Let’s talk about management systems for a moment. Classroom management is one of the crucial, key components of success in a Pitsco lab. If you’ve taught using Pitsco, you have likely seen the migration from Colleague to Synergy. Now, there is a migration under way to ITC.
ITC stands for “In The Cloud”, or a cloud-based management package. This technology makes the teacher more nimble, and gives back more control of the classroom instruction. We’ve compiled a list of the top benefits of using this classroom management system:
Students can monitor and manage their learning experience. Synergy ITC allows each student to log on – individually or with his or her partner – to complete assigned Expeditions, activities, and assessments. Students learn through hands-on, multimodal, collaborative activities while navigating through a digital Expedition at their own pace. Each benefit amounts to one thing – more teacher control and more customization, which equals a better experience for both student and teacher. Did you know? Pitsco adds an average of 10 features each month to ITC, based on user feedback. If you have a question or a suggestion, you can share via phone, email or live chat. Have you used ITC management from Pitsco? Let us know what you think (and how we can help make your experience unforgettable!)
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We hear a lot about how important it is for today’s students to develop 21st century skills, in addition to ‘the basics.' The 4 C's (Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity) are often described as the ‘new basics.’ Learn how 3D design and printing can help students develop these vital new basics on Makers Empire's blog.
We want to hear from you -- do you use 3D printing in your classroom? How is it helping you teach the 4 C's of Education? Consider this student: Abby is an agriculture student who was raised on a family farm. She sees her dad struggle with the same piece of equipment year after year. She thinks she has a simple solution. Her school has a Makerspace, and she has printed a part in 3D that she thinks will solve the problem. She has talked with her instructor about sharing the same design to other local farmers that have the same issue as her dad. Is Abby ready for an Entrepreneurship course? Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes. While Abby is looking for a simple solution to a recurring problem, and is looking to share her solution with others. She has the shades of being a developing Entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship coursework used to live in the Business departments almost exclusively. As we deepen our understanding about how entrepreneurs views obstacles, assess risk, develop solutions, innovate and solve problems, we are beginning to realize that Entrepreneurship coursework can benefit not only business students, but also agriculture students, engineering students, design students… In short, anyone who innovates and problem solves could benefit from the framework laid out in Entrepreneurship coursework. Entrepreneurship coursework is designed to provide:
Many schools are looking to develop entrepreneurship coursework. We can help schools connect the dots with smart tools from Pitsco Education (STEM framework) and Startup Genius (Entrepreneurship). Tell us: what are you looking for in an Entrepreneurship program? Our Troubled World Requires a Skilled STEM Workforce Elements of STEM are integral to our nation’s economy – from health care to infrastructure needs, energy, and the environment. That’s why one of the most important tasks we have as educators is to encourage our students to consider careers in STEM. To get them to that point, they need to develop the ability to question and plan ways through experimentation to find viable solutions. Do I Have a Dynamite Class Lesson? Have you ever asked yourself, “Do I have a class lesson that I could sell tickets for?” In other words, a lesson that students will absorb and remember, and that will leave them excited to take the next step? A lesson that does that probably includes more than just abstract theory or memorization of concepts. It probably also challenges the students with “out-of-the-box” thinking (aka critical thinking) through self or team experimentation – which is a lot more interesting and engaging than listening to a teacher lecture or demonstrate a science concept. As long as students are learning, you can use any means possible to turn on the “light bulb.” There is no more important gift than teaching students how science works through application and experimentation. Continue Reading... Blog adapted from Boxlight blog, with our partnership. Check out their full suit of solutions here.
We are excited to announce that we now offer NinjaTek Cheetah™ flexible filament. This industrial-grade filament is the perfect blend of speed and strength: it is the fastest and easiest-to-use flexible filament on the market, and has an impact strength that is 84% greater than ABS. The filament works well in the Afinia H-series 3D Printers and is available in orange, green, blue, red, semi-transparent, white, and black. Want to learn more about the most cost-effective flex filament on the market today from Afinia? Contact one of our Education Specialists to learn more. We read an interesting article the other day, “New study: Students use technology everywhere but school” that makes the point that today’s students are so connected in every aspect of their day, except when they are in the classroom. In the classroom, many educators roll back the clocks and try to maintain a technology free space. For so many students, technology is a natural extension of who they are and how they learn. Maybe, instead of expecting students to learn without technology, we should develop thoughtful ways of integrating technology into our student’s day. We’ve brainstormed a few ideas for educators grappling with this issue.
