Blog Posts

How do you get from coding to social studies? You Map It!

Posted by Admin on October 28, 2019

As we’ve seen in a previous blog post, KUBO is great for teaching coding in Grades K-5. The hands-on, screen-free solution uses TagTiles® to make coding as simple as solving a puzzle. And the quick setup and progressive system of Coding, Coding+, and Coding++ tiles allows for an easy transition from simple to complex concepts.

But KUBO is so much more than just coding! The free lessons and activities available at KUBO.education make this a truly cross-curricular adventure.

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Topics: IN THE CLASSROOM, Elementary School, IDEAS & INSPIRATION, ROBOTICS, Technology, Coding, Hands-on Learning, innovate

KUBO Coding+ enhances computer science camp

Posted by Admin on October 19, 2019

Ever since KUBO, the screen-free, plug-and-learn robot, debuted in US classrooms in 2018, elementary students across the nation have been introduced to the concepts of coding in an easy, hands-on way by simply piecing together the TagTiles® that contain the code necessary to make KUBO move. And now, more and more educators are discovering the breadth of learning possibilities through KUBO’s various resources.

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Topics: IN THE CLASSROOM, Elementary School, BEYOND THE CLASSROOM, ROBOTICS, Camps, Coding, 21st Century Skills

National Techies Day: Definitely a reason to celebrate

Posted by Preston Frazier on October 03, 2019

“Technology makes the world a new place.”
 – Shoshana Zuboff

Yes . . . we’re celebrating another holiday. This one might be a little obscure, but it’s worth recognizing. October 3 is National Techies Day. Per Merriam-Webster, a “techie is a person who is very knowledgeable or enthusiastic about technology and especially high technology.” One would naturally assume that National Techies Day is all about those who love smartphones, smart watches, smart homes, and anything else deemed smart. And that’s true to some degree, but there’s also another aspect of it that is even cooler than the latest tech – promoting technology-based careers to today’s learners and future workforce. 

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Topics: IN THE CLASSROOM, BEYOND THE CLASSROOM, IDEAS & INSPIRATION, ROBOTICS, Teacher Resources, Collaborations, Technology, Careers, Coding, Professional Development, Future Ready, TETRIX Robotics, 21st Century Skills

FIRST® teams ready to RISE after SKYSTONE reveal

Posted by Preston Frazier on September 10, 2019

FIRST® just released the new game for the 2019-2020 FIRST Tech Challenge season, SKYSTONESM presented by Qualcomm, and excitement and good vibes are starting to RISESM all across the country!

Towering Skystones

On Saturday, September 7, hundreds of robotics teams attended kickoff events around the country or watched their social media news feeds feverishly as the game was formally announced. They learned the important aspects of the game and engineering challenges that make the competition fun. The basic construct:

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Topics: Competitions, ROBOTICS, FIRST Tech Challenge, Future Ready, TETRIX Robotics, 21st Century Skills

ISTE 2019: What’s new, what’s for you, and what to do next

Posted by Preston Frazier on July 26, 2019

About a month ago, we were gathered for ISTE National Conference in Philadelphia with 20,369 attendees from all 50 states and 81 countries. There were 3,196 presenters, including 479 students and more than 500 exhibitors. All the new, upcoming, and breakthrough ed tech and 21st-century learning trends were on display. There were so many options –everything from 3-D printing to virtual reality to coding were there for administrators and teachers to try out, test, and see.

And as expected it was a connected conference – 123,479 tweets using #ISTE19, #ISTE2019, and #ISTEinPA were sent and Instagram stories were viewed 104,222 times, with messages such as how Ursuline School was super pumped to meet Mr. Robot. And TAG teacher David Lockett was happy to share the good news about Fable and Smart Buddies.

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Topics: ROBOTICS, Technology, Trends, Coding, TETRIX Robotics, innovate, Conferences, 3-D Printing, Virtual Reality