June/July 2018
FOR PEOPLE WHO SELL TO TEACHERS, PARENTS AND SCHOOLS
Give us some
SPACE! in this issue
Venus/Mars & #Metoo New Report Clarifies STEM/STEAM
Plus
Suggestions for Stellar Checkout Counter-spaces
&
Stylish furniture for classroom spaces
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THE ISSUE
®
Made in USA
Revolution by Kevin Fahy
The late novelist Michael Chrichton is most remembered as the creator of Jurassic Park, the dinosaur-clone amusement park story that has spawned a whole series of blockbuster films. In fact he wrote some 28 novels, which have sold over 200 million copies, plus screenplays for movies and television, nonfiction books, short stories and magazine articles. One of Chrichton’s early movie projects was a 1973 science-fiction film called “Westworld,” which he also directed. In many ways it was a precursor to “Jurassic Park,” as it was also about a theme park populated by creatures that modern science had made possible in order to entertain us. In both cases, humans make misjudgments and the creatures become dangerous to the park guests, to say the least. In “Westworld,” the creatures were humanoid robots that populated an Old West town. Unlike Jurassic Park, which was essentially a glorified zoo, it was intended for adults to interact with the town’s inhabitants. What could be more exciting that a confrontation with a gunslinger or a romance with a dancehall girl? A little too exciting, as it turned out, just like an encounter with a real live dinosaur. The message of the two films, according to Chrichton, was to beware the development of advanced technology by huge, mindless corporations which were driven solely by the profit motive. Those corporations would inevitably take risks, and would inevitably make mistakes. It is impossible to watch those movies, however, without getting another message, similar to the one Mary Shelley delivered 200 years ago
in Frankenstein. When people start tinkering with sentient life forms, it doesn’t end well. Chrichton has been gone for a decade now, but his ideas are still very much with us. In October of 2016, HBO launched a large-scale television series called “Westworld,” which is loosely based on the film. It’s an ambitious endeavor, not merely from a technical standpoint, but also in terms of its plot complexity and layering of themes. One of those themes is surely that same caveat about the dangers of playing God, but there is a lot more going on here, some of which has not yet been fully revealed to us. The premise is pretty much the same as the movie, that adult humans pay a lot of money to have adult experiences with Western characters portrayed by robots. Although nobody could be as cool as the original gunfighter, played in 1973 by Yul Brynner, these new robots are much more sophisticated than their predecessors. Apparently some sort of flesh-and-circuitry hybrids, they seem to feel authentic emotions and physical pain. They also have memories, which may be real or programmed. Unfortunately, the humans in the story are no more evolved that they were 45 years ago. Most of them are crude, insensitive and sadistic, and they take every opportunity to abuse their android “hosts.” If they can do whatever they want with the robots, they generally choose rape, torture and murder. We the audience, though presumably humans, naturally tend to side with the robots. We would like to see them fight back against the rich jerks who mistreat them, and ultimately (continued on page 5)
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June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 3
June/July 2018 Volume 43, No 3 FOR PEOPLE WHO SELL TO TEACHERS, PARENTS AND SCHOOLS
14 3
The Issue
8
The Games Teachers Play Now
12
14
Revolution by Kevin Fahy
25 24
Board and card games are a specialty at Teacher Store in San Angelo, Texas.
RETAILERS RECOMMEND Fabulous Products Show Your Cashwrap Some Love
With the right approach, your checkout counter can drive sales, increase exposure, and create a positive and lasting impression of your store.
20
How to Be a Better Manager
Two leadership experts and authors of the new book, Mind Tools for Managers, discuss the importance of self-awareness in order to play to your strengths, forge connections with your team, and inspire others to do the same.
Back-To-School
Specials
from Ed Dealer Advertisers
25
A Practical Guide for Understanding STEM/STEAM
A new report by the Toy Industry clarifies the terms’ meanings to help teachers, parents, manufacturers and retailers.
46 Endcap
Meet Paola Moore from MooreCo.
40
Business Notes
44
Index of Advertisers
Departments
28 Cool & Hot
Innovations in the furniture and equipment category
30
New & True
34
Eye on Education
4 EducationalDealerMagazine.com — June/July 2018
46
THE ISSUE (continued from page 3) we would like to see them escape. “Spartacus” comes to mind. Spoiler alert. At the end of season one the hosts do indeed revolt against the “guests,” and it’s still not clear what the androids will do with the power they have seized. There are some indications that they will be just as bad as their human tormenters were, or worse, but we can hope that the suffering they endured will make them more sensitive to the suffering of others. In 1887, the British historian Lord Acton wrote a letter to the Archbishop of the Church of England, in which he penned the now-famous line, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Many others have expressed a similar sentiment, that a person’s sense of morality decreases as his or her power increases. The series premiered on October 2, 2016, which was almost exactly one year prior to a news story broken by The New York Times in which the actress Ashley Judd accused movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. That article triggered a tsunami. The writers of the TV series, the husband-and-wife team of Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, could not have foreseen the cascade of events that would lead to the “me too” movement, and yet the show seems to be very much a part of it. Though it is often hard to figure out what “Westworld” is about, it makes one point very clearly. Men with power abuse women. The revelations started last fall with the entertainment industry, but quickly spread through the arts and sciences, technology, business, government and education. Virtually every day another prominent man was brought down in disgrace, fired or forced to resign. Some of them made abject apologies to the women they mistreated, some adamantly denied the allegations, and others were somewhere in the middle. After seven months, the perp walks (continued on page 7) June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 5
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THE ISSUE (continued from page 5) are still continuing. Just this morning, for example, the lead story in the news was about Eric Schneiderman, the attorney general of the State of New York. Four women have accused him of sexual battery and various other forms of assault. Ironically, he was trying to bring charges against Harvey Weinstein for similar offenses. I know a lot of you are thinking, “It’s not every man.” That’s true, and I’ve said the same thing myself, but the problem is pervasive. As Oprah Winfrey said at the Golden Globes in January, it’s a story that “transcends any culture, geography, race, religion, politics or workplace.” If you think it doesn’t permeate the school supply business, you’re kidding yourself. Many years ago, for example, I was friends with a woman who worked at one of the more prominent suppliers in the industry. She told me that not only had her boss been highly inappropriate with her, but that his boss had been as well. Both men were married and old enough to be her father. Her reaction was anger and disgust. She didn’t report the incidents to (what we then called) personnel, nor did she expect or even want help from anyone else. She simply did what millions of women have done before and since. She quit. How many women have had their career paths blocked or diverted by unprincipled men? Judging by “#metoo,” nearly all of them. The remedy may seem a bit like the French Revolution, in which the entire nobility was accused of something and executed, but that may be the price we need to pay. There is a reckoning going on, and it’s long overdue.
You can e-mail Kevin at kfahy@fwpi.com. June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 7
At Teacher Store, the game table is always busy. Here, Dominic Santos teaches young visitors how to play Pengoloo from Blue Orange.
The Games Teachers Play Now by Tina Manzer
D
Dominic Santos, owner of Angelo Teacher Supplies (known simply as “Teacher Store”) in Texas, is getting ready for his 33rd back-to-school season. Teachers start shopping around mid-June, about two weeks after local schools have let out for the summer. The 6,000-square-foot store continues to get busier throughout July. By August, the store’s hours have been extended and its seven employees are constantly busy replenishing shelves and helping customers. Good news – he expects business to be up. In fact, his teacher store has been on an upward trend for the past few years. “Teachers have always used the summer to get a fresh start on decorating their classrooms,” explains the second-generation teacher-store-owner. “Now more than ever, they are treating their classroom like their second home. They spend so much time there! It’s common for them to put a lot of effort into decorating it to make it pleasant and comfortable – not only for 8 EducationalDealerMagazine.com — June/July 2018
the students but for themselves.” In terms of classroom décor, this year’s crop of colors and designs are generating a lot of interest, Dominic notes. “Social media is a big influence on what teachers buy. They turn to Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration, and often ask for items they spotted on Facebook when they come in. Other folks in town also purchase Dominic’s seasonal décor and colorful trimmer to decorate churches, nursing homes, and their homes for parties. The store was founded by his parents Manuel and Estella in 1985. Teachers themselves, they recognized the need in their community for resources and instructional materials. Without a place to purchase posters and other classroom decorations, Estella, a firm believer in visual learning and colorful classrooms, collected the expired promotional banners and POP displays from the city’s grocery stores to decorate her classroom.
