EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
AMLE | July 13, 2021
The American Student Assistance (ASA) and the Association for Middle-Level Education (AMLE) have announced the release of Career Exploration in the Middle Grades: A Playbook for Educators. The digital playbook and its associated online resource center, the first of its type for middle schools, offer evidence-based best practices for effectively conducting career exploration with students aged 10-15. In addition, the playbook provides a beginning point for various career exploration programs, complete with implementation guidelines and case studies from schools throughout the country.
Many of the case studies featured in this playbook are from schools that participated in the ASA Middle School Career Exploration Grant program, the results of which were important in the creation of this playbook. The playbook's primary goal was usability, with practical and approachable resources that schools can use regardless of their current level of programming.
About the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE)
The Association for Middle-Level Education (AMLE) is an international membership organization that assists middle school educators in engaging every student, growing professionally, and creating great schools.
About American Student Assistance (ASA)
American Student Assistance (ASA) is a national non-profit dedicated to assisting children in becoming more aware of themselves, their options and making informed decisions to accomplish their educational and professional goals. ASA has a 60-year history of assisting students in gaining access to higher education through loans and financial education. In addition, ASA has used its experience to provide impactful solutions for students in grades 6-12 to pursue their dreams.
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edsurge | June 15, 2020
The COVID-19 outbreak disrupted daily life for virtually every educator, parent, and student in the U.S. It has disabled our education system, creating challenges to educational access, barriers to student academic progress and strains on teachers’ and students’ physical and emotional well-being.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) can support us in reframing how we think about the challenges created by the pandemic and provide us with the tools we need to navigate those challenges effectively. In an earlier essay, we discussed how teachers are leaning into SEL to adapt student services and unlock opportunities that, just months ago, may have seemed impossible. Another major hurdle that the pandemic has presented relates to accessibility and understanding how remote learning works—or doesn’t work—for many of our most vulnerable students, particularly those with learning differences.
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ONLINE EDUCATION
Class Technologies | September 20, 2021
Class Technologies Inc., the company enhancing virtual classrooms by adding teaching and learning tools to Zoom, today unveiled new breakout room features and functionality for Class software.
View all breakout rooms at once in one place.
Monitor activity in breakout rooms at the same time.
Send chat messages to and from individual breakout room groups.
Share web pages, videos, and files with specific breakout rooms.
Launch individual teaching or training activities to specific breakout rooms.
These features will make it easier for instructors to facilitate group collaboration online and enhance learner engagement and success with online learning.
"Schools and corporations across the globe are navigating the return to in-person learning and work environments unlike any other period in history," said Michael Chasen, education software pioneer and Class co-founder and CEO. "Class is releasing new breakout room features that make virtual instruction more like face-to-face learning environments."
"As we head back to school, educators must be prepared for in-person, hybrid, and virtual learning scenarios to ensure continuity of learning," said Dr. Kurt Hoffman, Class Strategic Advisory Board Member and Senior Vice President of Instructional and Student Affairs at Allegany College of Maryland. "Class brings the real classroom to life online. For educators, assigning students to work in small groups is an important strategy to foster collaboration and engagement. Class bringing this ability online is a natural extension of their work to make the online classroom work seamlessly across all hybrid and virtual learning environments."
This new functionality also helps to improve the online corporate training and learning experience.
"With so many companies mapping out return to work scenarios, many have found virtual training to be so efficient and effective that they're never going back," said Marcia Nuffer, Class Strategic Advisory Board Member, Founder and Principal of BlueShor, and former Chief Learning Officer at McKinsey. "In so many learning and development programs, employees are broken up into small groups to enhance workflow and collaboration. The new and enhanced breakout rooms from Class merge the best from virtual and in person training, and can foster connection and community amongst employees. This will help organizations better upskill and retain their best talent."
Class is a Gold Sponsor of Zoomtopia 2021, where it will showcase its solutions in the virtual expo hall.
About Class Technologies Inc.
Class is software developed by Class Technologies Inc., a company founded by education software pioneer Michael Chasen. Class adds teaching and learning tools to Zoom and makes the virtual classroom feel like a real classroom. It helps teachers take attendance, hand out assignments, give a quiz or test, grade work, proctor exams, talk one-on-one with a student, and more.
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