Paul Darvasi is an experienced educator whose research, speaking and writing explore the intersections of learning, technology, narrative and games. You can follow him on Twitter: @pauldarvasi
Harnessing the Power of Future-forecasting to Help Invent a Better World
How parents and educators can support healthy teen use of social media
Build With Care: Recruiting Student and Teacher Voices to Rethink Schools Because of the Pandemic
How Designing Accessible Curriculum For All Can Help Make Online Learning More Equitable
How Giving All Stakeholders a Voice Can Improve School Reopening Plans
10 Comfort Games That Encourage Kindness, Community and Well-Being
Resources For Teaching and Learning During This Period of Social Distancing
Five Best Practices Teachers Can Learn from Dungeon Masters
How Dungeons & Dragons Can Help Kids Develop Social-Emotional Learning Skills
Player sponsored by
window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"mindshift_59465": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "mindshift_59465",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "59465",
"found": true
},
"parent": 59459,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/iStock-826043598-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/iStock-826043598-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/iStock-826043598-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/iStock-826043598-e1654848661823.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/iStock-826043598-2048x1365.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1365
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/iStock-826043598-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/iStock-826043598-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/iStock-826043598-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/iStock-826043598-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/iStock-826043598-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1654848613,
"modified": 1654848678,
"caption": null,
"description": null,
"title": "iStock-826043598",
"credit": "splendens/iStock",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"mindshift_58626": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "mindshift_58626",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "58626",
"found": true
},
"parent": 58624,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/10/How-Parents-and-Teachers-Can-Encourage-Healthy-Social-Media-Use-for-Teens-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/10/How-Parents-and-Teachers-Can-Encourage-Healthy-Social-Media-Use-for-Teens-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/10/How-Parents-and-Teachers-Can-Encourage-Healthy-Social-Media-Use-for-Teens-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/10/How-Parents-and-Teachers-Can-Encourage-Healthy-Social-Media-Use-for-Teens-scaled-e1634112006166.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/10/How-Parents-and-Teachers-Can-Encourage-Healthy-Social-Media-Use-for-Teens-2048x1365.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1365
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/10/How-Parents-and-Teachers-Can-Encourage-Healthy-Social-Media-Use-for-Teens-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/10/How-Parents-and-Teachers-Can-Encourage-Healthy-Social-Media-Use-for-Teens-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/10/How-Parents-and-Teachers-Can-Encourage-Healthy-Social-Media-Use-for-Teens-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/10/How-Parents-and-Teachers-Can-Encourage-Healthy-Social-Media-Use-for-Teens-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/10/How-Parents-and-Teachers-Can-Encourage-Healthy-Social-Media-Use-for-Teens-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1634111985,
"modified": 1634112047,
"caption": null,
"description": null,
"title": "How-Parents-and-Teachers-Can-Encourage-Healthy-Social-Media-Use-for-Teens",
"credit": "Tetiana Strilchuk/iStock",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "Girl taking selfie at a park",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"mindshift_58369": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "mindshift_58369",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "58369",
"found": true
},
"parent": 58368,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Healing-Community-and-Humanity-report-1038x576.png",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Healing-Community-and-Humanity-report-160x88.png",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 88
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Healing-Community-and-Humanity-report-672x372.png",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Healing-Community-and-Humanity-report.png",
"width": 2064,
"height": 1138
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Healing-Community-and-Humanity-report-2048x1129.png",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 1129
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Healing-Community-and-Humanity-report-1020x562.png",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 562
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Healing-Community-and-Humanity-report-1536x847.png",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 847
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Healing-Community-and-Humanity-report-1920x1059.png",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 1059
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Healing-Community-and-Humanity-report-800x441.png",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 441
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Healing-Community-and-Humanity-report-768x423.png",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 423
}
},
"publishDate": 1629699963,
"modified": 1629700149,
"caption": "A list of problems students want solved this school year. ",
"description": null,
"title": "Healing, Community and Humanity report",
"credit": "From \"Healing, Community, and Humanity: How Students and Teachers Want to Reinvent Schools Post-COVID\" by Justin Reich and Jal Mehta",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"mindshift_56326": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "mindshift_56326",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "56326",
"found": true
},
"parent": 56205,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/iStock-1180848753-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/iStock-1180848753-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 160
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/iStock-1180848753-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/iStock-1180848753.jpg",
"width": 1732,
"height": 1732
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/iStock-1180848753-1020x1020.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1020
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/iStock-1180848753-1536x1536.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1536
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/iStock-1180848753-800x800.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 800
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/iStock-1180848753-768x768.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 768
}
},
"publishDate": 1595318894,
"modified": 1595318913,
"caption": null,
"description": null,
"title": "iStock-1180848753",
"credit": "Irwan_Nartadi170/iStock",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"mindshift_56310": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "mindshift_56310",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "56310",
"found": true
},
"parent": 56309,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/Marie-Kondo-2-867x576.png",
"width": 867,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/Marie-Kondo-2-160x120.png",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 120
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/Marie-Kondo-2-672x372.png",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/Marie-Kondo-2.png",
"width": 867,
"height": 650
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/Marie-Kondo-2-800x600.png",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 600
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/07/Marie-Kondo-2-768x576.png",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 576
}
},
"publishDate": 1595187212,
"modified": 1595187304,
"caption": "Imagining September: Principles and Design Elements for Ambitious Schools During COVID-19",
"description": null,
"title": "Marie Kondo 2",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"mindshift_55774": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "mindshift_55774",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "55774",
"found": true
},
"parent": 55771,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/04/Comfort-Games-2-1038x576.png",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/04/Comfort-Games-2-160x135.png",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 135
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/04/Comfort-Games-2-672x372.png",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/04/Comfort-Games-2.png",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1615
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/04/Comfort-Games-2-1020x858.png",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 858
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/04/Comfort-Games-2-1920x1615.png",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 1615
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/04/Comfort-Games-2-800x673.png",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 673
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/04/Comfort-Games-2-768x646.png",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 646
}
},
"publishDate": 1587541649,
"modified": 1587541695,
"caption": "Clockwise: Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Just Dance, Journey",
"description": null,
"title": "Comfort-Games-2",
"credit": "Youtube",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"mindshift_55527": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "mindshift_55527",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "55527",
"found": true
},
"parent": 55521,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/03/iStock-1143790723-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/03/iStock-1143790723-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/03/iStock-1143790723-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/03/iStock-1143790723-1-e1584353081116.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/03/iStock-1143790723-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/03/iStock-1143790723-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/03/iStock-1143790723-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/03/iStock-1143790723-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1584353065,
"modified": 1584353098,
"caption": null,
"description": null,
"title": "iStock-1143790723-1",
"credit": "fizkes/iStock",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"mindshift_55281": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "mindshift_55281",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "55281",
"found": true
},
"parent": 53553,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/02/2212063669_8999014e2d_k-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/02/2212063669_8999014e2d_k-160x115.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 115
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/02/2212063669_8999014e2d_k-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/02/2212063669_8999014e2d_k-e1580974643102.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1378
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/02/2212063669_8999014e2d_k-1020x732.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 732
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/02/2212063669_8999014e2d_k-1920x1378.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1378
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/02/2212063669_8999014e2d_k-800x574.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2020/02/2212063669_8999014e2d_k-768x551.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 551
}
},
"publishDate": 1580974619,
"modified": 1580974638,
"caption": null,
"description": null,
"title": "2212063669_8999014e2d_k",
"credit": "\u003ca href “https://www.flickr.com/photos/loresjoberg/2212063669/in/photolist-4ntpsM-9bTjQd-6jVWRU-8YpQ1R-84gRmk-8YsRLf-7PTZMv-9bTg3S-8Urpw8-bnUnf7-9bTfYG-84gRca-2hPGvvL-9bQbET-7HiQ9v-gmf1AA-9R6bYe-4pB7q6-7HnK75-2hPkQ7Y-8rFmE1-8HbXez-8HbXhH-4xGXBs-6TPAe5-8Hf5P3-79wHGo-8rCgzV-7BEpJR-84gRe4-8HbXfv-8UuuE3-8xwhk5-6g6w2Q-86wiY6-8vKECN-8w7Q3W-8UrpxD-9F5DVy-mqWqjJ-9ysCYs-8vGCQ4-b5jHGV-8Hf5Sw-e6d9L2-9hgV6f-8zpupc-8zpujX-2hPvWho-4pQVMp”>Flickr/Lore Sjoberg \u003c/a>",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"mindshift_53649": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "mindshift_53649",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "53649",
"found": true
},
"parent": 51784,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2019/05/39197807651_5375edc304_k-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2019/05/39197807651_5375edc304_k-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2019/05/39197807651_5375edc304_k-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2019/05/39197807651_5375edc304_k-e1557729868150.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2019/05/39197807651_5375edc304_k-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"complete_open_graph": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2019/05/39197807651_5375edc304_k-1200x800.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 800
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2019/05/39197807651_5375edc304_k-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2019/05/39197807651_5375edc304_k-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2019/05/39197807651_5375edc304_k-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1557729850,
"modified": 1557730052,
"caption": null,
"description": null,
"title": "39197807651_5375edc304_k",
"credit": "\u003ca href “https://www.flickr.com/photos/njea/39197807651/“>Courtesy of New Jersey Education Association\u003c/a>",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"pauldarvasi": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11107",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11107",
"found": true
},
"name": "Paul Darvasi",
"firstName": "Paul",
"lastName": "Darvasi",
"slug": "pauldarvasi",
"email": "pauldarvasi@gmail.com",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": null,
"bio": "Paul Darvasi is an experienced educator whose research, speaking and writing explore the intersections of learning, technology, narrative and games. You can follow him on Twitter:\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/PaulDarvasi\"> @pauldarvasi\u003c/a>",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df387897a1bf0cd4b720b8175112731a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "pauldarvasi",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "mindshift",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Paul Darvasi | KQED",
"description": null,
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df387897a1bf0cd4b720b8175112731a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df387897a1bf0cd4b720b8175112731a?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/pauldarvasi"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"author_pauldarvasi": {
"type": "pages",
"id": "11107",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11107",
"score": 6.928211,
"site": "authors"
},
"name": "Paul Darvasi",
"firstName": "Paul",
"lastName": "Darvasi",
"slug": "pauldarvasi",
"email": "pauldarvasi@gmail.com",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": null,
"bio": "Paul Darvasi is an experienced educator whose research, speaking and writing explore the intersections of learning, technology, narrative and games. You can follow him on Twitter:\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/PaulDarvasi\"> @pauldarvasi\u003c/a>",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df387897a1bf0cd4b720b8175112731a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "pauldarvasi",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "mindshift",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
}
],
"headData": {},
"isLoading": false,
"hasAllInfo": true,
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/staff-member",
"attrs": {
"author": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11107",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11107",
"score": 6.928211
},
"name": "Paul Darvasi",
"firstName": "Paul",
"lastName": "Darvasi",
"slug": "pauldarvasi",
"email": "pauldarvasi@gmail.com",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": "[Circular]",
"title": null,
"bio": "Paul Darvasi is an experienced educator whose research, speaking and writing explore the intersections of learning, technology, narrative and games. You can follow him on Twitter:\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/PaulDarvasi\"> @pauldarvasi\u003c/a>",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df387897a1bf0cd4b720b8175112731a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "pauldarvasi",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": "[Circular]",
"headData": {
"title": "Paul Darvasi | KQED",
"description": null,
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df387897a1bf0cd4b720b8175112731a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df387897a1bf0cd4b720b8175112731a?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/pauldarvasi",
"hasAllInfo": true
}
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"query": "posts?author=11107&authorName=Paul Darvasi",
"title": "By Paul Darvasi",
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"className": "wp-block--nomargintop",
"seeMore": true
}
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"mindshift_59459": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "mindshift_59459",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "59459",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1654848829000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "harnessing-the-power-of-future-forecasting-to-help-invent-a-better-world",
"title": "Harnessing the Power of Future-forecasting to Help Invent a Better World",
"publishDate": 1654848829,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Harnessing the Power of Future-forecasting to Help Invent a Better World | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "mindshift"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jane McGonigal is a game designer, future-forecaster, popular TED speaker, and the bestselling author of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Reality-Broken-Games-Better-Change/dp/1594202850/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reality Is Broken\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/SuperBetter-Living-Gamefully-Jane-McGonigal/dp/0143109774/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20\"> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SuperBetter\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Her new book, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Imaginable-Future-Coming-Anything-Even-Impossible-ebook/dp/B099ZQXPGP/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything—Even Things That Seem Impossible Today\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is a practical call to action that encourages readers to envision and shape a better future. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imaginable\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offers a potent antidote to the sense of helplessness felt by so many as we face a growing climate crisis, global conflicts, runaway technology, and political divisiveness. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drawing from her work as the Director of Games Research & Development at the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.iftf.org/home/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Institute for the Future\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, McGonigal synthesizes cutting-edge research, playful future-thinking simulations, and an array of futurist methods to chart an actionable path forward. In our conversation, she shares how parents, teachers, community groups, and youth can mine futurist techniques to undertake powerful acts of imagination and confront an uncertain future with resilience and hope.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When I think of a futurist, I imagine a 21st century oracle who parts the veils of time and glimpses into the future. So, what exactly is a futurist? What do they do?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: The type of futurist that I am tries to inspire others to think about how the future could be different in two ways. First, how might the future include new crises or risks or disruptions that we’ve never lived through before? The more deeply we can intellectually and emotionally place ourselves there, the better we can prepare. Secondly, futurists think about how the future can be shaped in ways that we want it to be different. Futurists try to help people imagine extreme versions of better futures so that we can find the motivation to take action today. The computer scientist Alan Kay said that the best way to predict the future is to invent it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What inspired you to write \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003ci>Imaginable\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb>?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: I hit my limit of reading headlines and news stories that described world events like the pandemic and extreme weather as “unimaginable”. In recent years, we’ve had so many shocking political events in the United States, and extremism and new kinds of protests and social movements, and this word just kept showing up. It was exasperating because we’d predicted so much of this for a long time. It wasn’t that they were “unimaginable” or “unthinkable,” we just didn’t want to think about them because it’s stressful and it makes us feel anxious. Or, we didn’t have the tools or information to vividly imagine what living through a pandemic would be like or how social media might fuel extremism. I wanted to write a book to help people confidently see that no future is unthinkable because we refuse to think about it, or no future is unimaginable because we don’t believe that transformative change is possible. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>One of the book’s driving ideas is \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003ci>urgent optimism\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb>. What is urgent optimism and why should we strive for it?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: Urgent optimism means we definitely need to act and not sit around and wait for the future to happen. We \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> take action to shape how the future turns out. The optimism comes from a sense of agency or self-efficacy where the future is shaped by actions that we take today to prepare, plan and change the way the world works. To stay engaged with the future we have to fuel the fires of hope and creativity. We have to feel that the future can be better due to our own actions. At the end of the day, urgent optimism allows for the mental flexibility to internalize a realistic sense of hope that is grounded in an awareness of risks and threats, but engages with new technologies, solutions, and movements that will make things better. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are some accessible futurist techniques that might translate well to schools or other youth-oriented environments? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003ca href=\"https://janemcgonigal.com/2021/12/17/imaginable-how-to-see-the-future-coming-and-feel-ready-for-anything-even-things-that-seem-impossible-today/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-59463\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/Imaginable-160x214.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/Imaginable-160x214.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/Imaginable-800x1071.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/Imaginable-768x1028.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/Imaginable.png 822w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003c/a>McGonigal: There’s a simple habit of collecting and sharing what we call signals of change. Anybody can gather signals, and they would definitely work for teachers who want to bring future-thinking into their classrooms. A signal of change could be a news story, a surprising social media post, or something from the world around you. It’s something you’ve never seen before that represents a new way of doing things or a new way of being in reality. You can take a picture of it or take notes about it. It’s not a hypothetical idea or fiction: it’s a real change happening somewhere.