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The Power Of Peer Pressure
Peer Pressure. Keep Reading. Other people have! Ah, yes. Good old peer pressure! It's 2023, and it seems like peer pressure is more pervasive than ever, isn't it? But then again, when has it not been pervasive? As an adult, I can look back to my more formative years...
The Deadly Side of Vaping
If you have followed us here at RE@L, you know that we are standing solid with our nation's educators in an effort to help them put an end to teen nicotine addiction. For decades, most states have required some sort of instruction regarding drugs, alcohol, and...
Back To School: Have Your Highlighter Ready?
Another school year has begun, and our educators are faced with more and more challenges on just about every level. Districts struggle to pay their teachers at levels commensurate with other professionals. School curriculum is being challenged at levels never...
An E-Cigarette With Built-In Age Verification? Be Wary!
It's easy to get lulled to sleep with the ongoing drama surrounding teen nicotine use, isn't it? In June, our "Progress. Advancement. Momentum. Headway. Gains." blogpost outlined reasons (again) to be optimistic about efforts to curtail teen nicotine use. The most...
Your Next MUST Read: The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Include me as the surprised one when I was recently made aware of The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Initially I was certain that someone was making a trial run a title for a new zombie movie! I was surprised that a report of such nature existed. The...
Progress. Advancement. Headway. Momentum. Gains.
Progress. Advancement. Headway. Momentum. Gains. These are words that could be used to describe the state of Minnesota's recent successes in the commitment to 'Take Down Teen Nicotine'. In our May 7, 2023 blog, Hey Minnesota! We See You! What's Next?, we FIRST...
Hey Minnesota! We See You! What’s Next?
Hey everyone! It's another edition of RE@L's Roundup of Relevant RE@DS, and it is inspired by the recent Minnesota settlement with JUUL, Inc. in upwards of $100 million for purposely targeting kids with ads that promote nicotine consumption through vaping. At RE@L, we...
Student Vaping: “How do we head this off instead of react to it?” A #RE@LThrowback Podcast Conversation With a High School Principal
Welcome to RE@LCast™, a podcast developed and presented by realexperiencesatlife.com. We at RE@L believe that K12 students, both girls and boys, need to learn more about STEM. STEM helps students and their teachers better understand the fast-changing world we live in...
Chemicals! Chemicals! Chemicals! A #RE@LThrowBack
RE@L is dedicated to new and emerging Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives, including robots and artificial intelligence. Yes. There are robots. And then there are robots you may not have seen before. Meet Human Vaping Mimetic...
‘Experience is the teacher of all things.’ A #RE@LThrowback Blog Post
'Experience is the teacher of all things,' wrote Julius Caesar in his Civil War memoirs from 48-49 BC. According to Wikipedia, this accounts for the etymology of the contemporary phrase, 'Experience Is The Best Teacher.' Despite the ultimate fate of Julius Caesar,...
RE@L’s Relevant Reads: ‘Stop Teen Nicotine’ Edition
Busy these days? Who ISN'T busy these days?Seems like we are all in somewhat of a catatonic state these days because we are so BUSY! Going through the motions. Able to focus only on the task at hand at the expense of other important tasks. We complete tasks for sake...
Storytelling: A RE@L Art NOT Lost at RE@L
What makes a 'good day' for a school administrator? In today's environment, it could simply be survival. But as a retired superintendent of schools, I can tell you that my best days were those in which I could visit classrooms! There's nothing quite like connecting...
The Big Tobacco Accountability Mirage: Don’t Fall For It
Are you a 'check-lister?' Here's a little known secret: your Blogmeister is a prolific 'check-lister'. I have checklists of to-do's piled on top of other checklists. Seems like every week I'm looking for some new app that can make my checklists even easier to produce...
1Up On Vaping™: “An ounce of prevention……..”
It was in 1736 that Benjamin Franklin advised the fire-weary people of Philadelphia, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." While this well-known phrase can be applied almost universally, it makes us at RE@L think about the time and effort necessary for...
It’s Pre-Season For Educators
A month. That's about what it takes for professional athletes in the major sports to participate in organized pre-season activities. With the National Football League in their pre-season training camps right now, players are hustling and bustling through offensive and...
RE@LCast™ Listen On STEM and PBL: Dr. Maggie McHugh : “It’s a beautiful point when students realize their big dreams are going to take more time….”
At RE@L, we are amped up about everything that is STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. And so it's fitting that our RE@LGuest for this episode of RE@LCast™ is Dr. Maggie McHugh. Maggie is one of those outstanding, 'all in for kids' educators. And...
EXTRA! EXTRA! Read All About It: RE@L’s Roundup of Random, Relevant Reads
It should be of no RE@L surprise to our savvy RE@L readers that we at RE@L, Inc. are constantly working the iterative process to improve our current products and develop new ones. At RE@L, we believe that K12 students, both girls and boys, need to learn more about...
RE@LCast™ Listen: Rebecca Main: “I’m stepping into something that was always my dream and something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Another school year has come an end, and in some cases, parents, students and teachers alike are providing a unified 'good riddance' to a school year impacted (again) with many challenges. School stakeholders have endured yet another school year of uncertainty with...
Listen to RE@LCast™: Vaping! “How do we head this off instead of react to it?” Principal Steve Smith addresses vaping and the need to “WIN through education”
Welcome to RE@LCast™, a podcast developed and presented by realexperienceatlife.com. We at RE@L believe that K12 students, both girls and boys, need to learn more about STEM. STEM helps students and their teachers better understand the fast-changing world we live in...
