Building Blocks with the Department of Education

The Department of Education was created in 1980 by various federal agencies coming together. Their mission includes promoting scholarly achievement and groundwork for universal challenges by having students excel with an educational experience. To accomplish this task, the department plays a leadership role in the national debate over improving the amount of increasing knowledge in schools. This group effort generates guidelines for financial aid, gathers information on America's schools, gains awareness of educational matters, and displays equal access to education. Education, in the U.S., is primarily a state and local responsibility. These organizations create schools, develop curriculum, and establish the set requirements for enrollment and commencement.

Currently, the Department of Education is focusing on reforming the curriculum taught in schools and President Obama is becoming increasingly concerned with learning at a lower grade level. Studies and documentations show that what a child learns when they are younger helps them develop as they increase in age. The department is therefore focusing on advancing "the health, social, emotional, and educational outcomes for young children from birth through 3rd grade y enhancing the quality of early learning programs and increasing the access to high quality early learning programs especially for young children at risk for school failure."

To help with a prime concern in the United States, DEPCO, LLC is dedicated to improving children's literacy in unique ways including Secret Codes and The Block Academy, which are both specially developed curriculums for Kindergarten and Pre-School aged children. These programs help to initiate science, music, arts and crafts, math, physical activity, and character development in the younger generation. DEPCO is passionate about education and their enthusiasm is projected through their projects. This company maintains an innovative, student-driven focus using important concepts such as sensory integration, phonemic and print awareness and much more. Learning retention is maximized through incorporating hands-on activities that are not only educational, but enjoyable.

DEPCO, LLC: Interactive Modular Learning: Curriculum:Technology:Early Childhood. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. .

U.S. Department of Education. Web. 15 Apr. 2011.

Helping with Learning Disabilities

The CARRD is a nonprofit devoted to helping individuals with reading difficulties/dyslexia and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) become competent readers. Children who have reading difficulties are at risk of dropping out of school, poor self-esteem, substance abuse and a disproportionate percentage are involved in the welfare and criminal justice systems as adults. The future of a child with reading difficulties seems to be very bleak in our society that requires good reading. Reading difficulties are a social as well as an academic problem!

The CARRD has been privately funded for the past five years. Last Thursday the organization learned that their private donor would not be able to support the CARRD next year. CARRD was very fortunate to have had this financial support, as it has allowed us to grow tremendously. However, the organization does not want to lose our momentum, so they are asking for your help. In order for the organization to realize their vision for CARRD, they are asking you to make a gift to sustain our current operations and allow us to reach the next level of service to children and adults.

Although it's a very small organization, they have helped many. Since it was created, the CARRD has assessed nearly 5,000 and provided treatment to approximately 1,600 individuals, most of whom were children. We will be losing both of our paid positions. We need to, at the very least, save our Director of Operations. This position is absolutely critical to the CARRD’s success.

If you can, please make a donation, regardless of size, and forward this message to individuals who you believe would be interested in supporting the CARRD. Collectively, you can make a difference!


How to make a donation:

You can go to either of these links [both have 501(c)3 tax-exempt status so that your donation can be deducted from your taxes]:

http://carrdinc.org/donate.html or https://go.pittstate.edu/givenow

Or send a check to:

CARRD, Inc.
215 West Adams
Pittsburg, KS 66762-5133

(please specify CARRD on your check or online)

What is the CARRD?
The CARRD is a university-based research and service center. We provide research-based assessment and remedial programs to individuals who have reading difficulties/dyslexia and/or ADHD. Our services are provided at a very reduced cost that is based on family income (http://carrdinc.org/parents.html). Many of our families pay very little or nothing. The assessment and remediation is performed by trained and supervised Pittsburg State University students. Assessment and remediation are individualized for each child and conducted according to research-based practices for this discipline.

The CARRD was created in 1996 after a decade of research. The research from the CARRD has been published in the most prestigious scientific journals in reading difficulties/dyslexia and child development and has been presented at national-level conferences (http://www.carrdinc.org/research.html).

