From our family to yours, we wish you a blessed holiday season. Thank you for being loyal customers, we appreciate your support, and cherish your trust. We look forward to a terrific 2013!

Solar energy and solar transportation are two of the hot topics within the green initiative in education. Providing hands-on activities that provide a natural path of inquiry to solar concepts is key to gaining student interest. But where does it go from there? What STEM concepts can be brought alive through the incorporation of solar cars in the classroom? Here are a few suggestions - - - for starters:

Science

• Photovoltaics – the conversion of light energy into electrical energy
• Force & Motion – velocity, acceleration, friction and mass
• Energy & Power – kinetic energy (energy of motion), potential energy (energy of position or stored energy), ability to do work, gears, mechanisms

Technology

• Systems – the solar panel, motor, gears and wheels & axles working together
• Problem Solving – determining ways to make the car run faster, climb an incline, or meet other challenges
• Social Impacts – solar energy is one of many ways to help reduce the need for fossil fuels – but may impact society through higher energy costs, reduced CO2 emissions, need for infrastructure to provide charging stations for batteries

Engineering

• Technological Design – designing solar vehicles for specific purposes, modifying existing designs to increase efficiency
• Data Analysis & Prediction – observing, measuring, recording, graphing data from a solar car and using that information to predict how that car would perform in other situations
• Electric Power – voltage, current, power, ohm’s law, series and parallel circuits and their effects on solar vehicle performance

Math

• Ratios – different gears on the solar cars to make the car go faster, or be able to climb an incline easier, or pull a heavier load
• Graphing Data – provides students real life numbers to graph rather than typical sets of (x, y) coordinates – distance vs. time, velocity vs. angle of the vehicle path to the sun, velocity vs. time of day
• Measurements – distance, time, velocity (a derived unit from distance & time), angles

These connections will work for any of the Pitsco solar cars - SunEzoon, SunZoon Lite, Ray Catcher, and Clearly Solar Cars.

How many homeschool parents out there buy their kids products at Christmas that will teach their children as well as give them hours of fun?

Homeschool budgets are limited, so sometimes it makes sense to kill two birds with one stone. For example, a Trebuchet kit from Pitsco not only teaches about Medieval history, simple machines, probability, and basic physics, but it also makes a great start to a homemade Angry Birds game, or a LEGO minifigure launcher.

Educational kits and learning games make great presents because you know that you are not just entertaining your child, but teaching them also. I mean, what kid wouldn’t love a mousetrap vehicle kit in their stocking. Christmas break is a great time for dad to spend some quality time with the kids building a model bridge or assembling a T-Bot II hydraulic robot arm, building memories and engineering skills.

Whatever kits you choose, just remember that it is a great thing when your kids can have fun and learn at the same time. Homeschoolers should take advantage of any learning opportunity, no matter what form, and hands-on Pitsco products are a great choice.

Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year from Pitsco!

Tis the season of giving,and Pitsco Education wants to make sure all of our wonderful customers have the opportunity to use the new TETRIX^® Builder's Guide.

Introduced in 2008, theTETRIX^® Building System has proven popular for competition robotics and high school activities. The original 24-page user guide worked OK for the innovative new product, but Pitsco has long wanted expand it and take it to the next level.

That level has been surpassed by the new TETRIX Builder's Guide, which includes introductory material and three basic robot build instructions as well as extensions for Arm and Gripper, Harvester and Transporter, and Dispenser robots. Plus, it provides three challenges and numerous resources.

The new guide will be included with the TETRIX Base Set, TETRIX Starter Set, TETRIX Class Pack, and the TETRIX Getting Started Package. But we don't want all those who trusted in TETRIX for the last five years to miss out - so anyone can view and download the guide online for free! Check out the digital version at http://www.tetrixrobotics.com/RCBuildersGuide/. To find a printable PDF, go to the Resources tab and click "Print TETRIX Builders Guide."

We hope all of you TETRIX enthusiasts out there enjoy this new resource.

Happy Holidays!

While the words "peel-and-stick" with "energy" might call to mind a late-night infomercial, it actually describes solar panels in development at Stanford University.

After decades of stiff, inflexible panels that limited the usability of solar energy, researchers have been trying to make the energy collector more flexible. Researchers at the Stanford School of Engineering are working on panels that are not only very flexible but also have a backing that can be peeled off like a window sticker to let you place the panel anywhere.

"Now you can put them on helmets, cell phones, convex windows, portable electronic devices, curved roofs, clothing - vitually anything," said Xiaolin Zheng, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and one of the authors of a paper describing the development.