When Being Compliant Isn’t Enough
If there's anything that our hectic, heated and harried school environments are demonstrating to us, it's that compliance is our driver. Educator be wary! It's a trap! Tread with caution. The unfortunate result of this unprecedented, frequently insane era is that we...
Spring Means Countering The Futility of Golf
Spring has sprung (almost) in the upper midwest. One can see signs of the season 'springing' to life all around us. The return of robins and other songbirds. The crack of the bat at spring training. And, of course, golf. There's nothing that charges my batteries for...
The Synthetic Vaping Loophole. “You Can Pay Me Now Or Pay Me Later.”
It's the early 70's. Let's say 1972, and your RE@L Blogmeister is watching a commercial on our tube-type television at home. A car mechanic is discussing the quality of Fram oil filters and -- while he is shutting the hood of the car after an oil change -- he looks in...
RE@LCast™ “Ellie says, STEM has guided you there where you are! Now, just pursue your goals and reach them!!!”
At RE@L, we are committed to provide for educators and students best-in-class science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum and programming. We leverage our unique, student-driven experiences to create even stronger opportunities for career...
BiPartisan Efforts to Strengthen STEM Ecosystems: It’s Happening. ‘Imagine That!’
At a time when political gridlock is somehow reflected in many newscasts and social media posts, Republican and Democrat senators are finally finding agreement on future funding for more Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) 'ecosystems'. Imagine...
RE@LCast™: RE@L Podcast Insights From Teacher, Rebecca Main, Cyber Village Academy
Welcome to RE@LCast™, a podcast developed and presented by realexperienceatlife.com. We are a company of educators dedicated to providing outstanding STEM-based opportunities for teachers and students alike. We leverage strong curriculum-based experiences to create...
Let The Winter Games Begin! Now in Beijing…Just As They Did For Us Kids Many Moons Ago! Thanks to STEM!
The 2022 Winter Olympics opened in Beijing last week amid a myriad of global complexities that just might have us soon forget that the Olympics took place at all. Nonetheless, it's one of your Blogmeister's favorite sporting events. Of course, I will enjoy the...
STEM! and CES?: The Yin-Yang of Innovation On Full Display! But, What’s This CES?
The advent of online calendars has made our lives so much easier hasn't it? Well, that could be debatable. But for the moment, let's assume it's true. I mean with a glance at my desktop or portable device, I can see my day laid out in a color-coded grid that reflects...
“Hey 2021, you’re in my seat!”
Ever happen to you? Not many things more embarrassing, are there, than finding yourself sitting in the wrong assigned seat at a large, ticketed venue? Whether it's a concert or a sporting event, it's a given. Just minutes after the event begins, the latecomers stroll...
EXTRA! EXTRA! Read All About It: RE@L’s Roundup of Relevant Reads in the Ongoing Efforts To Take Down Teen Nicotine
It should be of no surprise to anyone that the RE@L blog team demonstrates vigilance when it comes to sourcing important articles about teen nicotine and vaping. After all, friends of RE@L are savvy about RE@L's commitment to play a large part in taking down teen...
50 Years! Reflections On STEM And The Oregon Trail
A cursory review of the annals of history (https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history) will find that December 3 is a day to be remembered for many reasons. On December 3, 1818, for instance, Illinois became the nation's 21st state. In...
The Agency: Experience Is The Best Teacher
'Experience is the teacher of all things,' wrote Julius Caesar in his Civil War memoirs from 48-49 BC. According to Wikipedia, this accounts for the etymology of the contemporary phrase, 'Experience Is The Best Teacher.' Despite the ultimate fate of Julius Caesar,...
Big Tobacco’s Approach to Vaping: Sensory Overload
Perhaps Robert Fulgham had things right in his 1990 book: Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Adults today would be wise to pick up that book to refresh our memories about the most basic of human expectations for how we treat one another. Much of...
STEM in 1492? With RE@L, It’s Not New!
This week, people across the nation will participate in events which acknowledge the journey of Christopher Columbus in 1492 when an old poem said that he 'sailed the ocean blue.' Believe it or not, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) was alive and...
When “Don’t!” Means “DO!” How RE@L’s 1Up On Vaping™ Makes The Difference
The RE@L Blogmeister began his teaching career in 1983. One year, we decided that it would be advantageous for all of us to share our classroom rules. It was a vulnerable thing to do. As our principal said with unfortunate overtones, "Teaching is one of the more...
“STEM Really Comes To Life” – RE@L’s Jeff Blough On RE@L’s Approach To STEM Education
From The Blogmeister: Realexperiencesatlife.com is on the move. We're not just another company leveraging technology for classroom solutions. We are experienced. We are connected. And our products are teacher and student friendly and classroom tested. But just...
Welcome Back! Let’s Find The Solutions To Our ‘Demics’
Forever. That's how long we have anticipated the hopeful, late summer prospects of a new school year. 'Back To School' sales seem to begin earlier almost every year. With the onset of August and then Labor Day, our nation has a long-standing tradition of facing...
Hook another generation on nicotine? “We can’t let THAT happen!”-So writes Global Ambassador for the World Health Organization, Michael R. Bloomberg & RE@L AGREES!
Our nation's classrooms have long provided what we know is the best antidote for risky health behaviors. When it was determined years ago, for example, that smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco can indeed cause cancer, legislators across the country required...
“Oh The Blogs We Have Done!” A RE@L Thank You to Tom King
It seems appropriate, as we enter in to the world stage of another summer Olympics, to acknowledge that there’s been a recent ‘passing-of-the-torch’, so to speak, of RE@L’s blog responsibilities. For the past eight years, RE@L’s engine-of-innovation, Tom King, has...