For much more information regarding the CARRD, please visit www.pittstate.edu/carrd or the outreach arm of the CARRD at www.CARRDInc.org.

RoboCup 2011

Aldebaran Robotics and FESTO are pleased to sponsor an event bringing robotic researchers together July 5th-11th to watch as their humanoid robots play soccer! Spectators are encouraged to come to Istanbul and watch the robots compete. Junior students will also have their very own competition.

This research team is hoping to have a team ready to play a human team by 2050 and win!

Interested? Register today or even watch a demonstration!
http://www.robocup2011.org/en/

Perkins's Grants Shouldn't be Cut

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education (CTE) Act provides federal funding, dispersed through each state, to be used in educational facilities. This program was put into action in order to concentrate efforts of high schools and community colleges into developing services, activities, and curriculum that incorporate technical instruction.

April 14, 2011, a fiscal bill was passed that cut funding by $140.2 million for several Perkins programs. This reduction included completely eliminating all funding for CTE programs during the 2011-2012 school year, essentially ending the decades long program.

Cutting the CTE program not only affects students but it also affects businesses, communities, and the future of this country. Career and Technical Education programs are "necessary to rebuild the economy and secure a successful high-skilled workforce." Innovative programs that inspire students to get excited about and excel in different fields will be lost. What will happen when the next generation fails to participate in growing and emerging industries?

As negotiations over the 2012 federal budget begin, we need to fight for the Perkins programs, as well as for oher educational support programs, so that CTE programs aren't lost in the economic shuffle.





Jamie. "Congress Cuts Perkins." ACTE Online. 14 Apr. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. .
"Perkins Grant." CSN - Home. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. .

Oklahoma SkillsUSA 2011

DEPCO, LLC will have two trainers that are a part of National SKILLS, Mechanical Systems and Motor Controls, at the Oklahoma SkillsUSA event on May 2nd hosted in Tulsa. DEPCO and FESTO will be hosting part of the Mechatronics Competition with Rod Murphy and Bill White judging.

More Questions? http://www.okcareertech.org/skillsusa/

Classroom of the Future

The role of technology in the classroom is growing daily from grading systems to educational learning software. The benefits are endless.

Classroom technology integration helps students absorb the material. Many classrooms are now set up with a projector, for example, that allows the visual learners to see what the teacher is lecturing about and at the same time gives verbal learners an advantage. Educational technology supplements class curriculum, like with the use of DEPCO Studio. Technology doesn't have to benefit just students. When teachers are not instructing they have students conducting research papers where they have the use of the internet.

When discussing issues related about educational technology, one must mention the opportunities of students learning in the classroom with the software and tools used in the workplace giving them an advantage. Other rewards provided by technology can include editing of assignments, providing educational information form scholarly sources, communication (create a class pen pal in a far away county that you are studying), and motivating students since they generally find the use and advances of technology stimulating.

Technology Integration

Implementing technology in the classroom has been a long time coming ever since the evolution of technology has started to progress in the world around us. More and more we see children learning with technology and being able to comprehend a better understanding from hands on experience and research. Education through technology is becoming a way of life.

Technology in schools is present with internet in the classrooms, DEPCO Studio, and even smartboards, among other things. There are an infinite number of programs out there today that emphasize technology in instruction in whatever the curriculum might focus on. Business, Marketing, and IT, Building Trades, Family and Consumer Sciences, Graphic Communications, Manufacturing and Pre-Engineering, Science and many other Career Exploration programs are now able to incorporate technology in the classroom.

I believe that using technology in the classroom will better benefit these children of tomorrow for a better learning environment and eventually influence them to become more knowledgeable about what equipment they may use in their jobs in the future.

SkillsUSA National Conference Promo

Skills USA is a national competition serving more than 307,000 high school and college students and professional members enrolled in training programs like technical, skilled, and service occupations, including health occupations.