When I was a first-grade teacher at a Title I school on the east side of Michigan, I often spent time with the media specialist and librarians at the local public library trying to find a wide range of books to use for interactive read-alouds that also connected to science or social studies content and standards. I would walk away with many engaging recommendations and titles that made my heart sing. Not to mention the incredible relationships I came to foster with those talented and knowledgeable librarians! I tapped into these resources because I knew my classroom library collection wasn’t robust enough, the provided science and social studies curricular resources were not always high quality or were missing, and getting funds to cover the cost of new resources was sometimes a challenge.
Continue reading Boost Your Teaching: How to Meet Teachers’ Needs with an Early Literacy CollectionTag Archives: Literacy Development
How Immersive Storytelling Transforms Education, Reaches Reluctant Readers, and Enhances SEL
Written by: Du Bui, STEM Consultant for Kent ISD
As a child, I never got into the Dungeons & Dragons craze. In fact, like many people, I associated it with negative connotations. But a senior in high school helped change my perspective on the game.
To explain, I have a side gig for Oakland University’s Center For Autism. I run a video game club that focuses on developing social skills. Additionally, I work as a social coach using the Brain Health Organization’s Charisma Program. As part of the program, I enter a virtual world to help individuals work through challenging situations, such as meeting someone new for the first time or preparing for a job interview. I take on different roles and change my voice to match the scenario best.
Continue reading How Immersive Storytelling Transforms Education, Reaches Reluctant Readers, and Enhances SEL