A RE@L Conversation With Elyse Less, Executive Director of The Minnesota Tobacco Free Alliance
At RE@L, we believe the best opportunities to make a difference in the education of children is through collaboration. Together, we become smarter! Such is the case in our ongoing connections with Elyse Less, the executive director of the Tobacco-Free Alliance (TFA)....
Let’s See What Wise Students, Josh and Colin, Have To Say About Vaping: “Don’t!”
At RE@L, we put all of our products through the rigors of the classroom before we make them available in the marketplace. RE@L's learning product: 1 Up On Vaping™ has withstood the critical test of the classroom with solid, constructive reviews from educators who have...
RE@L’s “1Up On Vaping” Update From Teacher Rebecca Main: Here’s More on What’s Been Helping More Students Say “NO!” to Vaping. It Works! It’s RE@L!
The 2020-2021 school year may forever be noted with a proverbial asterisk attached to it. One thing, however, stands clear as the dust settles on what has been a challenging yet invigorating school year, our teachers remain the steady constant for our communities, our...
RE@LBlogMeister, Randy Nelson, RE@L’s Director of Education, Has This To Say About Pandemic Lessons Learned This School Year!
Here's what RE@L's Director of Learning, Randy Nelson, has to say about RE@L's pivotal, new Learning Product, 1Up On Vaping™: As we approach the waning days of one of the most tumultuous school years in our history, we pause for reflection on the 2020-2021 school...
RE@L VP Don Rawitsch Presents: “1Up On Vaping™” – RE@L’S First STEM Product For K12: Stay Well! Say “NO!” To Vaping!”
RE@L presents Dr. Don Rawitsch, Executive Vice President, Product Development for RE@L STEM Investigations and welcome his Guest Blog on our "1Up On Vaping™." Don helped create the world-renowned Oregon Trail back in his days at MECC (Minnesota Educational Computer...
“TikTok Doc” Dr. Rose Marie Leslie Interview – Part 3: “Teen Vaping Can Affect Teen Mental Health!”
Dr. Rose Marie Leslie, a family medicine resident at the University of Minnesota, is a well-known TikTok influencer, one who uses her social media platform to speak to teens about health issues that matter to them. Dr. Leslie recently partnered with Children’s...
RE@LBlog #2- Dr. Leslie Gives More “Straight Talk” To Teens On Vaping: “What Can Be Done To Stop?”
RE@LBlog brings Part 2 of Dr. Rose Marie Leslie's medical perspective on teenage vaping. Dr. Leslie is a Family Medicine Resident at the University of Minnesota. Additionally,she is a very well-known TikTok social-media influencer with thousands of followers. Dr....
RE@LBlog Interview #1: “Tik Tok Doc”: Dr. Rose Marie Leslie Brings Helpful Advice To Teens About Their Vaping Concerns
RE@LBlog brings another medical perspective on youth vaping: Dr. Rose Marie Leslie is a Family Medicine resident at the University of Minnesota, and is a well-known TikTok social-media influencer. Dr. Leslie uses her social media platform to talk with teens about...
RE@L INTERVIEW #3/3: Dr. Griffiths-“TIPS FOR EDUCATORS AND PARENTS ON TALKING TO TEENS ABOUT VAPING”
RE@L's "1Up On Vaping™" LearningProduct brings to our RE@LBlog Readers a series of interview blogs from two local pediatric doctors on the perils of teen vaping and nicotine use: Dr. Anne Griffiths and Dr. Rose Marie Leslie. All six RE@LBlog interviews were conducted...
RE@LBlog Interview #2 Of 3: Dr. Anne Griffiths Shares Experiences with Teen Vaping & Lung Injuries + Findings for Nicotine-Free Wellness!
RE@L's "1Up On Vaping™" LearningProduct brings to our RE@LBlog Readers a series of interview blogs from two local doctors on the perils of teen vaping and nicotine use: Dr. Anne Griffiths and Dr. Rose Marie Leslie. All six RE@LBlog interviews were conducted by...
RE@LBlog Interview #1 Of 3: Dr. Anne Griffiths Shares Experiences Of Teen Vaping & Lung Injuries: “Our Findings For Nicotine-Free Wellness!”
RE@L's "1Up On Vaping™" LearningProduct brings to our RE@LBlog Readers a series of interview blogs from two local doctors on the perils of teen vaping and nicotine use: Dr. Anne Griffiths and Dr. Rose Marie Leslie. All six RE@LBlog interviews were conducted by...
Happier New Year To All! Let’s Start This New Year Right! What Will Teachers and Students Have To Say About RE@L’s “1Up On Vaping™”? Yes, It Helps Stop Vaping!
RE@LBlog readers are greatly pleased to bring to our many readers what's now known as a "Happy Better New Year." We believe you will find our forthcoming series of blogs a useful gift to all schools and teachers. Thanks to all those teachers who work with middle...
RE@L’s Holiday Wish For Teachers and Students: “1Up On Vaping” Is A Powerful Way To Stop Vaping Or Better Never Start!
“1Up On Vaping” is taking down teen nicotine by giving middle school students the tools they need to make healthy decisions about vaping and nicotine use. Teen e-cig use has reached epidemic proportions. More information on the best way to stop it is to educate...
Happy 49th Birthday To The World-Famous Oregon Trail™! And The Launch of RE@L’s New: “1Up On Vaping™”, A STEM-Based Trail To Better Student Health!
MINNPOST is a local online news-link here in Minnesota and beyond. Reporter Greta Kaul wrote a fine story on MINNPOST.com last year. The title was: "Almost 50 years ago, Oregon Trail™ revolutionized educational software. Can the game’s creators do it again?" It's a...