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every art form has its medium, and signals of change are the raw material of the futurist. Writers use words, computer programmers use code, musicians use musical notes, and artists use paint or clay. We create ideas about the future out of these signals of change. Examples might include a “No Drone Zone” sign in a park, a pay-what-you-can restaurant in Berkeley that had no prices on the menu, or a story about the new virtual real estate market unfolding in the metaverse. These concrete examples make you stop in your tracks and say, “Wow! I guess things can be different.” These, to me, are signals of change. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schools and teachers can create a culture of investigating signals, sharing signals, responding to them, and reflecting on them. Students might discuss whether the signal makes them feel more hopeful or more worried. Does it make them feel powerful? Are they curious to learn how to engage with it? Where will it lead? You can even organize signal scavenger hunts.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every subject benefits from future-thinking, and it makes learning more relevant because it’s about things happening in the world that are cool, interesting, weird, and surprising. My background is in gaming, so I’m always looking for opportunities to generate the positive emotions that we easily get from games, but maybe not from our everyday lives. The surprise, the delight, the curiosity inspired by signals of change are great ways to bring those positive emotions into the classroom.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are some exciting futures for schools that have emerged from your work?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: One of the biggest ideas for driving change in schools that I’m excited to see is the concept of a \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grand challenge\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Instead of traditional subjects or declaring a major in university, students might undertake a challenge to solve a global issue like climate action, ending poverty, gender equality, or zero hunger. I’m excited to see how people use the idea of connecting learning at all levels and across disciplines to global grand challenges to create more meaningful learning experiences.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>In the book you describe a future-thinking technique where you immerse groups in large-scale scenarios and social simulations, usually set 10 years in the future. How can schools, parents, youth, or community groups run or participate in these scenarios?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: The most practical thing to do is take scenarios from the book, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.iftf.org/our-work/featured-projects/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">those we share\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> publicly at the Institute of the Future, or visit the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://urgentoptimists.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Urgent Optimists website\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which has a club you can join with new scenarios every month. Teachers, parents, community groups, or anybody can adapt scenarios to local lived experience. You play with it, see how people react and what emerges. It could be like a school newspaper or a school play, where kids are eager to roll up their sleeves and be a part of creating something together. It could be a simulation club, a scenario club, or a signals club, but they can be integrated in classrooms as well.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Can you share a powerful or memorable experience that emerged from your work with youth?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: We invited teens to a 10-year forecast conference and asked them to imagine a future rite of passage. A lot of teenagers don’t get driver’s licenses anymore, and it was such a rite of passage for decades. It meant freedom and independence and growing up. Today, teens are less interested in driving for sustainability reasons, economic reasons, or mental health reasons. We asked them “what do you think teenagers are going to do as rites of passage in the future?” The rite of passage that they came-up with that they all agreed sounded the most plausible was the first time that they would personally experience a climate catastrophe or terrible extreme weather. That was in 2018, before Greta Thunberg came on the scene and really channeled this righteous anger of young people. It was definitely a clue to us that this generation was already experiencing a pre-traumatic experience of climate change. They knew it was something that they would personally live through. The old teenage ritual was about freedom and independence, and this new rite of passage was going to be about coming to terms with loss and trauma. When young people imagine their future, we should believe them. What they’re saying is that they feel like there’s a lot of trauma and suffering coming, and they need ways to imagine better worlds.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Running a scenario seems to be as much about personal growth and building resilience as it is about predicting the future. What are the benefits of running a scenario or a simulation, even if they might not accurately predict the future?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: Future scenarios and simulations are all about how things could be different, so that fundamental creative skill of thinking differently is at the heart of it. It also is a big driver of hope, particularly for young people. Often, it’s less about preparing for the challenges of the future and more about imagining the world we want to wake up in. It’s about being the authors of our own worlds; to use the power of the future as a place where nobody has said no yet. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learning how to visualize the future more specifically can help people experience less depression and less anxiety. When we’re anxious, we tend to fixate on vivid mental images of things that scare us, but we can imagine a future where we deal with things effectively. We can imagine ourselves taking actions that are within our power in order to deal with situations. Or, we can just redirect our imagination towards something that is a better representation of our hopes and values so that we don’t get stuck. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>In the book you also discuss cultivating empathy for our future selves. Can you tell me more about that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: It stems from research done at UCLA that used neuroimaging to study how we think about our future selves or our far-future selves. Our brain reacts to our future self as if they were a stranger. This explains why we often have a hard time taking action today that benefits our future selves, whether it’s saving money for a long term goal, exercising, sustainability choices, or even voting. It even leads to procrastination. We avoid doing tasks and hand them over to our future selves. Future me will be fine writing this paper! But, you’re still going to be you when you get there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can build a relationship with our future self by vividly imagining future-thinking scenarios and what our life in the future might look like. It’s kind of like neurological cross training because it helps us develop what is called hard empathy for our future self, which then can translate into empathy for other strangers or other people we perceive as different from ourselves. Our empathy grows by thinking about differences: how the future could be different, how our future selves could be different, and how other people’s experiences of a crisis or change is different. Some people are very motivated by helping others and not helping themselves.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>And, finally, this is a nice segway into the empowering concept of \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003ci>learned helpfulness\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb>.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: By imagining what we might do in a possible future, we can learn our own helpfulness. It is so powerful to imagine how our own unique skills and abilities and strengths, no matter how small, might be of service to others. We often give ourselves more creative latitude when we imagine our future selves. We think, “future me can be really powerful and capable and amazing and accomplished.” We set higher goals for our future self, and we can more easily see ourselves take action in the future because we’re not there yet and our imagination has room to play. We feel the power of our agency when we imagine ourselves doing things that tend to be more ambitious, more audacious. When we envision what we might do to help others in the future, we are empowered to realize we could take that action today and change the future accordingly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jane McGonigal is the author of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Imaginable-Future-Coming-Anything-Even-Impossible-ebook/dp/B099ZQXPGP/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20\">Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything—Even Things That Seem Impossible Today\u003c/a>.” You can follower her on Twitter at \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/avantgame\">@avantegame.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Students can practice future forecasting skills to learn how to envision and create a better world and prepare for imaginable disasters. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1733505265,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 29,
"wordCount": 2225
},
"headData": {
"title": "Harnessing the Power of Future-forecasting to Help Invent a Better World | KQED",
"description": "Students can practice future forecasting skills to learn how to envision and create a better world and prepare for imaginable disasters.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialDescription": "Students can practice future forecasting skills to learn how to envision and create a better world and prepare for imaginable disasters.",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Harnessing the Power of Future-forecasting to Help Invent a Better World",
"datePublished": "2022-06-10T01:13:49-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-12-06T09:14:25-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"sticky": false,
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/mindshift/59459/harnessing-the-power-of-future-forecasting-to-help-invent-a-better-world",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jane McGonigal is a game designer, future-forecaster, popular TED speaker, and the bestselling author of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Reality-Broken-Games-Better-Change/dp/1594202850/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reality Is Broken\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/SuperBetter-Living-Gamefully-Jane-McGonigal/dp/0143109774/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20\"> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SuperBetter\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Her new book, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Imaginable-Future-Coming-Anything-Even-Impossible-ebook/dp/B099ZQXPGP/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything—Even Things That Seem Impossible Today\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is a practical call to action that encourages readers to envision and shape a better future. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imaginable\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offers a potent antidote to the sense of helplessness felt by so many as we face a growing climate crisis, global conflicts, runaway technology, and political divisiveness. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drawing from her work as the Director of Games Research & Development at the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.iftf.org/home/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Institute for the Future\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, McGonigal synthesizes cutting-edge research, playful future-thinking simulations, and an array of futurist methods to chart an actionable path forward. In our conversation, she shares how parents, teachers, community groups, and youth can mine futurist techniques to undertake powerful acts of imagination and confront an uncertain future with resilience and hope.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When I think of a futurist, I imagine a 21st century oracle who parts the veils of time and glimpses into the future. So, what exactly is a futurist? What do they do?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: The type of futurist that I am tries to inspire others to think about how the future could be different in two ways. First, how might the future include new crises or risks or disruptions that we’ve never lived through before? The more deeply we can intellectually and emotionally place ourselves there, the better we can prepare. Secondly, futurists think about how the future can be shaped in ways that we want it to be different. Futurists try to help people imagine extreme versions of better futures so that we can find the motivation to take action today. The computer scientist Alan Kay said that the best way to predict the future is to invent it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What inspired you to write \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003ci>Imaginable\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb>?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: I hit my limit of reading headlines and news stories that described world events like the pandemic and extreme weather as “unimaginable”. In recent years, we’ve had so many shocking political events in the United States, and extremism and new kinds of protests and social movements, and this word just kept showing up. It was exasperating because we’d predicted so much of this for a long time. It wasn’t that they were “unimaginable” or “unthinkable,” we just didn’t want to think about them because it’s stressful and it makes us feel anxious. Or, we didn’t have the tools or information to vividly imagine what living through a pandemic would be like or how social media might fuel extremism. I wanted to write a book to help people confidently see that no future is unthinkable because we refuse to think about it, or no future is unimaginable because we don’t believe that transformative change is possible. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>One of the book’s driving ideas is \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003ci>urgent optimism\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb>. What is urgent optimism and why should we strive for it?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: Urgent optimism means we definitely need to act and not sit around and wait for the future to happen. We \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> take action to shape how the future turns out. The optimism comes from a sense of agency or self-efficacy where the future is shaped by actions that we take today to prepare, plan and change the way the world works. To stay engaged with the future we have to fuel the fires of hope and creativity. We have to feel that the future can be better due to our own actions. At the end of the day, urgent optimism allows for the mental flexibility to internalize a realistic sense of hope that is grounded in an awareness of risks and threats, but engages with new technologies, solutions, and movements that will make things better. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are some accessible futurist techniques that might translate well to schools or other youth-oriented environments? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003ca href=\"https://janemcgonigal.com/2021/12/17/imaginable-how-to-see-the-future-coming-and-feel-ready-for-anything-even-things-that-seem-impossible-today/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-59463\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/Imaginable-160x214.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/Imaginable-160x214.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/Imaginable-800x1071.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/Imaginable-768x1028.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2022/06/Imaginable.png 822w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003c/a>McGonigal: There’s a simple habit of collecting and sharing what we call signals of change. Anybody can gather signals, and they would definitely work for teachers who want to bring future-thinking into their classrooms. A signal of change could be a news story, a surprising social media post, or something from the world around you. It’s something you’ve never seen before that represents a new way of doing things or a new way of being in reality. You can take a picture of it or take notes about it. It’s not a hypothetical idea or fiction: it’s a real change happening somewhere.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every art form has its medium, and signals of change are the raw material of the futurist. Writers use words, computer programmers use code, musicians use musical notes, and artists use paint or clay. We create ideas about the future out of these signals of change. Examples might include a “No Drone Zone” sign in a park, a pay-what-you-can restaurant in Berkeley that had no prices on the menu, or a story about the new virtual real estate market unfolding in the metaverse. These concrete examples make you stop in your tracks and say, “Wow! I guess things can be different.” These, to me, are signals of change. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schools and teachers can create a culture of investigating signals, sharing signals, responding to them, and reflecting on them. Students might discuss whether the signal makes them feel more hopeful or more worried. Does it make them feel powerful? Are they curious to learn how to engage with it? Where will it lead? You can even organize signal scavenger hunts.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every subject benefits from future-thinking, and it makes learning more relevant because it’s about things happening in the world that are cool, interesting, weird, and surprising. My background is in gaming, so I’m always looking for opportunities to generate the positive emotions that we easily get from games, but maybe not from our everyday lives. The surprise, the delight, the curiosity inspired by signals of change are great ways to bring those positive emotions into the classroom.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are some exciting futures for schools that have emerged from your work?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: One of the biggest ideas for driving change in schools that I’m excited to see is the concept of a \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grand challenge\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Instead of traditional subjects or declaring a major in university, students might undertake a challenge to solve a global issue like climate action, ending poverty, gender equality, or zero hunger. I’m excited to see how people use the idea of connecting learning at all levels and across disciplines to global grand challenges to create more meaningful learning experiences.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>In the book you describe a future-thinking technique where you immerse groups in large-scale scenarios and social simulations, usually set 10 years in the future. How can schools, parents, youth, or community groups run or participate in these scenarios?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: The most practical thing to do is take scenarios from the book, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.iftf.org/our-work/featured-projects/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">those we share\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> publicly at the Institute of the Future, or visit the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://urgentoptimists.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Urgent Optimists website\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which has a club you can join with new scenarios every month. Teachers, parents, community groups, or anybody can adapt scenarios to local lived experience. You play with it, see how people react and what emerges. It could be like a school newspaper or a school play, where kids are eager to roll up their sleeves and be a part of creating something together. It could be a simulation club, a scenario club, or a signals club, but they can be integrated in classrooms as well.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Can you share a powerful or memorable experience that emerged from your work with youth?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: We invited teens to a 10-year forecast conference and asked them to imagine a future rite of passage. A lot of teenagers don’t get driver’s licenses anymore, and it was such a rite of passage for decades. It meant freedom and independence and growing up. Today, teens are less interested in driving for sustainability reasons, economic reasons, or mental health reasons. We asked them “what do you think teenagers are going to do as rites of passage in the future?” The rite of passage that they came-up with that they all agreed sounded the most plausible was the first time that they would personally experience a climate catastrophe or terrible extreme weather. That was in 2018, before Greta Thunberg came on the scene and really channeled this righteous anger of young people. It was definitely a clue to us that this generation was already experiencing a pre-traumatic experience of climate change. They knew it was something that they would personally live through. The old teenage ritual was about freedom and independence, and this new rite of passage was going to be about coming to terms with loss and trauma. When young people imagine their future, we should believe them. What they’re saying is that they feel like there’s a lot of trauma and suffering coming, and they need ways to imagine better worlds.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Running a scenario seems to be as much about personal growth and building resilience as it is about predicting the future. What are the benefits of running a scenario or a simulation, even if they might not accurately predict the future?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: Future scenarios and simulations are all about how things could be different, so that fundamental creative skill of thinking differently is at the heart of it. It also is a big driver of hope, particularly for young people. Often, it’s less about preparing for the challenges of the future and more about imagining the world we want to wake up in. It’s about being the authors of our own worlds; to use the power of the future as a place where nobody has said no yet. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learning how to visualize the future more specifically can help people experience less depression and less anxiety. When we’re anxious, we tend to fixate on vivid mental images of things that scare us, but we can imagine a future where we deal with things effectively. We can imagine ourselves taking actions that are within our power in order to deal with situations. Or, we can just redirect our imagination towards something that is a better representation of our hopes and values so that we don’t get stuck. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>In the book you also discuss cultivating empathy for our future selves. Can you tell me more about that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: It stems from research done at UCLA that used neuroimaging to study how we think about our future selves or our far-future selves. Our brain reacts to our future self as if they were a stranger. This explains why we often have a hard time taking action today that benefits our future selves, whether it’s saving money for a long term goal, exercising, sustainability choices, or even voting. It even leads to procrastination. We avoid doing tasks and hand them over to our future selves. Future me will be fine writing this paper! But, you’re still going to be you when you get there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can build a relationship with our future self by vividly imagining future-thinking scenarios and what our life in the future might look like. It’s kind of like neurological cross training because it helps us develop what is called hard empathy for our future self, which then can translate into empathy for other strangers or other people we perceive as different from ourselves. Our empathy grows by thinking about differences: how the future could be different, how our future selves could be different, and how other people’s experiences of a crisis or change is different. Some people are very motivated by helping others and not helping themselves.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>And, finally, this is a nice segway into the empowering concept of \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003ci>learned helpfulness\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb>.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McGonigal: By imagining what we might do in a possible future, we can learn our own helpfulness. It is so powerful to imagine how our own unique skills and abilities and strengths, no matter how small, might be of service to others. We often give ourselves more creative latitude when we imagine our future selves. We think, “future me can be really powerful and capable and amazing and accomplished.” We set higher goals for our future self, and we can more easily see ourselves take action in the future because we’re not there yet and our imagination has room to play. We feel the power of our agency when we imagine ourselves doing things that tend to be more ambitious, more audacious. When we envision what we might do to help others in the future, we are empowered to realize we could take that action today and change the future accordingly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jane McGonigal is the author of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Imaginable-Future-Coming-Anything-Even-Impossible-ebook/dp/B099ZQXPGP/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20\">Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything—Even Things That Seem Impossible Today\u003c/a>.” You can follower her on Twitter at \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/avantgame\">@avantegame.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/mindshift/59459/harnessing-the-power-of-future-forecasting-to-help-invent-a-better-world",
