Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

With Critical Race Theory spurring debate, is there hope for diversity in schools?

Key points:

The greatest social justice movements teach us that progress isn’t linear, but is rather dynamic. This means that progress doesn’t transpire overnight. It doesn’t transpire instantaneously with one motion or action, but is the product of concerted efforts compounding to create change. This also means that in the midst of fighting for what is right, resistance sometimes hidden in the form of defeat and regression can take place.

In the case of fighting for educational equity, this means that creating schools that honor and celebrate diversity, affirm students’ identity, develop a sense of social and critical consciousness within students, cultivate inclusivity, and provide equitable access and outcomes for all students can often feel nearly impossible. With bans on teaching Black history; book bans that prohibit certain texts that center the histories, perspectives, and lived experiences of marginalized communities; and other unjust and discriminatory practices, educators, parents, and education advocates may wonder if there is any hope for diversity, equity, and inclusion within schools.…Read More

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STEM Careers Coalition Offering Educators No-Cost Resources to Celebrate Black STEM Leaders During Black History Month

NC — The STEM Careers Coalition™ – the first-of-its-kind national STEM initiative powered by corporate leaders and anchored in schools by Discovery Education – presents a curated collection of no-cost content celebrating the careers of Black leaders in STEM for use during Black History Month and beyond. The collection of dynamic on-demand resources showcasing careers of Black professionals across an array of STEM industries and supports educators’ efforts to drive deeper student engagement by connecting classroom lessons to the real-world. Discovery Education is the worldwide EdTech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. 

Since its founding in 2019, the STEM Careers Coalition has reached more than 6 million students in its mission to support the next generation of diverse STEM solution-seekers. To continue in the mission of reaching 10 million students by 2025, the Coalition presents a robust array of career profiles featuring diverse leaders across various industries and job roles. Included in the curated collection are digital career profiles featuring leaders from Boeing, Capital Power, Chevron, Procter & Gamble, Sanofi, Stanley Black & Decker, and more. The career profiles also feature student activities and career preparatory materials that introduce students to the world of career planning. In addition, educator guides support teachers in integrating these resources into any lesson plan. Learn more here.  

“I love the resources from the STEM Careers Coalition for so many reasons, including the fact that they’re constantly updating, relevant to my students, and easy to use.  Showing students that there are individuals just like them in these high-profile careers has never been easier,” said Tamille Wilson, Fourth Grade Math and Science teacher at Cobb County Schools. …Read More

Certell’s Poptential™ Free American History Curriculum Highlights Legacy of African Americans for Black History Month

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Poptential™, a family of free, award-winning social studies course packages that infuse lessons with digital storytelling, offers an array of engaging content about the Civil Rights Movement for instruction during Black History Month. Click to tweet.

Observed in the United States since 1976, Black History Month is celebrated yearly in February to honor the contributions and legacy of African Americans across U.S. history and society. Poptential’s American History Volume II curriculum, Bell Ringers, and digital media clips feature the accomplishments of African American leaders and civil rights activists as they fought for racial equality.

Poptential’s Unit 6: The Fracturing of America includes content and multimedia to help teachers lead discussions on the Civil Rights movement, including:…Read More

7 Black History Month resources to use the whole year

Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year’s Top 10 focused on innovative ways to engage students, digital resources, and online and hybrid learning strategies related to post-pandemic teaching. This year’s 8th most-read story focuses on Black History Month resources educators can use throughout the school year.

During Black History Month, educators have the opportunity to delve into the difficult–and often uncomfortable–experiences of Black people in the U.S. and around the world.

Perhaps one of the most important “do’s” is this: Don’t limit your teaching of Black history to the month of February.…Read More

Honoring Black History Month by Celebrating Black STEM Leaders with Career Readiness Resources for Students from the STEM Careers Coalition

Silver Spring, MD (Tuesday, February 2, 2022) — The STEM Careers Coalition™ – the first-of-its-kind national STEM initiative powered by corporate leaders and anchored in schools by Discovery Education – is connecting students to a curated collection of dynamic careers content celebrating Black leaders in STEM during Black History Month and beyond. The array of on-demand resources and an engaging event both introduce and deepen students’ connections to STEM through real-world content. Discovery Education is the worldwide EdTech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. 

