Education Resources Blog

We're talking a lot about virtual needs and resources these days, but what about needs for those who NEED to be in-person? We at VariQuest are corresponding (from a distance, of course) with friends and family who are on the front lines of fighting this pandemic in healthcare facilities, and a common need at these places was around mitigating confusion via signage. People showing up to schools and hospitals need to know where they can and should go, to get the essential food pick-up and emergency care they need. And we thought - we can help with that!

At VariQuest, we offer many tools and resources to help you enhance the learning environment in your classroom. Our interactive learning tools for teachers and students are highly effective for helping children flourish in the classroom and increase in their knowledge and comprehension of different subjects. With the latest trends in classroom technology, teachers are turning more to interactive methods of teaching, and using the various tools that make this way of relating information, data, concepts, and ideas possible. Educators have numerous opportunities to present information in a fun and engaging way through interactive learning.

At VariQuest, we help educators and students alike in the quest for effective teaching and learning by supplying easy-to-use and highly effective visual and teaching aids. As you review our selection of academic tools that are able to help you transform your classroom, you will find excellent solutions for helping teachers teach and students learn more effectively. These tools create effective teaching aids such as visual posters, presentation templates, and more.

Did you know? When you become a VariQuest customer, you don't just receive hardware + software. Of course, that part is pretty great...because...THOUSANDS of templates, graphics, cutouts, and collections? Kind of a big deal. But VariQuest customers have access to so much more - and one of those benefits is the VariQuest Resource Center - with exclusive content, INCLUDING a bunch of additional free posters to download and print on your Perfecta® Poster Design System! If you're a VariQuest customer and not using these visual aid posters already, log in right now and download! And if you're not a customer yet, well - let us show you just a sampling of what you could be enjoying!

Have you been BOO-ed yet? Not sure what that even means?  Growing up, October was one of my favorite months. Seriously, who can say no to the candy, the parties, the s’mores and campfire nights, the visits to the pumpkin patch, and of course, the trick or treating? On top of all that fun, my neighborhood always had a cute tradition for the month of October. The more I thought about this tradition, I thought it would be fun to start a tradition like this in school. So, instead of keeping it a “teacher thing” - I introduced it to my class, with great enthusiasm! 

It's back-to-school time again?! Already!? YAY!!! I understand how busy and crazy the first few days of school can be, so I’ve put together some materials for you to use on the first few days of school. These activities easily align to your reading, math, writing, and social-emotional learning objectives with very minimal modifications needed. They are simple, engaging, and more importantly you can use your students’ creations as a nice hallway display. Go ahead and check that box and download the activities now for free!

We used to call it hands-on learning.  Before high-tech classrooms, learning labs, and makerspaces, kids would build and create and make things using buttons, bottle caps, popsicle sticks, and glue.  The focus was on exploration, discovery, creativity, and problem-solving.  There was no clear distinction between the arts, engineering, science, and math.  Kids were making things, expressing their creativity, and they were learning how things worked. The current buzzword is experiential learning, but the concept has been around for over 100 years.  Dr. Maria Montessori would be thrilled to see the future of education rooted in her research.  The movement of “making” brings engineering, science, technology, art and design together and overlaps those instructional principles with the natural inclinations of children the power of learning by doing.  

PRESS RELEASE

Think about the discussions that happen in your classroom.  Are they frequent? Do all students participate or are they monopolized by a handful of students?  Do you use discussion to merely check understanding or do you engage students into purposeful conversations to develop thinking? 

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) boasts one of the largest ed tech conferences in the nation, drawing from 16,000 educators across the globe for professional learning, collaborative networking opportunities, and of course, some big prizes.