North Carolina District Adopts PASCO’s Lab Sensors and Software for 87 Schools

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools in Charlotte, NC recently rolled out a blended learning program using learning resources from PASCO Scientific and now the school district wants to adopt the company’s wireless sensors and accompanying software to foster hands-on, inquiry-based learning opportunities in STEM classes.

PASCO's wireless middle school science standard bundle.

The Essential Physics textbook and e-textbook were introduced in 19 high schools for the 2016-2017 school year, according to a news release. For the upcoming 2017-2018 school year, all 87 middle and high schools in the district will utilize:

  • PASCO’s wireless middle school science standard bundle of wireless sensors, which can collect and graph temperature, pressure, pH, force acceleration, voltage and light data in real time via Bluetooth Smart technology. The wireless sensors can connect directly to computers, tablets, smartphones and Chromebooks with no extra hardware.
  • The SPARKvue data collection and analysis software, which combines “rich standards-based content, data collection, visualization, analysis and assessment into one seamless environment,” according to a product overview.
  • Teacher Guides that contain teacher-friendly versions of the labs (available in print, PDF, MS Word and on a flash drive), as well as questions and challenges for teachers to assign to students to drive critical thinking and help make connections.

North Carolina’s second largest school district will use these tools in “biology, chemistry, earth science, environmental science and physical science in grades 6-12,” the news release stated.

A demo of the Wireless Force sensor from PASCO.

To learn more, visit the PASCO Scientific site.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • a cloud, an AI chip, and a padlock interconnected by circuit-like lines

    CrowdStrike Report: Attackers Increasingly Targeting Cloud, AI Systems

    According to the 2025 Threat Hunting Report from CrowdStrike, adversaries are not just using AI to supercharge attacks — they are actively targeting the AI systems organizations deploy in production. Combined with a surge in cloud exploitation, this shift marks a significant change in the threat landscape for enterprises.

  • digital learning resources including a document, video tutorial, quiz checklist, pie chart, and AI cloud icon

    Quizizz Rebrands as Wayground, Announces New AI Features

    Learning platform Quizizz has become Wayground, in a rebranding meant to reflect "the platform's evolution from a quiz tool into a more versatile supplemental learning platform that's supported by AI," according to a news announcement.

  • Schoolchildren Work on Personal Computers

    Code.org Reinvents Hour of Code as Hour of AI

    Education nonprofit Code.org has partnered with CSforALL to launch the Hour of AI, a global initiative providing learning activities for AI education.

  • student holding a smartphone with thumbs-up and thumbs-down icons, surrounded by abstract digital media symbols and interface elements

    Teaching Media Literacy? Start by Teaching Decision-Making

    Decision-making is a skill that must be developed — not assumed. Students need opportunities to learn the tools and practices of effective decision-making so they can apply what they know in meaningful, real-world contexts.