"authors": [
"11107"
],
"categories": [
"mindshift_192",
"mindshift_21848"
],
"tags": [
"mindshift_20604",
"mindshift_548"
],
"featImg": "mindshift_59465",
"label": "mindshift"
},
"mindshift_58624": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "mindshift_58624",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "58624",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1634112437000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "mindshift"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1634112437,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "How parents and educators can support healthy teen use of social media",
"title": "How parents and educators can support healthy teen use of social media",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even before the pandemic, social media occupied a central role in the lives of teens. But now, in the era of lockdowns and social distancing, adolescents are spending even more time viewing, liking and swiping to stay connected with friends and the world.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We know that teens’ use of social media increased during the pandemic, and along with this increase in time, we’ve seen more of both the positive and negative aspects of social media,” said Dr. Jacqueline Nesi, an assistant professor of psychology at Brown University who specializes in social media and adolescent development.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teens and adolescents rely heavily on their peers as they define their sense of self in the world. The teen brain is wired to socialize with friends over family, but the lockdown imposed exactly the opposite, which is why many have taken refuge in Youtube, Discord, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. And, with a steady stream of news that links social media use to mental health issues, cyberbullying, addiction, misinformation and self-harm, parents and educators are worried.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, media experts caution against casting teen social media use as all doom and gloom. The overwhelmingly negative public discourse about adolescent social media tends to obscure the benefits.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I don’t deny the problems associated with social media. Bad things happen to kids online, just as they do to adults. But social media isn’t going anywhere, and kids will use it whether adults like it or not,” said Dr. Ysabel Gerrard, University of Sheffield researcher who specializes in Social Media. “Schools [and parents] have a really tricky job, but one of the things they need to do is celebrate the positives of social media as much as they fear the negatives.”\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But what are the positives? What is really going on behind the screen? And, how can concerned adults support healthy teen relationships with social media?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>What's to Like?\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300199000/its-complicated\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, technology and society scholar danah boyd argues that many well-intentioned adults turn to their own adolescence as a reference for what is ideal, healthy and acceptable. Nostalgia for an unwired past may lead adults to cast a suspicious eye on their own children’s use of digital technology, which is so alien to their own adolescent experiences. Parents fret to see teens glued to their screens for hours, but they often don’t understand the nuances of their online activities, and may be surprised to discover that much of it can be positive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There are so many benefits to social media - just ask teens,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, the executive director of the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://namle.net/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Association of Media Literacy Education\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (NAMLE). “Connection, creativity, humor, information. It’s an amazing place to stay connected to people in your life. It’s an incredible space for artistic expression and sharing your creativity. You can laugh, be inspired, learn something new every single day. Yes, of course, there are negative aspects and risky usage but that doesn’t mean we should do away with it all.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Only 24% of teens \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">surveyed\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by the Pew Center found social media use to be negative, and a significant margin \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2018/11/PI_2018.11.28_teens-social-media_FINAL4.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">reported\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that social media makes them feel included (71%), confident (69%), authentic (64%) and outgoing (61%).\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Predictably, the biggest plus is social connections. Socialization is a crucial component of healthy adolescent development, and social networks connect them with friends, family and like-minded peers. In the absence of in-person gatherings, social media became a lifeline for many teens to seek friendship and support, especially when stuck at home and potentially in conflict with their families.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“In general, when social media is being used for direct social connection, whether messaging a friend, keeping in touch, sharing something funny or inspiring with loved ones, it can be very beneficial,” said Nesi.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Social media is often \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/social-media-threatening-teens-mental-health-and-well-being\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">linked to detrimental mental health issues\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, as in the recent \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-facebook-files-11631713039\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">bombshell report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the Wall Street Journal. But, comparatively little attention is drawn to its potential benefits to mental health. A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-020-03012-1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">2021 study\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, for example, concluded that social support networks during the pandemic positively affected mental health and resilience.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Resilience comes in response to conditions of adversity,” said Nesi. “Social support plays an important role in fostering it. To the extent that teens have been able to connect with friends via social media, especially if they are able to gain support around some of the challenges they’ve faced through the pandemic, social media has helped some teens gain resilience.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ncmedicaljournal.com/content/ncm/81/2/116.full.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">research has found\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that online networks can offer a sense of acceptance and belonging, and connect youth to supportive communities and like-minded peers. This can be \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dailydot.com/irl/lgbt-youth-safe-spaces/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">particularly important for LQBTQ+ youth\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> who may feel isolated and misunderstood in their homes and communities. Suicidal and at-risk teens have reported gaining positive support online, while \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.brookings.edu/techstream/how-to-responsibly-predict-depression-diagnoses-using-social-media/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">sophisticated algorithms\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are already deployed by some networking platforms to screen social media posts and intervene when users are flagged for signs of depression, suicide risk and at-risk behaviour. Social media use has even been found to encourage \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2056305119886025\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">physical fitness and health\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Social media also offers a rich field in which to experiment with identity, a vital aspect of adolescent development. Teens can explore different projections of themselves, learn about the world, access different points of view, learn new skills, share artistic and creative work, forward their opinions\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and partake in civic engagement and activism, to name a few. And, of course, social media is a popular source of entertainment. Why are Netflix binges, surfing the web, or spending a day watching sports any more acceptable than a few hours mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or TikTok? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Listen, Not Lecture\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Each teen is different, so while many are well-equipped to contend with the pitfalls of social networking sites, others can be more susceptible depending on their mental health history, home environments, social context and psychological disposition.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We know that social media impacts teens differently depending on their pre-existing strengths and vulnerabilities,” said Nesi. “For some teens, the use of social media tends to be relatively neutral or perhaps even beneficial on balance. However, for many other teens - particularly those struggling with mental health concerns - I worry that both the positive and negative effects of social media may be amplified.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Socioeconomic status can also exacerbate the ill-effects, especially in a pandemic context. Reduced resources, comparisons with more affluent peers, cramped spaces, parents in greater danger of exposure and unstructured time can all contribute to a negative relationship with social media.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But, whether the issue is mental health, economics, or other aggravating factors, communication is key to mediating and mitigating harm. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Teens often feel as though no one is listening to them when it comes to their social media use, and that adults, parents, teachers are coming in and making judgements about something that they do not fully understand. One of the most important things parents and educators can do is to keep the lines of communication open,” said Nesi. “Ask questions about what teens are experiencing online, what they're finding to be helpful or hurtful, how they feel that their social media use impacts their mood. And listen to their answers. If you have concerns about your child \"offline\" - such as experiencing difficulties with their mental health, for example - it makes sense to keep a closer eye on what they're doing online and offering increased support.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Open, non-judgemental dialogue is not only advisable to monitor a teen’s mental and emotional state, but it also helps to better understand their online life. Many adults use social media themselves, but can be in the dark about how teens navigate their secret world of Snapstreaks and flame wars. And, teens are often reluctant to open-up about their social media use for fear of judgment and disapproval. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“As soon as schools start talking to kids about the ‘effects’ or ‘harms’ of social media, they’ve lost their audience,” said Gerrard. “They’ve lost the potential to have meaningful conversations about what kids are \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">actually\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> doing online because they’ve pathologized their pleasures and hobbies before the discussion has even begun.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what are they \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">actually\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> doing? One notable example are anonymous social apps, a phenomenon Gerrard has researched. Most adults are familiar with popular platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, but few have \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/opinion-social-apps-that-go-suddenly-viral-put-kids-at-risk/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">likely heard of the anonymous social apps\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that spread like wildfire and, just as suddenly, evaporate. Communication on these ephemeral platforms is anonymous, so there is negligible accountability and interactions can be acutely toxic. On the other hand, LGBTQ+ youth, for one, can find these apps liberating, allowing them to more freely discuss their experiences of sexuality and gender.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Parents and educators have a much greater opportunity to gain knowledge of these otherwise obscure corners of the social media universe in a communicative context.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teens are best approached with a spirit of curiosity and inquiry: What platforms do you use? Can you show me how it works? How do you choose to use it? Do you create content, interact with others, or just passively spectate? What do you like about it? What are the downsides? How do you deal with adverse interactions? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Adults may be surprised to discover how much teens are willing to share when not put on the defensive, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cars.12319\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">how informed\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> they are of the adverse effects of social media use.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“What I can tell you is that teens have the same concerns as parents about social media,’ said Lipkin, executive director of NAMLE. “They are aware of the dangers and the risks but they are also aware of the benefits. If you want to talk with your teens about the dangers of social media, you need to be willing to hear about the benefits too or the conversation will stop before it even gets started.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once fluid lines of communication are established, it is easier to negotiate boundaries and limits. Brown University professor Nesi encapsulates a healthy approach with three dictums: warmth, control and structure, all stemming from a dialogic foundation.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Warmth\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> refers to being kind, supportive, communicative,” said Nesi. “Talk to your child about their social media use, have fun using media together, be supportive when they come to you describing challenges with social media. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Control \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">refers to limit-setting and discipline. Make your rules about social media use clear, and explain the consequences in advance. Work with your child to set these expectations and involve them in the process. S\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">tructure\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> involves monitoring and providing consistency. Make sure you know what your child is doing online, and help them develop healthy routines around social media use.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Prepare, Not Protect\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Developmentally, adolescence is characterized by experimentation and risk-taking which has always been a source of worry: teenage pregnancies, reckless driving, substance abuse and violent conflicts, to name a few. Social media is a new domain in which teens enact the turbulent transition to adulthood. Rather than face the challenges with over-protection and prohibition, Lipkin advises parents and educators to \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">prepare\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> youth for the realities of the world that awaits.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Considering the negative and potentially dangerous effects, should youth be prohibited or significantly limited from driving?” said Lipkin. “If not, how might they be supported to mitigate any potential damage? We have systems in place to train, educate and protect them. We have accepted that driving is a skill humans need in their life. We need to have that same thinking around navigating social media and our complicated information landscape. If we are actually going to prepare youth and teens to be college and career ready, they must be media literate.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And, it’s worth remembering that youth spend \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/driving-the-kids-are-so-over-it-11555732810\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">far more time on social media than driving\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Increasingly, media has become the consummate broth where we communicate, transact commerce, seek entertainment, play games, engage in political discourse and exchange information. Rather than live \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">with\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> media, there is an argument that youth, and many adults, live\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> media. It is a habitat, however, that tends to outpace our ability to understand it. Considering the pervasive role media plays in our lives, more must be done to educate and prepare youth to become knowledgeable and skilled media consumers and producers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Teens who have been afforded media literacy education in their classrooms and informal education opportunities understand the information ecosystem in ways that not only builds resilience but allows them to analyze and evaluate all media content - whether it’s a social media image or a news report for credibility and bias,” said Lipkin. “Understanding the way information flows, the way algorithms work, the power structures of tech companies, the persuasive techniques of ads, influencer culture, cancel culture, etc. gives teens the tools they need to make sense of the world around them.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gerrard also advocates for a pragmatic approach and resists the idea that young people, and especially girls, are disempowered victims of social networking technology. Digital and media literacy programs that address issues of representation, body images, power and how media is constructed can further empower youth to better contend with a complex media landscape. But, programs like these are few and far between.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://medialiteracynow.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/U.S.-Media-Literacy-Policy-Report-2020.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A 2020 report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by Media Literacy Now identified only 14 states that are advancing any type of a media literacy agenda at the legislative level, while \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/10/09/americans-and-digital-knowledge/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a 2019 Pew Research Center survey\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> found that a majority of US adults scored 40% on a basic digital knowledge quiz. These statistics open a small window into a situation where education is not keeping up with a media-saturated world.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The United States currently does not devote any significant government effort, nor funding for media literacy education research, training, or implementation,” said Lipkin. “While there is incredible work being done in classrooms and communities around media literacy education, it is still dependent on individuals (teachers, administrators, deans, community based orgs, etc.) to ensure media literacy skills are being taught. Media literacy education has a long way to go to be the national priority it should be.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Concerns about social media use are harbingers of what awaits over the horizon. Values, political systems, social interactions and the economy will all quickly change with the advent of artificial intelligence, big data, algorithms, the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhackl/2020/07/05/the-metaverse-is-coming--its-a-very-big-deal/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">metaverse\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, virtual reality, 5G networks and the exponential growth in computation. As the effects of media become more complex and profound, a corresponding program of education is as crucial as it is urgent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Model, Not Meddle\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One significant way that adults can support healthy teen use of social media is to model the behaviour they want to see. Adults may want to examine their own use of mobile phones and social media before casting aspersions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“[Teens] are watching what we do more than they are listening to what we say,” said Lipkin. “I can’t tell you how many times students tell me about the hypocrisy they notice when the parents tell the kids to get off their devices but the parents are the ones that seem obsessed.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Modeling effective use of technology is a pillar of effective parenting in the digital age. While concerned adults may feel the temptation to surreptitiously monitor and police their children’s online activity, building trust and setting the example of healthy habits is a more viable route. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01957/full\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research supports that\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> parents’ own use of digital technology (rather than their attitudes) is determinant of how their children will engage with the technology, and increased screen time by children is linked to higher screen use by their parents. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We pave a better path forward by expanding the lens to think about social media use as a universal concern. Adults and adolescents should work together to turn social media minuses into pluses with open minds, fluid dialogue, improved education and by modeling good habits.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We all need to accept that social media does not fall into a “youth” issue and we need to stop putting it there,” said Lipkin. “Navigating social media and information is complicated for us all - whether you are 6, 16, or 60. We are all learning as we go and we need to work together and learn from each other.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "58624 https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/?p=58624",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2021/10/13/how-parents-and-educators-can-support-healthy-teen-use-of-social-media/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 2779,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 45