A Grateful, Thanksgiving Wish From All Of Us At RE@L: To Teachers, Students, Parents & Health-Care Providers! We Thank All Those Who Serve So Many In Need During This Tragic Time!
RE@L extends Thanksgiving well-wishes this year to all those who have served so many. Among them are: healthcare workers, teachers, students, parents....all who help those in need. There are many more! There is much to be thankful for this holiday, even in the midst...
Part 2: The Rest of The Story “1Up On Vaping™”: RE@L’s Closing Interview With Teacher Lucinda Ranney’s Sharing “1Up” Results. YES! Students Said, “It Worked!”
The last RE@LBlog left our many readers with this question, begging a very important answer: "Does 1Up On Vaping™" really work? Good question indeed! The answer you will find below is that virtually ALL of her students were excited to learn more about the dangers of...
Part 1: Interview With Teacher Lucinda Ranney’s Classroom Experiences Using RE@L’s “1Up On Vaping”-YES, It Worked!!
RE@LBlog is pleased to bring another teacher interview to our K12 readers. Our interview, with Lucinda Ranney continues to explore the effectiveness of using our new anti-vaping RE@L-LearningProduct "1Up On Vaping.™" Thanks to Lodi, WI middle-school teacher, Lucinda...
RE@L-Interview Page Two: Onsite/Online Learning! The Rest Of “1Up On Vaping™”: Teacher Rebecca Main’s Recent Interview With RE@L’s Staff Commentaries!
Yes! Needed Everywhere Are the New Tools for Each Teacher and New Tools for Each Student! Here's our Part 2 RE@L-Interview, the rest of our recent interview with health teacher Rebecca Main on RE@L's "1Up On Vaping™." To see Part 1 of the first interview with...
Onsite/Online Learning? Questions Need Answers! Here’s Our RE@LDialogue With “1Up On Vaping” Teacher, Rebecca Main
RE@L is pleased to present an interview with local teacher, Rebecca Main, about her recent experiences with online/onsite learning in her school. Rebecca helped our RE@L team produce our "1Up On Vaping" video resources for teachers. Many of Ms. Main's students are...
RE@L’s Promising, New LearningProduct “1Up On Vaping”™ Helps Students Say “NO!” To Vaping Or Stop Vaping! So, Let’s Get RE@L! Order “1Up On Vaping” NOW!
Everywhere, teachers are starting a new and extremely challenging school year. This new school year all educators face many new challenges for themselves and for their students. All those who teach are in need of effective resources for both onsite and online teaching...
RE@L’s New “1Up On Vaping™” Helps Students Choose to Stop Vaping! Get “1Up On Vaping™” For Your School NOW!
Our RE@L StudentCorner contributor Ellie had this to say about her recent view of RE@L’s new "1Up On Vaping" product: “I can’t express how useful this new LearningProduct on Anti-Vaping by RE@L would have been to us learners when we were in middle school. I believe it...
RE@LReview:”It Will Take a Village to Open Schools Safely” – Journalist, John Merrow
Given our national concern on how to open our K12 schools to 55+ million students, it's imperative we all are aware of two, key considerations of "Time" and "Space." Einstein can't help us here, but nationally known journalist, John Merrow, has some helpful insights...
Home Or School, Here’s How Teachers & Students Use RE@L’s “1Up On Vaping” LearningProduct™- Aligned With RE@L-STEM Resources™ + ALL The Help Needed!
RE@L is ready to roll-out our first among many new STEM-related products: "1Up On Vaping." Here's what makes this new RE@LSTEM LearningProduct™ effective in stopping vaping or never starting: RE@L's creative insights and extensive testing. Both are critical to...
One Of Four Teens Vape! It Can Be As Dangerous As Covid-19! RE@L’s New Anti-Vaping Product Helps Students Stop Vaping Or Better Never Start – Get 1Up On Vaping™ Now!
Even during these troubled times of pandemic, middle school students everywhere continue to face another malicious malady: the potentially deadly addictions of nicotine, tobacco and vaping. Given the loss of many healthy outdoor and indoor activities, 25% of...
STEAM Teacher, Ellen Schafer, STEAMs-Up Her Middle School Learners: Look and Learn What Happens, From Exquisite Doll Houses to Landing on Mars Safely!
RE@LBlog STEAM Teacher Report: A few years ago, Ellen Schafer was freshly graduated from the University of St. Thomas (UST) in St. Paul with a double major in Elementary Education (K-6) and Science and Math Endorsement (5-8). Luckily for both, she found that her...
If K12 Pandemic Plans Work in Boston’s Schools this Fall, Will Those Plans Work Elsewhere? Boston Is Hard at Work Now! Let’s Learn from Them…Now!
RE@L thanks frequent blogger and nationally-known educational historian, Diane Ravitch, for alerting us to a recent, thought-provoking headline and a key follow-up story from the Boston Globe™ newspaper. RE@L is pleased that this Globe story does...
Students, Teachers, Parents & RE@L Find Some “Silver-Lining” Remedies in the Midst of this Pandemic: “Rx: Patience, Kindness, a Sense of Humor and Some Great Tips!”
RE@LBlog is proud to share with our readers some of the many insightful and helpful comments we received this past weekend. Thank You! RE@L depends on our readers to improve not only our RE@LBlog, but also our new RE@L LearningProducts™. Already we have made free to...
RE@LReport: “Pandemic Is Transforming How Teachers Teach,” From “AXIOS.” RE@L Adds: “Yes, New ways To Teach & Also To Learn!” SEND US Q’s & YOUR IDEAS!