Today the store is about 70 percent teacher resources and about 30 percent toys and games, along with a small selection of teacher gifts including mugs and pencil holders. San Angelo is a cool little city, says Dominic, but somewhat isolated. Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth are all about 200 miles away. “Our population is a little more than 100,000, but there are never any traffic jams,” he says. “I think that’s unusual. Most people who live here have less than a 10-minute commute to work.” The city includes a lot of young families and a good-sized school district – San Angelo has 17 elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. There are an additional 15 to 20 smaller school districts in the surrounding towns. “There’s a really strong sense of community here,” Dominic notes. “But I never planned to stay here or expected to take over the business,” he
Skippity, a variant of checkers from Mindware, was designed by Susan McKinley Ross of Qwirkle fame. Also by Mindware, Qwirkle is a Mensa Select winner and the recipient of Germany’s prestigious Spiel des Jahres. Crab Stacks by Blue Orange is a strategy game with wooden disks for two to four players ages 8 and up.
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continues, telling a story that’s common among mom-and-pop businesses. “I was away at college in Utah when my parents opened it. I moved home a year later – just temporarily, I told myself – and helped out at the store a few days a week.” But eventually he enrolled in the local college and worked with his parents. They’re retired now. After all, that was 32 years ago. “Our customers are wonderful – they’re the best in the world, and very loyal,” says Dominic. “They’re the reason we’ve been in business so long.” He lists interacting with customers as his favorite part of the job. The interaction, combined with Dominic’s love of board games, has helped make the store a community game center. In May, it was named Store of the Month by Blue Orange Games. “To celebrate its customers, Teacher Store [as it is known in the community] hosts in-store Game Days where almost every game in the store is set out to play,” said a Blue Orange blog post. “It’s not only a blast for customers, it also a cherished time for employees since they get the chance to play their favorite games all day.” “It’s true!” laughs Dominic. “We actually have a permanent table set up next to our demo games so that when people walk in, we can immediately sit down and play with
them. On slow days, the staff plays games together. It’s great training, and definitely helps them enjoy a game well enough to sell it.” San Angelo Teacher Supplies became a game center “somewhat organically,” explains Dominic. The majority of customers are teachers and, “They came in looking for activities to do with their students; sometime they would request specific games. Favorites include Quizmo, Kingdomino, Go Go Gelato and standards like Left Center Right and Spot It. Some single player games – puzzle games like Coggy, for example – are also strong sellers.” In addition to teachers’ suggestions for new products to bring in, Dominic gets ideas from Ed Dealer’s Retailers Recommend column. He avoids carrying products that are sold at big-box stores. “We try very hard to remain unique and ‘specialty.’” Other profit centers in the store range from laminating services (“It allows us to be a one-stop shop. Lamination appeals to the entire population and we get a lot of walk-ins) to its half-priced children’s books section. “People like having a library in their classroom or in their home,” says Dominic. “We offer an inexpensive range, from board books to chapter books, that we’ve picked up from different sources.”
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Everyone loves Bananagrams; outside the store with the Store of the Month Award from Blue Orange; Dominic and his staff get ready for back-to-school.
The store also has play stations, including a KEVA block table “that lets children’s imaginations run wild.” Dominic’s biggest challenge these days is product selection. “Things that were constant sellers for us aren’t anymore,” he explains. “Sales of pens and markers – products that at one time were so popular – have dwindled. Our arts & crafts section in general has shrunk because art is not a big focus in today’s schools. Same with the materials to teach cursive writing. It’s a skill that just isn’t being taught here anymore.” On the positive side, the store still carries close to
60,000 SKUs. “We have a good POS system. We couldn’t function without it.” Teacher Store operates in a 115 year-old building with a full basement, so there’s plenty of storage. However, it’s rumored to be haunted. “The old hardwood floors will creak, and occasionally employees will report strange occurrences. It was originally a hardware store, B & H Hardware, but in the basement was a ‘pharmacy.’ During Prohibition, you went there for a cure for what ailed you – gin, rum or whiskey were traditional medicines. I’m told that back in the day, there were probably 15 ‘drug stores’ in San Angelo.”
June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 11
Retailers: do you have a hot seller to share? Tag @EducationalDealer in your Instagram posts or use #EducationalDealer
RETAILERS RECOMMEND 1
carsondellosa.com
Fabulous Products by Rebecca Carlson
2 learningresources.com
3 carsondellosa.com
Art & Learn from Fargo, North Dakota on Instagram (@artandlearn) “New to our store is the Celebrate Learning Collection (1) from Carson-Dellosa. There are multiple colorful accents, pockets, and stickers to choose from, as well as a calendar and mini incentive charts. “Botley the Coding Robot (2) from Learning Resources is currently on our shelves. The toy includes coding cards to help students develop and build their coding skills. This product can be incorporated into the classroom in so many different ways. “We just started carrying the Nature Explorers Calendar set (3) by Carson-Dellosa. It’s very colorful – which makes it appealing to both classroom teachers and parents who homeschool – and it helps brighten up morning routines. The calendar comes with date pieces, month headers, a weather chart, and signs to indicate yesterday/today/tomorrow and the season.” shopschoolgirlstyle.com
4
eurekaschool.com
8
teachercreated.com
9 7
tedcotoys.com
6
5
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A2Z Educational Supplies from Humble, Texas on Instagram (@a2zeducationalsupplies) “We have the Schoolgirl Style Industrial Chic collection (4) by Carson-Dellosa in store now. This theme has a very neutral color palette, so it stands out from some of the other décor, but can also be paired with more colorful decorations. “Boojee Beads lanyards (5) are fancy and affordable. They’re very appealing to today’s fashionable teachers. They can be used for any occasion that calls for a name tag. “We are absolutely in love with the Sharp Bunch décor theme (6) from Eureka. The collection features smiling cacti and positive words of encouragement that are “punny.” Teacher Heaven from Austin, Texas on Instagram (@teacherheavenofficial) “The 4D Cranial Nerve Skull (7) from Tedco Toys can be found in our STEM section. The unique puzzle includes 39 pieces and an illustrated assembly guide. This is a perfect product for building problem-solving skills and hands-on learning. “The force is strong here at Teacher Heaven! We have new Star Wars bookmarks (8) from Eureka. Each bookmark features a different Star Wars character and a motivational quote. “In stock at our Lubbock location are the Human Skeleton Magnetic Accents (9) from Teacher Created Resources. It includes 15 bones and 25 labels, and when it’s all assembled, it’s about 33 inches tall. Each piece is thick and durable so they can all be used over and over again. Any décor item that can be used more than once tends to be a great seller.” June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 13
Show Your
Cashwrap
Some Love by Tina Manzer
W
With the right approach, your checkout counter can drive sales, increase exposure, and create a positive and lasting impression of your store, says retail trend expert Francesca Nicasio from Vend. Here are her spruce-it-up suggestions along with some “real” inspiration for making your checkout space. … the ultimate impulse-item center. During the back-to-school season, you’re in a great position to encourage impulse buys, and your checkout counter is one of the most natural areas in your store to do this. People who’ve made it to the checkout line
are obviously in the mood to buy, so positioning the right merchandise can help boost their basket size. Generally speaking, the best impulse buys are small and selfexplanatory. They sell themselves. Also consider bringing in the kinds of things that are not on teachers’ must-have lists, but are just so cool they can’t live without them (fancy paper clips, splashy water bottles, and anything classroom décor). Impulse purchases account for a significant chunk of consumer spending. The results of a survey by creditcards. com revealed that 84 percent of respondents made an impulse purchase at some time; 77 percent in the past three
months. What’s more, nearly 80 percent of respondents made an impulsive purchase in-store, versus just 6 percent who said they impulsively bought something on their mobile device. … a work of art … a shopping resource If you have an ecommerce site and don’t carry every single SKU in-store, let shoppers browse the rest of your catalog by placing a tablet on the checkout counter. … an entertainment station The wall behind your checkout counter is one of the best places to
install a TV – you can pretty much guarantee that it will catch a shopper’s eye. It also gives customers something to look at while they wait for their turn at checkout. Television screens not only enhance the look and feel of your store, but they can also heighten the shopping experience. Use TV screens to reinforce your brand and products by airing a slideshow showing your collection of math games, the latest décor items (ask your vendors for full-classroom images), or what can be created with the arts & craft supplies you stock. Or, simply play fun YouTube videos on a loop. Whatever it is, change it up often, especially if you’re experiencing long lines. … all about “you” Fancy fixtures and decorations are great, but having something uniquely “you” on or around your checkout counter gives shoppers a chance to connect with you, and to recall your store. Make it memorable with a display of photos, awards and degrees. To tell your business story, feature images of the store when you were just starting out. If your business has been mentioned in the press, hang a copy of the blog post, or magazine or newspaper article, on your checkout wall.
