Unless you just refuse to get rid of your Atari, rotary dial telephone and black and white telly, most of us are living in a digital age with digital computers, digital televisions, digital telephones, digital cameras and digital textbooks. Yep that’s right, I said textbooks.
The state of California has led the way in an initiative to use free digital textbooks; yep I said FREE textbooks, and still meet state standards. So with budget cuts and programs being dropped and the nation in a financial crisis, schools can start using FREE digital textbooks this fall.
Printed textbooks are a huge expense for schools. They become outdated as soon as they are published. Textbooks are heavy to lug around and they are predetermined, they limit lesson plans by not reaching every student’s needs and let’s face it, they are lacking in excitement.
Kids these days are already going digital, they should be taught with what they know, what they are comfortable with. Going digital not only provides solutions to everything in the previous paragraph, but it also opens the door for students to experience more, learn more and question more. By having digital resources, students can ask a question and then search for the answer or answers and then search for more and more. And not to sound too cliché, but they will have the world at their fingertips.
Pitsco offers printed Teacher’s Guides and other printed materials. We want your opinion as our customers, would you like to go digital and be able to purchase a PDF version of our education materials or do you prefer the printed version? Are you a book worm or a computer bug? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.
Read More Textbook Articles:New York TimesConvergeLos Angeles Times
Several new products have been added to the 2009 STEM catalog and one thing comes to mind, BIG!
Everyone loves the classic trebuchet, but what’s not to love about the Large Trebuchet Demonstrator. This mammoth kit stands almost two feet in the air and can sling up to a 10-gram projectile. We added wheels to help move it, that’s how big it is.
The Big Oz Water Rocket kit is in a class all its own. With a bigger rocket tube and nose cone ball, it still conveniently uses a 20-ounce bottle. The secret lies within the tube; a 12” parachute is released after takeoff and returns this giant rocket home safely.
What’s a theme park without a roller coaster and what fun is it to teach Energy without your very own Roller Coaster Track? The beauty of this product is you can make it as massive as you want. The kit is sold in four different track lengths and includes three different balls to test and an activity guide.
Also included in the catalog are two new Engineering Teacher’s Guides: Aerospace Engineering Teacher’s Guide and TETRIX™ R/C Robotics Engineering Teacher’s Guide. Throw in the AP Glider and several new product videos and you get one great catalog.
Hurry out to your mailbox and get yours today. If you aren’t on our mailing list and would like a free copy, please visit shop.pitsco.com or call 800-835-0686.
TETRIX was featured on KOAM-TV and KFJX-TV Tuesday. Reporter Jordan Aubey interviewed CEO Harvey Dean, R&D Manager Paul Uttley, and TETRIX Product Manager Tony Allen for the piece. Check out the news segment.
When it comes to students receiving accolades, we often first think of athletes. But on July 20, math students had their turn in the spotlight.
In the Oval Office, President Barack Obama congratulated the top finishers for the 2009 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition. Joining the President was Dr. John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. This is the ninth year in a row that the champions have been received at the Oval Office.
The national competition was held on May 8 in Orlando, Florida.
Check out the full story at TradingMarkets’ Web site:
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2431904/?relatestories=1
As one of the sponsors of MATHCOUNTS, Pitsco Education is pleased to see special attention given to these high-achieving Mathletes®.
Alarm clock set, supply filled backpacks, and dirt-free tennis shoes can only mean one thing…..it’s time for Back to School. The care free days of summer are drawing to a close and it’s time once again to get back in the classroom and lead another class to an exciting, lesson planned year.
If you aren’t quite sure where to start and you can’t decide which lesson should be taught first, no worries. Pitsco has the solution for you with exclusive products such as ChallengePak or Invention Explore-A-Pak. Both packs are a great way to let your students adjust to their classroom and ease back into the swing of things.
ChallengePak includes Mousetraps, wheels, axles, dowel rods, wood strips, rubber bands, balloons, and more. Your students will be amazed at how many challenges are possible with this pack.
The Invention Explore-A-Pak includes rubber bands, straws, basswood, dowel rods, Skill Sticks, balloons, wheels, glue, plastic spools, and more. The numbers of inventions are endless with this pack.
Both packs are for a class of 25 and allow students to use their imaginations and are great for a teacher on a budget. Allow your students to explore, invent and challenge themselves this year by introducing them to the basics of engineering and tinkering.