March 1, 2000 NWCET Announces Educator-to-Educator Institute Launch

New "E2E Institute" provides faculty professional development in Information Technology.

      BELLEVUE, WASH. The Northwest Center for Emerging Technologies at Bellevue Community College is launching an "Educator-to-Educator" (E2E) Institute to bring the latest Information Technology developments to IT educators. The Institute also will find ways to grow new IT instructors from the related fields of math and science, business and other disciplines in an effort to remedy the shortage of qualified IT instructors. NWCET collaborates with The Chauncey Group International�s Associate Technology Specialist (ATS) program series of examinations.

      The Institute�s first sessions begin this summer, and will allow educators to update their IT knowledge. The one- to five-day workshops will lead to an IT instructor certificate in IT core skills, or in one of the selected NWCET information technology skills standards clusters, after passing an examinations based on the new Associate Technology Specialist (ATS) exams developed by the Chauncey Group. The eight NWCET information technology skill clusters are network design and administration, web development and administration, digital media, enterprise systems analysis, programming/software engineering, technical support, technical writing, and database administration. The Chauncey Group, a division of Educational Testing Service, is a strategic partner of NWCET and develops information technology certification examinations and preparation materials based on the NWCET skill standards.

The E2E Institute will launch an on-line learning community in the Spring, 2000. Once fully developed faculty, staff, and administrators may collaborate and share "Best Practices," and take self-assessment exams in NWCET�s 8 information technology skills standards clusters. IT educators may also view E2E course descriptions and register for IT professional development courses on the E2E website.

      "We are committed to helping the booming IT industry deal with its severe workforce and skills shortages," says NWCET executive director Neil Evans. NWCET�s strategic partnerships between industry and education will help replicate this program across the nation. "Our intent is to grow more IT teachers from within our own educational communities. The Chauncey Group provides an assessment tool and will create an educator certification program to standardize IT educators� knowledge nationwide."

     Judith Moore, president of The Chauncey Group says her company is pleased to be working side-by-side with NWCET in bringing a solution to the marketplace. "E2E and its complementary certification program will help equip, encourage and support teachers in their Information Technology career development."