Five educators share insights on teaching and learning

Key points:

Today, educators face countless challenges in their classrooms, including low student engagement, staffing issues, funding shortages, and gaps in opportunity and access.

But despite these challenges, there are positive aspects to teaching and learning. Inspiring district leaders, classroom teachers, and school staff have found unique and innovative ways to engage students in learning, motivating them to see beyond the classroom walls and truly immerse themselves in learning.

Here's what today's educators have to say about ai, STEM, SEL, and more:

In 2024, education will adopt ai, but slowly. Students are already using ai tools, so now is the time for educators to catch up and learn how ai can improve teaching and learning, says Julianne Ross-Kleinmann, technology and analytics specialist at Ulster County BOCES educational data. Next year, early adopters will continue to play with new ai tools to see how they can be used in education. They will have some surprising successes (and some failures) as they illuminate the path forward and the rest of us endlessly discuss the potential uses and abuses of ai in our classrooms. Read more about Ross-Kleinmann's thoughts on ai in schools.

PBL is not used enough: let's change it. The pedagogical approach brings learning to life for students through hands-on engagement that lends itself to both differentiation and personalization, writes Kendall Stallings, a first-grade teacher in Baltimore County. However, PBL is one of the most sensible solutions to the variety of needs that teachers must try to meet for each student because it allows for student autonomy and focuses on specific areas. The concept revolves around the idea of ​​students completing a project on a single topic (ideally choosing their own topics to promote interest and motivation) and, in doing so, diving deeply into that topic and ultimately , become an expert in it. Projects can be completed individually or in a collaborative effort, promoting group work and social skills. Because students control their learning in the PBL approach, differentiation is simple, if necessary, as students conduct their own learning at their own pace and present their learning in a way that makes sense to them. Find more information about Stallings' PBL here.

Elementary STEM Education Nurtures Our Future Innovators. Dr. Yuvraj Verma, a teacher at Chalkville Elementary School in Alabama, notes that investing in STEM education from a young age nurtures the next generation of innovators, problem solvers, and leaders. The elementary school years mark a critical phase in a child's cognitive development. It is during this period that the introduction of STEM education becomes paramount to establish a solid foundation of fundamental concepts and problem-solving skills. These foundational years offer a unique opportunity to spark curiosity and creativity, thus providing the foundation for more advanced learning in later and later grades. Dig deeper into Dr. Verma's argument for elementary-level STEM.

Data can empower districts to align instruction with student needs. Teachers can model responsible decision-making, building positive relationships and other important SEL skills in everyday interactions, says Dr. Michael Mallery Jr., district administrator for social-emotional learning for Windsor Public Schools. Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the district's SEL program is the use of data to understand the impact of SEL efforts and inform changes that allow district leaders to make efforts more effective. The district implemented the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA), a nationally standardized strengths-based behavioral rating scale for social and emotional competence. The data generated by this brief questionnaire helps educators select, evaluate, guide intervention planning, monitor progress, and evaluate outcomes related to SEL. Learn more about Dr. Mallery's use of data to guide SEL efforts.

It is possible to encourage student participation in STEM classrooms. With the push to develop STEM literacy and get more students, especially girls, into STEM fields, participation is needed across scientific disciplines, says Steve Millam, physics and astrophysics teacher at Chaparral High School. It is vitally important to continue finding new ways to keep students inspired and engaged in STEM learning. The same is true (and possibly more important) for students who are less interested in science and STEM fields. After all, engagement is a critical factor that helps students pursue a STEM path in college and the workforce. Here are three strategies Millam uses to build engagement with STEM.

Laura Ascione is the editorial director of eSchool Media. She graduated from the prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

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