Vernier Software & Technology Partners with Magnitude.io to Engage Students in a Virtual Field Trip to Space

Vernier Software & Technology recently partnered with Magnitude.io to engage students in a virtual field trip to the International Space Station (ISS). During this unique distance learning opportunity, students will participate in the ExoLab-8 plant science experiment in which they will grow and analyze their own legumes simultaneously with legumes grown in space. Vernier is offering a special discount to educators interested in participating in this experiment and purchasing the accompanying student and educator kits.

ExoLab-8 is designed to put students at the forefront of scientific research by having them discover insights alongside Magnitude.io’s team of principal investigators and scientists. This month, Magnitude.io will launch legumes, red clover, into orbit that will grow on the ISS for 30 days. Then students will have the opportunity to participate in post-flight genetic and data analysis. During this time students can grow their red clover simultaneously with the legumes grown in space and observe the differences between their growth and development. As a demonstration project, the goal is to achieve root nodulation on red clover for the first time in the microgravity environment of the ISS within the Space Tango CubeLab, relying on an autonomous system that initiates germination and fixes the plants while in orbit.

“ExoLab-8 provides a truly one-of-a-kind, hands-on learning opportunity that will teach students about important NGSS-aligned topics, as well as crosscutting concepts,” said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. “Through our partnership with Magnitude.io and the special offer we are providing, we are hoping more educators and students across multiple grade levels and disciplines will be able to participate in this immersive learning experience.”…Read More

3M and Discovery Education Open Call for Entries for America’s Next Top Young Scientist

3M and Discovery Education are excited to announce that the 2021  3M Young Scientist Challenge ( #YoungScientist) is now open to entries. As the nation’s premier middle school science competition, the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge invites students in grades 5-8 to compete for an exclusive mentorship with a 3M scientist, a $25,000 grand prize, and the chance to earn the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.” Competition entries are accepted at  YoungScientistLab.com until the April 27, 2021 deadline.

Each year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge recognizes the grand prize winner, 10 finalists, the Improving Lives Award winner, and up to 51 state merit winners nationwide who have demonstrated a passion for solving everyday problems to improve the world around them.

To enter, students in grades 5-8 need an original idea that helps solve an everyday problem in their community. They are invited to submit their solution in the form of a one to two-minute video explaining the science behind it. A diverse group of judges will evaluate entries based on creativity, scientific knowledge, and effective communication skills. Videos will not be judged on production skills and may be recorded on cell phones or basic digital cameras.…Read More

Kids Discover Partners with Rhino Records to Release Free Units Celebrating Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Curtis Mayfield for Black History Month

Kids Discover, a leading provider of high-interest nonfiction for social studies and science, has partnered with Rhino Records, the catalog division of Warner Music Group, to celebrate Black History Month by releasing three free units honoring classic Atlantic Records artists Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin as well as Curtom Records’ Curtis Mayfield. Each of these units, featuring music, original album art, and more, will be freely available on the Kids Discover website for the entire month of February.

Designed to shine a light on the lives and impact of these music industry legends, the free units engage students in grades 3–8 through music and raise awareness of Black contributions to the arts and society. Educators can choose from three different Lexile levels for use in grades 3–4, 5–6, or 7–8. To make the materials available to as many students as possible, the free units do not require a registered account or login.

“In the past, we’ve always made a number of units in our library free to celebrate Black History Month,” said Ted Levine, the President and CEO of Kids Discover. “Given what has transpired in our country over the past few years, we took time to reflect on what else we could do to share the stories and impact of Black history and culture. In July, we released a five-part pledge, two tenets of which were to increase the number of stories we tell about Black figures in American history and to collaborate with organizations that share this vision. We’re excited to partner with Rhino to offer engaging, multimedia content that will educate and inspire students while highlighting the impact these three figures have had on our history and culture.”…Read More

CoderZ Encouraging Title I Schools to Sign-up Students for the Amazon Cyber Robotics Challenge

The Amazon Cyber Robotics Challenge has passed the halfway mark, but it’s not too late for teachers and students to sign up. Since the fall, CoderZ and Amazon Future Engineer have been bringing real-world industry to Title I classrooms with this free, three-hour virtual learning experience. Students can sign up for the challenge to learn the basics of computer science at any time until the end of the current school year. They will also uncover how Amazon uses computer science and robotics daily to deliver customer goods.