RE@LReport this week is excerpted from Axios News, May 9, 2020: "The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Transforming HowTeachers Teach," by authors: Kim Hart & Alison Snyder. Click on the Axios graphic to the right for their entire column. This timely RE@LReport tells how...
RE@L: The Brand – The History – The Products – The Teams That Made Sy-STEM-ic Change Happen Are Our RE@L Team!
RE@L – The Brand That Makes Sy-STEM-ic K12 EdTech Change Happen Again and Again! Real Experiences at Life (RE@L) reflects today's ever-changing education environment. RE@L is unique in its approach to build K-12 on-line curriculum based on 4 key principles: 1. ...
There’s Another Pandemic Out There That Can Be Deadly: Vaping! There’s Good News! – RE@L/MOAI Have Created A “Vaccination” Cure: “1Up On Vaping” – Check It Out!
“1Up On Vaping” is taking down teen nicotine by giving middle school students the tools they need to make healthy decisions about vaping and nicotine use. Teen e-cig use has reached epidemic proportions and the best way to stop it is to educate students in ways...
Kudos to Blogmeister Dale LaFrenz, “The Pioneer” Who Brought Us MECC’s Oregon Trail 50 Years Ago, Now Brings Us RE@L’s Revolutionary New STEM Products.
RE@L is honored to present this University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development "Alumni Profile" Spring 2020 recognition of our RE@L Chairman, Dale LaFrenz. Proud we are! Here's Dale's Profile from the U of M: ===== Dale And His RE@L Team Are...
It’s Lift-Off Time From Our RE@LReaders’ Emails And Social Media Thumbs-Up “Likes” That All Give A Big Boost To Ellie’s NASA-Surgeon Dream! Keep ‘Em Coming!
Hey, all you loyal RE@LBlog Readers out there: Thank you! Thank you for your many email comments on Ellie's StudentCorner™ blog. Click on the graphic to the right to read Ellie's previous blog story if you missed it. Note: Ellie isn't yet an astronaut, but that's her...
Ellie’s StudentCorner™ STEM Story: How My STEM Courses Are Rocketing Me To My Dreams To Be A NASA Space Doctor For Astronauts! – Here’s Ellie’s Story
Hi everyone! It’s Ellie, back again reporting from my RE@L StudentCorner™! I am excited to be returning to my Corner to talk more about STEM in my life, and how it's leading to my STEM "dream" job! Here's my own STEM story: "Growing up, I had been to a few STEM camps....
Schooling At Home??? Now What! Online Learning At Home Replaces America’s Classrooms! Here’s What’s Next!!!
RE@LBlog found this recent headline article on keeping an “open mind” in a local publication," MINNPOST," just as many local students went back to online school during their prolonged "Stay Home!" Here's the caption from an involved parent: "I’m just trying to keep...
RE@L Guest Blogger Don Rawitsch Says We Need More Effective STEM In K12; Problem: “Tomorrow’s STEM Careers Need New Curriculum Goals Now!” Here’s How!
RE@L is pleased to present RE@L VP Don Rawitsch and his insightful Guest Blog answer to a clear and better path for K12 students as they consider STEM Careers. There has been much discussion on the best way to approach this needed change. Don suggests flipping the...
RE@LReports: Oregon Trail Co-Inventors Don Rawitsch & Paul Dillenberger Greet a Crowd at History Colorado Center – Celebrating Learning Software that Changed K12!
It still takes real teamwork to get things done in K12 learning resources. The MECC teams did just that back in the Oregon Trail™ days. Today our RE@LTeams do the same with our new array of tested LearningProducts™. The past informs the present, they say, and so it...
What Do Students Say About RE@L’s 1Up On Vaping™? Here’s Ellie’s StudentCorner™ Comments: “Don’t Start! If You Did, Quit!”
Following up on our last blog by Teacher Todd, we now have a commentary by Student Ellie for our RE@L StudentCorner™. RE@L knows that LearningProduct improvement comes from listening to both teachers and students. Below is a student's views about vaping and smoking....
What Do Teachers Say About RE@L’s New “1Up On Vaping™”? Read RE@LBlog’s TeacherCorner™ Comments From Teacher Todd: “Don’t Start! But If You Have Started, Quit Now!”
Our many readers will recall last fall that our RE@L TeacherCorner™ Todd had many helpful suggestions about making a good start to the 2019-2020 school year. Click on Todd's photo below to see those tips. They remain useful reminders. Since then, many new challenges...
To Vape Or Not To Vape? That Is The Question! No One Has A Better Answer For It Than A Teenager, Now A Recovering Vapist! RE@L Reposts His Story.
MOAI/RE@L recently released their new LearningProduct, "1Up On Vaping." Middle Schools in four states will be able to purchase and access this powerful, new product that helps young students decide what to do. Your school can order 1UpOn Vaping, too. Click here and...
RE@L RePost: RE@L’s Revolutionary New RE@LPortal™: Instant Access To A Plethora of Powerful Resources For Teachers and Students Everywhere!
RE@L is proud to announce the upcoming release of our new powerful LearningProduct: "1Up On Vaping" in early February. An integral part of this anti-vaping product is our new RE@LPortal, a gateway to essential teaching, learning and sharing resources for...
RE@L Repost: Right Here in Minnesota! A State Solid for Solid State High-Tech! A Panel of Leaders Who Helped Make High-Tech a Reality
Minnesota has a long history of creating new "high technologies" that have well-served the world, far beyond our state boundaries. MECC's Oregon Trail is among them. Just ask those students who played it and learned from it. The short list seen below may not seem...