Building on the achievement of reaching 4.5 million students in its mission to support the next generation of diverse STEM solution-seekers, the Coalition presents a robust array of career profiles featuring diverse leaders across various industries and job roles. Included in the curated collection are career profile videos featuring Black leaders like science communications manager Nicole Epps at Procter and Gamble (P&G), Microsoft program manager Wadood Daoud, engineering project manager Antoine Sands at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), reliability engineer Korede Oluwasuji at Stanley Black & Decker, and many more. The videos are accompanied by career preparatory materials engaging students in the world of STEM by helping them focus on their career goals with simple strategies, roadmaps, and other easy-to-use digital tools. Learn more here. 

Students, educators, and families can take the learning further with a Hands-On STEM event on February 22nd featuring Coalition partners the American Petroleum Institute and P&G. The action-packed event empowers the next generation of STEM solution seekers with the skills they need to take on some of the planet’s greatest sustainability challenges. Host Brandon Okpalobi will introduce students to a local or global issue, explore why it is happening, connect with inspiring people working to find solutions, and help student solution seekers uncover their own potential with exciting Hands-On STEM activities. Register for the event here. …Read More

7 Black History Month resources for February and beyond

During Black History Month, educators have the opportunity to delve into the difficult–and often uncomfortable–experiences of Black people in the U.S. and around the world.

Perhaps one of the most important “do’s” is this: Don’t limit your teaching of Black history to the month of February.

Check out these learning resources (last year’s resources are available here) to get started in February and to plan out how to include Black history in your teaching throughout the academic year.…Read More

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Virtual, Interactive Expeditions for Black History Month Provide Students with a Diverse and Multi-Dimensional Look at African Americans Throughout History

North Mankato, Minn. (January 28, 2022) – The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration, a veteran expert and thought leader in the virtual learning space, today launched a Black History Month package of fresh and engaging virtual and interactive real-world expeditions for students that cover significant historical, cultural and societal events.

CILC’s 10 virtual fieldtrips transcend other well-intentioned, but often one-dimensional and overly simplified narratives of African American historical figures by providing students with a detailed look at the encounters, achievements, and heroism of everyday African Americans throughout history. In addition to the Civil Rights Era, the fieldtrips cover everything from the American Revolution and its relationship to enslaved African Americans to the impacts of sharecropping and homesteading for Black farmers and western communities to the struggle for racial equality in the military during World War II. These “trips” also examine the meaning of race, the history of jazz, and the myths and misconceptions of Africa.

“These interactive, virtual learning programs break down the walls of the classroom and transport students back into history to witness the generations of African Americans who both struggled and triumphed throughout our country’s history, while also bringing to light current situations that many Black individuals still experience today,” said Glenn Morris, CILC’s executive director. …Read More

3 ways to teach about Juneteenth all year long

Research shows that only 8 to 9 percent of class time, equivalent to 1-2 lessons, is currently dedicated to Black history. Juneteenth being established as a federal holiday is an opportunity for educators to make a shift and expand upon the history, cultures, and experiences discussed in the classroom.

Celebrated annually on June 19, Juneteenth marks the date some of the last enslaved people in the Confederacy became free. While mainstream awareness of Juneteenth is somewhat recent, it is a long-celebrated event that should be a core part of history–social studies and other courses.

Here are three tips for incorporating discussion of Juneteenth throughout the school year.…Read More

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Interactive Field Trips Offered to Educators for Black History Month, President’s Day, Women’s History Month and Earth Day

In preparation for several upcoming significant historical, cultural and societal events, the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) has curated a list of live, interactive virtual field trips that educators can access to enrich discussions surrounding Black History Month, President’s Day, Women’s History Month and Earth Day. The diverse list of interactive learning experiences ranges from an immersive underground railroad experience to an exploration of women war reporters who have made indelible marks in the world of journalism. Several of the offerings are free to the public, while others have a fee associated.

Virtual expeditions have gained in popularity in recent years and even more so since the start of the COVID-19 global pandemic. What sets CILC and its content collaborators’ programs apart from traditional web-based experiences (prerecorded) is the live interactive aspect. Museum curators, historians, authors, researchers, and other expert instructors engage directly with students during the virtual field trip to create a richer learning environment. The selections below offer an engaging resource to educators who want to expand their curriculum in a unique and authentic manner.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH, FEBRUARY 2021…Read More

Rise Vision Creates Free Black History Month Posters for Schools

In honor of Black History Month, Rise Vision has released 10 FREE Black History Month posters for schools to print out, share on their digital signage, websites, and social media, or use in their classrooms and lesson plans.

The posters are available for download in high-resolution JPG and landscape and portrait-oriented PDFs.

“As a software company that supports K12 schools, we live and breathe technology development and all things education. For Black History Month, we want to help raise the visibility of unsung contributors to U.S. and world history.” Shea Darlison, Head of Marketing…Read More