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Left: This is just one of the counters at Preston Art Center is Louisville, Kentucky. The other is just as fun. Raquel and Hector Fadraga’s counter is on wheels so it can move anywhere in their Jersey City, New Jersey, store.
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… a lighting statement Invest in something beautiful and functional at the same time. Bold lighting fixtures right above your cashwrap will draw attention to your checkout area while enhancing your overall store design. … a greenhouse Healthy plants are affordable, easy to maintain, and can instantly breathe life into your checkout area. … an inspiration station Spread good vibes using words, posters and bulletin board sets from your top-selling vendors. It’ll put a smile on teachers’ faces. You could even earn some social media mentions. … a sharing-on-social-media space Social media is an integral component of retail marketing. In addition to creating content in-house to
The cashwrap at Chicago Teacher sends customers the perfect message.
post on social, we highly recommend encouraging your customers to share images of your products and store. Make sure your social media handle and brand hashtags are displayed at your checkout counter. Post a sign that reminds shoppers to connect with – and talk about – your brand on their favorite social channels. It will help
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16 EducationalDealerMagazine.com — June/July 2018
you increase your followers, and put your brand in front of a wider audience. … a seasonal showcase The design of your checkout should change throughout the year. Keep things fresh by incorporating seasonal elements – so easy to do with the décor products you sell.
Above: The sleek white counter of this Naples, Florida, teacher store is loaded with impulse items without looking cluttered. The screen that displays a customer’s total purchase features the mission statement of this store in La Mesa, California. Like the rest of the store’s fixtures, the cashwrap was designed to be both functional and visually interesting.
June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 17
Above: Buckets of impulse items are attached to this gift-store counter. Every inch counts – the shop is only 1,300 square feet. At I’ve Been Framed in Portland Oregon, the cashwrap reflects the store’s eclectic product mix. The building was a former auto garage. Today it has the messy feel of an artist’s studio, and customers love it.
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… a place to boast about your corporate social responsibility Promote your efforts with a simple sign that tells shoppers about your charitable initiatives. It can help your cause, generate loyalty and increased spending, and remind customers that you stand for social good. … stylishly chic Your point-of-sale system is arguably the most important piece of technology in your store. Make it sleek by having one that works on a tablet or computer instead of a clunky cash register. In addition to saving space, modern POS solutions look and function better, so you can ring up customers efficiently and in style. … minimalist Can you go without it? Eliminating the checkout counter isn’t for every store, but in certain cases, it can improve layout and flow. Sometimes, simply having the option to un-tether the checkout process can make you more efficient. For example, on busy days, you can arm your staff with mobile POS systems so that they can ring up sales anywhere in the shop. Or, you can leverage countertop solutions to manage a primary line while another employee helps line-bust simple transactions with a mobile device.
Grow Stool
by
Francesca doesn’t recommend that you try these ideas all at once. Test out a couple of ideas and see how shoppers react. Document your efforts and results, and improve accordingly. Vend, a point-of-sale, inventory, and customer-loyalty software company, offers retailers a wealth of practical information on its website, vendhq.com. Be sure to check out its guide to increasing sales to discover how to turn savvy shoppers into loyal customers, add real and perceived value to each sale. Content strategist Francesca Nicasio is the author of Vend’s “Retail Survival of the Fittest,” an ebook that helps retailers future-proof their stores.
• Wobble action encourages constant micro movement • Height adjusts for a wide variety of users • Available in 8 colors
find out more at www.moorecoinc.com June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 19
by Tina Manzer
B
Being a great manager requires a wide spectrum of skills, from understanding and empathy to accounting and sales. It also requires “knowing yourself.” If you don’t know your own strengths and weaknesses, for instance, or how you come across to others, you can’t know which skills to hone or acquire. At least that’s the argument presented by two leadership experts, Julian Birkinshaw and James Manktelow, founder of mindtools.com, in their new book Mind Tools for Managers: 100 Ways to Be a Better Boss. Based on the results of their survey of 15,242 managers and professionals
worldwide, they discovered that as a personal quality, self-awareness is deeply valued. In fact, 59.8 percent of managers believe that it’s highly important to understand how their own behavior impacts other people. “But studies consistently show that most human beings have blind spots that hold us back,” says Birkinshaw, academic director of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the London Business School. “We don’t know ourselves very well unless we make a conscious effort to do so.” (By the way, “Know Yourself” is the first chapter of their book.)
How Do You Score on the Big Five Personality Traits? excerpted from Mind Tools for Managers: 100 Ways to Be a Better Boss
“The Big Five” model by Lewis Goldberg of the Oregon Research Institute helps you understand how fully you possess the five key dimensions of personality, listed here. Once you understand your unique personality traits, you can use the knowledge to improve your work performance – and help you determine if you’re in the right job in the first place.
1. Openness – your desire for new knowledge and experience, your appreciation of art and beauty, and your creativity. If you have low openness, you should commit to trying out new experiences and ways of thinking. 2. Conscientiousness – how much care you take with things and how hard you work. Managers must possess high conscientiousness or take firm action to develop it further. Otherwise, no one will trust them to get things done. 3. Extraversion – how sociable you are. Are you warm, enthusiastic, and gregarious in social situations, or do you find yourself
20 EducationalDealerMagazine.com — June/July 2018
drained by social contact with people? Many modern workplaces favor a fast, team-oriented, extraverted approach. Introverts should adapt to this or find situations and roles that better suit the way they prefer to work. 4. Agreeableness – your friendliness and kindness to others. Agreeable people are often easier to work with. 5. Neuroticism – how volatile you are and how well you are in control of your emotions. People with high neuroticism are unsettling to work with, particularly in high-stress work environments.
