WHAT’S NEW WITH VARIQUEST?

NEW PRODUCT: Trifecta™ 800 3D Printer

We've been busy developing an invaluable product that aligns with the goals of the maker movement and taps into the brains (and hands!) of kinesthetic learners. Now, we're excited to introduce a brand new addition to the VariQuest suite that educators and school officials are sure to love—Trifecta™ 800 3D Printer! Click below to learn about our latest product, and be sure to tell us what you think.

NEW SUPPLY: Repositionable Paper

Are you always running out of magnets or whiteboard space to display your posters? Can't stand having to deal with messy tape or sharp thumbtacks? Make your life easier with VariQuest's brand new repositionable paper! Unlike permanent adhesive papers, our repositionable paper can be easily removed with no residue left behind, and reapplied to another wall in the classroom. Use it for your Perfecta 2400 or Poster Maker 3600. Also available for ProImage Poster Printer. Check it out here!

IN THE KNOW

Making Sense of "Making" and Whole-Brain Teaching & Learning

Unless you've been hiding under the proverbial rock the past two years, you've undoubtedly heard of the maker movement. The maker movement “treats children as though they are competent.” Empowering students to realize their own powerful ideas and bring these ideas to life is a transformational learning experience, and the sort of connections from abstract to reality that will be necessary for students in tomorrow’s world.

Dr. Melissa Hughes, Ph.D. and founder of the Andrick Group, explains how this movement relates to whole-brain learning. Click below to learn ways to improve teaching with brain-based research.

What Makes a Makerspace?

Doing, creating, crafting, constructing, designing, building...as long as you're making, you're learning! But what should students be making? And where can they "make"? Check out this blog post to see what to include in your makerspace, whether it's a high-tech space or a simpler version.

IN THE CLASSROOM

NEW E-GUIDE: Common Core Toolkit

What do 42 states, the District of Columbia, 4 territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity share at their educative core: the Common Core State Standards. That's why VariQuest has partnered with The Curriculum Corner to provide a clear understanding of the state standards in a visually pleasing manner for both students and educators. Download your free ebook that includes:

•  Instructions for using the toolkit
•  Teacher checklists to track Common Core progress in the classroom
•  Student checkboxes to self-track progress in English and Spanish
•  Nearly 400 printable posters to download--for free!

LESSON PLAN: "Menu Math" for Grades 1-3

With this math-based activity, students will increase independence in using operations & various strategies to solve real-world money math problems. All you need are the problem and task cards, and the menu, printed and laminated using your Perfecta 2400 and Cold Laminator 2510. Check out the lesson here.

LESSON PLAN: "Menu Math" for Grades 4-8

Just like the activity above, show students they can use operations and other strategies to solve real-world money problems with this lesson for grades 4-8. Using your Perfecta 2400 and Cold Laminator 2510, print and laminate the corresponding materials for a valuable math lesson. Read the full activity here.

LESSON PLAN: "Self Awareness" for Grades 4-8

"Who am I?" Students will explore this question in class and share their discoveries with classmates. The ultimate goal is for students to develop better relationships within the class a result of this activity. All you need is a popular movie soundtrack, a computer or music device to play the soundtrack, and the Poster Maker 3600 to print posters of the corresponding PDFs. Read the entire lesson here.