This fall, MSET was happy to partner with Teq to present the Teaching Made Fun Again Learning Series. This series includes great STEM topics on artificial intelligence, Minecraft, game-based learning, makerspaces, and more. In this blog article, we are going to expand on what Teq had to offer Maryland educators, and how they are supporting the effective use of technology in the classroom.
Teq has been in business for over 50 years, with employees based across the country and their headquarters in Huntington Station, New York. Their business is focused on supporting K12 customers with edtech sales, professional development, and project-based learning (PBL) programs.
On the sales side, Teq provides SMART® interactive displays exclusively, and is the largest SMART resale partner globally. Schools can also purchase select 3D printers and STEM technology from Teq, including (but not limited to) UltiMaker and Formlabs printers, Wonder Workshop and Birdbrain coding robots, and Veative Virtual Reality headsets.
Teq is unique in that it offers extensive professional development options from its staff of 20 current and former classroom teachers. In addition to onsite coaching and workshops, schools can also subscribe to Teq’s OTIS for Educators™. OTIS is an online professional learning platform offering courses on how to effectively integrate technology into instruction. Between an on-demand library and calendar of live sessions, OTIS makes it easy to access hundreds of courses, with topics on STEM, SEL, literacy, ENL/ELL, and more. Teq is a Google for Education Partner, Microsoft Training Partner, and OTIS is an ISTE Standards-aligned resource, so their staff and content has been independently evaluated and certified. OTIS is also aligned with Maryland’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) standards.
OTIS often hosts guest educators to present on a variety of topics. Guests are often featured ISTE authors, speakers, and educators. For example, Rachelle Dené Poth will be presenting a course on OTIS on November 10th: “10 Strategies to Support Teachers’ Development as Designers of Active Learning.” And Mandy Froehlich concludes a five-part series on educator mental health, handling burnout, and practicing self-care on Tuesday, November 29th with “The Relationship Between Innovative Thinking and Educator Mental Health.”
Finally, Teq offers a PBL program called iBlocks. An iBlock is a sequence of modules that include lessons and activities that culminate in a capstone project that is designed to reinforce concepts and ideas taught in the core subject areas with an emphasis of enhancing problem solving and future-ready skills.
iBlocks cover a wide range of topics in order to encourage career exploration and many of the capstone projects can be connected to having a community impact. One of the most popular iBlocks pathways, “Rube Goldberg Machines,” was created in partnership with The Rube Goldberg Institute for Innovation and Creativity. You can learn more about the Rube Goldberg iBlock in this video:
Rube Goldberg iBlocks - http://www.teq.com
We hope that Teq continues to partner with MSET on programs that will be beneficial to our members. Any questions about Teq’s products or services can be emailed to Colton Fusaro. If you would like to partner with Teq on an event, you can email Lauren Cillo.
