VariQuest Blog
The VariQuest Visual and Kinesthetic Learning Suite Blog contains resources on classroom ideas, lesson plans, industry news, events, and offers throughout education.
Lessons/Activities/Templates | Career & Technology Education (CTE) | Student Engagement | Grade Level: Secondary (7-12) | VariQuest Tools: Cutout Maker 1800 | Featured Topics: Student Engagement | Academic Subject: Special Education | VariQuest Tools: Cold Laminator 2510 | Featured Topics: Lessons and Activities | Kinesthetic Learning | VariQuest Tools: Motiva 400 | VariQuest Tools: Perfecta 2400STP | VariQuest Tools: Perfecta 3600STP
By:
VariQuest Visual and Kinesthetic Learning Suite
October 25th, 2022
As educators, we prepare our students not only with the tools needed to succeed in reading, writing, and arithmetic, but we're also preparing them for success as they move into adulthood beginning college and careers. As such, many schools consider implementing student-based enterprise programs, to teach students real-world skills in exploring all the facets of running a business - from research & development to manufacturing to accounting to marketing. And because we know every educator could use extra tools to keep in their teaching "toolboxes" - we've put together a comprehensive booklet that just might help.
Perfecta | Student Engagement | Grade Level: Post-secondary (12+) | Grade Level: Secondary (7-12) | VariQuest Tools: Cutout Maker 1800 | Kinesthetic Learning | Project-based Learning | VariQuest Tools: Perfecta 2400STP | Academic Subject: Reading | VariQuest Tools: Perfecta 3600STP | social-emotional learning | visual learning | VariQuest Tools: Perfecta 2400PRO | Engage Every Learner Content
By:
VariQuest Visual and Kinesthetic Learning Suite
May 4th, 2022
Have you ever wondered why we choose to work for VariQuest? We've got a whole team of dedicated employees and in our new promotional video series, #variquestvalue, you can hear their unique stories and perspective on our brand and the value our products and services bring to our customers!
This helpful guide includes an explanation of the grant process, including a checklist (with samples!), and useful links and resources to find funding!
Special Education | Grade Level: Secondary (7-12) | VariQuest Tools: Cutout Maker 1800 | Academic Subject: Special Education | VariQuest Tools: Cold Laminator 2510 | VariQuest Tools: Motiva 400 | VariQuest Tools: Perfecta 2400STP | VariQuest Tools: Perfecta 3600STP
By:
VariQuest Visual and Kinesthetic Learning Suite
February 21st, 2022
Traveling from classroom to classroom, assisting students, completing necessary documentation, and on top of their vital instruction and planning, these are the challenges that middle and high school special education teachers face every day. Creating schedules to meet varying needs and keeping well-organized notes and records is of the utmost importance, to avoid becoming overwhelmed. We've joined with Cathy Henry, founder and partner of The Curriculum Corner and Free Word Work and with a Master's Degree in Special Education, to bring you this toolkit complete with printable charts, posters, handouts, and more to assist you in organizing and managing your important workload.
Lessons/Activities/Templates | Academic Subject: English Language Arts | Grade Level: Secondary (7-12) | Featured Topics: Lessons and Activities
By:
Carman Le
April 26th, 2018
For many years, comprehension strategies centered on students making connections to their texts. These may have included: Text-to-Self, Text-to-Text, and Text-to-World. However, this continued strategy seemed to only produce readers who wanted to talk about themselves. Very few times were they connecting with other texts or with world situations. Hence, a deeper understanding of the text became elusive. Having the experience of desperately pulling deeper understanding of a text from my students, I was introduced to the strategy of "close reading." Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey wrote a fantastic article in The Reading Teacher titled Close Reading in Elementary Schools, where they outline how to incorporate this "text dependent question" approach into your literacy time. The basics are:
Lessons/Activities/Templates | Common Core | Grade Level: Secondary (7-12) | Grade Level: Intermediate (3-6) | Featured Topics: Classroom Celebrations/Holidays | Featured Topics: Common Core | VariQuest Tools: Cold Laminator 2510 | Featured Topics: Lessons and Activities | Academic Subject: Mathematics | VariQuest Tools: Trifecta 800 3D Printer | 3D Printing
By:
Carman Le
March 15th, 2018
"Class, what is the Order of Operations?" My energetic class of fifth graders shouted out loud, "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally!" What? Who is Aunt Sally? When students initially learn how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, they are taught to perform those skills using two numbers and one operation. As they progress to the next levels, they begin to see numerical expressions with more than one operation and word problems that involve multiple steps. Introduce your students to the Order of Operations - and help them memorize the "PEMDAS" or "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" acronym as early as third grade. Putting this memory into practice can be more of a challenge - so we've come up with some tips and a fun lesson plan activity for your students to drive the concept home!
Career & Technology Education (CTE) | Student Engagement | Grade Level: Secondary (7-12) | student achievement
By:
VariQuest Visual & Kinesthetic Learning Tools
November 30th, 2017
20, 15, even 10 years ago - when you thought about Career and Technical Education (CTE), you would picture a wood shop or auto mechanics class at a high school. But things have changed, and CTE isn't your dad's trade training anymore. Career & Technical Education Programs built for the 21st Century look drastically different - with schools building skill-development for many real-world jobs such as engineering, graphic design, teaching, business management, and so much more. The goal is achieving what schools have always worked towards - preparing students for college or careers - but this broader spectrum is geared towards a new kind of learner.
Career & Technology Education (CTE) | Student Engagement | Grade Level: Secondary (7-12) | student achievement
By:
VariQuest Visual & Kinesthetic Learning Tools
November 16th, 2017
Despite being 18 years into the new millennium, we hear a lot about "21st Century Learning Environments" these days, as schools are struggling to adapt to meet the needs of a new kind of learner - one who is constantly immersed in technology, and thus needs engaging, hands-on activities to feel connected to the real-life, real-world. With this in mind, we've created a 6-step checklist to help you assess building new, or enhancing your current CTE program, based on tactics our customers have implemented, as proof these techniques really work. For example...
Recognition | VariQuest Super Schools | Grade Level: Secondary (7-12) | VariQuest Tools: Awards Maker 400 | Academic Subject: Career & Technical Education
By:
Heidi Glasow
May 6th, 2016
Poster Maker 3600 | Grade Level: Secondary (7-12) | Grade Level: Intermediate (3-6) | Academic Subject: STEM | VariQuest Tools: Poster Maker 3600 | VariQuest Tools: Cutout Maker 1800 | Academic Subject: Science
By:
Margo Ensz
August 31st, 2015
Engage students in learning the parts of a plant cell with a variety of teaching tools and fun activities using your VariQuest Cutout Maker 1800 and VariQuest Perfecta Poster Design System!
Grade Level: Primary (PK-2) | Grade Level: Secondary (7-12) | Grade Level: Intermediate (3-6) | VariQuest Tools: Perfecta 2400 | Academic Subject: Social Studies and History | Featured Topics: Lessons and Activities | Featured Topics: Templates for FREE download
By:
Margo Ensz
March 19th, 2015
"The trouble with Women’s History Month—with all these special months—is that they encourage people to think that problems have been solved. The female heroes of yesterday are acknowledged, the debt paid and the slate wiped clean." -Maureen Costello, "The Trouble with Women's History Month" Use this quote and the resources below to discuss the past, present, and future of women's history in the context of Women's History Month.