VARconnection

21st Century ‘C’ Skills Gained Another ‘C’

We’ve all heard the “four C’s of 21st century” skills that students need to learn to excel in the future – critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. Since schools are evolving criteria to incorporate these skills, there has been an increase in project-based learning, inquiry learning, and an emphasis on higher order thinking over rote … Continue reading →

Tips and Tricks: Starting a Coding Program

K-12 coding and computer programing has peaked teachers’ interest over the years in many districts. This is partially due to our nation’s need for computer programing graduates for fill jobs. Even with increased interest in computer science among teachers, only 40% of schools teach computer programing. If you’re talking to a district who wants to … Continue reading →

Virtual Reality and Where it is Headed

How cool would it be to take a field trip to Australia or see inside the human body? With virtual reality, students can do just that and more! This is why virtual reality is becoming popular in schools. Students now have the ability to experience things they otherwise couldn’t. As a result, market analysts are … Continue reading →

Writing Effective Emails for Educators

Email marketing is a huge aspect of any business’ marketing because businesses can get their message across and easily track the results. The hardest part of email marketing is making sure you get your message across well so you readers engage. According to data from Agile Education Marketing, 40% of educators value email for communicating … Continue reading →

Tips and Tricks: Conference Lead Nurturing

For everyone who has been to a conference, you know it isn’t cheap to attend. Whether or not you are exhibiting, there is still the costs for travel, food, and hotel stays. You also lose productivity due to travel time and being out of the office. Conferences can still provide a good return through the … Continue reading →

Tips and Tricks: Redesigning Classrooms

Collaboration is a buzz word that we will be talking more and more about because of the fundamental shift in the nature of work. Educators should consider these tips when redesigning their classrooms. Involve students in the design process Educators should talk with students about where they like to learn and why. Think about student … Continue reading →

Collaborative Classrooms: What You Need to Know

We’ve all heard that education is shifting to prepare students for the workforce. So, what exactly is shifting in the classroom? Schools are starting to implement collaborative classrooms. This includes new furniture, classroom layouts, and curriculum that involved play and game learning and constructive group activities. Classrooms are no longer set up with desks and … Continue reading →

How Districts Can Increase Student Interest in STEM

According to MDR, the demand for employees in STEM careers is continuing to outgrow the supply of trained workers. Many elementary teachers don’t feel confident about teaching science so students are spending a significantly small amount of time on this subject. This is leading to less students taking an interest in science content later in … Continue reading →

New Student-Centered Funding Pilot Program

According to the U.S. Department of Education, DeVos announced a new flexibility program to make student-centered funding systems under a pilot program authorized by ESSA. School districts will be allowed to combine eligible Federal funds with State and local funds to allocate resources to schools based on the number of students and level of need. … Continue reading →

Why Collaborative Classrooms are Important

In today’s world, students need to learn how to collaborate to succeed in college and beyond. Teachers are no longer in the front of the classroom lecturing students. Collaborative designs are flexible and fully compatible. What does a collaborative classroom look like? The big emphasis of collaborative classrooms is group work. Tables enable small groups … Continue reading →