Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Preschool Activities

There are many ways to keep preschool kids entertained, but are all of them educational?


The Block Academy, a developmentally-appropriate literacy curriculum for 3 to 6 years olds, is a curriculum which concentrates on the scientifically-proven concept that children learn in an assortment of ways by using all of their senses. It uses hands-on, experiential learning; sensory motor integration; and brain/skill development through the use of manipulatives by Mega Bloks.

Burden Free. Total content is provided for the educator. Not only a handful of activities, but every activity, procedure, and exercise is detailed for every hour of every day. This reduces the educator's preparation time, it provides continuity if an educator is absent, and it provides a flexible curriculum that can be used in entirety or with chosen elements.

Comprehensive. It is truly comprehensive as it incorporates science, math, music, physical activity, arts and crafts, character development, snacks and recipes, and weekly parent newsletters.

Flexible. The curriculum allows for a flexible schedule for all-day and half-day programs. The educator may use as little or as much they choose. There are enough resources and activities to plan for a 10 to 12 month program period.

Sensory Integration. Facilitates the developing brain by using information from all senses. MindBuild provides daily sensory integration activities to enhance brain development. This approach also reaches out to children with learning disabilities who have difficulty with sensory integration.

For more information: http://www.blockacademy.net

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

STEM Education Explained


Since 2001, the acronym, STEM, stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This approach to teaching incorporates technology and engineering into mathematics and science, implementing a "meta-discipline." This provides students with problem-solving, discovery, exploratory learning, and requires students to actively engage a situation to find its solution. Overall, this application was designed to promote effective and relevant connections between STEM classroom content and STEM career pathways, thus providing learning opportunities for students and provides teachers with a resource where they can access highly effective content and related support materials to consolidate into their curriculum.

College-level academics is now being taught in high schools with encouragement from the STEM approach. According to studies all students benefit from the STEM program because it teaches independent innovation and allows students to explore greater depths of all of the subjects by utilizing the skills learned; these skills are going to be required in order for today's students to be tomorrow's global leaders. Today almost all employers require employees to have an understanding of critical-thinking while also working cohesively in groups and independently.

Recently, there has been a drop in students majoring in science or technology related fields. Many say this is due to lack of preparation in high school classes. The National Science Foundation says that around 80% of jobs created in the upcoming decade will require some type of math and science skills. So that the US doesn't suffer as a whole when a majority of baby boomers retire, a balance will need to be created to encourage more students to achieve in their academic environment.

For products centralizing around STEM Education for your classroom check out: http://www.depcollc.com

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Where have all the math and science students gone?

According to a recent CNN documentary, American students rank 17th in science and 25th in math. The documentary, that airs May 21st, follows three high school students involved in a national robotics competition. Schools use robotics and other hands on learning to get students more involved in the math and science industries. Educators and industry leaders are worried about the future of careers in these areas as well as engineering and technology in general. Qualified applicants for these jobs are getting harder and harder to find.

The "Don't Fail Me: Education in America" documentary follows the students' preparation and competition at the FIRST Robotics Competition that was held in St. Louis, Missouri on April 27-30, 2011. A similar competition will be held in Kansas City June 19 - June 24 in Kansas City, MO. The SkillsUSA conference will be the 47th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC). It is expected that more than 15,000 students, teachers and business partners will participate.

This particular conference doesn’t only focus on math and science. Students can showcase their knowledge in 96 different trades that vary from electronics and computer-aided drafting to culinary arts and broadcast news production.

Contests are run with the help of industry and trade associations such as Depco LLC. The competitions are coordinated by these same industrial organizations. Many technological vendors will attend and be on display.

The week-long event will be open to the public and free of charge.

You can read more on CNN's documentary, "Don't Fail Me: Education in America," at the following link.

http://bit.ly/iOK6t4 #cnn

Monday, May 16, 2011

History of Technology in Education

Curriculum is changing and so is the way educators teach. Today there are computers in nearly every school and classroom. Many educational facilities are even encouraging teachers to be more creative and innovative in how they teach with the use of programs such as Dimension's 3D printers, Mobile Skill trailers that bring the classroom to you, and CAD software such as Mastercam, SolidWorks, and SoftPlan.