},
"modified": 1634112480,
"excerpt": "Social media often gets a bad reputation for its effects on adolescent brains. However, there are upsides to connecting with others, plus opportunities to model digital media literacy.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Social media often gets a bad reputation for its effects on adolescent brains. However, there are upsides to connecting with others, plus opportunities to model digital media literacy, according to this guide.",
"title": "How parents and educators can support healthy teen use of social media - MindShift",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "How parents and educators can support healthy teen use of social media",
"datePublished": "2021-10-13T01:07:17-07:00",
"dateModified": "2021-10-13T01:08:00-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-parents-and-educators-can-support-healthy-teen-use-of-social-media",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/mindshift/58624/how-parents-and-educators-can-support-healthy-teen-use-of-social-media",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even before the pandemic, social media occupied a central role in the lives of teens. But now, in the era of lockdowns and social distancing, adolescents are spending even more time viewing, liking and swiping to stay connected with friends and the world.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We know that teens’ use of social media increased during the pandemic, and along with this increase in time, we’ve seen more of both the positive and negative aspects of social media,” said Dr. Jacqueline Nesi, an assistant professor of psychology at Brown University who specializes in social media and adolescent development.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teens and adolescents rely heavily on their peers as they define their sense of self in the world. The teen brain is wired to socialize with friends over family, but the lockdown imposed exactly the opposite, which is why many have taken refuge in Youtube, Discord, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. And, with a steady stream of news that links social media use to mental health issues, cyberbullying, addiction, misinformation and self-harm, parents and educators are worried.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, media experts caution against casting teen social media use as all doom and gloom. The overwhelmingly negative public discourse about adolescent social media tends to obscure the benefits.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I don’t deny the problems associated with social media. Bad things happen to kids online, just as they do to adults. But social media isn’t going anywhere, and kids will use it whether adults like it or not,” said Dr. Ysabel Gerrard, University of Sheffield researcher who specializes in Social Media. “Schools [and parents] have a really tricky job, but one of the things they need to do is celebrate the positives of social media as much as they fear the negatives.”\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But what are the positives? What is really going on behind the screen? And, how can concerned adults support healthy teen relationships with social media?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>What's to Like?\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300199000/its-complicated\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, technology and society scholar danah boyd argues that many well-intentioned adults turn to their own adolescence as a reference for what is ideal, healthy and acceptable. Nostalgia for an unwired past may lead adults to cast a suspicious eye on their own children’s use of digital technology, which is so alien to their own adolescent experiences. Parents fret to see teens glued to their screens for hours, but they often don’t understand the nuances of their online activities, and may be surprised to discover that much of it can be positive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There are so many benefits to social media - just ask teens,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, the executive director of the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://namle.net/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Association of Media Literacy Education\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (NAMLE). “Connection, creativity, humor, information. It’s an amazing place to stay connected to people in your life. It’s an incredible space for artistic expression and sharing your creativity. You can laugh, be inspired, learn something new every single day. Yes, of course, there are negative aspects and risky usage but that doesn’t mean we should do away with it all.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Only 24% of teens \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">surveyed\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by the Pew Center found social media use to be negative, and a significant margin \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2018/11/PI_2018.11.28_teens-social-media_FINAL4.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">reported\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that social media makes them feel included (71%), confident (69%), authentic (64%) and outgoing (61%).\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Predictably, the biggest plus is social connections. Socialization is a crucial component of healthy adolescent development, and social networks connect them with friends, family and like-minded peers. In the absence of in-person gatherings, social media became a lifeline for many teens to seek friendship and support, especially when stuck at home and potentially in conflict with their families.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“In general, when social media is being used for direct social connection, whether messaging a friend, keeping in touch, sharing something funny or inspiring with loved ones, it can be very beneficial,” said Nesi.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Social media is often \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/social-media-threatening-teens-mental-health-and-well-being\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">linked to detrimental mental health issues\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, as in the recent \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-facebook-files-11631713039\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">bombshell report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the Wall Street Journal. But, comparatively little attention is drawn to its potential benefits to mental health. A \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-020-03012-1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">2021 study\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, for example, concluded that social support networks during the pandemic positively affected mental health and resilience.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Resilience comes in response to conditions of adversity,” said Nesi. “Social support plays an important role in fostering it. To the extent that teens have been able to connect with friends via social media, especially if they are able to gain support around some of the challenges they’ve faced through the pandemic, social media has helped some teens gain resilience.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ncmedicaljournal.com/content/ncm/81/2/116.full.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">research has found\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that online networks can offer a sense of acceptance and belonging, and connect youth to supportive communities and like-minded peers. This can be \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dailydot.com/irl/lgbt-youth-safe-spaces/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">particularly important for LQBTQ+ youth\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> who may feel isolated and misunderstood in their homes and communities. Suicidal and at-risk teens have reported gaining positive support online, while \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.brookings.edu/techstream/how-to-responsibly-predict-depression-diagnoses-using-social-media/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">sophisticated algorithms\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are already deployed by some networking platforms to screen social media posts and intervene when users are flagged for signs of depression, suicide risk and at-risk behaviour. Social media use has even been found to encourage \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2056305119886025\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">physical fitness and health\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Social media also offers a rich field in which to experiment with identity, a vital aspect of adolescent development. Teens can explore different projections of themselves, learn about the world, access different points of view, learn new skills, share artistic and creative work, forward their opinions\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and partake in civic engagement and activism, to name a few. And, of course, social media is a popular source of entertainment. Why are Netflix binges, surfing the web, or spending a day watching sports any more acceptable than a few hours mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or TikTok? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Listen, Not Lecture\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Each teen is different, so while many are well-equipped to contend with the pitfalls of social networking sites, others can be more susceptible depending on their mental health history, home environments, social context and psychological disposition.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We know that social media impacts teens differently depending on their pre-existing strengths and vulnerabilities,” said Nesi. “For some teens, the use of social media tends to be relatively neutral or perhaps even beneficial on balance. However, for many other teens - particularly those struggling with mental health concerns - I worry that both the positive and negative effects of social media may be amplified.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Socioeconomic status can also exacerbate the ill-effects, especially in a pandemic context. Reduced resources, comparisons with more affluent peers, cramped spaces, parents in greater danger of exposure and unstructured time can all contribute to a negative relationship with social media.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But, whether the issue is mental health, economics, or other aggravating factors, communication is key to mediating and mitigating harm. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Teens often feel as though no one is listening to them when it comes to their social media use, and that adults, parents, teachers are coming in and making judgements about something that they do not fully understand. One of the most important things parents and educators can do is to keep the lines of communication open,” said Nesi. “Ask questions about what teens are experiencing online, what they're finding to be helpful or hurtful, how they feel that their social media use impacts their mood. And listen to their answers. If you have concerns about your child \"offline\" - such as experiencing difficulties with their mental health, for example - it makes sense to keep a closer eye on what they're doing online and offering increased support.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Open, non-judgemental dialogue is not only advisable to monitor a teen’s mental and emotional state, but it also helps to better understand their online life. Many adults use social media themselves, but can be in the dark about how teens navigate their secret world of Snapstreaks and flame wars. And, teens are often reluctant to open-up about their social media use for fear of judgment and disapproval. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“As soon as schools start talking to kids about the ‘effects’ or ‘harms’ of social media, they’ve lost their audience,” said Gerrard. “They’ve lost the potential to have meaningful conversations about what kids are \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">actually\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> doing online because they’ve pathologized their pleasures and hobbies before the discussion has even begun.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what are they \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">actually\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> doing? One notable example are anonymous social apps, a phenomenon Gerrard has researched. Most adults are familiar with popular platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, but few have \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/opinion-social-apps-that-go-suddenly-viral-put-kids-at-risk/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">likely heard of the anonymous social apps\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that spread like wildfire and, just as suddenly, evaporate. Communication on these ephemeral platforms is anonymous, so there is negligible accountability and interactions can be acutely toxic. On the other hand, LGBTQ+ youth, for one, can find these apps liberating, allowing them to more freely discuss their experiences of sexuality and gender.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Parents and educators have a much greater opportunity to gain knowledge of these otherwise obscure corners of the social media universe in a communicative context.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teens are best approached with a spirit of curiosity and inquiry: What platforms do you use? Can you show me how it works? How do you choose to use it? Do you create content, interact with others, or just passively spectate? What do you like about it? What are the downsides? How do you deal with adverse interactions? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Adults may be surprised to discover how much teens are willing to share when not put on the defensive, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cars.12319\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">how informed\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> they are of the adverse effects of social media use.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“What I can tell you is that teens have the same concerns as parents about social media,’ said Lipkin, executive director of NAMLE. “They are aware of the dangers and the risks but they are also aware of the benefits. If you want to talk with your teens about the dangers of social media, you need to be willing to hear about the benefits too or the conversation will stop before it even gets started.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once fluid lines of communication are established, it is easier to negotiate boundaries and limits. Brown University professor Nesi encapsulates a healthy approach with three dictums: warmth, control and structure, all stemming from a dialogic foundation.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Warmth\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> refers to being kind, supportive, communicative,” said Nesi. “Talk to your child about their social media use, have fun using media together, be supportive when they come to you describing challenges with social media. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Control \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">refers to limit-setting and discipline. Make your rules about social media use clear, and explain the consequences in advance. Work with your child to set these expectations and involve them in the process. S\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">tructure\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> involves monitoring and providing consistency. Make sure you know what your child is doing online, and help them develop healthy routines around social media use.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Prepare, Not Protect\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Developmentally, adolescence is characterized by experimentation and risk-taking which has always been a source of worry: teenage pregnancies, reckless driving, substance abuse and violent conflicts, to name a few. Social media is a new domain in which teens enact the turbulent transition to adulthood. Rather than face the challenges with over-protection and prohibition, Lipkin advises parents and educators to \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">prepare\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> youth for the realities of the world that awaits.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Considering the negative and potentially dangerous effects, should youth be prohibited or significantly limited from driving?” said Lipkin. “If not, how might they be supported to mitigate any potential damage? We have systems in place to train, educate and protect them. We have accepted that driving is a skill humans need in their life. We need to have that same thinking around navigating social media and our complicated information landscape. If we are actually going to prepare youth and teens to be college and career ready, they must be media literate.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And, it’s worth remembering that youth spend \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/driving-the-kids-are-so-over-it-11555732810\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">far more time on social media than driving\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Increasingly, media has become the consummate broth where we communicate, transact commerce, seek entertainment, play games, engage in political discourse and exchange information. Rather than live \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">with\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> media, there is an argument that youth, and many adults, live\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> media. It is a habitat, however, that tends to outpace our ability to understand it. Considering the pervasive role media plays in our lives, more must be done to educate and prepare youth to become knowledgeable and skilled media consumers and producers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Teens who have been afforded media literacy education in their classrooms and informal education opportunities understand the information ecosystem in ways that not only builds resilience but allows them to analyze and evaluate all media content - whether it’s a social media image or a news report for credibility and bias,” said Lipkin. “Understanding the way information flows, the way algorithms work, the power structures of tech companies, the persuasive techniques of ads, influencer culture, cancel culture, etc. gives teens the tools they need to make sense of the world around them.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gerrard also advocates for a pragmatic approach and resists the idea that young people, and especially girls, are disempowered victims of social networking technology. Digital and media literacy programs that address issues of representation, body images, power and how media is constructed can further empower youth to better contend with a complex media landscape. But, programs like these are few and far between.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://medialiteracynow.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/U.S.-Media-Literacy-Policy-Report-2020.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A 2020 report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by Media Literacy Now identified only 14 states that are advancing any type of a media literacy agenda at the legislative level, while \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/10/09/americans-and-digital-knowledge/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a 2019 Pew Research Center survey\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> found that a majority of US adults scored 40% on a basic digital knowledge quiz. These statistics open a small window into a situation where education is not keeping up with a media-saturated world.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The United States currently does not devote any significant government effort, nor funding for media literacy education research, training, or implementation,” said Lipkin. “While there is incredible work being done in classrooms and communities around media literacy education, it is still dependent on individuals (teachers, administrators, deans, community based orgs, etc.) to ensure media literacy skills are being taught. Media literacy education has a long way to go to be the national priority it should be.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Concerns about social media use are harbingers of what awaits over the horizon. Values, political systems, social interactions and the economy will all quickly change with the advent of artificial intelligence, big data, algorithms, the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhackl/2020/07/05/the-metaverse-is-coming--its-a-very-big-deal/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">metaverse\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, virtual reality, 5G networks and the exponential growth in computation. As the effects of media become more complex and profound, a corresponding program of education is as crucial as it is urgent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Model, Not Meddle\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One significant way that adults can support healthy teen use of social media is to model the behaviour they want to see. Adults may want to examine their own use of mobile phones and social media before casting aspersions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“[Teens] are watching what we do more than they are listening to what we say,” said Lipkin. “I can’t tell you how many times students tell me about the hypocrisy they notice when the parents tell the kids to get off their devices but the parents are the ones that seem obsessed.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Modeling effective use of technology is a pillar of effective parenting in the digital age. While concerned adults may feel the temptation to surreptitiously monitor and police their children’s online activity, building trust and setting the example of healthy habits is a more viable route. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01957/full\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Research supports that\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> parents’ own use of digital technology (rather than their attitudes) is determinant of how their children will engage with the technology, and increased screen time by children is linked to higher screen use by their parents. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We pave a better path forward by expanding the lens to think about social media use as a universal concern. Adults and adolescents should work together to turn social media minuses into pluses with open minds, fluid dialogue, improved education and by modeling good habits.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We all need to accept that social media does not fall into a “youth” issue and we need to stop putting it there,” said Lipkin. “Navigating social media and information is complicated for us all - whether you are 6, 16, or 60. We are all learning as we go and we need to work together and learn from each other.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/mindshift/58624/how-parents-and-educators-can-support-healthy-teen-use-of-social-media",
"authors": [
"11107"
],
"categories": [
"mindshift_1"
],
"tags": [
"mindshift_968",
"mindshift_273",
"mindshift_30"
],
"featImg": "mindshift_58626",
"label": "mindshift"
},
"mindshift_58368": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "mindshift_58368",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "58368",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1629707943000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "mindshift"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1629707943,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "Build With Care: Recruiting Student and Teacher Voices to Rethink Schools Because of the Pandemic",
