by Annika Bastian | Oct 28, 2021 | Blog, Creative Learning, Digital Safety, Educational Technology, Interactive learning, Lesson Planning, Mental Health, Online Learning, Pedagogy, Safe Learning Environment, Social Learning, Social-Emotional Learning, Suicide Prevention, Teachers, Teaching Topics, Technology
Research shows that play offers an extensive array of benefits for children and adults alike. Many of these benefits relate to mental health. For example, play can reduce stress, strengthen brain function, and increase adaptability. Educators in early childhood...
by Emma | Oct 14, 2021 | Blog, Digital Safety, Education Law, Educational Technology, Learning and the Law, Online Dangers, Online Learning, Safe Learning Environment, Technology
According to Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, the legal definition of child abuse is “harm or threatened harm to a child’s health or welfare.” The law goes on to state that this harm “can occur through non-accidental physical or...
by Sarah Vice | Sep 30, 2021 | Administrators, Blog, Bullying, Creative Learning, Cyberbullying, Digital Citizenship, Distance Learning, Educational Technology, Interactive learning, Mental Health, Online Dangers, Online Learning, Parents, Safe Learning Environment, Special Needs Students, suicide, Suicide Prevention, Teachers, Technology
The 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes information for schools about assistive technology devices. For students with learning disabilities, assistive technology may include “any item, piece of equipment, or product...
by Emma | Sep 16, 2021 | Blog, Cyberbullying, Digital Citizenship, Digital Literacy, Digital Safety, Educational Technology, Mental Health, Online Dangers, Online Learning, Pedagogy, Safe Learning Environment, Teachers, Teaching Topics, Technology
Middle school is an academic time of change. Middle school students are called to begin more in-depth learning and to the application of critical thinking. These skills also extend to a more sophisticated usage of something that’s increasingly important in young...
by Sarah Vice | Sep 2, 2021 | Creative Learning, Cyberbullying, Digital Literacy, Digital Safety, Distance Learning, Educational Technology, Interactive learning, Lesson Planning, Online Learning, Safe Learning Environment, Teachers, Teaching Topics, Technology
In the spring of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic forced schools to make a sudden switch to online learning. This left teachers and students scrambling to adapt to often unfamiliar learning technologies. This year, most schools planned to resume face-to-face learning...
by Emma | Aug 19, 2021 | Blog, Educational Technology, Mental Health, Social-Emotional Learning, Teaching Topics
According to the World Health Organization, cases of anxiety increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over four million students from age three to seventeen have received an anxiety diagnosis, according to the CDC. Now that students are returning to in-person learning,...
by Annika Bastian | Aug 5, 2021 | Blog, Digital Citizenship, Digital Safety, Educational Technology, Online etiquette, Online Learning, Safe Learning Environment, Social-Emotional Learning, Teachers, Teaching Topics, Technology
At the beginning of each school year, teachers go over their syllabi and classroom rules. Now that technology is an integral part of every classroom, it’s essential to include guidelines about acceptable use, online learning, and other digital activities....
by Emma | Jul 8, 2021 | Blog, Bullying, Cyberbullying, Digital Citizenship, Distance Learning, Education Law, Educational Technology, Learning and the Law, Online Learning, Safe Learning Environment, State Boards of Education, Technology, Uncategorized
The First Amendment grants students certain rights of expression. This is particularly true in public schools, which are considered to be part of the government. As such, public schools are required to follow the Bill of Rights. For instance, public...
by Emma | Jun 24, 2021 | Blog, Educational Technology, Mental Health, Parents, School Counselors, Social Learning, Social Media, Social-Emotional Learning, suicide, Suicide Prevention, Trauma, Uncategorized, Webinar
Depression is a prevalent and pressing problem among young people between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Approximately 3.1 million people in this age group — as much as 12.8% of that population — have experienced depression, according to the American...
by Emma | Jun 10, 2021 | Administrators, Blog, Mental Health, School Counselors, Social Learning, Social-Emotional Learning, State Boards of Education, Trauma
Alabama hospitals report falling numbers of COVID-19 cases. Birmingham city schools began to offer blended learning in March and returned to in-person learning in April. In anticipation of the 2021-2022 school year, Birmingham City Schools currently offer vaccinations...