According to Zheng, the new technology will also weigh less and, due to it not needing a different process or types of materials as existing solar panels to manufacture it, is more affordable.  

To learn more about these new panels, visit http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/ssoe-psp121912.php.

We have lots of information for a new year!

First with a new year, comes our new 2013 Big Book. Complete with new products such as the AP Bottle Racer Launcher, Mini Straw Rocket Launcher, several hydraulic bots, Aquaport II launcher, TETRIX^® parts, and many more. To see all of our new products, click here.

Also, we have a busy convention year ahead of us, to see where we are going this year, click here.

Our Scholarship program is back for another year. The first-quarter winner will be announced on March 1, 2013 and will receive a $500 gift certificate to Pitsco. To nominate yourself or a fellow deserving educator, apply here.

We will be featuring a Teacher of the Month on the web site, read all about our January Teacher, Jennifer Schoenberger here.

Finally, we hope to bring you updates on product news, special offers and more to our customers on our e-mail list, to sign up to receive our monthly e-mails, click here.

Educational and political leaders are responding to what is described as the critical need for the future of American industry. The key themes revolve around the goal of increasing the number of science and technology teachers. America’s future depends on “brain power,” according to former US Education Secretary Lamar Alexander. To bring to fruition the objectives enunciated, teachers must join the revolution and adapt information technology to the methods and content of their instruction. Computers and robotics have changed the way students learn, and so it is vital these tools be fully integrated into all of our schools. Mortimer Zuckerman calls it “Goodbye, Mr. Chips – Hello, Mr. Chip.” These times find us on the threshold of some of the most radical changes in education. Following the dictum “All children can learn,” we must assure it is the teacher who knows how to create the appropriate level of instruction for their students on the learning plateau. To be a good student in tech learning, one requires instruction and practice in important skills and needs hand-on collaborative exposure so the learning is not an ephemeral exercise. The fact that more students are tech savvy will influence the curriculum adaptations. So instructors need to start with clarity about what they are attempting to accomplish. There is a desire to refocus schools away from teaching and into learning, for educators help make the product and should be the ones who can ensure it is of high quality.

That quality will be enhanced with the adoption of Pitsco Curriculum that involves STEM titles such as Ideas & Innovations, which focuses on the relationship among science, engineering, and technology. Science gets another boost by adopting the Immunology curriculum, which involves closer scientific relationships between student and subject. Pitsco success with algebra opens an avenue for instructors to increase the formerly faltering progress in students’ mathematics abilities. The gate swings invitingly open for a surge in STEM teaching programs demonstrated by Pitsco’s previous successes in hands-on learning and retention. As traditional education funds appear to be decreasing, here are a few possible sources of assistance:

January 2013 Grant Funding Leads PDF

Additional Grant Resources

If you were a kid in a toy store and you were asked what your favorite toy was, imagine your hesitation. It would be a pretty difficult decision, one that you wouldn't take lightly. That kind of hesitation is what I experience when I'm at a convention and a teacher asks me what my favorite product is that Pitsco makes.

Pitsco has so many great products, all of them rich with their own special features and benefits aimed at providing the best hands-on product for student success. Consider the choices - we have the StrawRocket Launcher, TETRIX®, the siege machines, the WinDynamo II Wind Generator, or the Ray CatcherSprint Kitto name a few, but if I had to narrow down my favorite Pitsco product, it would have to be the T-Bot® II Hydraulic Arm.

This handy product is a great way to teach hydraulics and simple machines and even robotics, but it's also interactive, fun, and just a cool way to work as a team and learn while doing it. Both teachers and students get excited about this product, and that is always a plus.

The T-Bot has been the focus of a lot of attention lately. Our Teacher of the Month, Jennifer Schoenberger, a homeschool teacher from Kansas City, had her student Jeffrey build the T-Bot, and Jennifer did an amazing job photographing the process and putting it on her blog. Jeffrey said that it was his favorite activity that he did all year at school. Read Jennifer's blog here and check out how Jeffrey did.

Also, in the March/April 2013 issue of Robot magazine on page 73, Eran Weere gives a flattering review of the T-Bot and demonstrates it with some students at Ontario Progressive Montessori School. He discusses how simple it was to assemble and then points out all of the functions of the T-Bot, how it works, and everything it teaches. He ultimately recommends the T-Bot "as an education tool as it demonstrates important ideas in teamwork, physics/mechanics, and robotics."

It's so fulfilling to hear stories like Jennifer's, and we appreciate seeing articles like Eran's. We also love to hear the comments like Jeffrey's and to see the students' faces like the picture of the Ontario students doing an activity with the T-Bot.