"title": "Build With Care: Recruiting Student and Teacher Voices to Rethink Schools Because of the Pandemic",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As we reflect on the experience of learning during COVID, a big question looms: What will schools look like after the pandemic?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Currently, two prevalent narratives are rising over the horizon. In the first, schools seek to return to “normal” and resume the familiar rhythms of teaching and learning much as they were before the COVID disruption. In the second scenario, schools intensify their programs to remediate learning loss with summer school, longer hours, tutoring and learning pods.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unfortunately, both scenarios are problematic. Pre-pandemic schools, especially for underserved communities, left much to be desired, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.the74million.org/article/analysis-tutoring-summer-school-pods-survey-finds-parents-arent-so-thrilled-about-most-k-12-covid-recovery-solutions-on-the-table/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">families generally do not support increased instructional time\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, an approach that is found to have\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-could-more-time-in-school-help-students-after-the-pandemic/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> little positive effect on learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, a third path is proposed in a new report from MIT, entitled \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/nd52b/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Healing, Community, and Humanity: How Students and Teachers Want to Reinvent Schools Post-COVID\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Instead of maintaining the status quo, the paper advocates for locally sourced reinvention while emphasizing community health and welfare over the stresses of remediation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Its findings were drawn from interviews with teachers and students across elementary, middle and high schools about their pandemic learning experience. The report’s co-authors, educational researchers Justin Reich of MIT and Jal Mehta of Harvard, also facilitated ten design charrettes with teachers, school leaders, students and parents to generate ideas about the future of schools. Charrettes are collaborative design sprints – originally used by architects and urban planners – that integrate the views of multiple stakeholders.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It's important to listen to the voices of students and teachers – especially when you're in unprecedented times – not because they're always right, but because they're always there,” said Reich who described policies aimed to address learning during a pandemic often didn’t include voices from these two critical groups.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Notably, not one of the 200 teachers interviewed for the report discussed remediation as a priority. Rather, respondents advocated an approach that favored reflection, healing, community and humane reinvention.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The narrative around learning loss was becoming the only narrative in which to think about schools and what students might need for next year, but there's a much broader set of questions about what's been lost this year, what strengths kids have gained this year and how we might build on that in a constructive way for next year,” said Mehta.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Connections and Autonomy: What Students Said They Lost and Found\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The experiences shared by the 4,000 interviewed students ranged from being more focused and less distracted at home, to feeling completely disengaged and hating remote learning. Many expressed concern about the loss of irrecoverable chapters of their childhood and adolescence, while also lamenting the loss of social connections to their peers, and missed field trips, sports and extracurricular activities. A few even worried about the erosion of their interpersonal skills. Teachers attuned to their students’ needs stressed the importance of relationship and community building in the years ahead.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, one teacher said that, “I need to make so much more space for connecting with students, and for students to learn about each other. I have to stop thinking of community building as one ‘unit’ at the beginning that I rush through, and how community can play a much larger, systemic, role in my classroom.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students also valued the independence and autonomy they enjoyed while learning from home. They relished the freedom to wear comfortable clothes, nap, snack, access the bathroom at will and move around when restless. Living through an alternative way of doing school raised many questions about uncomfortable learning spaces, crowded curriculum at the expense of human connections and interest-based learning, undue policing of bodies and behavior and early start times that contribute to adolescent sleep deprivation. The report recommends that educators build on the positive aspects of their pandemic learning experience in the years ahead and support increased student independence to cultivate a safe and healthy environment that is more conducive to learning.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I might say to teachers who are struggling to give up control, that you're working too hard. You're working against students’ natural inclinations to contribute, act and make. You're expending a huge amount of energy policing what they're wearing, where they're going, etc. You could focus much more on the content if you change the relationship a little bit,” said Mehta.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Neema Avashia, a Boston middle school teacher who works closely with Reich and Mehta also advocates for a shift to greater student autonomy.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“One issue that surfaced during the pandemic was how much time and energy we spend policing children's bodies, and how much of our day is spent on redirecting kids for what they're wearing, how they're sitting, etc. In urban public schools in America, there's a lot of focus on controlling kids,” said Avashia. “Kids realized during this pandemic, 'What the hell? Why does it matter what I wear if I'm learning? Does it really matter if I’m in pajamas?' Kids’ tolerance for policing is gone because they know that this is not about learning at all. We have to do a lot of reflecting on how much of that policing is actually about learning and how much of policing is actually just about an ugly mix of classism, racism and adultism.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Why Resist a Return to Normalcy? \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teachers and students, especially those who come from economically challenged and racialized communities, are apprehensive about the impulse to resume business as usual.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The narrative of back to normal, which I feel has been so pervasive from so many policymakers, has felt really troubling to me because normal didn't work for too many of our kids,” said Avashia. “And so why would we go back to that? Why is that what people want to go back to? Are there things that we could learn during the pandemic? The notion of a return to normalcy I really think is a wrong headed approach to this moment. And I hope people resist it.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/AvashiaNeema/status/1418193939379675136\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avashia’s concerns speak to the widely reported phenomenon that the fracture lines of inequity that have long plagued US schools became alarmingly pronounced during COVID, as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/07/how-covid-taught-america-about-inequity-in-education/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">vulnerable groups were disproportionately harmed by the pandemic\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Economic disparities widened while in-person school support systems in poorer schools – ranging from counseling to community support and food programs – disappeared when classes moved online, with direct consequences to mental health, racial achievement gaps and inaccessiblity due to technological limitations.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In many cases, already underfunded schools were left to try and support struggling students and families whose situations – due to evictions, job loss, overcrowding, mental health issues or illness – deteriorated during the pandemic. But family support from schools is significantly constrained by a scarcity of resources.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The pandemic really highlighted how easy it is to fall for vulnerable families and how fragile our safety nets are, and so schools were left to do a lot of sewing up of the safety nets, which is a tremendous amount of human capital,” said Avashia. “In our school, we would fundraise to get that cash to them from our pockets because there wasn't a structural way to do that. Our mechanisms for supporting families have to be a lot more robust and they have to be able to respond to the needs of families.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stability at home is a vital precondition for successful learning, and the pandemic underscored the urgency to better equip schools to support economically challenged families. A return to normal and/or intensified learning schemes would only further disenfranchise the most vulnerable sectors of society. But how can meaningful changes be enacted? According to Reich, the pandemic revealed how much things actually can change. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There are lots of things in our school system that previously looked totally fixed and completely immovable that now everybody realizes are contingent and changeable,” he said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>“A Pragmatic Strategy for Gradual Reinvention”\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The authors view the learning loss and “back to normal” narratives as symptomatic of governance where policymakers issue broad directives without consulting those who are most directly affected by their decisions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The disconnect between the local level and the policy level has never felt more intense to me than it has been,” said Avashia. “It's like erasing your lived experience. It's not responding to it. It's not allowing schools to meet kids where they're at or support them. We're all being subjected to such intense institutional violence because the people making the decision have no willingness and no clue as to what it's like to be young in school today.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also, the authors argue that blanket policies are ineffective at addressing a mosaic of highly localized needs and circumstances, a reality made apparent by the sheer variety of divergent experiences shared by the report’s respondents. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The myriad of views, opinions and experiences is not lost on school leaders, as many of those interviewed openly wondered how they might bring their fragmented communities on the same page. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In lieu of top-down centralized policy, such as one-size-fits-all learning loss remediation programs, the authors recommend leveraging their user-centred design charrettes. This approach enlists relevant stakeholders, including students, educators, families and school leaders to help articulate, identify and solve issues that directly address their unique needs and circumstances. Charrettes require a very small investment of time, energy and resources, but can yield powerful dividends. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_58375\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2032px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-58375\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2032\" height=\"1126\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders.png 2032w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-800x443.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-1020x565.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-160x89.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-768x426.png 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-1536x851.png 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-672x372.png 672w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-1038x576.png 1038w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-1920x1064.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2032px) 100vw, 2032px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The perspectives of stakeholders at school. \u003ccite>(From \"Healing, Community, and Humanity: How Students and Teachers Want to Reinvent Schools Post-COVID\" by Justin Reich and Jal Mehta)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The charrettes run by the researchers for the report included an “amplify, hospice and create” activity, where participating stakeholders were asked to consider what pandemic learning experiences they would keep and grow (amplify), what experiences should be retired (hospice) and the “create” activity asked participants to chart a tangible courses for implementation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s important to delve a little bit into different people's perspectives,” said Mehta. “To that end, \u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/nd52b/\">the amplify, hospice and create activity\u003c/a> is quite doable. It only takes 75 - 90 minutes, and all you really need is a meeting where you put people into manageable sized groups. If you're doing it with the whole faculty or a wide group of faculty and students, you probably want to do it in groups of eight to ten.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/nd52b/\">design charrettes\u003c/a> yielded a number of actionable initiatives that might help improve future schools. Some of these include implementing Zoom-style chat features in regular classes because they encouraged shy students to participate, continuing to hold parent-teacher conferences online, emphasizing depth over breadth by scheduling fewer but longer classes, increasing engagement through personalized learning programs, shifting from punitive to restorative disciplinary action, and building-in more time and space to reflect and connect.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“If you're remote, you can run a charrette with Google Document or Google Slides,” said Mehta. Each group gets a slide with amplify, hospice and create. After an hour, have people look across the slides to see what things popped up again and again to decide what to move forward. Schools are just resuming, so while it's still fresh, while everybody still remembers what happened last year, I think that this exercise would be really powerful.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A helpful toolkit in the appendix provides support material to effectively interview teachers and students, and guidelines to run a charrette with an amplify, hospice and create focus. These initiatives are contextualized by an acknowledgement that everybody is tired, and that change will not happen overnight. The upcoming year should be seen as an opportunity for reflection and recovery, and the charrettes can be used to support what the report terms a “pragmatic strategy for gradual reinvention.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Possibility of Making the Impossible, Possible \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also, the charrettes asked participants to think about metaphors that capture the future of schools, such as “school as temple” or “school as family reunions.” These conceptual frames can act as big picture “tentpoles” to help guide and synchronize the efforts of the learning community. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“A lot of the early planning documents for this last pandemic year were organized as checklists. That was kind of like the dominant rhetorical structure of policy advice to schools. And we thought: you cannot communicate one hundred and seventy three point checklists to families,” said Reich. “It is better to communicate one, two, or maybe three big ideas about what the response to the pandemic might look like and let people organize themselves around those big ideas, so that a high school biology teacher and a first grade teacher can both find themselves in those ideas. We went to metaphors this time.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unlike a contained checklist of bullet points, metaphors are generative and open a structured mental space to think creatively about practicable possibilities for building better schools. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The common thread that runs through all these voices, proposals, aspirations and visions for the pandemic-informed future of school is a resounding call for more humane schools. And, it is important to remember that, rather than being at odds with academic success and learning, an emotionally healthy and community-focused learning environment will only heighten engagement and make lessons learned more meaningful and consequential. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As one student put it, “I hope teachers approach whatever our return to normal looks like with the same degree of empathy as they have during the pandemic. People are just much more understanding of our lives and pressures.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "58368 https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/?p=58368",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2021/08/23/build-with-care-recruiting-student-and-teacher-voices-to-rethink-schools-because-of-the-pandemic/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 2341,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 37
},
"modified": 1629707943,
"excerpt": "The pandemic forced teachers and students into new ways of learning that can help improve the school experience for students moving forward. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The pandemic forced teachers and students into new ways of learning that can help improve the school experience for students moving forward. ",
"title": "Build With Care: Recruiting Student and Teacher Voices to Rethink Schools Because of the Pandemic - MindShift",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Build With Care: Recruiting Student and Teacher Voices to Rethink Schools Because of the Pandemic",
"datePublished": "2021-08-23T01:39:03-07:00",
"dateModified": "2021-08-23T01:39:03-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "build-with-care-recruiting-student-and-teacher-voices-to-rethink-schools-because-of-the-pandemic",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/mindshift/58368/build-with-care-recruiting-student-and-teacher-voices-to-rethink-schools-because-of-the-pandemic",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As we reflect on the experience of learning during COVID, a big question looms: What will schools look like after the pandemic?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Currently, two prevalent narratives are rising over the horizon. In the first, schools seek to return to “normal” and resume the familiar rhythms of teaching and learning much as they were before the COVID disruption. In the second scenario, schools intensify their programs to remediate learning loss with summer school, longer hours, tutoring and learning pods.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unfortunately, both scenarios are problematic. Pre-pandemic schools, especially for underserved communities, left much to be desired, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.the74million.org/article/analysis-tutoring-summer-school-pods-survey-finds-parents-arent-so-thrilled-about-most-k-12-covid-recovery-solutions-on-the-table/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">families generally do not support increased instructional time\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, an approach that is found to have\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-could-more-time-in-school-help-students-after-the-pandemic/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> little positive effect on learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, a third path is proposed in a new report from MIT, entitled \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/nd52b/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Healing, Community, and Humanity: How Students and Teachers Want to Reinvent Schools Post-COVID\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Instead of maintaining the status quo, the paper advocates for locally sourced reinvention while emphasizing community health and welfare over the stresses of remediation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Its findings were drawn from interviews with teachers and students across elementary, middle and high schools about their pandemic learning experience. The report’s co-authors, educational researchers Justin Reich of MIT and Jal Mehta of Harvard, also facilitated ten design charrettes with teachers, school leaders, students and parents to generate ideas about the future of schools. Charrettes are collaborative design sprints – originally used by architects and urban planners – that integrate the views of multiple stakeholders.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It's important to listen to the voices of students and teachers – especially when you're in unprecedented times – not because they're always right, but because they're always there,” said Reich who described policies aimed to address learning during a pandemic often didn’t include voices from these two critical groups.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Notably, not one of the 200 teachers interviewed for the report discussed remediation as a priority. Rather, respondents advocated an approach that favored reflection, healing, community and humane reinvention.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The narrative around learning loss was becoming the only narrative in which to think about schools and what students might need for next year, but there's a much broader set of questions about what's been lost this year, what strengths kids have gained this year and how we might build on that in a constructive way for next year,” said Mehta.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Connections and Autonomy: What Students Said They Lost and Found\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The experiences shared by the 4,000 interviewed students ranged from being more focused and less distracted at home, to feeling completely disengaged and hating remote learning. Many expressed concern about the loss of irrecoverable chapters of their childhood and adolescence, while also lamenting the loss of social connections to their peers, and missed field trips, sports and extracurricular activities. A few even worried about the erosion of their interpersonal skills. Teachers attuned to their students’ needs stressed the importance of relationship and community building in the years ahead.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, one teacher said that, “I need to make so much more space for connecting with students, and for students to learn about each other. I have to stop thinking of community building as one ‘unit’ at the beginning that I rush through, and how community can play a much larger, systemic, role in my classroom.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students also valued the independence and autonomy they enjoyed while learning from home. They relished the freedom to wear comfortable clothes, nap, snack, access the bathroom at will and move around when restless. Living through an alternative way of doing school raised many questions about uncomfortable learning spaces, crowded curriculum at the expense of human connections and interest-based learning, undue policing of bodies and behavior and early start times that contribute to adolescent sleep deprivation. The report recommends that educators build on the positive aspects of their pandemic learning experience in the years ahead and support increased student independence to cultivate a safe and healthy environment that is more conducive to learning.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I might say to teachers who are struggling to give up control, that you're working too hard. You're working against students’ natural inclinations to contribute, act and make. You're expending a huge amount of energy policing what they're wearing, where they're going, etc. You could focus much more on the content if you change the relationship a little bit,” said Mehta.