With so much specialized learning more readily available, career and technical education is increasingly relevant. Every student has different passions, different levels of excitement for certain academic subjects, and different preferences when it comes to studying directly from books, learning from experiences, going to college, or entering the workforce. Thankfully, because of this, educational leaders have made many key updates to high school CTE programs over time. Today, with these CTE classes, students in many schools have the freedom to explore alternatives to traditional higher education, find genuine areas of interest, and pursue the futures they want. And, when it comes to career education and training, STEM (and these tools in particular) are often a large component.
1. Glowforge 3D Laser Printers
Most of the time, career and technical education experiences take place in high school. So, for that reason, many STEM supplies are designed mostly for students within the high school range. So, the first ones that we'll share are the Glowforge 3D laser printers. These machines are perfect for CTE in school, helping to expose teens to digital technologies and constructive thinking. The two models—the Glowforge Plus and Pro—utilize a focused beam of light to cut and engrave a variety of material types. Students simply place their materials in the machine and manipulate their design on the computer using the Glowforge software to create tangible objects with ease!
2. Tello EDU Drones from DJI
Joining these 3D laser printers among these tools, the Tello EDU drones are also effective in CTE classes. These educational drones are extremely versatile and, equally important, any student can program them. Adding programmable drones to high school STEM or CTE classes, educators can extend the impact of a CTE curriculum exponentially, covering all sorts of relevant real-world skills and newer career areas—from agriculture to criminal justice and piloting, itself. The Tello EDU is programmable using Scratch, Swift, and Python and there are individual or classroom packs on our store.
3. NAO Robot V6 or AI Edition
The NAO Robot V6 is awesome for connecting CTE classes to real-world skills development. Not only can students learn computer science skills using its custom coding environment, they can also learn about how robotics systems are impacting future careers in different industries. Plus, the all-new NAO V6 AI Edition is packed with amazing technology that students can try. They can explore various robotic behaviors, chatbot integration, and more thanks to the artificial intelligence skills that come with the robot.
4. RobotLAB Virtual Reality Packs
Next, we have educational VR tools to tell you about. As you may know, the RobotLAB VR Expeditions 2.0 kits have helped both general and CTE teachers with finding a Google Expeditions alternative. These extensive virtual reality kits come in bundles that support an entire class of students. They include the VR headsets, a teacher tablet, router, charger, and student devices for enabling up-close exploration of tons of environments. The content is very vivid and includes hundreds of specific Expeditions, including some that are career-focused, so educators can integrate these systems in CTE classes and help students prepare.
5. LulzBot 3D Printers
In addition to the MakerBot 3D printers, the LulzBot line is also among the best educational 3D printers. With four main offerings in the LulzBot Sidekicks, TAZ Pro, TAZ Workhorse, and LulzBot Mini V2, educators can add 3D printing career clusters to the high school curriculum or even integrate various art and design challenges in their existing classes. Each of the printers is incredibly reliable and easily integrates with their LulzBot Cura software. Also, kids can 3D print all sorts of designs and, thanks to their super quiet printers and free LulzLessons, these classroom-friendly tools can truly help educators advance CTE initiatives.
6. databot 2.0 Data Capturing Robot
Perfect within CTE, the databot 2.0 is a compact, cube-shaped robot that helps students capture real data from their environments. It comes with 16 built-in sensors for capturing everything from brightness levels to CO2 levels, allowing students to then integrate their findings in STEM experiments, CTE classes, and data-driven classroom tech projects. The databot 2.0 works with the Vizeey coding app, which helps students visualize and process authentic data. And, with a dedicated CTE curriculum, it's easy to deploy in various career tech lessons. Find all three of the databot 2.0 data science kits on our store.
7. Mayku FormBox Vacuum Former
While certainly unique, the Mayku FormBox is a makerspace tool with many CTE connections as well. It's a vacuum former, which means students and makers can create their molds from many different materials. Whether using plaster, resin, concrete, or one of the many others, they can easily sculpt their own unique designs. Students in CTE programs can use the FormBox independently and access more than 70 online projects to find inspiration. Using the Mayku Cast or Form Sheets, they can design molds that hold almost anything—from almost any material. Once designed, kids can then use these molds in creative ways—as dishes, paint holders, coasters, plaques, and more.
8. Dobot Robot Arms
One of the newest additions to our store, the Dobot line features robot arms and various accessories that help educators add serious career-focused experiences to CTE classes. Starting with the Dobot Magician, this robotic arm can write, draw, laser cut, solder, and grab objects based on how kids control it. They can also use it with various devices, like PCs and mobile apps, creating cross-curricular connections with its 3D printing, laser engraving, and vacuum pump accessories. And, besides their robot arms, the Dobot line also includes a conveyor belt, sliding rail, and an AI Kit.
9. Matter and Form 3D Scanner
Last but not least, we have the Matter and Form 3D Scanner. This desktop device enables CTE students to explore computer-enabled designs as they digitize physical objects within seconds. Once opening these digitized 3D models (directly after scanning), students can analyze, manipulate, and edit them utilizing their MFStudio software. It also integrates with TinkerCAD and Sketchup and features the powerful +Quickscan technology. This technology captures the physical geometry of objects in as little as 65 seconds and kids can watch a digital version of that object materialize on their computer screen in no time!
So, if you're hoping to add new tech to your school's CTE program, explore some more powerful STEAM tools, or simply gauge student interest in CTE classes, these EdTech solutions are fantastic options. Also, if you're using student interest surveys, there's various career-focused experiences teachers can then create. And, if you have questions about career and technical education programs or launching initiatives, we can help. Feel free to contact us anytime to learn more about these offerings along with additional CTE tools. And, follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more.
