As we look ahead to the 2021-22 school year, there is an overwhelming focus on the academic learning gaps our students face. However, our priority when it comes to getting back to school needs to be clear: Social emotional learning (SEL) is the foundation of all learning, and students need immediate, direct support for their social and emotional well-being.
Technology has helped us maintain relationships, process our feelings, and express ourselves during the pandemic. As we return to classrooms, here are five ways to leverage technology for social emotional learning:
Video-based lessons
Use the power of video to prioritize SEL that is S.A.F.E. (sequenced, active, focused, and explicit) for students and families. Video-based lessons provide educators with the resources to implement SEL with fidelity.
In math and reading, for example, we learn the basics first and build on those to master more complicated skills. Similarly, students need a strong SEL foundation through a curriculum that grows with them year after year. With multimedia-based programs like Move This World, students can practice SEL at school and at home.
Avoid passive approaches
Provide opportunities for active engagement. Consuming media or using technology does not have to be passive. In fact, student learning deepens when students have the opportunity to move and interact with each other through media-based lessons. Video and audio content can prompt students to explore their space, engage with each other, and practice breathing exercises to teach emotional regulation.
Come together with tech
Use technology to strengthen existing relationships. Many schools have created stronger relationships with families this year since parents and caregivers were critical to remote learning. As we return to classrooms, schools can continue to use technology to maintain close relationships with families, offering parents and caregivers the opportunity to connect over Zoom, incorporating families into classroom learning activities, and providing digital learning resources for home.
Be efficient
Use technology to maximize time. Be specific and intentional with your time online so you can make the most of your time offline. Digital learning resources have proven invaluable this year, but think critically about what you’re asking students to do online and what you’re giving them the opportunity to explore offline, too.
Use your time in-person to do the things you can only do in-person, like building social skills or creative play time, and save your online activities for the things you can only do online, like independent learning.
Go screen-free
Technology can be screen-free, too. There are many types of technology we can use that don’t require sitting stagnant in front of a screen. Interactive podcasts and audio experiences can inspire us to play, connect, and create. The Emotion Motion Podcast for young learners and their families uses interactive storytelling to teach emotional regulation strategies and reinforce SEL skills.
The pandemic has changed the way we socialize, play, and learn. Through the challenges of the past year, we have discovered new ways to leverage technology to help us intentionally build relationships, explore our own feelings, and express ourselves in healthy ways.
As we rebuild our schools, let’s take these lessons with us to create stronger, more connected relationships and communities. With Move This World, PreK-12 teachers can access new SEL multimedia content every day of the school year.
This article has been paid for by Move This World.
