Building Engagement in Virtual Learning Environments, Part 2: Leveraging Live Instructional Time

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When the majority of virtual students’ school day is spent on asynchronous learning, it is critical to capitalize on live instructional time as a place to push active engagement. During synchronous sessions, the aim should be to move students from simply participating in tasks towards investing in learning by asking questions, responding to feedback, and … read more »


Building Engagement in Virtual Learning Environments, Part 1: Relationships Matter!

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Establishing strong teacher-student relationships in a virtual learning environment can be challenging. Students may sometimes feel their teacher is just a name on their gradebook, or they may think the computer is their teacher instead, particularly in canned curriculum situations. Research on learning and development emphasizes that student success is contingent upon learning conditions that … read more »


Digging Deeper: Using Thinking Routines to Build Empathy During African-American History Month

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As we celebrate and observe African-American History Month in February, we must recognize the importance of making this topic relevant to students beyond just learning about famous African Americans and their contributions to this country’s history. Including specific activities that promote deeper thinking allows us to deepen understanding while building empathy for others. Developing empathy … read more »


Empowering Students through Transformative SEL

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“SEL is the universal life jacket, keeping students afloat and open to learning. Only when children learn in psychologically safe environments that nurture their emotion skills can they move from helplessness to resilience, from anxiety to action, from scattered to centered, from isolated to connected.” – Marc Brackett, Ph.D. Social and emotional learning (SEL) can … read more »


Maker Education in Your Classroom

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What is maker education? In maker education, “students imagine, design, and create projects that align the content of learning with hands-on application” (Makered.org). Maker education was born from the maker movement, which believes that we are all “makers” and can be creators—not just consumers—of things. Makerspaces are specific spaces in schools, libraries, and community organizations … read more »