Ord Public Schools (Ord, NE) serve 550 students in K-12 from four different counties. Ord has consistently worked to raise the bar when it comes to learning for its students. For example, Ord Elementary was selected as a 2013 National Blue Ribbon School for its high standards of Academic Learning and achievement. In addition, Ord Junior-Senior High School strives to provide its students with a comprehensive educational experience. To align its academic goals for continued student achievement and success, Ord has implemented educational technology to meet the needs of this generation of digital learners such as 1:1 Chromebooks. 

Growing up, flipping through family photo albums, and asking questions about each picture was part of my childhood. As I got older, I could retell the stories to visiting relatives and friends as if I were part of each event including details such as what each person said, why they were laughing or crying, even the smell of the food, flowers, or person (as applicable, of course!).  

The mission of Clayton County Public Schools (Jonesboro, GA) is “to empower scholars to achieve academic, professional, and personal goals by providing equitable access and experiences.” These experiences include consistent use of technology that will help them “build skills in literacy, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.”  

Research shows that social and emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom helps students understand their emotions, how to deal with personal challenges and difficulties, and teaches them the skills needed to deal with life inside and outside of the classroom. To help teachers integrate SEL, Boxlight has planned a roundtable discussion with educators and industry experts focusing on how to ensure learning environments are supportive and responsive to SEL needs.  

Joseph Chamberlain College, located near Birmingham City Centre (Birmingham, UK), is a highly successful Sixth Form (like a Senior high school in the U.S.) with a national reputation for excellence and student achievement among the highest in England. For some years, the college used SMART boards in their classrooms, but they were beginning to show their age and were not providing teachers with the necessary tools to teach in the digital age. 

We are in the middle of National Friends of Libraries Week, and at the start of National Book Month, National Reading Group Month, and International School Library Month! This is definitely a time to enjoy reading amazing stories and books that introduce us to new experiences and ideas. It’s also a reminder that we can find these amazing stories with STEAM concepts. Science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics should take up more than a couple of baskets or shelves in our classroom library – they should be regular parts of our daily teaching and learning lives. STEAM education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and empowers the next generation of innovators. STEAM affects every area of our lives and it's important for our youth to see and understand how they can create a positive impact on how our world operates. By integrating reading and literacy with STEAM, not only do our youth develop as stronger readers, their interests in STEAM education and careers are piqued. 

We’ve got great news! The award-winning MyStemKits STEM curriculum, a Boxlight MimioSTEM solution, is now aligned with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Mathematics and Science. What does this mean? Teachers in Texas who are planning integrated, innovative, hands-on STEM lessons and activities don’t have to look further than MyStemKits.com to find them! 

While we all hear “It's the time to act!” and “Don’t wait! There’s something you need to do!” acting on those reminders is a different story. But, you guessed it, the time is now for several federal funding opportunities which all have been extended for the last time.  Let’s briefly look at the status of some significant ones and hopefully, if you have not already taken advantage of these funding opportunities, you will very, very soon. 

October is a great month for creating hands-on, engaging, and fun learning experiences where your students can get their hands dirty! Not only is the weather pleasant in much of the world, October has both National Fossil Day in the United States (October 13th) and International Archaeology Day (October 16th). All of these components make for a perfect opportunity for your class to really dig into learning. 

Starcar Car Rental (Hamburg, Germany) is one of the largest car rental companies in Germany and is known for its high quality of service. With approximately 60 branches and over 500 partner stations for the parent company Starcar Europa Service Group AG, Starcar is a strong force in the car rental market.