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Neema Avashia, a Boston middle school teacher who works closely with Reich and Mehta also advocates for a shift to greater student autonomy.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“One issue that surfaced during the pandemic was how much time and energy we spend policing children's bodies, and how much of our day is spent on redirecting kids for what they're wearing, how they're sitting, etc. In urban public schools in America, there's a lot of focus on controlling kids,” said Avashia. “Kids realized during this pandemic, 'What the hell? Why does it matter what I wear if I'm learning? Does it really matter if I’m in pajamas?' Kids’ tolerance for policing is gone because they know that this is not about learning at all. We have to do a lot of reflecting on how much of that policing is actually about learning and how much of policing is actually just about an ugly mix of classism, racism and adultism.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Why Resist a Return to Normalcy? \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teachers and students, especially those who come from economically challenged and racialized communities, are apprehensive about the impulse to resume business as usual.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The narrative of back to normal, which I feel has been so pervasive from so many policymakers, has felt really troubling to me because normal didn't work for too many of our kids,” said Avashia. “And so why would we go back to that? Why is that what people want to go back to? Are there things that we could learn during the pandemic? The notion of a return to normalcy I really think is a wrong headed approach to this moment. And I hope people resist it.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1418193939379675136"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avashia’s concerns speak to the widely reported phenomenon that the fracture lines of inequity that have long plagued US schools became alarmingly pronounced during COVID, as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/07/how-covid-taught-america-about-inequity-in-education/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">vulnerable groups were disproportionately harmed by the pandemic\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Economic disparities widened while in-person school support systems in poorer schools – ranging from counseling to community support and food programs – disappeared when classes moved online, with direct consequences to mental health, racial achievement gaps and inaccessiblity due to technological limitations.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In many cases, already underfunded schools were left to try and support struggling students and families whose situations – due to evictions, job loss, overcrowding, mental health issues or illness – deteriorated during the pandemic. But family support from schools is significantly constrained by a scarcity of resources.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The pandemic really highlighted how easy it is to fall for vulnerable families and how fragile our safety nets are, and so schools were left to do a lot of sewing up of the safety nets, which is a tremendous amount of human capital,” said Avashia. “In our school, we would fundraise to get that cash to them from our pockets because there wasn't a structural way to do that. Our mechanisms for supporting families have to be a lot more robust and they have to be able to respond to the needs of families.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stability at home is a vital precondition for successful learning, and the pandemic underscored the urgency to better equip schools to support economically challenged families. A return to normal and/or intensified learning schemes would only further disenfranchise the most vulnerable sectors of society. But how can meaningful changes be enacted? According to Reich, the pandemic revealed how much things actually can change. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There are lots of things in our school system that previously looked totally fixed and completely immovable that now everybody realizes are contingent and changeable,” he said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>“A Pragmatic Strategy for Gradual Reinvention”\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The authors view the learning loss and “back to normal” narratives as symptomatic of governance where policymakers issue broad directives without consulting those who are most directly affected by their decisions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The disconnect between the local level and the policy level has never felt more intense to me than it has been,” said Avashia. “It's like erasing your lived experience. It's not responding to it. It's not allowing schools to meet kids where they're at or support them. We're all being subjected to such intense institutional violence because the people making the decision have no willingness and no clue as to what it's like to be young in school today.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also, the authors argue that blanket policies are ineffective at addressing a mosaic of highly localized needs and circumstances, a reality made apparent by the sheer variety of divergent experiences shared by the report’s respondents. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The myriad of views, opinions and experiences is not lost on school leaders, as many of those interviewed openly wondered how they might bring their fragmented communities on the same page. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In lieu of top-down centralized policy, such as one-size-fits-all learning loss remediation programs, the authors recommend leveraging their user-centred design charrettes. This approach enlists relevant stakeholders, including students, educators, families and school leaders to help articulate, identify and solve issues that directly address their unique needs and circumstances. Charrettes require a very small investment of time, energy and resources, but can yield powerful dividends. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_58375\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2032px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-58375\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2032\" height=\"1126\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders.png 2032w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-800x443.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-1020x565.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-160x89.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-768x426.png 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-1536x851.png 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-672x372.png 672w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-1038x576.png 1038w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2021/08/Stakeholders-1920x1064.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2032px) 100vw, 2032px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The perspectives of stakeholders at school. \u003ccite>(From \"Healing, Community, and Humanity: How Students and Teachers Want to Reinvent Schools Post-COVID\" by Justin Reich and Jal Mehta)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The charrettes run by the researchers for the report included an “amplify, hospice and create” activity, where participating stakeholders were asked to consider what pandemic learning experiences they would keep and grow (amplify), what experiences should be retired (hospice) and the “create” activity asked participants to chart a tangible courses for implementation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s important to delve a little bit into different people's perspectives,” said Mehta. “To that end, \u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/nd52b/\">the amplify, hospice and create activity\u003c/a> is quite doable. It only takes 75 - 90 minutes, and all you really need is a meeting where you put people into manageable sized groups. If you're doing it with the whole faculty or a wide group of faculty and students, you probably want to do it in groups of eight to ten.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/nd52b/\">design charrettes\u003c/a> yielded a number of actionable initiatives that might help improve future schools. Some of these include implementing Zoom-style chat features in regular classes because they encouraged shy students to participate, continuing to hold parent-teacher conferences online, emphasizing depth over breadth by scheduling fewer but longer classes, increasing engagement through personalized learning programs, shifting from punitive to restorative disciplinary action, and building-in more time and space to reflect and connect.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“If you're remote, you can run a charrette with Google Document or Google Slides,” said Mehta. Each group gets a slide with amplify, hospice and create. After an hour, have people look across the slides to see what things popped up again and again to decide what to move forward. Schools are just resuming, so while it's still fresh, while everybody still remembers what happened last year, I think that this exercise would be really powerful.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A helpful toolkit in the appendix provides support material to effectively interview teachers and students, and guidelines to run a charrette with an amplify, hospice and create focus. These initiatives are contextualized by an acknowledgement that everybody is tired, and that change will not happen overnight. The upcoming year should be seen as an opportunity for reflection and recovery, and the charrettes can be used to support what the report terms a “pragmatic strategy for gradual reinvention.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Possibility of Making the Impossible, Possible \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also, the charrettes asked participants to think about metaphors that capture the future of schools, such as “school as temple” or “school as family reunions.” These conceptual frames can act as big picture “tentpoles” to help guide and synchronize the efforts of the learning community. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“A lot of the early planning documents for this last pandemic year were organized as checklists. That was kind of like the dominant rhetorical structure of policy advice to schools. And we thought: you cannot communicate one hundred and seventy three point checklists to families,” said Reich. “It is better to communicate one, two, or maybe three big ideas about what the response to the pandemic might look like and let people organize themselves around those big ideas, so that a high school biology teacher and a first grade teacher can both find themselves in those ideas. We went to metaphors this time.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unlike a contained checklist of bullet points, metaphors are generative and open a structured mental space to think creatively about practicable possibilities for building better schools. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The common thread that runs through all these voices, proposals, aspirations and visions for the pandemic-informed future of school is a resounding call for more humane schools. And, it is important to remember that, rather than being at odds with academic success and learning, an emotionally healthy and community-focused learning environment will only heighten engagement and make lessons learned more meaningful and consequential. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As one student put it, “I hope teachers approach whatever our return to normal looks like with the same degree of empathy as they have during the pandemic. People are just much more understanding of our lives and pressures.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/mindshift/58368/build-with-care-recruiting-student-and-teacher-voices-to-rethink-schools-because-of-the-pandemic",
"authors": [
"11107"
],
"categories": [
"mindshift_20729"
],
"tags": [
"mindshift_21344",
"mindshift_21343",
"mindshift_819",
"mindshift_20865",
"mindshift_556",
"mindshift_20852",
"mindshift_21105"
],
"featImg": "mindshift_58369",
"label": "mindshift"
},
"mindshift_56205": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "mindshift_56205",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "56205",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1595319045000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "mindshift"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1595319045,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "How Designing Accessible Curriculum For All Can Help Make Online Learning More Equitable",
"title": "How Designing Accessible Curriculum For All Can Help Make Online Learning More Equitable",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As the dust settles from emergency distance learning, schools now have the summer to reckon with what worked and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56068/how-teachers-want-emergency-distance-learning-improved\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">what must change\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> as they grapple with the uncertainty of the next academic year. Whatever the fate of online learning, the past months have \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/coronavirus-covid-19-exposes-cracks-us-digital-divide\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">exposed some glaring disparities\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in access to education and technology, while families with children who have disabilities and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/well/family/coronavirus-shutdowns-children-special-needs-adhd-autism.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">special needs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> experienced significant challenges even when technology was available. Consequently, many parents have been left feeling helpless, guilty and defeated by their inability to simulate school at home.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some educators who want to make online learning more engaging and accessible are exploring the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. UDL – originally developed by researchers at the Center for Applied Special Technology (\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.cast.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">CAST\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">) in collaboration with Harvard University – supports special education students, but its flexibility, technology guidelines and aim to individualize learning are best practices that can serve every student.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“While UDL can benefit students with disabilities, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">it’s a way of thinking about how to make instruction accessible for all,” said \u003ca href=\"https://coe.hawaii.edu/sped/directory/kavitar/\">Kavita Rao\u003c/a>, a professor in the department of special education at the University of Hawai‘i. “The beauty of UDL is that it addresses ‘learner variability’, which is the norm in our classrooms.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/bDvKnY0g6e4\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A key premise of UDL is that there is no “average learner.” Every learner has a unique set of characteristics – including strengths, preferences and learning needs – that may change or evolve in varied contexts. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whether deployed in a classroom or online, UDL focuses on integrating flexible pathways to learning that can address learner variability.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But what does this look like in practice, and how feasible is it for educators to implement the framework?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Online Class Design\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unsurprisingly, the way in which an online class is designed can significantly impact how learners engage with and process the instructional material. Some online lessons can be text heavy, require high reading proficiency and offer narrow assessment options. Also, many rely on prepackaged content such as Khan Academy or Study Island.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“These content management systems were created to follow specific standards and give specific lessons,” said \u003ca href=\"https://specialedu.ku.edu/sean-smith\">Sean Smith\u003c/a>, a professor of special education at the University of Kansas. “And those are the areas that are fraught with barriers for a lot of our learners with disabilities.” Teachers and parents should identify where the barriers are in varied curriculum offerings and build in supports as needed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">More than 14 percent of students enrolled in U.S. schools receive special education services, but the classroom protocols designed to accommodate specific needs do not cleanly translate to online delivery. For example, children who are non-verbal can have trouble communicating online without adequate technology, while those with processing issues may struggle to internalize instructions without close guidance. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Online learning can also make demands on executive function, a set of cognitive processes that help kids prioritize, organize, maintain attention, regulate behavior, and control distractions. Many students struggle with executive function, but it can be particularly challenging for kids with special needs and, in the absence of established classroom routines, the onus to assist falls on parents, many of whom are overwhelmed and/or working.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“One of the challenges at the elementary and middle school level has been the need for the parent or the adult to become a learning coach,” said Smith. “The executive function skills that are required for that level of independence in online learning are all challenges for students. The role of the adult at home has been vital to success, and we’ve found that if the parent is not available, students tend to leave the online environment.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Universal Design for Online Learning\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The focus of UDL is to reduce barriers in curriculum and make instruction engaging and accessible to all learners, according to\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Rao. “\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The UDL framework provides a structure to think about how you can design activities and assignments that integrate supports for students.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UDL originates in the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/universaldesign/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">universal design\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> movement in architecture that strove to make buildings and built environments accessible to all people. Similarly, its curricular incarnation provides a series of guidelines to help educators design accessible learning conditions. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The guidelines focus on ways to intentionally and proactively design learning environments and instruction, building in flexibility, supports and scaffolding that can help all learners succeed,” said Rao.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">By “supports” Rao means a flexible repertoire of tools and strategies adapted to accommodate a range of learners. The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://udlguidelines.cast.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UDL guidelines\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> organize supports according to three umbrella categories: \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">representation\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which assists learners by presenting information in diverse multisensory formats; \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">action and expression\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which lets kids interact and respond to what they’ve learned in a variety of ways; and \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">engagement\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which is achieved by providing students with options and approaches which are relevant to their interests.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVTm8vQRvNc\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Multimodality is the lynchpin of the UDL approach. Written instructions might also be delivered as video, audio or as a series of images. Similarly, the framework encourages offering a variety of options by which students can respond to what they learn, whether they create comics, podcasts, short videos, infographics or voice-to-text dictations. Finally, the framework supports executive function by delivering information in manageable “chunks,” using visual checklists, auditory prompts and providing regular feedback. This way, learners are empowered to access and process information in a way that works for them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In addition to the instructional benefits, some educators report that UDL helps better connect them to their students. “Teachers who provide feedback, participate in activities and use various ways to explain, approach or deliver instruction will motivate students and show them you care: using a meme to evoke humor that relates to the topic, videos that explain a definition, being available for discussion via virtual meetings, or using a Tik-Tok video to deliver instruction,” said Jonah Nakaza-Koizumi, a PhD candidate and special education teacher at Roosevelt High School in Honolulu.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Originally designed for traditional in-person classroom settings, UDL’s reliance on multimedia and technology translates well to online delivery.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“In some cases, it can be easier to implement UDL online because there are many different digital tools that can easily be built into the framework of the course that may be harder to integrate in a face-to-face setting,” said Cary Torres, who instructs on UDL at Kapi’Olani Community College. Torres found that applying UDL online can benefit students who struggle in face-to-face classes.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Providing multiple means of action and expression with digital tools has helped many of my students who are language learners and students who have anxiety,” said Torres. “I have used online text-based discussion boards and Flipgrid videos and noticed that students who often do not participate much in class discussions provide much more detailed and thoughtful contributions and feedback.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, the shift online is not without obstacles. “Moving from a classroom environment to an online environment can be a challenge because there are more constraints,” said Nakaza-Koizumi. “The teacher has to be very meticulous and clear of what he or she is posting, asking, and requiring of the student. This is not to say it isn’t the same in a classroom, but there is and can be a lot more fluidity in design in a classroom.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To support the integration of UDL in online learning, professors Rao, Smith and Torres launched \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://schoolvirtually.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">School Virtually\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, an open website that curates an array of free tools with corresponding guidelines to support educators and parents who seek to implement the framework.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Designing for Success: Start Small and Iterate\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The prospect of integrating UDL for the first time can be daunting. Torres recommends a gradual approach for educators to ease into it according to their level of comfort. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When people first look at the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://udlguidelines.cast.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">guidelines\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, they see the 31 checkpoints and sometimes feel overwhelmed thinking that they are supposed to implement all of them in every lesson,” said Torres. “If they first think about what barriers they want to reduce, they can then look at the guidelines like a menu that they can choose from to meet their needs. I also advise teachers to start small. As they successfully use UDL, they can then build in more and more supports in subsequent lessons, but if they try to do everything at once, they may feel overwhelmed and give up. The more you use UDL, the more these ideas will naturally come to you as you are designing lessons, and it will become easier to redesign or revise curriculum and instruction little by little.