Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/629667
E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y 1 9 W e d n e s d a y, F e b r u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 FIVE REASONS TO START A ROBOTICS COMPETITION TEAM Some benefits of robotics competition teams are the same as any extracurricu- lar activity: social development, improving self-esteem, helping bolster a college application, giving kids a sense of belonging, etc. But robotics competitions do even more. They inspire young people to pursue STEM careers and to be leaders in science and technology. Here are just a few com- pelling reasons to start a VEX Robotics Competition team: Prepare for the Real World In VEX Robotics competitions, students must work as a team to design, build and program their own robot. Not only are they responsible for all aspects of plan- ning and preparing for the competition, but if a robot breaks or malfunctions while competing, students must think on their feet and work together to come up with a solution. This teaches what it's like to work as a team to creatively solve problems under the pressure of a dead- line. Foster Learning at All Levels If you've been part of a robotics compe- tition team, you know that they're any- thing but dull. Competitions immerse students in dynamic teamwork, creative challenges, technical problems, project planning, time management and more. As teams work to apply the engineering process to real-world problems, they must figure out how to work within the parameters given, and also figure out how to be as creative as possible. This adds up to a lot of STEM learning as stu- dents plan, iterate, prototype, design and redesign their robots. Get Interested in STEM Did you know that three- quarters of the fastest grow- ing occupations require sig- nificant mathematics or sci- ence preparation, and that by 2018, there could be 2.4 million unfilled STEM jobs in the U.S? Did you know that 28 percent of U.S. companies say that at least half of their new entry-level hires lack basic STEM literacy? One way to stop this "STEM crisis" is to get more kids inter- ested in pursuing STEM careers, and VEX Robotics Competitions are a great way to do that. By using STEM concepts to solve real-world problems, students get to apply their math and science skills in a fun and interesting way, and this can help spark life-long interest in STEM. Fun for Everyone While building and programming your robot may be the team's focus, there's a lot more involved. Just like any company, the team needs people who can design logos, create team mer- chandise, help with fundraising, track spend- ing, coordinate and man- age logistics, and addi- tional tasks that aren't directly related to engi- neering. This is a great way for kids to see how their skills can add value in a STEM-related field. Why VEX People of all ages love robots, and every- one gets fired up about competition. Because of this, students get excited about STEM without even realizing they're learning. The VEX Robotics Competition is the largest and fastest- growing educational robotics competi- tion for middle school through college- aged students in the world. Last season, more than 10,000 teams from more than 30 nations participated in the VEX Robotics Competition. For more information, visit booth #846. VIRTUAL INDUSTRY EXPERTS IN YOUR CLASSROOM There are millions of professionals with diverse backgrounds and with exciting careers who can create relevance in the classroom and expose students to careers. Yet teachers and students often don't have the vast network of connections in the corporate world to find these role models when they need them. At www.nepris.com, teachers can overcome the limits of time and distance. Teachers can connect with working pro- fessionals in STEM and the Arts through web-enabled interactive Nepris sessions. During these live sessions, students ask questions and the professionals talk about their career, their education, appli- cation of curriculum topics in the real world and their passions. Along the way, these professionals open students' eyes to careers and work they might never have considered. They also bring classroom instruction to life by showing students how the work they do in class is applied outside of school. Kenny Kaye Hudson, Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs at Royse City ISD in Texas said, "One of our driving questions for our students is: how do we help them understand what the real world is like? We live in Royse City, and we've got children who have never been outside of Royse City. One of the things I love about using Nepris is that it opened up the world. It really did. It opened it up so that we can bring in anybody from anywhere and really pique the interest of the kids." Royse City students have now virtually connected with geologists, NASA scien- tists, Samsung engineers, botanists from Scotland and even embalmers. There are more than 1,000 interac- tive Nepris sessions already recorded and available for free viewing. Teachers can join virtual tours and day in the life of interviews with employees from companies like General Motors, AT&T, Samsung, Frito Lay and more. Students can talk with professionals about aerial mapping, fashion design, zoo keeping or virtually any career or topic area one can imagine. Teachers can sign up today for a free ver- sion at www.nepris.com and explore the archived industry videos, request a live industry expert or simply just join an industry offered virtual session. For more information, visit booth #2359L or go to www.nepris.com. IDENTIFY AT-RISK STUDENTS, APPLY INTERVENTIONS WITH ACTIONABLE DASHBOARDS WITHIN AN INFORMATION SYSTEM In the age of standardized testing and assessment, many educators continue to search for ways to monitor student suc- cess, but most importantly, reach stu- dents before it is too late. Even with the aforementioned standardized testing and assessment tools, districts continue to use a variety of measurements to student success, including attendance, disci- pline, grades, grade book activity, pro- gram participation and college pre- paredness, just to name a few among many other indicators. While these indicators will demon- strate that a student is on the path to suc- cess, there is a critical need for the abili- ty to reach students before failure. Educators are now looking beyond stan- dardized test scores and focusing on true multiple measures to determine if a stu- dent is at risk. With Aeries Analytics, dis- tricts now have a real time reporting sys- tem for data analysis that is fully inte- grated with the Aeries SIS. Districts will have the ability to track critical academic indicators addressing all aspects of student learning and are able to provide an in- depth assessment addressing student needs. Moreover, Aeries Analytics has led to the develop- ment of an 'Early Warning System' which provides districts with actionable dashboards to identify students most at- risk within the student information sys- tem. Aeries Analytics Dashboards and Early Warning System creates an envi- ronment of making at-risk and achieve- ment data actionable by identifying and dynamically assigning appropriate inter- ventions within the live student data and dynamically assign the appropriate inter- vention needed. Ultimately, with Aeries Analytics, educators have the ability of foresight and are able to identify students who are trending towards fail- ure depending on the individual parameters set by the district. Districts have the ability to set an unlimited number of indica- tors that are specific to their own needs, including state and local tests with sub-strand support, grade- book, report card and transcript integra- tion, and attendance percentages and thresholds, all in customizable and dynamic dashboards. With Aeries Analytics, it is now easier than ever to proactively identify those students who need the most help and put those stu- dents on the path to success. For more information, visit booth #322, call 805.610.4823, email scott@aeries.com or go to www.aeries.com. IT JUST WORKS: A PRINCIPAL'S TAKE ON FRESHGRADE By Chris Kennedy "Teachers are required to use some of the worst software I have ever seen." This quote resonates with many teachers and administrators. Given the user experience around some of the required software systems over the last twenty years, I know why people think this. When I first heard people talking about FreshGrade – it was through my cynical experience of other recent tech- nology software that I entered the con- versation. Really – we need another e- portfolio system? Don't we already use several in the district? But this is different, I was told – it just works. Over the last year we have had a growing number of teachers use FreshGrade in their classes. Unlike previous initiatives where we provided the tool to everyone, it has been very organic. It has that word of mouth excitement one rarely gets in the world of education technology. All of us who have seen the power of digital access in a classroom have got our hopes up only to have a far too often OPUD (over promise, under deliver) from our digital tools. This feels different. I have seen the power of FreshGrade with my younger son, who attends school in another local school district. This is my ninth year as a parent in the school system, with four kids from grades 1-8. I have seen more of my younger son's thinking, learn- ing and engagement in a month through Continued on Page 32