to take his show on the road. In June, he will travel to Beijing, China to begin work on a pilot project to teach students English in a virtual reality classroom.