Technology in the classroom began in the 1950s to promote science, technology, and math. The National Defense Education Act was created which provided financial support for technological advancements. The Vocational Education Act came after and gave money to individual states to help the integration of new technology into schools. During the mid-60s mainframes and minicomputers were sent to a handful of schools due to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Apple computers were introduced in 1975 and the PC closely followed. The 1990s brought multimedia computers into use in the school system. The internet, introduced in 1996, has become a growing worldwide sensation ever since especially in the educational world.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Introduction to Autodesk Civil 3D

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2011 - THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011
Moberly Area Community College
101 College Ave.
Moberly, MO 65270
8:30am – 4:00pm each day
Career Center Building, C28

Needing Civil Engineering design training? A DEPCO, LLC Certified Autodesk trainer can get you started on the right path!

AutoCAD® Civil 3D® software is a Building Information Modeling (BIM) solution for civil engineering design and documentation. Civil 3D is designed for civil engineers, drafters, designers, and technicians working on transportation design, land development, and water projects. Stay coordinated and explore design options, analyze project performance, and deliver consistent, higher-quality documentation—all within a familiar AutoCAD® software environment.

Register

Introduction to Autodesk Revit Architecture

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011 - TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011
Moberly Area Community College


101 College Ave.
Moberly, MO 65270
8:30am – 4:00pm each day
Career Center Building, Room C28

Needing Architecture design training? A DEPCO, LLC Certified Autodesk trainer can get you started on the right path!

Autodesk Revit Architecture software
works the way architects and designers think, so you can develop higher-quality, more accurate architectural designs. Built for Building Information Modeling (BIM), Autodesk Revit Architecture helps you capture and analyze concepts and maintain your vision through design, documentation, and construction. Make more informed decisions with information-rich models to support sustainable design, construction planning, and fabrication. Automatic updates keep your designs and documentation coordinated and more reliable.


Register

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

State ACTE Conference

Ruidoso, New Mexico
June 7th-9th

Career and technical education is about helping students, workers and lifelong learners of all ages fulfill their working potential.  Help students as they prepare for the world before them with DEPCO, LLC sales reps.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Technology Grants for Your School

School budget tight? Want to get more money for those NAO's or the newest CAD software such as Mastercam or SolidWorks? With the Perkin's Loans being cut for this upcoming school year, many schools are in need of financial backing. The links below will help guide you to grants that with help to supply your school with the equipment to help your student's excel.

Grants, Grants, Grants!

http://technologygrantnews.com/technology-funding.html
Technology Grant News provides updates about grant and resource opportunities as they come available. This 15 year-old site gives information on technology grants, free technology resources, technology partnerships, strategic alliances and technology advancement for your organization.

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/edgrants.html
This link will take you to the Department of Education's official site. There are several technology grants that are awaiting to be applied for.

http://www.vernier.com/grants/fulllist.html
Vernier has 7 grants that can award up to $3,000. As well as providing a guide to write a grant, other sources such as information on the No Child Left Behind Act and Do-It-Yourself Projects are available on the site.

http://www.fundsnetservices.com/educ01.htm
Many educational and school grants can be found here! Take your pick to receive more money for technological academics from businesses, private donors, and foundations.

http://grants.gov/
Find and apply for federal grants directly from this site. Grants.gov is a storehouse for information over 1,000 grant programs and provides access to approximately $500 billion in annual awards.

Writing Center
http://www.us-government-grants.net/article_info.php/articles_id/32
Provides colleges & universities, K-12 schools, non-profit organizations, churches, fire and police departments, emergency medical service agencies, cities and towns with practical tools and reliable resources to apply for and receive technology educational grants.They have expertise in writing technology educational grants.

One of the best sites for learning about federal grants is www.fedgrants.gov. Anyone can sign up to receive free daily e-mails announcing federal grant opportunities, the lead federal agency that provides diabetes grants is the U.S. There are 26 federal grant-making agencies listed on this website with hyperlinks to numerous opportunities for grants.