MOAI/RE@L Announce Their Revolutionary New LearningProduct™: “1Up On Vaping™” for Middle-Schools Everywhere! Let’s Stop Vaping Before It Starts!
In recent RE@LBlogs we have brought to our reader's attention our new LearningProduct: "1Up On Vaping." This New Year brings an exciting, new LearningProduct™ to Middle-Schools across America. The release date is scheduled for January 27, 2020! More young learners...
What Students Are Saying about How to Improve Their Education! Are We Listening to What They Have to Say?
In the hundred thousands of schools across our country no one knows better what works and what doesn't work than......Yes! The student. That's one reason RE@L listens to students, and their teachers, too. Who knows better in the marketplace than the customer? There's...
REPOST: RE@L Celebrated 500,000 Visitors in May 2018! Thanks to Our Readers + Dan & 6 Smart Crows! – We Are On Our Way to 600,000 – Thanks To Our Many Visitors!
You Celebrated With Us At RE@LBlog Last Year! A Half-Million visitors weren't wrong. Nor are the nearly 100,000 more since! RE@LBlog has now reached a half-mega-milestone of 500,000 visitors to our RE@L Homepage™ and RE@LBlogsite™. It's a cause for celebration! Yes,...
RE@L Repost: A Holiday Gift to Our Readers: Tom Whitby’s “My Island View” Holiday Gift: Keys to Educational Reform: Sharing!
What holiday gift can we give our loyal RE@L Readers? We want something to give that will last longer than a two-year old fruitcake from Aunt Matilda. So, we are looking for a gift that keeps on giving and keeps getting better the more we use it. Like Aunt...
RE@LBlog Repost: “The National Assessment of Educational PARALYSIS (NAEP)” by John Merrow
RE@L is pleased to repost this current column of "The Merrow Report" an ongoing, investigatory, weekly publication on education by author and the "McGraw Prize in Education" winner, John Merrow. Click on the graphic to the right to learn more about Mr. Merrow's...
Local Minnesota District, School and Students Take on Student Vaping and Tobacco!
Where There's Smoke, There's More Tobacco Trouble - VAPING! Sarah Bass is one of RE@L's Co-Founders. She serves as Learning Innovator for RE@L's STEM Products. LearningProducts™ is what RE@L is all about and our primary focus is on K12 students and STEM-based...
RE@L’s 1Up On Vaping™ Will Soon Be Available To Help Students Choose “No Vaping, No Tobacco and No Nicotine. Period!”
RE@L is moving ahead quickly with the coming release in January of our new RE@LearningProduct™: 1Up On Vaping™ The accompanying RE@LProduct Tag Line is: Taking Down Teen Nicotine™. That's our new RE@L goal! That new phrase is what’s called positive, “with-it” teen...
“Take time to remember your teachers this week! – It’s Amercian Education Week!” A Thanksgiving Greeting from Business Scion, Harvey Mackay – RE@L adds: “Thank a teacher near you!”
RE@L's annual Thanksgiving Holiday greeting this year features famous business-man, author and frequent speaker: Harvey McKay. Mr. McKay writes a weekly column,"Swim with the Sharks™" which is read by many. RE@L joins him in this message of gratitude for the many...
STEM Students Can Look Sky High! Fagen Inc Helps Tell the Stories Behind RE@L’s “Keep ‘Em Flying!”
Paul Gullickson, one of our RE@L colleagues, lives near the Fagen Engineering, Inc. in Granite Falls, MN. Paul is a frequent visitor to their air museum, recently alerted us to a very interesting locally-made video about Fagen’s continued efforts to build a WW2 Air...
“1Up On Vaping™” – An Open Letter Of Invitation To Help Stop Teen Vaping Before It Starts!
RE@L is moving ahead quickly with the coming release in December of our new RE@LearningProduct™: “1Up On Vaping™”. The accompanying Product Tag Line is: “Taking Down Teen Nicotine Use™ That new phrase is what’s called positive, “with-it” teen lingo. That...
“Education Week” Summer 1989 – 30 Years Ago! – “St. Paul School District Touting Saturn School of Tomorrow As Model for Technology in Education” – It Was. Still Is!
On occasion, RE@LBlog brings our readers a "K12 Blast from the Past." Here's a famous quote from philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist, George Santyana: "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." We need to learn from our past, both what has...
The War of The Learning Worlds: 50 Million K12 Students Remain Stuck In A “World That No Longer Exists”
A self-taught longshoreman who got his education from classic library books, Eric Hoffer left us this legacy: "In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." Today,...
More from RE@L on Stopping Student Smoking & Vaping Before They Start! RE@L & Moai’s New “Nicotine Mysteries” Learning Product Helps Stop Nicotine Use!
Let's start our RE@LBlog where we left off last time: RE@L remains committed to an ancient Roman motto that's still popular today: "Sans mens in sana corpore." Translated it means a healthy mind requires a healthy body. And, vice-versa, translated means it works both...
Stopping Student Smoking & Vaping Before They Start! RE@L & Moai’s New “Nicotine Mysteries” Learning Product Helps Stop Nicotine Use!
There's an old saying that "Where's there's smoke there's fire." In today's tobacco-driven world, there's an equally worrisome warning: "Where there's tobacco smoke there's trouble ahead! Vaping too!" Many share these concerns and now more than ever. Regrettably, many...
RE@L Repost: Welcome Back! Teacher Todd’s Tips for a New School Year And Another Opportunity For Teachers To Do It Even Better!