We love all of our products, and we are so grateful that our customers and our supporters love them too! Thank you!

Here is a picture from Jennifer's blog of Jeffrey building the T-Bot.

This March 2013 marks Canada’s largest celebration of engineering.  From coast to coast in Canada 500 events take place for young Canadians to learn about how rewarding a career in engineering can be. Today's engineers shape our future from new designs to technologies proving that every day anything is possible.

For more information on this event, click here.

Get things shaking in the classroom and order our exclusive Earthquake-Getting Started Package. This package gives students a chance to design, build, and test a structure.

To learn more about this product, click here.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all of these technology tools play a huge role in the lives of many students across the country. Recently, the New York Times posted a Student Opinion Question inviting anyone who is from 13 to 19 years old around the world to answer this question:"Which technology tools play the biggest role in your life?" But, what if the student answers are a little different than the anticipated newest iPhone or Android phone? What if the most used technology tools stimulated learning and creativity? 

To read more about this article click here.

Pitsco Education provides products that bring technology into the classroom without students having a cellphone, laptop, or iPad out. Purchase a Sustainable Energy Teacher's Guide and introduce students to solar cooking, solar and fuel vehicles, and wind energy. Or teach students about friction and aerodynamics while they design, produce, and test a CO2 Dragster.

It is a brand new year, and we will be displaying Homeschool products at two conventions this year. If you happen to be attending one of these conventions, please stop by the booth to say hello and look at our new products for 2013.

The shows for this year are:

The Christian Home Educators Bay Area Convention in Santa Clara, CA - This takes place on April 12 & 13 at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

Teach Them Diligently Convention in Omaha, NE -This convention takes place May 30th - June 1st, at the Century Link Center.

Also, keep checking our blog for articles and special promotions throughout the year!

Longfellow muses in his Psalm of Life, “Not enjoyment and not sorrow is our destined end or way, but to act, that each tomorrow finds us farther than today.” LEGO® Education has accepted that suggestion in its quest to improve the learning environment through the new StoryStarter curriculum and the next generation of the MINDSTORMS® Education curriculum, bringing to life additional STEM concepts in the classroom. Pitsco developed an award-winning dropout prevention program, Star Academy, and is forging ahead with the TETRIX® robotics curriculum that delivers engaging STEM concepts. Each activity provides teachers and students hands-on experience and ensures success in these days of standards-based classrooms. It might be that some valuable additions to those classrooms could be out of reach, thus requiring a search through some of the potential grant sources listed herein:

February 2013 Grant Funding Leads (PDF)

Additional Grant Resources

(The first two posts in this series can be found here and here.)

If your students think history is ho-hum, try infusing some hands-on STEM into the classroom. Projects that get them to build and create things from historical perspective can open their minds to the realm of history. 

One way STEM helps history is to verify it. We all know that history is riddled with mysteries and by accounts presented by those with clouded judgment. Even a short time watching history-based programs reveals researchers using physics, engineering, forensic science, math, and other STEM disciplines to discover what really happened to a historical person or at a historical event.

Verifying historical veracity is one thing, but actually bringing history to life is another use of STEM skills.

If you’ve every watched NOVA’s Medieval Siege program, you’ve seen master builders and researchers use engineering skills to recreate a giant medieval trebuchet. In France, the group ARMÉDIÉVAL recreates medieval machines for museums. In the United States, creating siege machines takes on a more recreational feel at the annual Punkin Chunkin contest in Delaware. However, in the Ozarks of Arkansas, a medieval recreation known as the Ozark Medieval Fortress is under construction with a more serious tone – and it includes catapults

And it’s not just catapults getting the attention. The Maritime Museum of San Diego is building a functional and historically accurate replica of the Spanish expedition flagship used to first explore the West Coast of the U.S. And in 2011 and 2012, the Navy Historical Foundation offered summer fellowships to teachers of science, technology, engineering, math, and U.S. history to work in teams to create museum exhibits showing how the Navy contributed to the peaceful end of the Cold War while creating many innovations.

And while entertaining and educational, these all illustrate another point: that there are hands-on jobs for those who love history. Teachers can use the technology of a certain age to increase interest in history (and vice versa).

Idea 1

Have students select one item from history to research and recreate as a model. The goal should be to design and build a model that if built at full size and with proper materials, would work structurally as the original did. Some to consider:

• A medieval catapults, such as the mangonel, trebuchet, ballista, or onager

• Historic structures such as the London Bridge, Roman aqueducts, or Great Wall of China

• Waterwheels or windmills from history used to power grain mills or sawmills or to pump water

Idea 2

Have students find an unsolved historical mystery and have them discuss in teams how they would apply the scientific method and modern technology to try to solve it. Then, they can do research to see if any researchers/historians have this method and, if so, what they discovered.