To help you raise your selfawareness and become a better manager, here are five of the authors’ recommendations. Find out where you stand on the “Big Five” personality model. The Big Five model is based on findings from several independent researchers in the 1950s and ultimately named The Big Five by noted personality psychologist Lewis Goldberg. It measures five key dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. By understanding how you score on each dimension, you can not only make sure you’re in the right role, you can also take action in “low score” areas to improve your performance (see page 20). Figure out what you do best The SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is a popular tool to help businesses identify their strengths and weaknesses, but it also works for managers. In terms of strengths: what skills, certifications, or connections do you have that others do not? What tasks do you perform particularly well? What unique resources can you access? Find out about your weaknesses – what assignments do you struggle with and why? What do the people around you see as your faults? What poor work habits do you have? What’s holding you back from being excellent at work? Explore opportunities by brainstorming emerging trends that excite you in your market, or consider the issues your customers complain about that you can address. Identify opportunities that come from your strengths. Observe any threats. What could undermine you or cause problems at work? Is your job or technology changing in a way that could be worrisome? Could any of your weaknesses lead to threats?
Teacher-trusted. Student-Approved.
Teachers around the world have discovered the power of the award-winning Time Timer to increase their ability to manage their classrooms. The colored disk disappears as time elapses, so students can see at a glance how much time is left.
June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 21
Adjustable height from keyboard/desk to kiosk! Style Meets Function... The Hi-Lo Carrel, 30”D x 32 ½”W, adjusts from a user friendly keyboard height of 27” to a standing Kiost height of 39” in 1” increments. Available in three popular Wilsonart colors: Wild Cherry, Fusion Maple, Grey Nebula. Includes (2) 3” diameter cutouts for wiring along with a CPU holder (shelf) located under the work surface, 8 ¼”D x 30 ½”W, with 16 ¼” height clearance for large CPU’s. All panels are ¾” thick thermo fused laminate with 1¼” square, 14-gauge, black powder coated legs. The front edge of the work surface has soft rounded 3mm edge banding for arm comfort. This quality unit is now ADA Compliant. For Indestructable Computer Tables Try Our 1500 Series
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If you don’t already have clear personal goals, set them now. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation; both of which you need to be a successful manager. The authors recommend investing a few hours thinking about what you’d like your future to look like. Consider areas like career, family, education, relationships, personal finances, and personal enjoyment. “Remember the SMART mnemonic,” says Manktelow. “Your dreams should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. It helps you clarify your ideas, focus your efforts, use your time and resources productively, and increase your chances of achieving what you want in life.” Shore up your self-confidence. How we view our own abilities is a key determinant of self-efficacy and self-esteem. We can pump ourselves up with positive self-talk and listen to people who flatter us, but this can cause us to become overconfident and fall flat on our faces. Alternatively, we can put ourselves down and listen to naysayers and critics, which may lead us to back away from opportunities and not achieve our potential. And no one wants to be managed by a flustered boss who doubts his or her own judgment! “The key is to strike a healthy balance between these two extremes,” notes Birkinshaw. “Research has shown that being slightly overconfident in your own abilities is useful because it allows you to take on challenges from which you can learn.” Manage your bad moods. Just as we need to be appropriately self-confident as managers, we also need to be aware of and manage the emotions we project to our teams. From the moment we come in the door in the morning to the time we leave,
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people read our words and our body language. For employees to be happy and productive, we need to manage negative thoughts and project positive emotions. More than this, we need to be positive for our own good at work. “There are tricks you can use to quickly boost your mood, like forcing a smile onto your face for several minutes before you enter the office,” says Manktelow. “But what you really need to do is understand and turn around the negative thinking that underpins your own negative emotions.” The authors recommend “cognitive restructuring,” first developed by psychologist Albert Ellis in the mid-1950s to improve negative moods or combat fear, apprehension, or anxiety about a person or event. Specifically, they suggest a technique based on the seven-column Thought Record copyrighted by Christine A. Padesky, appearing in the book Mind Over Mood. “Until you truly know yourself, you will never be a great leader,” concludes Manktelow. “Only by becoming self-aware can you play to your strengths, understand your own personal goals, forge authentic connections with your team and colleagues, and inspire others to do the same. Start getting to know yourself today and see where it takes you and your team tomorrow.” mindtools.com is a company that offers on-demand career and management learning solutions. Its founder, James Manktelow, has penned or edited numerous articles, workbooks and books on management and leadership. Julian Birkinshaw, professor of strategy and entrepreneurship, and deputy dean for programs at the London Business School, is the author of 14 books.
A NE LL W ! The Right Words at the Right Time to Develop a Growth Mindset in Every Child
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June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 23
Back-To-School
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Science Supply Solutions 877-410-9888 New customers 10% off first order of $250 or more. Existing customer Free Freight on orders of $300 or more. See ad on page 21
Shirley K’s Storage Totes and Trays 844-862-8140 Save 15%!! Valid on orders up to $2000; one-time use only. Use promocode sksummersale2018. See ad on page 39
WB Manufacturing sales@wibench.com We have the solution for schools with shrinking budgets, but in desperate need of new furniture. Contact for our specials on collaborative desks and tables! See ad on page 44
Clarifying STEM/STEAM A Practical Guide for Retailers, Manufacturers, Parents and Teachers
T
The Toy Association has just released, “Decoding STEM/ STEAM,” to help manufacturers, retailers, teachers, and parents better understand the challenges, stigmas, and myths related to STEM/STEAM learning. While most of us know that the popular STEM acronym stands for science, technology, engineering, and math (“STEAM” with the inclusion of “art”), there is a lot of confusion about the true meaning of these concepts and how they can be taught to children through toys and play. “Many toys and children’s products on the market are labeled as being STEM- or STEAM-focused, but in reality, there is no universally accepted system for understanding what this label means,” says Ken Seiter, executive vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association. “That’s why we have embarked on this multiyear undertaking to bring more clarity to STEM/STEAM. We believe that a better understanding of this topic will help toy companies create better products for the next generation of children and drive interest in science, math, and related fields.” The report, assembled and reviewed by a committee of experts in STEAM fields, aims to shed light on the meaning and history of STEM/STEAM and define the role of toys and play in STEM/STEAM education. It is sure to be a helpful resource for stores that sell toys, manipulatives and other educational resources to teachers and parents. In the coming months, The Toy Association’s STEM/ STEAM Strategic Leadership Committee will look at the unifying characteristics of STEAM toys to help guide manufacturers in developing products that foster STEM/ STEAM discovery and learning. With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting
that STEM jobs will increase to more than 9 million by 2022, everyone is looking for innovative ways to expose our nation’s children to science- and math-based subjects. “Our overarching goal is to help toy manufacturers, parents, and teachers to encourage children to use toys and play to grow and enhance their learning – and build lifelong skills,” Seiter says. To that end, the report also explores how role models, stereotypes, and parental attitudes and anxieties about math and other STEM topics can influence a child’s desire and motivation to learn. It also dives into the important role played by the arts in empowering solutions to scientific problems, and the top 10 ways that toys can teach STEAM.
Here is just a sample of what you’ll find in the “Decoding STEM/STEAM” report
Meaning of STEM and STEAM A simplified definition is this: STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. According to the National Science Teachers Association, “Most educators know what STEM stands for, but how many really know what it means? A common definition is this: STEM education is an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons as students apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts that make connections between school, community, work, June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 25
and the global enterprise enabling the development of STEM literacy and with it the ability to compete in the new economy.” (Tsupros, 2009) Background To better understand STEM/ STEAM, look to both its origins and its purpose. STEM itself was born in the information age, christened by the National Science Foundation and fueled by our ever-expanding appetite for technology that is better, faster, and smarter than a minute ago. It grew out of two intertwined needs – a workplace that demands STEM skills and an educational system that can pipeline people into those positions. An argument could be made that STEM is a national focus, a societal call to action, a series of government policies, an academic emphasis, and, because of these, a marketing hot-button. Words like educational curriculum,
workplace readiness, and global economy/competitiveness all relate and interact with the implications of this term. STEM can also find meaning in two other words – profit and prophet. The profit relates to the desire to prepare our children for the workplace by educating and providing the skills they need to succeed; thereby helping our nation and its citizens to globally compete and prosper. The prophet part refers to the future and how to prepare the next generation for a rapidly evolving, unpredictable world. As futurist and globalization guru Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat, predicts, “Being really good at learning how to learn will be an enormous asset in an era of rapid change and innovation, when new jobs will be phased in and old ones phased out faster than ever.” STEM skills undoubtedly are
needed for our future, but what about the innovation Friedman refers to – where does that fit in? Innovation critics of STEM claim it’s a short-sighted effort to prioritize school curricula by overly focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which are perceived as crucial for future job opportunities and the development of the economy – but at what cost? STEM curriculum, as a national focus, has taken the emphasis off academic subjects reflected in the humanities and liberal arts educational model (once the staple of higher education) that would help drive innovation. Some fear that these disciplines are being drowned out by the rallying call for more hard science. Journalist and author Fareed Zakaria explains in his book, In Defense of a Liberal Education, “Around the world, (continued on page 39)
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The body was built to move – so let it! Fidget is built to encourage a natural fidgeting motion that may help encourage increased muscle engagement, focus and activity for a movement-rich school day.