RE@L'S TEACHERS CORNER WITH TODD LAFRENZ "Here are some thoughts from our summer travels and adventures into a new school year. Hope these recollection are helpful to you teachers out there as you begin your school year. Now that your bodies and minds are recharged,...
From MECC’s “Oregon Trail” to RE@L’s “Know Smoking” – New Vistas of Love for Learning
An interview "blast from our RE@L past" and one worth your watching on our RE@LBlog! Recently, WCCO-TV reporter, John Lauritsen, along with MECC Founder, Dale LaFrenz, told viewers the story of Oregon Trail™ and how it "immersed" K12 learners back...
RE@L Reveals Our Revolutionary Tool: Real-Time Portal™ – A Resource-Rich Entry To More Empowered Teaching and Learning!
Within the next few weeks, the doors of our many schools will be opening again. We at RE@L see this as another opportunity to "make learning even better than last year." There will be many more productive tools of teaching and learning provided our new RE@L-Time...
A RE@L REPOST: “Peyton’s Story”: Equestrian Exercises On A Horse: Her Lifelong Activities As Told With Her School-Learned Social Media Skills!
Peyton LaFrenz is a local MN high school equestrian, who greatly enjoys sharing her horse-riding stories. In this RE@L Student Corner™ Blog post, she tells the social media world how her passion and her use of technology has made a unique impact on her and many...
“RE@L Repost for the Week!”: Saturn Student to President: “I Learn Best with My Hands. Computers Let Me Learn with My Hands!”
Students can teach us educators how to better educate. They can also teach themselves how to better learn. They can even teach a President of the United States why effective technologies need to be in K12 classrooms everywhere....computers, mobile devices and...
“Eden Prairie News” Story On RE@L Chairman, Dale LaFrenz: “Eden Prairie resident popularized ‘Oregon Trail’ computer game, seeks future of educational tech”
RE@L is pleased to announce another newspaper feature on RE@L's Learning Products Mission team. Major articles have been published on MECC and RE@L by our local major newspapers, the Twin Cities area Star Tribune and the Twin Cities area Pioneer Press (see links...
REPOST-Coming Soon to STEM Schools Everywhere: Systemic Changes Lead to RE@L’s STEM Investigation #1: Water Quality!
Imagine a new way to learn, with a new space for learning in our schools. Inside, find team-rooms instead of classrooms. Outside, you will find real-world problems like safe drinking water. There's a poem many of us studied in school called "The Rime of the...
RE@L Repost: “Forget the So-Called Achievement Gap! RE@L Knows How to Help More Learners Learn More. It’s Called RE@L Systemic Change
As the old saying goes, "Read it and weep!" The"Impossible Achievement Gap" lives on and on and on. Why? It's impossible! See the RE@L story by clicking on the graphic below. Each year thousands of new school leaders, take the reins of a K12 school district or a...
RE@L RePost: “Any Teacher Afraid of Being Replaced by a Computer Should Be!”
Years ago, in my K12 teaching days, our school district had a computer supervisor who, when asked if computers would ever replace teachers, responded with the comment in the headline you just read above. It's still true. Computers and all related K12...
America’s Fun Science with Dr. Fun – AKA – Dr. Tyronne Carter: “How to make STEM Science fun and learn more too!”
Our RE@LBlog readers know that we are dedicated to bringing our now over half-million+ visitors more encouraging reports on more STEM activities in K12. We've had dozens of our own blogs and many guest blogs from both teachers and students on STEM topics from...
RE@L Repost: Remember This Song?: “Those Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer!” Anne Jolly Focuses On: “STEM And Summer Learning Loss.” Ideas For Kids Plus Tips For Summer Learning…
A RE@L Reprint! Here's a helpful "end of the school year blog" this week by RE@L guest-blogger, Anne Jolly. It brought to mind that Nat King Cole standard that some of us may still recall: “Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer....Dust off the sun and moon...
“What Is the Goal of Education?” Asks Blogger Tom Whitby – He Has An Answer and So Does RE@L!
Tom Whitby writes a fine and focused, albeit lengthy blog in his most recent release: "What is the Goal of Education." Mr. Whitby has been blogging for many years and has many followers. He has written many pertinent and helpful educational blogs. Teachers have...
Students Love Passion Projects! Why? It’s Their Own Passion Product So They OWN It! Here’s A Great Idea From Learner’s Edge Blog™
Your RE@LBloggers chanced upon this fine blog from Learners Edge: 7 Steps for Keeping Students Engaged After Spring Break. If you elementary teachers out there are looking for projects that your students will both enjoy and remember here's some great ideas from...
RE@L’s “Mini-Blog”: A Few Wise Words Worth Reflecting On!
RE@L presents a timely Mini-Blog for our many busy readers. Our selected topic this week is "Systemic-Change." We all realize that positive change is essential for positive results. But, for positive change to become lasting change, it must positively affect the...
Looking for EdTech Learning In All The Wrong Places!
Fellow RE@L BlogMeister and Chairman of the Board Dale LaFrenz found a powerful technology message on Twitter last week: "Technology is a tool." Indeed it is! Since that message lines up with our RE@L's Systemic-Change™ mission (click here) for our recent blogs,...
“ReBoot Required!” Says New Commissioner of Employment and Economic Development, Steve Grove – So Does RE@L. We Can Help Make it Happen!
Many Minnesotans are rightfully applauding their new Employment and Economic Developer (EED) Commissioner, Steve Grove. Mr. Grove was the former News Lab Director at Google. He was in charge of Google's collaboration with news organizations all over America and the...
