Attending an educational conference provides a way to meet with colleagues to learn about the latest automotive developments and best teaching practices. Conferences are great professional development opportunities for you as a participant and as a presenter. Reflecting on the curriculum and teaching methods you use helps other teachers develop effective classroom strategies.
If you use the Auto Upkeep curriculum (Academy, Print Books, or eBooks) in your classroom we hope you consider presenting at your local conference. To help offset travel costs and preparation time for the presentation we offer stipends for teachers. If you would like to receive a $250 stipend for presenting at a conference, see below.
$250 Presenter Stipend
Conference organizers are often looking for presenters. They generally do not want “sales” type presentations during training sessions, but true methods that help your colleagues. The best way to approach this is to create an engaging presentation that shows how you teach specific content to keep your students engaged. If you use Auto Upkeep curriculum in this process, then integrating its use into your presentation is just one component of your effective teaching strategy. You wouldn’t create a presentation titled the “Auto Upkeep Academy” but rather an engaging title and description that encompasses curricular and classroom/shop management techniques. Often new Automotive teachers that transitioned from industry to the classroom have lots of technical ability, but need assistance in curricular design and classroom/shop management.
Possible Presentation Titles and Descriptions
Below you will find possible titles and descriptions to include in your presentation proposal. Create a completely different presentation or modify the below. The key is to make it personalized so your teaching experiences will help your colleagues.
Title: Curriculum for Automotive Fundamentals
Description: Are you looking for ways to engage your students when learning about automotive fundamentals? Attend this presentation to learn how I used the Auto Upkeep Academy to help teach my introductory automotive course at __________ High School. Students have incentives to log in each day, complete interactive content, and advance through the program. As the teacher I can monitor all student activity through the Gradebook and Group Management portal. All attendees receive complimentary teacher access.
Title: Electric Vehicles – A Unit Plan for Automotive Fundamentals
Description: Do you teach an Introduction to Automotive Technology or Automotive Fundamentals course? What should be included in a unit plan on Electric Vehicles within your introductory course? This presentation will cover what every beginning auto student should know and be able to do regarding Electric Vehicles. This Electric Vehicles teaching unit is built within the Auto Upkeep Academy, a curriculum that I use at __________ High School. Lessons include How Electric Vehicles Work, Electric Vehicle Components, High Voltage Safety, Electric Vehicle Emergencies, Charging an Electric Vehicle, and more. All attendees receive complimentary teacher access.
Title: Integrating Online Automotive Curriculum into Your Classroom
Description: Do you teach an Introduction to Automotive Technology or Automotive Fundamentals course? Attend this presentation to learn about the Auto Upkeep Academy, an online curriculum that I use at __________ High School. The Auto Upkeep Academy includes 21 teaching units. The “Foundational” units include: How Cars Work; Safety Around the Automobile; and Tools and Equipment. The “Consumer Education” units include: Buying an Automobile; Automotive Expenses; Repair Facilities; Auto Care and Cleaning; Fluid Level Check; Automotive Accessories; Common Problems and Roadside Emergencies; Alternative Fuels and Designs; and Electric Vehicles. The “Automotive Systems” units include: the Electrical System; Lubrication System; Fuel System; Cooling System and Climate Control; Ignition System; Suspension, Steering, and Tires; Braking System; Drivetrain; and Exhaust and Emission System. You can pick and choose what teaching units you would like to integrate into your classroom. All attendees receive complimentary teacher access.
How to Get Your Stipend
- Find a local, regional, or national Automotive or CTE conference.
- Contact us at info@autoupkeep.com to see if any other teacher has plans to present similar topics at the same conference. (We don’t want two different teachers presenting on the same things at the same conference.)
- Contact the host of the conference to see what is required to present.
- Complete the presentation proposal for the conference. Submit the proposal to the conference host as required by their procedure.
- If your presentation is accepted by the conference organizers, contact us to let us know you will be presenting.
- Let us know how you would like to receive your stipend. We can send you a check in your name, a PayPal money transfer, or an Amazon Gift card…whatever you prefer.
Possible Conferences
The following are just examples. If you have a conference that you think should be on this list, please email us a link so we can add it.
- ACTE (Association for Career and Technical Education) regional conferences – https://www.acteonline.org/acte-regional-conferences/
- ACTE State Association conferences – https://www.acteonline.org/about/structure/acte-state-associations/
- National Automotive Conferences
- ASE Instructor Training Conference – https://www.aseeducationfoundation.org/events
- North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) – https://www.nacat.org/
- Vision Hi-Tech Training & Expo – https://www.visionkc.com/
- Local Automotive or CTE conference.
- California Automotive Teachers (CAT) – http://www.calautoteachers.com/
- Illinois College Automotive Instructors Association (open to High School teachers too) (ICAIA) – http://www.icaia.org/
- Michigan Automotive Teachers Association (MATA) – http://autocaat.org/Educators/MATA_SEMATA/
- Midwest Teachers of Transportation and Industrial Areas (MTTIA) – https://www.mttia.org/
- Rocky Mountain Automotive Teacher Society (RMATS) – https://rmats.org/
- Texas Industrial Vocational Association (TIVA) – https://www.acteonline.org/tiva/conference/
- Wisconsin Technology Education Association (WTEA) – https://www.wtea-wis.org/
- Agricultural Educators Conference
- Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas (ATAT) – https://www.texasagteachers.org/
- National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) – https://www.naae.org/
Get Recognized
Inform your supervisor or building principal that you have been accepted to present at a conference. Often they will give you a letter of recognition after your presentation. In addition, your School Board of Education commonly recognizes teachers during official board meetings for being a presenter at a local or national conference.