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Introducing Our Course Updates for 2024-2025

Steve Waddell • August 7, 2024

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.

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We look forward to helping you and your students.

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By Steve Waddell • May 1, 2025
Today we are highlighting one of our long-time partners, Dr. Maurico Castillo, and his students. Dr. Castillo teaches in the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology at California State University, Los Angeles and is an Advisor for Web Professionals Global , the professional association for all things web. This semester, Dr. Castillo has been teaching students at the Esteban Torres High School Engineering & Technology Academy. He is teaching CTeLearning’s AI for the Workplace course . 30 students worked their way through the course that teaches students how AI can be harnessed in the workplace, no matter what the future educational and career paths of the students may be. The course features the PromptScout tool, which helps students learn how various AI prompts can be used in a variety of professional settings to streamline work. The 5,360 prompts cover 63 different industries ranging from welding and business and cosmetology to agriculture. We caught up with Dr. Castillo to hear about his experience working with CTeLearning and teaching the course: “AI is here and is becoming a part of every career pathway. As CTE educators we must prepare learners for their future, and their future will include AI. AI will not replace people in their chosen pathways, but I see it helping to do more in less time. For example, people in a variety of career fields including welders, electricians, mechanics, solar techs, cosmetologists, web designers, and arborists are small business owners and entrepreneurs. As a welder, you have a craft that is high-paying and you may own your own business. AI can help you with many administrative tasks including digital marketing, customer service communications, and even safety reviews and codes review. AI is becoming the new career literacy. Every student needs to learn about how AI is a valuable tool and not something we should be afraid of. I was the first to deploy this course in CA. I took the opportunity with a class at a local high school that had 30 students. As a member of the advisory committee of Web Professionals Global, I got to see much of the early development of the microcredential and its supporting curriculum. So, when I had the chance to give it a test drive, I could not resist. I am a professor, and so like all professor types I am passionate about learning and can talk forever on any topic I love. I am excited for you to hear from the first class of certificate earners.” Hear From the Students Let’s hear from Dr. Castillo’s students about how they liked the course.  “What I liked about the CTelearning course is that it made you learn ways you can work with AI without letting the AI control your work. It helps you understand how to make the AI work with you and what you want to create. I also like the scenarios because it helps us get an experience of what it's like to use AI to help which work. ” –Veronica Perez “To learn about AI is a great thing considering that’s what is increasing in this economy. I feel like this program is doing a good thing teaching us high school students how to use it. Learning AI can help us in the future as we can find a path in an AI-based career or even in common life situations. I’m very glad to be able to have this opportunity as I see this as something very useful for my future.” –Josie Beltran “There were many things that I enjoyed about the AI in the Workplace course. Before this, I was always skeptical about AI, and even considered myself a hater. When I started reading the modules, I really enjoyed the new information I was learning about AI and how helpful it can be in work life, but also in real life. I also liked how there were sections in the modules that showed the dangers and cons for AI. A lot of people who are passionate about something seem to only show the bright side of it, but I really liked that the course didn’t show any bias and showed how AI can be bad as well. Another reason why I liked this was because it taught me new ways to use AI and all the capabilities it has.” –Derrek Aparicio “The program was very helpful because it helps you learn completely different things and can help prepare you for the future.” –Jesse Mendez “What I like about the program is the attention to detail throughout the course. Each action is divided into different topics, making it more accessible to users.” –Emely Perez “What I liked about the program we took was the scenarios. They allow me to see situations where I could use AI in real life. The situations were mainly in work environments, where I could really use AI to help me in situations.” –Abel Gonzales Your School Could Be Next Contact us today at hello@ctelearning.com or 877-828-1216 to schedule your free 20-minute demo. One of our team members will show you how you can bring this innovative AI curriculum into your classroom and prepare your students for success.

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By Steve Waddell • April 10, 2025
Frequent readers of our blog know we like to highlight our teachers and students across the country who are doing great work. Today we are highlighting Patrick McLane and his students. Patrick is the Illustration and Design Instructor at the Career Technology Center (CTC) of Lackawanna County in Pennsylvania and will be delivering a new certificate opportunity to his students in Fall 2025 thanks to a new partnership. Recently, career and technical education (CTE) programs in PA schools worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Education Bureau of Career and Technical Education (BCTE) to provide an alternative to Adobe certificates for high school and CTC students. Thanks to this effort, the Certified Web Animator Certificate is now recognized in the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) by the state of Pennsylvania. The certificate is part of our Web and Computer Animation course and is backed by Web Professionals Global , our industry partner. 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2025 Infographic Web and Mobile Game Design Career Pathway

By Steve Waddell • April 7, 2025
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