Schools that support students from underserved communities who finish the challenge will have the chance to keep learning on CoderZ’s cloud-based platform with its virtual robots and game-like “missions.” For teachers who want to continue with CoderZ, Amazon will also sponsor free access to the yearlong curriculum for 100,000 students from underserved communities within the United States for a full semester during 2020 – 2021.

“We’re truly delighted to be partnering with Amazon Future Engineer,” said Ms. Yaarit Levy, VP Business Development at CoderZ. “This challenge has proved to be an excellent way to keep students engaged and learning even if they can’t be together with teachers at this time.”…Read More

Flinn Scientific Partners with the Virginia Technology Student Association to Support Virtual STEM Competitions

Flinn Scientific, a flagship provider of science lab materials and safety and STEM solutions for the K-16 education market, has partnered with the Virginia Technology Student Association (Virginia TSA) to support and expand participation in virtual, intra-curricular student STEM competitions. Through the partnership, new Virginia TSA school chapters can purchase Flinn Scientific’s WhiteBox Learning program at an exclusive rate to be used by students as they compete in regional, state, and national competitions that test their engineering skills. Additionally, new Virginia TSA school chapters will receive incentives from Virginia TSA for engaging and exposing STEM students to learning, leadership, and career opportunities.

“In today’s virtual and in-person environments, WhiteBox Learning allows students to work like real-world scientists as they experience the engineering design process,” said Michael Lavelle, CEO of Flinn Scientific. “Our partnership with Virginia TSA will help us support and grow virtual competitions throughout the state, as well as expand Virginia schools’ use of our virtual engineering curriculum to support CTE and STEM education.”

Virginia TSA is the state affiliate of the national Technology Student Association (TSA) which is a national, non-profit career and technical student organization (CTSO) of middle school and high school students who are engaged in STEM. Since TSA was chartered in 1978, more than 5 million student members have participated in the organization’s competitions, intra-curricular activities, leadership opportunities, community service, and more.…Read More

VHS Learning Students Once Again Exceed National Averages on Advanced Placement Exams

Students taking Advanced Placement® courses through VHS Learning maintained their decade-plus record of exceeding the national average pass rate on AP® exams. A score of 3 or higher on an AP® exam is considered a “passing” grade for AP® college credit at many universities.

The national pass rate for the 2020 AP® Environmental Science exam was just over half (53%), but almost all (95%) VHS Learning students passed that exam. Pass rates for the 2020 AP® English Literature and Composition exam were even more remarkable. Nationally, 60% of all the students who took that exam received a passing score, but the VHS Learning pass rate was 100%, meaning all VHS Learning students who took the exam achieved a score of 3 or higher.

“What a pleasure it is to see our VHS Learning students continue to surpass AP® exam national averages, especially in a year as stressful as this one,” said Carol DeFuria, President & CEO of VHS Learning. “We’re happy that VHS Learning can help provide continuity of learning and a strong educational foundation to students during these trying times.”…Read More

Vernier Graphical Analysis Pro App Wins Top Education Awards

The Vernier Graphical Analysis™ Pro app, which engages students in advanced data analysis from biology, chemistry, and physics experiments, was recently recognized by two leading education awards. The app was named a winner of the Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTE 2020 Awards and the platinum winner in the STEM/STEAM App category of THE Journal’s 2020 New Product Awards.

“Graphical Analysis Pro provides the unique ability for students to delve into science concepts in new and unique ways, analyze experiments at their own pace as they learn remotely or in their classrooms, and create their own videos for scientific analysis, all while they are engaged in three-dimensional learning,” said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. “We are thrilled to be recognized by both Tech & Learning and THE Journal for this revolutionary app and the impact it has on providing students meaningful STEM learning experiences—regardless of whether they are in the classroom or learning remotely.”

The Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTE 2020 Awards recognize products that are transforming teaching and learning during the pandemic and beyond. The judges selected the winning products based on numerous factors, including value, uniqueness in the market, and the product’s ability to solve specific problems for educators and administrators.…Read More

Flinn Scientific adds New Labs to Science2Go

Flinn Scientific, a flagship provider of science lab materials and safety and STEM solutions for the K-16 education market, has added new digital labs to the award-winning Science2Go. This includes new lab series for high school chemistry and biology, which are being offered at an introductory price for schools and districts through the end of the year, as well as new individual labs for high school physics, middle school physical science, and middle school life science.

“Science2Go provides a safe and engaging way to teach middle and high school students important concepts across a range of science disciplines,” said Mike Lavelle, CEO of Flinn Scientific. “These new labs are part of our effort to continually enhance our program to further support teachers with their instruction and to provide students with more enriching lab experiences, regardless if they are in-person or learning remotely.”