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SUPPORTING TEACHERS, EMPOWERING STUDENTS Grades 6–8 Classroom Companion
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Teaching Mathematics IN THE Teaching Mathematics VISIBLE LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM VISIBLE LEARNING CLASSROOM JOHN ALMARODE DOUGLAS FISHER NANCY FREY JOHN ALMARODE JOHN HATTIE DOUGLAS FISHER SARA DELANO MOORE NANCY FREY JOSEPH ASSOF JOHN HATTIE JOSEPH ASSOF
John Almarode, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, John Hattie Grades K–12: ISBN: 978-1-5063-9418-3
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John Hattie, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Linda M. Gojak, Sara Delano Moore, William Mellman
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Grades K–12: ISBN: 978-1-5063-6294-6
Grades 6–8: ISBN: 978-1-5443-3318-2
Grades 6–12: ISBN: 978-1-5063-7819-0
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Grades 9–12: ISBN: 978-1-5443-3314-4
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6–8 coming in 2019
For more information on the distributor in your area or if you’d like to become a Corwin distributor, contact Robert Murphy, Account Manager, Channel Sales at (805) 559-3294 or robert.murphy@corwin.com.
John. J. SanGiovanni, Eric Milou
Beth McCord Kobett, Ruth Harbin Miles, Lois. A. Williams
Grades 6–8: ISBN: 978-1-5443-1688-8
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Maggie B. McGatha, Jennifer M. Bay-Williams, Beth McCord Kobett, Jonathan A. Wray
Grades 9–12: ISBN: 978-1-5443-1693-2
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Cool Hot innovations in the furniture and equipment category
Jonti-Craft’s STEM Mobile Creativity Board is perfect for STEM and STEAM projects. The double-sided Magnetic Write-n-Wipe panel provides a place for kids to write down ideas and work out problems visually. jonti-craft.com
The HygenX-Vray from Hamilton Buhl is a lightweight, cordless, portable sterilizer that quickly and safely sterilizes and decontaminates all objects and surfaces with UV-C light. It kills 99.9 percent of bacteria and sterilizes everyday items. 1-800-631-0868 hamiltonbuhl.com
Saturn’s newly re-engineered Tensor-18 Drying and Storage Rack is perfect for commercial, educational, and institutional applications. It features deep trays and solid steel construction with two rubber tray bumpers. The Tensor-18’s positive locking mechanism, TrayLock, holds the rack firmly in place after it is lifted to adjust or move substrates. awt-gpi.com
The 20-inch High Toddler Double Basin, from Monsam, model PSE2006ID, is just the right height for little ones. It is available in a variety of colors, and is lightweight and easy to move. Two children can access hot and cold running water at the same time! 1-800-513-8562
The Kore Kids Adjustable Wobble Chair is a new concept in active sitting chairs. The seat adjusts from a height of 15.5 inches to 21.5 inches, and holds up to 280 pounds. Assembly takes an easy two minutes. Comes with a three-year limited warranty, and is available in multiple colors, including NEW orange. 516-662-0108, info@korestool.com
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The Kore Office Everyday Plus Adjustable Chair (fabric) is the ultimate active sitting stool because you can move and flex without leaving your seat. You can rock, swivel, move and exercise your lower back, abdominal and leg muscles while you sit. It increases “Secondary Focus” so you are less distracted. Adjustable from 18.5 to 26.75 inches. Available in black leather-like or fabric. 516-662-0108 info@korestool.com
ChildBrite’s Square Mite/Sensory Table lets children explore the wonders of light while playing with manipulatives. Includes four EZ-roll 2-inch casters for easy mobility that can be locked for stability. It’s sturdy and made with colorful molded certified non-toxic resins for indoor/outdoor use. 800-252-0276, childbrite.com
The 32-inch, 48-inch and 60-inch Marvel Focus Series Activity Tables and Desks are ideal for STEM /STEAM activity. The FeatherTouch Lift System allows students to adjust the height of the surface quietly and easily. No tools or electricity are required. sales@marvelgroup.com
Focal Fidget and Twister Active Seats from Safco Products are built to encourage a natural fidgeting motion that may help increase muscle engagement, focus and activity. These unique seats allow users to move, twist, and rock back and forth to help fuel the body’s natural desire to fidget. allisonmchale@safcoproducts.com, 763-536-6710
The innovative Kore Kids Wobble Chair with its rounded ergonomic base transforms a boring conventional seat into a playground for your child’s imagination where their knees, hips and back can find comfortable and ever-changing positions. Homework, drawing, eating and playing video/board games are no longer sedentary activities. Available in multiple sizes and colors, including NEW orange. 516-662-0108 info@korestool.com
WB’s line of Specialty Adjustable Desks and Tables gives teachers the freedom to make a change quickly and easily. wibenchmfg.com, sales@wibench. com
The 2-in-1 “Stainless Steel” Kitchen from Children’s Factory has a sleek and modern design. The integrated stovetop/ sink set brings a fresh look to any play area and inspires hours of imaginative play. childrensfactory.com
The Kore Office Executive Plus Hi-Rise Adjustable Chair is the perfect companion for a standing desk. It gives people a rest from standing by letting them perch. The gently rounded ergonomic base increases comfort and productivity. 516-662-0108 info@korestool.com
June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 29
New True Sandtastik’s Floral Sand Assortment is an essential variety of 12 colors. It includes everything to create colorful accent fillers for floral arrangements. Coarse sand grains allow for a slow water filtration. 800-845-3845, sandtastikproducts.com
Newmark Learning’s Sight Word Readers Boxed Sets help young readers master 25 essential sight words. They help promote reading confidence and success. Subjects include academic science, social studies, and math vocabulary, 877-279-8388
New Sensory Therapy Handhelds from AMEP are for onthe-go fun. The hot/cold packs and calming vibe are available in three touchable animal styles with added fidgets for busy fingers. amep.com 800-289-9299
The custom-printed Pencil Pouch from Musgrave Pencil contains all of the basics students need in school – pencils, highlighters, erasers and more. The pouch provides a personal touch with a unique identity of your choice. sales@pencils.net
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Mobi for Kids ages 4 and up helps introduce little ones to numbers. Players connect all their number tiles in a grid using the operation tiles; the first player to connect all their tiles wins. The game comes with an Activity Booklet. playmobi.com
Jacquardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high-quality, easy-to-use Tie Dye Kits are a great group activity. The design possibilities are as endless and unique as a fingerprint. The Kits and Class Packs yield intense, long-lasting color and great results every time. jacquardproducts.com
The bright and durable Two-Pocket Folder from Scholastic helps organize substitute-teacher plans and provides activities they can use in a pinch. It includes a 16-page booklet with reproducible pages, forms, tips, and reports. Adaptable to a variety of grade levels. scholastic.com
Discovering Optics from Science Supply Solutions lets users explore the principles of reflection, refraction and the physics of how light works. 877-410-9888 Robin@sciencesupplysolutions.com
The Anatomy Fluxx card game from Looney Labs takes users deep into the human body. From bones to blood vessels, Anatomy Fluxx is packed with all the body bits. Be on the lookout for Virus, Mutation, and Bacteria Creepers! looneylabs.com