Idea 3

Though simpler, building a model-sized kit of a basic catapult, wind generator, bridge, or tower can illustrate the basic concepts used throughout history – and the amazing skill and ingenuity needed by these early builders.

Sources:

Siege Machines book

http://www.punkinchunkin.com

http://www.ozarkmedievalfortress.com/en-us/construction/catapults

http://www.sdmaritime.org/san-salvador/

http://www.navyhistory.org/programs/stem-teacher-fellowships/

A study known as Robots @ School, asked 350 students that were ages 8-12 from Australia, France, Germany, South Africa, the UK, and the US to illustrate and write a story that would answer a simple question:  What would happen if robots were a part of your own everyday life?  The study was conducted by the LEGO Learning Institute and Project Synthesis and also by Latitude, an international research consultancy.  Thirty-eight percent of children wanted a robot they could learn with, while another thirty eight percent of children wanted one they could simply play with.  However, according to student answers, the definition of learning and play were quite similar.  Steve Muskin, founder and president of Latitude, explains the phenomenon: "On the surface, this study is about robots, but, more importantly, it's a new paradigm for learning and creativity, which kids(using robots as a focal point) are helping us uncover." 

For more information on this article click here.

Pitsco offers hundreds of different robotics products that every student Grades 3-12 can use in the classroom.  Check out our TETRIX Builders Guide for lesson plan ideas. 

To learn more about our various robotics products visit this link.

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From now until the end of February while supplies last, every order will include a free pen!

Thank you to all our customers, we hope you are having a great 2013 so far!

In 2012, we created the Teacher Advisor Group, TAG. The "In the Classroom" blog is where they can post their blogs about what is going on in their classroom for teachers by teachers. 

Our TAG group consists of 15 teachers from across the country. We appreciate their participation in this group and we hope that you will be able to benefit from this blog. Our TAG teachers are the following:

Teresa Barton, is a Biology, Honors Biology, AP Biology, Physics and Earth Science teacher at PikeView High School in Princeton, WV. She has been teaching for 30 years.

Jill Brockmier, is a 5th grade teacher in a Self-Contained Classroom at Jefferson Elementary School in Pullman, WA. She has been teaching for 27 years.

Rob Canada, is a 5th grade teacher at Columbus Elementary in Edwardsville, IL. He has been teaching for over 11 years.

Kim Cheek, is a classroom teacher at Wylie Intermediate school in Abilene, TX.

Melissa Eker, is a classroom teacher at Mill Creek Middle school in Olathe, KS. She has been teaching for over 6 years.

Renee' Ekhoff, is a clasrrom teacher at Walnut Middle school in Aurora, NE. She has been teaching for over 6 years.

Barbara Gosney, is a STEM K-6 Specialist at Fireside Elementary school in Phoenix, AZ. She has been teaching for 21 years.

Kathy Hardesty, is a gifted education and accelerated math teacher at Florence Smith STEM School in West Hartford, CT. She has been teaching for 18 years.

Susan Hoover, is a Curriculum Resource teacher at Esteem Academy in Winter Park, FL.

Cyndy Meier, is the Director at the Challenger Learning Center in Indianapolis, IN. She has been in educatin for 33 years.

David Piontek, is a teacher at Founder's Hall Middle School in Charleroi, PA.

Robert Powell, is the Education Coordinator at the Challenger Learning Center in St. Louis, MO. He has been in education for 24 years.

Kim Spaulding, is a 6th grade STEM Science teacher at Texas Middle School in Texarkana, TX. She has been a teacher for 16 years.

Michelle VandyBogurt, is a 6th-12th grade Science teacher in Litschfield Community Schools in Tekonsha, MI. She has been a teacher for 20 years.

Cherry Willoughby, is a 8th grade Earth teacher at Green Sea Floyds Middle/High school in Nichols, SC. She has been a teacher for 13 years.

"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." At Jefferson Elementary School in Pullman, Washington, you can hear Newton's third law being echoed by fifth- and first-grade students in Ms. Brockmier's and Mrs. Mincks' STEM Buddies classroom while using Straw Rockets from Pitsco. Fifth graders work hard to learn and explain many STEM concepts to their buddies. In these photos, you can see fifth graders explaining the difference between the customary system of measurement and the metric system; explaining how to measure in linear units; instructing how to weigh a rocket with grams using a balance scale; explaining the potential mechanical energy required to push/propel the Pitsco Straw Rocket off the launcher, transferring this energy to kinetic energy as it moves through the air; and demonstrating the process of data collection and recording, as well as how to go about finding the average distance their rockets flew through the air. Peer mentoring is a natural fit for what our students need. Students of both age groups apply math, science, engineering, and technology concepts and skills in purposeful, engaging ways that blend problem solving, reasoning, and cooperation to invent a straw rocket that can fly!