The new lab series for both high school biology and high school chemistry – Biology Lab Series 2 and Chemistry Lab Series 2, respectively – are delivered using a new “Predict & Explain” format in which students predict results and then see how closely those results match the lab outcomes. Each new series covers new topics including energy from food,, plant growth, and ocean acidification for biology to gases, structure-property relationship, and equilibrium for chemistry.…Read More

Oklahoma’s State Textbook Committee Unanimously Approves Discovery Education Science Techbook

Following a comprehensive evaluation, the  Oklahoma State Textbook Committee has unanimously approved the Elementary and Middle School editions of  Discovery Education’s  Science Techbook for statewide use as core instructional resources.  Oklahoma’s adoption of the Science Techbook empowers the state’s school systems to purchase and integrate this innovative digital resource, and corresponding print resources, into teaching and learning.  Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms.

Delivered through the dynamic, flexible  Discovery Education Experience K-12 platform, Science Techbook drives engagement with exclusive phenomena and interactive content. Virtual and hands-on investigations, STEM activities and a variety of instructional supports enhance the delivery of impactful, blended instruction, in person or at a distance.

Available with the Science Techbook are coordinated digital and print teacher guides offering unit, concept, and lesson overviews, standards connections, and differentiation activities to inform instructional planning and guide three-dimensional learning. Teacher editions also provide flexible pacing options, embedded teacher notes, and Pathways for Learning to address diverse learners. Print student editions and interactive worktexts are available for every grade level and integrate seamlessly with the digital and hands-on assets of this comprehensive program.…Read More

McGraw Hill Announces New Elementary Math Program That Increases Student Curiosity and Confidence

Learning science company McGraw Hill today announced the release of Reveal Math, a new K-5 math program that offers a unique instructional model helping teachers incorporate both inquiry-focused and teacher-guided instructional strategies to unlock their students’ mathematical potential.

Reveal Math for K-5 joins Reveal Math for grades 6-12, which is currently used in hundreds of schools nationwide, creating a comprehensive K-12 curriculum.

For more information about Reveal Math, visit:  https://www.mheducation.com/prek-12/program/microsites/MKTSP-GIP20M0/elementary.html…Read More

CoderZ Contributes to the National Computer Science for All Movement

The CSforALL movement, to bring computer science to all US students, marked a major growth milestone today. Along with 126 organizations, CoderZ has made new commitments to advance computer science education access and opportunity for youth across the United States at the 2020 CSforALL Commitments Showcase.

“In partnership with Amazon Future Engineer, we’ve committed to providing coding and robotics instruction to 150,000 students over the next 12 months,” said Ido Yerushalmi, CEO of CoderZ. “We’re doing this by offering free access to our virtual robotics platform for up to 1,000 teachers working in Title I schools across the United States by the summer of 2021.”

Additionally, CoderZ in partnership with the Intelitek STEM and CTE Education Foundation, is committed to empowering traditionally underserved communities with better access to STEM. “CoderZ is very pleased to be involved in the national movement to increase access to and equity in computer science for all,” said Yerushalmi. “It’s extremely important for all students to have access to this area of knowledge, even if it does not become their career of choice. We are dedicated to making this type of learning fun, empowering and accessible to as many students as possible.”…Read More

Vernier Software & Technology Takes Science to the Next Level

To further support collaborative STEM learning, Vernier Software & Technology recently launched LabQuest 3. This standalone data-collection platform takes the award-winning LabQuest interface and enhances it with a robust set of new features and functionality for middle school, high school, and college students to use during classroom, laboratory, or field investigations.

“LabQuest 3 makes it easier than ever for students to collect, analyze, and interact with data as they engage in hands-on scientific discovery,” said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. “The platform’s full set of new features—from its capacitive touch screen to its compatibility with our complete family of Go Direct® wireless sensors—really take the data-collection experience to the next level for students.”

LabQuest 3 is a full-featured platform highlighted by a large, high-resolution color screen, and intuitive software navigation using gestures, which can be a faster, more ergonomic way to interact with the screen. LabQuest 3 also offers robust wireless capabilities that provide students the ability to collect data anywhere when using the device. Students can connect LabQuest 3 to any of the Go Direct sensors using Bluetooth® wireless technology or, if needed, easily connect to wired Vernier sensors. With Wi-Fi wireless connectivity, students can collect and share data with multiple devices—including computers, Chromebooks, or mobile devices running Vernier Graphical Analysis—for a hands-on, collaborative learning experience.…Read More