Introducing RE@L EdTech “Teachers Corner” With Two Experienced STEM Teachers: Jackie and Todd LaFrenz Who Share Some Powerful School Startup Ideas!
RE@L is thrilled to welcome two, new STEM-based teachers, Jackie and Todd LaFrenz, to our RE@L Teachers Corner...Hangout...Watering Hole...Whatever you want to call the place for sharing big ideas! This new Corner is a gathering place where any teacher can go and...
Real Change Is Needed! So, RE@L Is Taking a Giant Step Forward this School Year. And, So Is Our RE@L Blog: Check Out Our New STEM-Based EdTech Corners™!
Yes, things are happening at RE@L that K12 STEM teachers and students everywhere will be glad to see! Our RE@L Blog is changing for the better, too. A big part of our change is our new "STEM EdTech Teacher Corners." We now have a new teacher team! They both are...
RE@L Repost: “K12 Ed Tech – How What We Once Were Got Us To Where We Are Now!”
" A STORY TOLD BY OUR RE@L CHAIRMAN, DALE LAFRENZ, WHO WAS THERE FOR ALL OF IT AND STILL IS! FROM MECC TO RE@L TO NEW COLLABORATIONS AND PRODUCTS -- Blog Editors Note: RE@L's visionary leader Dale LaFrenz was there when it all started back in the 1960's. Dale and his...
Repost: The Power of Real World Learning – A STEM Case Study By Two “Passionate” Teachers: Jackie and Todd’s Story
As promised, RE@L brings you the second STEM Case Study, this one from Jackie Murdock LaFrenz, another "Passionate Practitioner" from Oregon, and wife of last week's guest blogger, Todd LaFrenz. Click here to read Todd's STEM Case Study from his school: REALMS, where...
“RE@L RE-Post for the Week!”: “A Millennial and You Want A Job? Lose the Cellphone Already – Learn Some Skills!”
"Get a job!" That was a line from an old rock 'n roll song we heard in our youth. But it's not music to many Millennial ears these days. It wasn't as hard to get a job back then even though there were a lot of us looking for one. Not as many young people went on...
RE@L RE-BLOG: #WalkOut, #WalkUp, #WalkIn….”Teach the World to Sing in Better Harmony”….CyberTeaming Joins Social-MediaTeaming
READ ON FOR SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO RESTORE PEACE AND SAFETY TO OUR SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS. NOTE: THIS BLOG WAS FIRST PUBLISHED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. GIVEN ITS IMPORTANCE, WE ARE PUBLISHING IT AGAIN. ======= Hashmarks (#) are all over the place these days. We have seen...
Systemic Change At RE@L Becomes “SYS-STEM-IC”: Steering A Needed K12 EdTech Mission That’s STEM-Based
Our RE@L President and CEO, Paul Gullickson, recently reminded us what constitutes Systemic Change. Paul also told us it’s critically important to keep our RE@L system on-course if we are going to meet one of our major, RE@L goals for our products and...
Part 2: Another RE@L STEM Investigation: Farm to Table™ Is Coming to Teachers, Students and Classrooms Near You! The Rest of the Story…
We last left our RE@LBlog readers almost half way from the dairy farm to the milk in the glass on our tables. Here's a photo of Al the Milkman waving goodbye as he heads his big truck to the nearest dairy producer and bottler. To read Part 1, click here. Many of us...
RE@L and MOAI Joint Press Release: Powerful, New Anti-Smoking Product Coming Soon From The Former Creators of “Oregon Trail™!”
RE@LBlog is proud to announce the recent Press Release that RE@L and our colleagues at MOAI Technologies have received a major grant from the National Institute for Health to develop a unique anti-smoking, online product. More on the Press Release below. First, why...
From MECC’s Oregon Trail® of Yesteryear to RE@L’s STEM Explorations® of Today: “A Love for Learning” for All Learners!
Almost 200 years ago, Horace Mann introduced schooling as we know it today. Students were grouped largely by age, as they are now. While that method works for many learners, it clearly does not work for all. We are all grateful for Mann's introduction of...
Mark Your Calendar! RE@L’s New STEM Software Release Happens In March! Want To Know More About RE@L’s New STEM? Listen to RE@L “Spokes-Kid” Sam Hira
MORE ABOUT RE@L’S COMING NEW STEM SOFTWARE IN MARCH! - LISTEN TO RE@L’S “SPOKES-KID” SAM HIRA! SAM AND HIS ROBOT, 2007 SAM NOW SAM HAS BEEN AN ADVISOR TO RE@L FOR YEARS....
From Sissying and Bullying to Teaming and Learning, RE@L Has Led ALL the Way! Today’s Work-World Needs CyberTeams! RE@L Knows How To Make It Happen!
Our last three RE@L Blogs dealt with the useful topic of how to turn CyberBullying into CyberTeaming. Thanks to Tulane University's School of Social work, we were able to reprint their comprehensive informative content, resources and remedies on how to make K12...
RE@L Blazes New Learning Trails Where MECC’s Oregon Trail Ended: RE@L’s New Learning Software Rises Again!
RE@L's VP for RE@L Product Development, Don Rawitsch, recently wrote a Guest Blog for us on his attendance and presentation at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco last month. Click here for Don's previous blog on this topic. One of his conclusions...
The Power of Real World Learning: A STEM Case Study By Two “Passionate” Practitioners, Part 1: Todd’s Story
RE@L is proud to bring our readers a "Double Perspective" of Case Studies on STEM-based Real World Learning. This kind of learning goes by many names these days: STEM, STEAM, PBL (Project-Based Learning), EL (Expeditionary Learning) to name some. Todd LaFrenz and...