Chillin in Kansas with Pitsco Education

This summer has been crazy for the science department! I have traveled all through the southwest, to Milwaukee Wisconsin, Kansas, and Washington DC. It's important that we can make the best  science class possible! If you think that Pitsco is amazing like I do and you are a science teacher, you can sign up to be on the Teacher Advisory Council too. Its amazing to feel like you are apart of something and make a difference in education. 

Some of the cute transformer cookies we got to eat!

Wow! What a great experience! So I got to spend three days in July at the Pitsco Headquarters getting a first-hand view  of their manufacturing, great products, and some of my new favorite people. Ashely I adore you!

On our tour of on-site manufacturing

 It was three days packed full of amazing science experiences, good food, and great community. I was so impressed by the fact that Pitsco tries to get almost everything done in house. The manufacturing process was impressive and really I was geeking out over the laser cutters, 3-D printers, and other tools in the shops. Did you know that they use a 1960's(I think) machine to plate the chrome on the wheels? They keep that machine ticking and now I covet one for my room. There are so many thing to chrome plate!!!  I was also really excited about the cool cutting edge work going on in product development. They are building fantastic catapults, using 3-D printing for prototyping, and quite honestly having a blast. I would tell you more, but you have to go see it for yourself to really appreciate it!

Goofing around

Some of the amazing teachers I got to work with!

            One of the big highlights for me on the trip was working with the Pitsco Tetrix Prime Robots. If you have ever gone to a NSTA conference I am sure you got to meet and hang out with Mr. Robot, who is made from Tetrix, but the robotics system can do so much more. Not to knock on Mr. Robot, we hung out, it was cool. It was only at the conference that I even realized that I had see Tetrix being used before at the not only Science Olympiad, but also at MATE(Marine Advanced Technology Education). I really liked that in the new Prime system the pieces could snap together. I would love to try this out with Elementary students to really get them working on the engineering design principles that are so important with the new NGSS. Students need to see that technology is accessible, fun, and just exciting.