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As with any design process, developing a UDL curriculum is an iterative cycle of implementation, reflection, and adjustment, and it can be integrated during the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244016680688\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">lesson planning process\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“In my courses, I teach students to use the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GRIw335-onpNq4Kq8vbsqjxBgV_iYGLr/view?usp=sharing\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UDL Design Cycle\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which is essentially just a systematic step-by-step process to start with your goals, consider barriers and students’ preferences/needs, and then develop assessments and methods that can reduce barriers and take students’ preferences into account. This gives teachers a way to take the UDL framework and apply it to a design thinking process,” said Rao.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is impossible to predict the extent to which online learning will play into the immediate future of education, but what is clear is that further efforts must aim for inclusivity in design and deployment. Universal Design for Learning offers accessibility for special education students and, perhaps even more importantly, it unfolds a vision of education, whether online or in the classroom, which supports all learners to thrive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Universal Design for All\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As Rao points out, UDL improves the quality of instruction for special needs students, but its flexibility and adaptability is a boon to any learning environment. High school teacher Robin Dazzeo learned about UDL as part of her training in special education, but she now integrates the framework in her regular sophomore English classes.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“UDL is a natural fit for me when designing, planning, and implementing lessons, both in our face-to-face curriculum and now as we are teaching remotely. It is so important to consider the ways in which each learner can access the curriculum and demonstrate mastery before actually teaching the lesson. I’m thankful for my [special education] background, which makes it second nature to adapt and modify my lessons to meet the needs of all of my students as I’m going along rather than wait to see who is struggling after instruction.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additionally, the UDL framework provides a cohesive foundation by which to integrate technology for learning. “It facilitates the mind-shift needed for teachers to adopt new technologies and practices. UDL provides the rationale frame for how these new tools or approaches help students. It creates links between various options for student work, and how that work aligns with their unique needs and preferences,” said Jon Pennington, an Instructional Technology Specialist at an independent K12 school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This story is part of a MindShift series that explores solutions for returning to school during the COVID19 pandemic, supported in part by the \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.schusterman.org/\">\u003cspan class=\"s2\">\u003ci>Charles\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003cspan class=\"s3\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan class=\"s4\">\u003ci>and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. MindShift retains sole editorial control over all content. \u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "56205 https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/?p=56205",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2020/07/21/how-designing-accessible-curriculum-for-all-can-help-make-online-learning-more-equitable/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": true,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1927,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 32
},
"modified": 1595319178,
"excerpt": "Teachers can ease some of the issues with distance learning by applying universal design for learning principles and creating lessons that are accessible multiple ways. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Teachers can ease some of the issues with distance learning by applying universal design for learning principles and creating lessons that are accessible multiple ways. ",
"title": "How Designing Accessible Curriculum For All Can Help Make Online Learning More Equitable - MindShift",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "How Designing Accessible Curriculum For All Can Help Make Online Learning More Equitable",
"datePublished": "2020-07-21T01:10:45-07:00",
"dateModified": "2020-07-21T01:12:58-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-designing-accessible-curriculum-for-all-can-help-make-online-learning-more-equitable",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/mindshift/56205/how-designing-accessible-curriculum-for-all-can-help-make-online-learning-more-equitable",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As the dust settles from emergency distance learning, schools now have the summer to reckon with what worked and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56068/how-teachers-want-emergency-distance-learning-improved\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">what must change\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> as they grapple with the uncertainty of the next academic year. Whatever the fate of online learning, the past months have \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/coronavirus-covid-19-exposes-cracks-us-digital-divide\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">exposed some glaring disparities\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in access to education and technology, while families with children who have disabilities and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/well/family/coronavirus-shutdowns-children-special-needs-adhd-autism.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">special needs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> experienced significant challenges even when technology was available. Consequently, many parents have been left feeling helpless, guilty and defeated by their inability to simulate school at home.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some educators who want to make online learning more engaging and accessible are exploring the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. UDL – originally developed by researchers at the Center for Applied Special Technology (\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.cast.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">CAST\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">) in collaboration with Harvard University – supports special education students, but its flexibility, technology guidelines and aim to individualize learning are best practices that can serve every student.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“While UDL can benefit students with disabilities, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">it’s a way of thinking about how to make instruction accessible for all,” said \u003ca href=\"https://coe.hawaii.edu/sped/directory/kavitar/\">Kavita Rao\u003c/a>, a professor in the department of special education at the University of Hawai‘i. “The beauty of UDL is that it addresses ‘learner variability’, which is the norm in our classrooms.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/bDvKnY0g6e4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/bDvKnY0g6e4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A key premise of UDL is that there is no “average learner.” Every learner has a unique set of characteristics – including strengths, preferences and learning needs – that may change or evolve in varied contexts. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whether deployed in a classroom or online, UDL focuses on integrating flexible pathways to learning that can address learner variability.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But what does this look like in practice, and how feasible is it for educators to implement the framework?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Online Class Design\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unsurprisingly, the way in which an online class is designed can significantly impact how learners engage with and process the instructional material. Some online lessons can be text heavy, require high reading proficiency and offer narrow assessment options. Also, many rely on prepackaged content such as Khan Academy or Study Island.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“These content management systems were created to follow specific standards and give specific lessons,” said \u003ca href=\"https://specialedu.ku.edu/sean-smith\">Sean Smith\u003c/a>, a professor of special education at the University of Kansas. “And those are the areas that are fraught with barriers for a lot of our learners with disabilities.” Teachers and parents should identify where the barriers are in varied curriculum offerings and build in supports as needed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">More than 14 percent of students enrolled in U.S. schools receive special education services, but the classroom protocols designed to accommodate specific needs do not cleanly translate to online delivery. For example, children who are non-verbal can have trouble communicating online without adequate technology, while those with processing issues may struggle to internalize instructions without close guidance. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Online learning can also make demands on executive function, a set of cognitive processes that help kids prioritize, organize, maintain attention, regulate behavior, and control distractions. Many students struggle with executive function, but it can be particularly challenging for kids with special needs and, in the absence of established classroom routines, the onus to assist falls on parents, many of whom are overwhelmed and/or working.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“One of the challenges at the elementary and middle school level has been the need for the parent or the adult to become a learning coach,” said Smith. “The executive function skills that are required for that level of independence in online learning are all challenges for students. The role of the adult at home has been vital to success, and we’ve found that if the parent is not available, students tend to leave the online environment.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Universal Design for Online Learning\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The focus of UDL is to reduce barriers in curriculum and make instruction engaging and accessible to all learners, according to\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Rao. “\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The UDL framework provides a structure to think about how you can design activities and assignments that integrate supports for students.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UDL originates in the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/universaldesign/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">universal design\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> movement in architecture that strove to make buildings and built environments accessible to all people. Similarly, its curricular incarnation provides a series of guidelines to help educators design accessible learning conditions. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The guidelines focus on ways to intentionally and proactively design learning environments and instruction, building in flexibility, supports and scaffolding that can help all learners succeed,” said Rao.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">By “supports” Rao means a flexible repertoire of tools and strategies adapted to accommodate a range of learners. The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://udlguidelines.cast.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UDL guidelines\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> organize supports according to three umbrella categories: \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">representation\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which assists learners by presenting information in diverse multisensory formats; \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">action and expression\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which lets kids interact and respond to what they’ve learned in a variety of ways; and \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">engagement\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which is achieved by providing students with options and approaches which are relevant to their interests.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/wVTm8vQRvNc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/wVTm8vQRvNc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Multimodality is the lynchpin of the UDL approach. Written instructions might also be delivered as video, audio or as a series of images. Similarly, the framework encourages offering a variety of options by which students can respond to what they learn, whether they create comics, podcasts, short videos, infographics or voice-to-text dictations. Finally, the framework supports executive function by delivering information in manageable “chunks,” using visual checklists, auditory prompts and providing regular feedback. This way, learners are empowered to access and process information in a way that works for them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In addition to the instructional benefits, some educators report that UDL helps better connect them to their students. “Teachers who provide feedback, participate in activities and use various ways to explain, approach or deliver instruction will motivate students and show them you care: using a meme to evoke humor that relates to the topic, videos that explain a definition, being available for discussion via virtual meetings, or using a Tik-Tok video to deliver instruction,” said Jonah Nakaza-Koizumi, a PhD candidate and special education teacher at Roosevelt High School in Honolulu.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Originally designed for traditional in-person classroom settings, UDL’s reliance on multimedia and technology translates well to online delivery.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“In some cases, it can be easier to implement UDL online because there are many different digital tools that can easily be built into the framework of the course that may be harder to integrate in a face-to-face setting,” said Cary Torres, who instructs on UDL at Kapi’Olani Community College. Torres found that applying UDL online can benefit students who struggle in face-to-face classes.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Providing multiple means of action and expression with digital tools has helped many of my students who are language learners and students who have anxiety,” said Torres. “I have used online text-based discussion boards and Flipgrid videos and noticed that students who often do not participate much in class discussions provide much more detailed and thoughtful contributions and feedback.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, the shift online is not without obstacles. “Moving from a classroom environment to an online environment can be a challenge because there are more constraints,” said Nakaza-Koizumi. “The teacher has to be very meticulous and clear of what he or she is posting, asking, and requiring of the student. This is not to say it isn’t the same in a classroom, but there is and can be a lot more fluidity in design in a classroom.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To support the integration of UDL in online learning, professors Rao, Smith and Torres launched \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://schoolvirtually.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">School Virtually\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, an open website that curates an array of free tools with corresponding guidelines to support educators and parents who seek to implement the framework.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Designing for Success: Start Small and Iterate\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The prospect of integrating UDL for the first time can be daunting. Torres recommends a gradual approach for educators to ease into it according to their level of comfort. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When people first look at the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://udlguidelines.cast.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">guidelines\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, they see the 31 checkpoints and sometimes feel overwhelmed thinking that they are supposed to implement all of them in every lesson,” said Torres. “If they first think about what barriers they want to reduce, they can then look at the guidelines like a menu that they can choose from to meet their needs. I also advise teachers to start small. As they successfully use UDL, they can then build in more and more supports in subsequent lessons, but if they try to do everything at once, they may feel overwhelmed and give up. The more you use UDL, the more these ideas will naturally come to you as you are designing lessons, and it will become easier to redesign or revise curriculum and instruction little by little.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As with any design process, developing a UDL curriculum is an iterative cycle of implementation, reflection, and adjustment, and it can be integrated during the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244016680688\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">lesson planning process\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“In my courses, I teach students to use the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GRIw335-onpNq4Kq8vbsqjxBgV_iYGLr/view?usp=sharing\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">UDL Design Cycle\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which is essentially just a systematic step-by-step process to start with your goals, consider barriers and students’ preferences/needs, and then develop assessments and methods that can reduce barriers and take students’ preferences into account. This gives teachers a way to take the UDL framework and apply it to a design thinking process,” said Rao.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is impossible to predict the extent to which online learning will play into the immediate future of education, but what is clear is that further efforts must aim for inclusivity in design and deployment. Universal Design for Learning offers accessibility for special education students and, perhaps even more importantly, it unfolds a vision of education, whether online or in the classroom, which supports all learners to thrive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Universal Design for All\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As Rao points out, UDL improves the quality of instruction for special needs students, but its flexibility and adaptability is a boon to any learning environment. High school teacher Robin Dazzeo learned about UDL as part of her training in special education, but she now integrates the framework in her regular sophomore English classes.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“UDL is a natural fit for me when designing, planning, and implementing lessons, both in our face-to-face curriculum and now as we are teaching remotely. It is so important to consider the ways in which each learner can access the curriculum and demonstrate mastery before actually teaching the lesson. I’m thankful for my [special education] background, which makes it second nature to adapt and modify my lessons to meet the needs of all of my students as I’m going along rather than wait to see who is struggling after instruction.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additionally, the UDL framework provides a cohesive foundation by which to integrate technology for learning. “It facilitates the mind-shift needed for teachers to adopt new technologies and practices. UDL provides the rationale frame for how these new tools or approaches help students. It creates links between various options for student work, and how that work aligns with their unique needs and preferences,” said Jon Pennington, an Instructional Technology Specialist at an independent K12 school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This story is part of a MindShift series that explores solutions for returning to school during the COVID19 pandemic, supported in part by the \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.schusterman.org/\">\u003cspan class=\"s2\">\u003ci>Charles\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003cspan class=\"s3\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan class=\"s4\">\u003ci>and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>. MindShift retains sole editorial control over all content. \u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/mindshift/56205/how-designing-accessible-curriculum-for-all-can-help-make-online-learning-more-equitable",
"authors": [
"11107"
],
"categories": [
"mindshift_21358"
],
"tags": [
"mindshift_21366",
"mindshift_358",
"mindshift_20701",
"mindshift_289",
"mindshift_384",
"mindshift_20934",
"mindshift_21050"
],
"featImg": "mindshift_56326",
"label": "mindshift"
},
"mindshift_56309": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "mindshift_56309",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "56309",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1595227870000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "mindshift"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1595227870,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "How Giving All Stakeholders a Voice Can Improve School Reopening Plans",