Written by Jill Brockmier

Ever since interactive whiteboards began showing up in classrooms in the late 1990s, classroom technology has taken off at an astounding rate.

We have gone from teachers using whiteboards to students using laptops, smartphones, and other personal devices to interact with a whiteboard from anywhere in the classroom. And that scenario is giving way to even more innovative uses of technology.

More and more schools have gone from banning personal devices to encouraging the use of them in certain classroom activities. iPads are proving increasingly useful in education, especially in the area of special education. Students are online doing research, using apps, and engaging in educational multiplayer games. Educators are using digital textbooks, iPads, online programs, and social media to stay connected with their students.

So what can we expect in the future? Well, more of the same - meaning current technology trends will continue, as will the introduction of even more technology. Ideas currently being showcased in classrooms include interactive student desks and the use of augmented reality - the ability to overlay digital information on top of real-world surroundings - to enhance student engagement.

With constant changes and upgrades, how do teachers already taxed for time keep up? If you're feeling overwhelmed, Frank Angelone's 5 Tips For Keeping Up With Technology offers a simple way to learn more about technology. Whether you're still using a chalkboard and eraser or you already have your students blogging daily, Angelone's straightforward tips such as "Read and learn" and "Try it out" are a good guide to follow when trying any new venture - especially classroom technology.

We’ve gone ‘bot crazy! Last fall, Pitsco Education introduced the C-Bot Crawler Bot, a hydraulic-powered mechanical bug that crawled in the footsteps of the popular T-Bot II Kit.

These have been well received, so last month Pitsco introduced three more hydraulic-powered bots:

•          B-Bot Biped Bot, a walking man mechanism that illustrates bipedal motion;

•          J-Bot Jungle Bot, the same man but crawling “hand over hand” on a rope or stick; and

•          G-Bot Gator Bot, an alligator-like mechanism that moves it snout back and forth as it walks. This one also offers a slightly more complex build.

Unlike the T-Bot II or C-Bot, these new hydraulic creations turn linear motion from the syringes into rotary motion on the gears and axles. This is accomplished with a drive train and one-way bearings. Each kit features laser-cut parts that glue and screw together so students can easily build and start using these mechanical devices.

So if you want different hydraulic-powered mechanisms to use in your STEM classroom, we’ve got you covered.

Name: Henrietta Jutson

Role: Teacher of Integrated Systems Technology I, II, and III

School: Jack Britt High School

Located: Fayetteville, NC

Number years teaching: 21

Principal's name: Denise Garison

Did you always want to be a teacher?

No. When I graduated from college with a degree in Industrial Technology, I wanted to pursue a career in manufacturing. I married a soldier and we moved a few times requiring me to change jobs. Each time I found a position, it seemed to involve children and schools.

Eventually I was hired as a lateral entry Technology teacher, became certified and later obtained a Masters in Education and National Board Certification.

What do you teach and why do you like what you teach?

I teach Integrated Systems Technology I, II and III in the high school's Integrated Systems Technology Academy of Engineering. This subject has always been a perfect fit for me since it marries the elements of industry, technology, and creativity.

Why do you like to teach with hands-on products?

I enjoy watching students engage and share knowledge with each other while developing the necessary skills to complete hands-on activities.

Using hands-on products, how does this improve the student’s learning experience?

All studies indicate students retain more information as they engage the 5 senses. I feel that hands-on projects also increase the amount of rigor in learning and to a certain extent allow students the opportunity to practice team working skills, designing, planning and executing when using hands--on projects.

What do you plan on doing with the $500 Pitsco gift certificate?

I plan to purchase a TETRIX robot so my students will have the opportunity to work with an autonomous robot. I have an Arduino at home and know it can control the robot. The fun / learning opportunity will be making the connections, writing the program, and building the robot.

Why do you love Pitsco products?

I have ordered Pitsco products for over 20 years and have found them to be fun, innovative and of good quality. I enjoy looking through the catalog when it comes in the mail and leave it out for my students to peruse too.

Anything else that you would like to say?

I would like to thank Pitsco for giving me the opportunity to bring a new hands-on product to our class/lab. It means so much during these economic times.

Congratulations Henrietta! Thank you for understanding the importance of hands-on learning and making sure that your students get to experience that!