Each of these technology tools has the power to enhance learning while seamlessly integrating cost-effective technology. We’d love to hear from you –would these tools make a difference in your classroom? How do you incorporate Ed Tech tools? Share in the comments section below! Despite their tuxedoed appearance, penguins aren’t always well mannered. In the aftermath of one particular penguin scuffle among endangered African Penguins at Mystic Aquarium, Yellow/Purple (AKA “Purps”) was found to have a nonfunctional flexor tendon in her ankle. Much like an injury to a person’s Achilles heel, damage to a penguin’s flexor tendon leads to pain and difficulty in motion. Once Purps’ injury was identified, the veterinary staff at Mystic Aquarium took action with a handmade boot to immobilize, protect and support the damaged foot. Yet the animal care team knew more modern solutions were available that would not only be more durable and less cumbersome for the small bird, but also require less time than handcrafting the boot. Mystic Aquarium’s Chief Clinical Veterinarian, Dr. Jen Flower, proposed 3D printing. Blog courtesy of 3D Systems.
Pitsco's latest curriculum, Expeditions, is creating a lot of positive buzz in STEM circles: the curriculum is more flexible, more rigorous, and better aligns to state and national science standards. The ITC (In the Cloud) classroom management system allows for immediate updates. The curriculum is more flexible than modules -- teachers can choose to implement as a rotational or whole class solution (or a combination of both!) The excitement is palpable -- people are excited to see this curriculum for themselves, and understand how it will best fit into their classrooms. This video shows a sample lesson of Engineering Rockets, and guides the user through a short introduction. What did you think? Keep asking questions -- at Moss, we're excited that YOU are excited. We want to help you understand this new curriculum, and how it can improve your district's STEM outcomes.
What more information? Check out this blog post (with FAQs). And contact your Education Specialist for more information -- we're here to help! Hands-on activities are important for every class, but paramount for science classes. The biggest challenge teachers have in incorporating class activities is the amount of set up time it takes to prepare for class. Labs can take up to 90 minutes – each day – to set up, which is costly for teachers.
Labdisc makes it possible to incorporate hands-on instruction while saving teachers in set up time without sacrificing quality instruction. The Labdisc is the only all-in-one wireless laboratory which teachers can apply in instruction. An all-in-one science lab in the palm of your hand, Labdisc is an important classroom tool:
Labdisc can integrate technology into science class with this affordable solution, and replaces science-class consumables with one easy-to-use tool. [Adapted from Pitsco Education’s Community Blog] Pitsco knows that adaptation is essential. The classroom has been changing, and Pitsco is changing with it. For the past several years, we’ve noticed a trend toward more flexible curriculum and environments. With the availability of open resources and easier access to collaboration, educators have more control over how they’ll deliver material and which pieces they would like to use. And we would like to help. We’ve embraced the changes as an opportunity to reconfigure our Modules curriculum to meet the varying needs of educators, and we will soon be releasing it under the name of STEM Expeditions. We’ve built it from the ground up based on Common Core State Standards. However, it’s also flexible enough to fit well with any standards your state might be using. Other standards we considered while writing this curriculum include ITEEA and NGSS. STEM Expeditions will be cloud based and incorporate STEM concepts into relevant, real-world activities. Each Expedition will begin with an Essential Question, which sets the focus and shapes students’ thinking. Career connections have always been an important part of our curriculum, and we will continue to weave those in. Students will work together to complete the activities. Collaboration and teamwork will be key. STEM Expeditions takes an integrated approach to education. Students are learning several different subjects at the same time and finding out why it matters. For example, in STEM Expeditions, they might be working through a hands-on science activity and can’t move forward without applying math in many forms. We’ve observed how well the integration works in our beta test sites, such as when students have to measure distances and work practical conversions. They might have learned this skill in an earlier grade, but without context conversions, it can be quickly forgotten. STEM Expeditions give students a reason to use concepts learned in other content areas again. If you’ve used our Modules titles, STEM Expeditions will be very familiar to you. We’ve simply updated them with today’s educator in mind. You could say we adapted. You’ll be able to use STEM Expeditions rotationally or whole class. We believe the curriculum we’ve created will be easier to tie into things that you are experiencing locally. I think your students will reach a deeper level of learning and that you’ll find it more flexible to suit your needs. Learn more: |
AuthorYou have questions about STEM education? You're not alone! We're here to share ideas and provide thought-provoking commentary. Let us know your thoughts! Sign Up for Email Updates For Email Marketing you can trust. Categories
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