The 12-inch Tool Box from Romanoff Products has multiple compartments, durable construction and washable surfaces. Available in two colors, and proudly made in the U.S.A. info@romanoffproducts.com
GeoFun by Learning Advantage helps young learners develop color recognition and visual perception. They can group the plastic geometric shapes by color then stack the pieces on the sorting bar according to the task cards. Great for reinforcing matching and fine-motor skills. 1-866-564-8251, learninadvantagedealer.com
June/July 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; EducationalDealerMagazine.com 31
New True The shimmer and glitz of the Sparkle and Shine Charts from CarsonDellosa help to inspire, welcome, and celebrate students. Each 17- by 22-inch eye-catching chart features real glitter to brighten any classroom. carsondellosa.com
Geomag’s Magicube set includes 64 magnetic multicolor cubes that attach on all six sides. It stimulates creative play and develops fine motor skills and spatial awareness. Use with our Math, Word and Story Building sets, too, to make learning fun. anthi.ferentinos@geomagworld.com
Essential Learning’s Set of Five Sensational Classroom storage files in Blooming Colors is the answer to storing magazines, plan books, files, resource books, etc. essentialdealer.com 800-357-3570
Eureka’s new Official Marvel Product Line has arrived just in time for this year’s big movies. There are more than 25 products featuring everyone’s favorite characters to provide the motivation teachers are looking for. 1-866-394-5047
32 EducationalDealerMagazine.com — June/July 2018
Wooden Mazes from Amazengfun are available in two sizes and four different colors. Each color maze has four different combinations. Mazes are wonderful for hand-eye coordination, problem-solving and cognitive skills. 504-258-3916, amazengfun.com
Magnetic Storage Pockets from C-Line products create instant storage space around the classroom on any flat, metal surface. They expand 2 inches to hold materials. The white, write-on, dry-erase panel helps identify contents. customerservice@c-line.com
Corwin’s Puzzle Piece Phonics is offered in grade-specific kits. It teaches K-2 learners to apply phonics learning to authentic reading and writing. The illustrated puzzle pieces help students learn spelling and phonics patterns as part of becoming fluent readers and writers. robert.murphy@corwin.com
My 1st Career Gear Astronaut Shirt with Youth Astronaut Helmet in White is easy for little ones to put on by themselves. The shirt (for ages 3-6) features an official NASA logo and appealing decorations to inspire kids to dream big. The helmet is recommended for children ages 3-10. Info@aeromaxtoys.com aeromaxtoys.com
The Ombre E-Z Grader features the same qualities as the original slide chart, but is printed in a beautiful graduated color – starting with byzantine, a rich purple, and toning toward magenta. ezgrader.com
Magnetic pockets by Charles Leonard are versatile and strong. The entire back of the product is a powerful magnetic surface to hold securely onto any metal surface. 800-999-7202 Sales@charlesleonard.com
The Student Assignment Book by WARD helps students stay organized. It has a sturdy coated cover, wire binding, and is three-hole punched to fit in a binder. Features homework tips, student responsibilities, weekly assignment sheets, and class/school event schedules. ward@hubbardcompany.com
Plus Clay from ACTÍVA Products is now available in smaller 1.1-pound packages. It dries strong for maximum durability, and is available in white, black, and terracotta. 1-800-883-3899, activaproducts.com
June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 33
EYE ON EDUCATION “Let Me Be There” It may seem obvious but when assigning classrooms, schools should place their best teachers close to other teachers who need more support, say researchers James Spillane, and Matthew Shirrell. Teachers need to have meaningful interactions with colleagues on instruction, and to do so, “Proximity matters,” says Spillane, in an article on The 74, a nonprofit, non-partisan news site that covers education in America. In the article, he discussed the results of their four-year study of 14 elementary schools in a Midwestern suburb. While schools and districts have formal meetings for teachers who teach the same grade level or the same subject, happenstance conversations may prove just as important for
34 EducationalDealerMagazine.com — June/July 2018
improving instruction, they posited. But what are the chances of teacher encounters? To determine that, Spillane, professor of learning and organization change at Northwestern University; and Shirrell, assistant professor of educational leadership and administration at George Washington University, studied not only the raw distances, but also functional work zones, overlapping teacher traffic patterns, and entry-and-exit points of the classrooms and buildings. “Using geographic information system software, the researchers overlaid school floor plans with satellite images, and then traced walking routes through the corridors,” reports The 74. “They produced maps showing key points where teachers overlapped and then determined staff members’ ‘functional zones,’ or the areas of the building they were most likely to visit. They then tracked the likelihood of interactions between teachers based on location.” They discovered that if you move a pair of teachers who have a 30-percent chance of interacting with each other 78 feet farther apart in the building, their chance of interaction drops to 19 percent. Another 78 feet lowers the chance of interaction to 11 percent. “The big take-home for school principals and leaders is not to ignore the obvious,” says Spillane. “The elephant in the schoolhouse is that space matters, and we take it for granted.” He also suggests changing the location of teacher lounges or offices, moving copy machines and other shared-use spaces, and forcing the use of different entry and exit points to change teacher traffic patterns.
EYE ON EDUCATION
Well-being Correlates with Financial Capability, Says Study Financial self-efficacy is a better predictor of financial well-being compared to race, gender, socioeconomic level and first-generation college status, according to a landmark study called “Arizona Pathways to Life Success for University Students” (APLUS). Started in 2008, the project has followed 2,098 University of Arizona students through college and adulthood to measure how financial capability relates to happiness. Researchers surveyed the participants five times in the 2008-2016 time span. Now approaching age 30, APLUS participants show few differences in their achievement of adult milestones such as completing education, finding work and leaving the parental home. However, some groups are thriving more than others depending on their confidence in their ability to perform financial tasks. Although many APLUS participants continue to rely on their parents for financial knowledge and support, the study finds that receiving financial assistance from family is linked to lower well-being, even in participants from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. “Self-efficacy isn’t defined as just having knowledge and skills, but believing in success as long as you try,” says Ted Beck, president and CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education, the organization funding the study. “That confidence develops from performing financial tasks on your own – not relying on your parents to do it for you.” Self-assessed financial efficacy dropped for everyone in the most recent wave of data collection. However, men continued to rate themselves higher than women, a trend seen throughout the study.
