Have You Seen the CTC’s Upgraded Website?

Drum roll, please. Your National Convergence Technology Center (CTC) website has a whole new look, powered now by the far more agile and dynamic WordPress platform. This transformation has been many months in the making, part of a strategic effort to develop a more user-friendly website. We want to make it quick and easy for our IT educator, student, and employer colleagues to find the resources and support they need. Please consider the website a work in progress as we continue to add features and content.

Here’s a quick rundown of some highlights:

The top of the home page offers a quick overview of our three main initiatives: the “BILT model” that urges a more active and engaged business council to keep curriculum current; the Convergence College Network (CCN) community of faculty and administrators that share know-how; and the resources we provide to get students ready for the IT workforce. This section also features icon links to access three PDF documents: Ann Beheler’s “Director’s Letter;” our CTC brochure; and our “Get Connected” flyer that’s a ubiquitous presence at every conference we attend. And at the bottom of the page, we have three large “tiles” to showcase the latest in our social media efforts: the monthly newsletter, the weekly blog, and the dissemination videos.

The CCN page connects you to a webinar recording about the CCN’s structure and organization; a recent League of Innovation’s article about how successful communities of practice like the CCN are managed; and a benefits checklist that explains the value of joining the CCN.

The Educator Information page provides links to the current list of entry-level KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) along with a video on how to use the KSA list, information on requesting free IT curriculum – our latest additions are “Introduction to Computer Networks;” “Systems Programming,” and “Computer Ethics;” and a link to our resource wiki which provides access to even more material like past CTC conference presentations and minutes to quarterly BILT meetings.

The Working Connections page  – a brand-new addition – offers an overview of our cornerstone faculty professional development event, including a way to get added to the exclusive faculty invitation e-mail list.

The Job Forecast page provides labor market data, research, and articles – including salary projections – that IT programs may find useful in recruiting prospective students.

The Student Success page showcases the many IT amazing students we’ve taken to the HITEC conference each summer since 2014. This is a page that we will continue updating with additional student success stories.

The Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) page offers a one-stop shop to learn everything there is to know about implementing the successful “BILT model” at your program. This is essential viewing if you’re unfamiliar with the BILT model. It’s packed full of great content. On this page, you can watch Ann Beheler’s webinar (and download a transcript); view a short “Seven Essentials” clip about the most important aspects of a successful BILT; download a 16-page detailed BILT toolkit to better understand how it all works and how to manage a BILT at your program, or learn how to conduct the annual job skills vote with your business council – including a special addendum that explains how to use free Google tools to conduct the vote online.

Last but not least, the IT Skill Standards 2020 and Beyond (ITSS) page serves as the home base for a special NSF project grant that is updating detailed job skills lists of essential IT job clusters. This page provides an overview of the ITSS project process and will soon begin linking to cluster pages where the job skill lists will be posted.

But don’t just take our word for it – visit connectedtech.org and spend a few minutes exploring the pages. We know you’ll find something useful.