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EYE ON EDUCATION
Not Fair! What’s “Playful” from Girls is “Disruptive” from Boys Playful boys are viewed as rebellious and disruptive by their 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-grade teachers, but playful girls are not, says a new study. These negative perceptions of playful boys in their early school years may result in a longer-term negative trajectory for the boys as they continue through their formal school years, according an April 5 article about the research in ScienceDaily. There is an upside to being a class clown, albeit a temporary one. “Although teachers treat them negatively and reprimand male class clowns, their self-perceptions and the way they’re treated by their classmates remains positive,” said a story on the same study in hellogiggles.com, a daily enewsletter from the InStyle Beauty Group. “They might be getting in trouble for not sitting still and for joking around in the back of class, but on the playground, they’re probably considered pretty cool.” The research of children’s, classmates’ and teachers’ views on playfulness was conducted by Dr. Lynn A. Barnett, associate professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who followed 278 kindergarten-aged children over three school years. At the end of each academic year, their perceived level of playfulness, disruptive behavior, social competence, social status and class clown status were rated by teachers, peers and themselves. The results confirmed previous research in the field: whereas teachers regarded playful boys as distinct from less-playful boys, no such discrepancy was detected for girls. The playful boys were regarded as rebellious, intrusive and having poor social skills. In 36 EducationalDealerMagazine.com — June/July 2018
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contrast, girls’ playfulness levels were not a consideration in the ratings by teachers or peers. What’s worse is this: “Children regularly observe playful boys, or ‘class clowns’ being treated negatively by their teachers, and over time come to change their view of them as desirable playmates in 1st and 2nd grades to being seen as boys who should be avoided or spurned in 3rd grade,” writes Dr. Barnett, a child psychologist and play advocate. “Years of studying how and what children learn in school has taught me that most of the important life lessons take place outside the structured adult-directed classroom setting, and much more frequently during children’s own free play alone and with each other. “Over many years of also studying children at play, I have witnessed an alarming increase in play being structured and directed by adults,” she added. “What was once free play during out-of-school time is being usurped for extracurricular activities and lessons, tutoring, homework, and the like.” Future research should focus on the children’s and teachers’ actual interactions in the classroom to further investigate the effect of this phenomenon on children’s behavior and welfare, she says. As Karen Fratti writing on hellogiggles.com observed, “While we should be empowering young girls to do their thing, too, shutting boys down when they’re getting rowdy, and not shutting girls down for doing the same thing, is a good way to teach boys not to express themselves at all. And we need to start teaching boys that there are healthy and constructive ways to express their feelings. Stanford professor Judy Chu writes in her book When Boys Become Boys that our culture emotionally incapacitates boys around the ages of 4 and 5 years old, even though they’re actually good at clocking other peoples’ feelings and empathizing with peers at that age.”
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EYE ON EDUCATION
Bedtime Stories from Space Merge Literacy with STEM
Astronauts are reading books to kids from space, reports The 74, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news site that covers education in America. Funded by the Global Space Education Foundation, storytimefromspace.com contains a library of videos that can also be found on YouTube. Among Wikki_EdDealer_BestTravel_PRNT.pdf
the selections are Notable Notebooks, Scientists and Their Writings, written by Jessica Fries-Gaither and read by NASA astronaut Joseph Acaba; and Next Time You See a Sunset, written by Emily Morgan and read by NASA flight engineer Mark Vande Hei. The videos are popular among parents, teachers, and librarians who feel that the astronauts are good role models for engaging kids in both science and reading. When the idea originated in 2014, astronaut Alvin Drew was its test pilot. “Patricia Tribe, the former director of education at Space Center Houston, suggested reading bedtime stories to kids from space,” he explained. “I was quite frankly surprised that we hadn’t already done something like that … and I was happy to oblige. We just needed to go find a book that we could read.” 1 5/7/18 They chose Max Goes to the Moon, 7:26 AM
38 EducationalDealerMagazine.com — June/July 2018
a book from the “Science Adventures with Max the Dog” series, written by astrophysicist Jeffrey Bennett. It was read from Drew’s laptop on the final mission of space shuttle Discovery. Two different versions of another book in the series, Max Goes to the International Space Station, are also in the library. One is told in Japanese by astronaut Koichi Wakata, and one is in English from astronaut Mike Hopkins. In another favorite selection, astronaut Kate Rubins tells the tale of Rosie Revere, Engineer, by Andrea Beaty. Coming soon is Mousetronaut, written by astronaut Mark Kelly and read by his twin brother, astronaut Scott Kelly. The “Story Time From Space” team is also preparing footage of kid-friendly science experiments conducted on the space station with an accompanying curriculum to be distributed to teachers and librarians.
Clarifying STEM/STEAM - A Practical Guide for Retailers, Manufacturers, Parents and Teachers (continued from page 26) the idea of a broad-based ‘liberal’ education is closely tied to the United States and its great universities and colleges. But in America itself, a liberal education is out of favor. In an age defined by technology and globalization, everyone is talking about skills-based learning. Politicians, businesspeople, and even many educators see it as the only way for the nation to stay competitive. They urge students to stop dreaming and start thinking practically about the skills they will need in the workplace. An open-ended exploration of knowledge is seen as a road to nowhere.” However, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs reinforced the import ant role of liberal arts during his unveiling of a new edition of the iPad when he said: “It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough – it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities that yields us the result that makes our hearts sing.” The full “Decoding STEM/ STEAM” report is available at toyassociation.org. An infographic on the “Top 10 Ways Toys Can Teach STEAM” and a “Myths and Messages” brochure for parents and educators can be found at thegeniusofplay.org, The Toy Association’s consumer website.
Two new makers of science and math resources have joined Ed Dealer’s list of advertisers for the first time. Corwin, founded in 1990, created a whole new category of
publishing: research-based, peer-reviewed, ready-to-use resources for PreK-12 educators. Since then, it has published more than 3,000 titles from more than 1,000 authors. Its books have been translated into dozens of languages and are used by millions of educators across the country and around the world. Over the past 28 years, Corwin has become a full-service professional learning organization offering face-to-face programs, eLearning resources, and assessment and survey tools. In April Corwin announced it had acquired Visible Learning Plus from New Zealand-based Cognition Education Group. A school change model, Visible Learning Plus, is based on the research of Australia-based professor John Hattie who is at the center of the evidence-based school reform movement. His body of work, known as the Visible Learning research, represents the world’s largest evidence base of what works best in school to improve learning. Corwin is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. See its ad on page 27.
Science Supply Solutions, founded in 2009 and based in Bensenville, Illinois, is a full-line wholesale distributor of top-quality science products. To meet the ever-changing needs of its customers, the company constantly develops and searches for new products. For instance, its Science Cube and The Science Cube Basics line includes 37 kits on topics that range from Simple Circuits and Discovering Optics to Color Theory and the Doppler Effect. Science Supply Solutions has the capability to source additional items, to private-label products, and to drop-ship large items. Its products can be found across the U.S. and internationally on store shelves, in catalogs and online. See its ad on page 21.
June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 39
BUSINESS NOTES Comparing Apples to Oranges? New corporate disclosure rules revealed that retail companies have some of the widest pay gaps between CEOs and average workers, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal in May. For the first time, publicly traded firms must disclose the ratio of the CEO’s compensation to that of the firm’s median worker. The requirement, specified in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, is meant to give shareholders relevant information to evaluate executive pay. Different industries have much different pay structures, of course. One may have large numbers of employees in low-wage countries (above a certain limit, they must be counted) while another’s workforce may be entirely domestic. Except for leisure and hospitality, the retail trade has the lowest average hourly earnings of any major industry group in the U.S., stated the article. That alone would tend to widen the sector’s pay ratio. But what’s really tipping the scales is that retail firms must also count part-time employees and seasonal workers. The disclosures, contained in statements companies must provide to shareholders before their annual meetings, show ratios of more than 1,000-to-1 for retailers such as Kohl’s, Walmart, TJX, Ross Stores, and Gap. The numbers are several times greater than
the difference at the median S&P 500 company, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, said the article. Among the 341 such firms the news organization had tracked as of May 17, the median ratio was about 180-to-1. “Kohl’s, for example, averaged 137,000 employees during 2017, and 104,000 of them were part-time,” continued the article by reporter Rick Romell. “The company’s median employee, it turned out, was a part-timer who earned $8,975.57 over the entire year. With CEO Kevin Mansell receiving total compensation of $11.3 million – thanks in part to a significantly stepped-up bonus because of the firm’s improved performance – Kohl’s pay ratio topped the 1,000-to-1 mark.” The median employees at Gap, Ross Stores and TJX (which operates the T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods chains) also were part-timers. But comparing the earnings of part-time and temporary workers without adjustments to the compensation of full-time CEO’s renders the ratio “nonsensical,” said David French, chief lobbyist for the National Retail
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40 EducationalDealerMagazine.com — June/July 2018
Imagine How Your Store Can Meet the Needs of a Group that’s Traditionally Overlooked The National Basketball Association commemorated World Autism Awareness Day in April by reopening its flagship store as the first sensoryinclusive retail location in the world. Celebrating it as an “Innovation of the Day,” Trendwatching noted, “We’ve been talking about the emergence of a post-demographic world – one in which marginalized groups demand to be heard – for a long time. And these days we’re all accustomed now to seeing brands represent and celebrate diversity in their messaging. Just look at Smirnoff’s long-running ‘We’re Open’ campaign, or Bancolombia’s same-sex insurance ad. “That’s 100-percent change for the better,” continued the independent trend firm with hubs in London, New
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Federation. Other experts agree. The SEC doesn’t. Romell reports, “When the commission published its rules in 2015,” reports the Journal Sentinal, “it said, “We are taking this approach in the final rule because we believe it most accurately captures the workforce and compensation practices that the registrant [the filing company] has chosen to employ.”
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York, Amsterdam, Singapore, São Paulo and Lagos. “But for rising numbers of consumers, it’s no longer enough. Instead, those consumers will demand that brands get practical and re-imagine their offerings around the wants and needs of a truly diverse set of customers. That means products, services, physical spaces, and engagement processes that cater to everyone, including traditionally marginalized groups.” The NBA worked with nonprofit KultureCity to make the store on New York’s Fifth Avenue accessible to shoppers with special sensory needs, such as people with autism, PTSD or dementia. Bags with noise-canceling headphones were made available, as well as weighted lap bands and fidget spinners. Every staffer received training on how to interact with and help those with sensory differences. The launch of the sensory-inclusive NBA Store is the latest in the league’s partnership with KultureCity, an Alabama-based organization dedicated to rethinking accessibility to create acceptance and inclusion for all individuals. The NBA and KultureCity first partnered in 2017 to reconsider accessibility in NBA arenas, and to promote a positive and accommodating experience for fans and guests with sensory needs. To date, 14 NBA arenas have implemented features to make their venues accessible to families with sensory needs. That number is set to climb to 18 by the start of the 2018-19 season. Four of the arenas – Cleveland, Oklahoma City, Sacramento and Utah –have dedicated quiet sensory rooms to further accommodate their guests. The NBA’s accessibility effort is just one of the ways retail brands are responding in practical ways to postdemographic consumerism. What does that mean? “People of all ages and in all markets are constructing their own identities more freely than ever,” explains Trendwatching, which first coined the phrase in 2014. “As a result, consumption patterns are no longer defined by ‘traditional’ demographic segments such as age, gender, location, income, family status, and more.”
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Screenflex Delivers! Contact Kevin Maas • 800-553-0110-X 109 • Dealersf.com June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 41
ENDCAP (continued from page 46)
Very Stylish: MooreCo’s Hierarchy line of educational furnishings is based on eight design principles: color, comfort, simplicity, adjustability, movement, visibility, collaboration, and engagement
9. What is your most marked characteristic? Just one? I have so many! Fine – it’s modesty! Kidding on that one, but sense of humor, multitasking and optimism rank pretty high. 10. What is your favorite occupation? Being me! It encompasses my role as an executive, as a mother, as a wife, friend, daughter, etc. I love all of these roles. Yup: my occupation of being myself is pretty wicked!
Strong and talented women with vision seem to characterize MooreCo, based in Temple Texas. Lorraine Moore, Paola’s mother-in-law, founded the company after she saw the need for a unique product and decided to manufacture it. In 1985, when female entrepreneurs were first finding their footing in male-dominated industries, Lorraine started designing and producing stands for
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computer printers. With the advent of personal computers, everyone needed a printer, and the company she founded, called Balt, soon became the leading supplier to major printer manufacturers across the U.S. Always innovating, Lorraine continued to expand Balt’s product offerings to include additional computer furniture, plus office and school furniture. In 1991, Balt purchased Best-Rite Chalkboard and, like its parent company, it grew its product line to include an array of visual communication products for existing and new markets. Among its innovations are durable and lightweight whiteboards made from Gorilla Glass by Corning, in all kinds of colors. Lorraine’s son Greg joined the company in 1995, and Balt/Best-Rite became a leader in the design and manufacture of furniture solutions for schools. The company listed its core values as “Having Fun, Innovation, Extreme Customer Care, and Making it Personal.”
ENDCAP
For today’s makerspaces, MooreCo offers furniture that’s portable and versatile.
In 2007, when Lorraine retired, Greg took the helm. By then, the company had grown to 150 employees, and 500,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities. To keep things growing, Greg partnered with private equity firm Webster Capital. Today, the MooreCo company website states, “Our learning environments are meant to provide emotional and physical safety, just like our home. Home is where the family is, and at MooreCo, we’re all about family.” With a philosophy like that, it was natural for Paola, Greg’s wife, to join MooreCo as director of marketing in 2000. A graduate of HOSTA, the hotel management school in Switzerland, she had co-owned a Microtel Inn franchise and established the brand, one of several owned by American firm Wyndham Hotel Group, in Argentina before moving to the U.S. In 2011, while she was on maternity leave from MooreCo, she and her sister Marina Silver launched a women’s clothing line called Rare Trends. The clothes are made by a group of seamstresses in Argentina, where dressmaking is a tradition – the skills are passed on from one generation to the next, Paola explained in a 2014 interview in Austin Monthly.
“This group of ladies used to make Evita’s garments. Some of our skirts have 50 hours of work, and some of our dresses have 40 hours.” She laughed when I referenced the article in our recent interview for Ed Dealer. “Yes, I had my own clothing line before I rejoined MooreCo in 2017,” Paola says. “It was a magical five-year period of creative explosion and fun, and doing everything we could as a team with very few resources. I think that love for fashion and design definitely impacts my role in marketing.” 2017 was a big year for MooreCo. In April, Greg purchased the company back from Webster Capital, in partnership with Prudential Capital Group. And with the recent acquisition of European school-furniture brand Vanerum Stelter, MooreCo was launching Vanerum North America in the U.S. The expansion gave MooreCo the capabilities to provide a full product range for any learning environment, from traditional classrooms to the latest in STEM, STEAM and makerspaces. “I am pleased with what the management team has accomplished under Webster’s ownership, and we are excited to continue to grow the business,” Greg said.
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June/July 2018 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 43
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ENDCAP
Meet Paola Moore director of marketing at award-winning school & office furniture company MooreCo by Tina Manzer
1. What makes you laugh currently? Politics and Jimmy Fallon 2. What is your motto? “You only live once. Go for it!” 3. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Ooooh, let me think of an uncensored version … “Don’t tell us we can’t do it, because you’re motivating us to prove you otherwise.” I mostly say it to my team and my kids. 4. Do you consider yourself more of a hunter or gatherer? Hunter! That took me less than a second to answer :) 5. What is your greatest fear? That something bad will happen to any of my girls. 6. What do you consider your greatest achievement? My three daughters! Doctors told us years ago we couldn’t have children, but seven IVFs, one miscarriage, six weeks of bed rest and eight weeks of NICU later, I have the most gorgeous souls God could create. (Please go back to see answer #3.) 7. At which two organizations outside your own do you know the most people and why? 46 EducationalDealerMagazine.com — June/July 2018
Paola and Greg with their daughters.
One is YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization). We have been members for 12 years now. It’s a global network with chapters in multiple cities. I have made the best of friends and met incredible people throughout the years. Second, I would say our school. Teachers, parents, students, staff … the feeling of community is great and again – I have made the best of friends there, too. 8. What was the last gift you gave someone? Let’s see … oh, a bag of mate! It’s an infusion, somewhat like tea. I’m from Argentina and my best friend, also Argentine, ran out and asked me for some. I never, ever share it but, oh well. What are friends for? (continued on page 42)
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