"title": "How Giving All Stakeholders a Voice Can Improve School Reopening Plans",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The new school year is around the corner, but many families and educators remain in the dark about what back-to-school will look like. Leaders have no playbook to contend with a developing pandemic that is as unprecedented as it is \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56259/as-school-year-approaches-parents-and-educators-struggle-with-uncertainty\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">unpredictable\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Matters are further complicated by federal pressure to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56233/top-pediatrician-says-states-shouldnt-force-schools-to-reopen-if-virus-is-surging\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">resume face-to-face classes\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and officials at all levels sending \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://time.com/5866524/world-health-organization-mixed-messages-coronavirus/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">conflicting messages\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Satisfactory solutions remain elusive on these shifting grounds, but a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/gqa2w\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">new report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> authored by Harvard and MIT researchers may offer a way forward.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Titled \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/gqa2w\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Imagining September: Principles and Design Elements for Ambitious Schools During COVID-19\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the report outlines a participatory design framework to help communities equitably negotiate the challenges of schooling in the foreseeable future. It shares colorful storyboards of implementable ideas distilled from four structured brainstorming sessions carried out in May. A \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">companion report,\u003c/span>\u003cem> \u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/ufr4q\">Imagining September: Online Design Charrettes for Fall 2020 Planning with Students and Stakeholders\u003c/a>\u003c/em>,\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> provides concise guidelines for districts, schools, teachers and students who want to run their own design charrettes \u003cem>together\u003c/em>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“A charrette is a design sprint that puts people together to take on the design of a defined task that encompasses a variety of different people's views, but it also allows for something to be developed in a short period of time,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.gse.harvard.edu/faculty/jal-mehta\">Jal Mehta\u003c/a>, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the report’s co-author. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Collaborative planning invites parents, principals, district leaders and, importantly, teachers and students to co-construct models that become modular building blocks for the upcoming year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I see a lot of people sitting in district or state offices drawing up plans in their heads,” said \u003ca href=\"https://cmsw.mit.edu/profile/justin-reich/\">Justin Reich\u003c/a>, director of the MIT Teaching Systems Lab and the lead author of the report. “Part of what we're trying to say is, no, if you want to have really good plans, you need to get the people who are closest to the most vital experiences in classrooms involved in the design process, particularly students. Adults know all kinds of things about how schools operate, but there's only one generation of American kids who have gone to school during a pandemic.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The approach is grounded in a handful of core concepts, including the premise that complexity and uncertainty are best tackled with modular and adaptable systems. To achieve this, schools can make room for trial and error experimentation and foster a culture of design and innovation.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“You don’t know exactly what is going to work,” according to the report. “Nor is it clear that what works in one context will work in another. You want to let people closest to the ground innovate and then make sensible adaptations as they see what is working.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These localized efforts are developed under “tentpoles,” or core organizational values to ensure that all the moving parts are working in concert towards common goals. Culture, infrastructure and demographics differ from school to school, and this agile design system can generate solutions that are tailored to each institution’s unique needs.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Student Voice to Marie Kondo School Priorities\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the pandemic, Reich and Mehta, his former professor at Harvard, exchanged concerns about schooling and decided to do something about it. They formulated a hybrid charrette framework to digest the views of diverse stakeholders through a format that is both accessible and easily implemented.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Then, they hosted three charrettes in the spring where participants with a variety of roles and backgrounds were invited to collaboratively generate ideas for the new school year. In one preliminary task, they were asked to write short diary entries from the point of view of a student or a teacher one month into the next school year. These first person accounts leveraged storytelling as a means to explore and concretize possibility spaces. Some proposals that emerged included \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56278/how-teacher-looping-can-ease-the-learning-disruptions-caused-by-coronavirus\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">teacher looping\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/06/17/878205853/5-radical-schooling-ideas-for-an-uncertain-fall-and-beyond\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">microschooling\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, trading student contact time for teacher collaboration time, and increasing attention to vulnerable students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A fourth charrette was modified to accomodate a group of fifteen Grade 8 students from Neema Avashia’s civics class at the John W. McCormack School in Boston.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/AvashiaNeema/status/1262808324237598720\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The voices of young people have not really been acknowledged in the policy conversation, and so we decided to run the design charrette with kids, and it was awesome,” said Avashia. “They were able to speak from their experience and not get bogged down by questions of budget or politics or logistics, but just express what's worked for then, what's been hard for them, and what could be done differently in September.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The session was documented by a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/54655/why-teachers-are-so-excited-about-the-power-of-sketchnoting\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">sketchnote artist\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, while Avashia’s students reflected on their needs and what schools might do without in September. However the new year looks, schools will operate with significant constraints, so it is vital to reduce clutter and identify what is essential, a process the researchers playfully refer to as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/marie-kondo-curriculum\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">”Marie Kondo-ing” priorities and curriculum\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Reich emphasizes that curricular efficiency does not mean concentrating on core standards but, as expressed by student voice, nourishing values like relationships and engagement through opportunities for art, recreation and social connections. For example, some students proposed eSports recreation leagues with blended teacher and student teams; others imagined hosting classes on Minecraft and Fortnite; some students proposed designating home as the place for curriculum, and school as the place for relationships.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There are all these great ideas to consider, but if people can only do one thing, it would be to run their own charrette,” said Mehta.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Values Eat Logistics For Breakfast\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A pillar of the charrette protocol is to prioritize values over logistics. Early on, participants are asked to identify core values such as relationships, flexibility and an emphasis on social justice. Values are the broth of school culture and should define how schools are structured, rather than the reverse.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There is a lot of discussion about how to space the students, which days students will go to school, how to transport students to school, and so forth,” states the report. “These are important discussions and we do not want to minimize the importance of keeping students safe. But if they are not grounded in values or principles about what we want for students and what produces good educational experiences, then they are not likely to work or achieve their best results.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building around core values puts the student at the centre of the experience, which can be particularly beneficial for kids who are underserved or struggling.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“If you aren't leading with your values, you're leading with politics and you're leading with things that don't acknowledge what kids just went through,” said Avashia. “A lot of my kids have already experienced different kinds of trauma and now we have this collective trauma. We need them to have a strong relationship with an adult who can really help them re-engage with learning and with school. If we started with values, that's where it would lead us, but because we're starting with logistics we're going to end up creating learning environments where kids can't learn because they don’t feel safe.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>From Ownership to Equity\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The charrette design protocols generate ideas from those who stand to be most impacted by decisions in regard to pandemic schooling, but their inclusive design also engenders a sense of ownership and buy-in from students and stakeholders. Otherwise, as the report warns, “people will resent what they perceive as constraints imposed from above, whereas they tend to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.margaretwheatley.com/articles/life.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">own what they create\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It's more likely that if young people feel like they have voice and ownership and are part of the process of reopening and recreating schools, that they will be more likely to be excited to participate in them,” said Reich.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And, the sense of ownership produced through participatory design can help engage underserved students. The report underscores that involving diverse learners in design and decision-making is fundamental for establishing genuine equity. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We tend not to think about disadvantaged students as if they had agency and thoughts of their own,” said Mehta. “So the more that you design with such students, the more likely the solutions that you're going to devise are going to be the kinds of solutions that are going to work for them.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the major themes that percolated from the spring sessions is the need for a liberatory approach to equity, which not only encourages academic success for students of color and underserved youth but, as the report recommends, it also involves a need to unpack “existing systems, structures, processes, pedagogies, and culture to see how they can be made more equitable.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We should be thinking how to create strong mechanisms to engage all kids in learning and really prioritize our most vulnerable kids and our most disengaged kids as the people who we need to listen to the most if we really want learning to work for everybody,” said Avashia. “Then my job – our job – is to figure out how to take those needs that kids are identifying and make them real.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "56309 https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/?p=56309",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2020/07/19/how-giving-all-stakeholders-a-voice-can-improve-school-reopening-plans/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1574,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 27
},
"modified": 1595227870,
"excerpt": "A guide developed by education researchers at MIT and Harvard is helping schools prioritize what's important for reopening schools by listening to those most affected by policies: teachers and students.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "A guide developed by education researchers at MIT and Harvard is helping schools prioritize what's important for reopening schools by listening to those most affected by policies: teachers and students.",
"title": "How Giving All Stakeholders a Voice Can Improve School Reopening Plans - MindShift",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "How Giving All Stakeholders a Voice Can Improve School Reopening Plans",
"datePublished": "2020-07-19T23:51:10-07:00",
"dateModified": "2020-07-19T23:51:10-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-giving-all-stakeholders-a-voice-can-improve-school-reopening-plans",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/mindshift/56309/how-giving-all-stakeholders-a-voice-can-improve-school-reopening-plans",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The new school year is around the corner, but many families and educators remain in the dark about what back-to-school will look like. Leaders have no playbook to contend with a developing pandemic that is as unprecedented as it is \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56259/as-school-year-approaches-parents-and-educators-struggle-with-uncertainty\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">unpredictable\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Matters are further complicated by federal pressure to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56233/top-pediatrician-says-states-shouldnt-force-schools-to-reopen-if-virus-is-surging\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">resume face-to-face classes\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and officials at all levels sending \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://time.com/5866524/world-health-organization-mixed-messages-coronavirus/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">conflicting messages\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Satisfactory solutions remain elusive on these shifting grounds, but a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/gqa2w\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">new report\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> authored by Harvard and MIT researchers may offer a way forward.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Titled \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/gqa2w\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Imagining September: Principles and Design Elements for Ambitious Schools During COVID-19\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the report outlines a participatory design framework to help communities equitably negotiate the challenges of schooling in the foreseeable future. It shares colorful storyboards of implementable ideas distilled from four structured brainstorming sessions carried out in May. A \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">companion report,\u003c/span>\u003cem> \u003ca href=\"https://edarxiv.org/ufr4q\">Imagining September: Online Design Charrettes for Fall 2020 Planning with Students and Stakeholders\u003c/a>\u003c/em>,\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> provides concise guidelines for districts, schools, teachers and students who want to run their own design charrettes \u003cem>together\u003c/em>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“A charrette is a design sprint that puts people together to take on the design of a defined task that encompasses a variety of different people's views, but it also allows for something to be developed in a short period of time,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.gse.harvard.edu/faculty/jal-mehta\">Jal Mehta\u003c/a>, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the report’s co-author. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Collaborative planning invites parents, principals, district leaders and, importantly, teachers and students to co-construct models that become modular building blocks for the upcoming year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I see a lot of people sitting in district or state offices drawing up plans in their heads,” said \u003ca href=\"https://cmsw.mit.edu/profile/justin-reich/\">Justin Reich\u003c/a>, director of the MIT Teaching Systems Lab and the lead author of the report. “Part of what we're trying to say is, no, if you want to have really good plans, you need to get the people who are closest to the most vital experiences in classrooms involved in the design process, particularly students. Adults know all kinds of things about how schools operate, but there's only one generation of American kids who have gone to school during a pandemic.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The approach is grounded in a handful of core concepts, including the premise that complexity and uncertainty are best tackled with modular and adaptable systems. To achieve this, schools can make room for trial and error experimentation and foster a culture of design and innovation.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“You don’t know exactly what is going to work,” according to the report. “Nor is it clear that what works in one context will work in another. You want to let people closest to the ground innovate and then make sensible adaptations as they see what is working.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These localized efforts are developed under “tentpoles,” or core organizational values to ensure that all the moving parts are working in concert towards common goals. Culture, infrastructure and demographics differ from school to school, and this agile design system can generate solutions that are tailored to each institution’s unique needs.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Student Voice to Marie Kondo School Priorities\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the pandemic, Reich and Mehta, his former professor at Harvard, exchanged concerns about schooling and decided to do something about it. They formulated a hybrid charrette framework to digest the views of diverse stakeholders through a format that is both accessible and easily implemented.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Then, they hosted three charrettes in the spring where participants with a variety of roles and backgrounds were invited to collaboratively generate ideas for the new school year. In one preliminary task, they were asked to write short diary entries from the point of view of a student or a teacher one month into the next school year. These first person accounts leveraged storytelling as a means to explore and concretize possibility spaces. Some proposals that emerged included \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56278/how-teacher-looping-can-ease-the-learning-disruptions-caused-by-coronavirus\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">teacher looping\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/06/17/878205853/5-radical-schooling-ideas-for-an-uncertain-fall-and-beyond\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">microschooling\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, trading student contact time for teacher collaboration time, and increasing attention to vulnerable students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A fourth charrette was modified to accomodate a group of fifteen Grade 8 students from Neema Avashia’s civics class at the John W. McCormack School in Boston.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1262808324237598720"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The voices of young people have not really been acknowledged in the policy conversation, and so we decided to run the design charrette with kids, and it was awesome,” said Avashia. “They were able to speak from their experience and not get bogged down by questions of budget or politics or logistics, but just express what's worked for then, what's been hard for them, and what could be done differently in September.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The session was documented by a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/54655/why-teachers-are-so-excited-about-the-power-of-sketchnoting\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">sketchnote artist\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, while Avashia’s students reflected on their needs and what schools might do without in September. However the new year looks, schools will operate with significant constraints, so it is vital to reduce clutter and identify what is essential, a process the researchers playfully refer to as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/marie-kondo-curriculum\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">”Marie Kondo-ing” priorities and curriculum\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Reich emphasizes that curricular efficiency does not mean concentrating on core standards but, as expressed by student voice, nourishing values like relationships and engagement through opportunities for art, recreation and social connections. For example, some students proposed eSports recreation leagues with blended teacher and student teams; others imagined hosting classes on Minecraft and Fortnite; some students proposed designating home as the place for curriculum, and school as the place for relationships.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There are all these great ideas to consider, but if people can only do one thing, it would be to run their own charrette,” said Mehta.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Values Eat Logistics For Breakfast\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A pillar of the charrette protocol is to prioritize values over logistics. Early on, participants are asked to identify core values such as relationships, flexibility and an emphasis on social justice. Values are the broth of school culture and should define how schools are structured, rather than the reverse.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There is a lot of discussion about how to space the students, which days students will go to school, how to transport students to school, and so forth,” states the report. “These are important discussions and we do not want to minimize the importance of keeping students safe. But if they are not grounded in values or principles about what we want for students and what produces good educational experiences, then they are not likely to work or achieve their best results.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building around core values puts the student at the centre of the experience, which can be particularly beneficial for kids who are underserved or struggling.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“If you aren't leading with your values, you're leading with politics and you're leading with things that don't acknowledge what kids just went through,” said Avashia. “A lot of my kids have already experienced different kinds of trauma and now we have this collective trauma. We need them to have a strong relationship with an adult who can really help them re-engage with learning and with school. If we started with values, that's where it would lead us, but because we're starting with logistics we're going to end up creating learning environments where kids can't learn because they don’t feel safe.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>From Ownership to Equity\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The charrette design protocols generate ideas from those who stand to be most impacted by decisions in regard to pandemic schooling, but their inclusive design also engenders a sense of ownership and buy-in from students and stakeholders. Otherwise, as the report warns, “people will resent what they perceive as constraints imposed from above, whereas they tend to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.margaretwheatley.com/articles/life.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">own what they create\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It's more likely that if young people feel like they have voice and ownership and are part of the process of reopening and recreating schools, that they will be more likely to be excited to participate in them,” said Reich.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And, the sense of ownership produced through participatory design can help engage underserved students. The report underscores that involving diverse learners in design and decision-making is fundamental for establishing genuine equity. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We tend not to think about disadvantaged students as if they had agency and thoughts of their own,” said Mehta. “So the more that you design with such students, the more likely the solutions that you're going to devise are going to be the kinds of solutions that are going to work for them.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the major themes that percolated from the spring sessions is the need for a liberatory approach to equity, which not only encourages academic success for students of color and underserved youth but, as the report recommends, it also involves a need to unpack “existing systems, structures, processes, pedagogies, and culture to see how they can be made more equitable.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We should be thinking how to create strong mechanisms to engage all kids in learning and really prioritize our most vulnerable kids and our most disengaged kids as the people who we need to listen to the most if we really want learning to work for everybody,” said Avashia. “Then my job – our job – is to figure out how to take those needs that kids are identifying and make them real.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/mindshift/56309/how-giving-all-stakeholders-a-voice-can-improve-school-reopening-plans",
"authors": [
"11107"
],
"categories": [
"mindshift_20523",
"mindshift_21358"
],
"tags": [
"mindshift_21365",
"mindshift_21344",
"mindshift_21343",
"mindshift_939",
"mindshift_358",
"mindshift_20701",
"mindshift_819",
"mindshift_556",
"mindshift_21069",
"mindshift_21361",
"mindshift_21359",
"mindshift_943"
],
"featImg": "mindshift_56310",
"label": "mindshift"
},
"mindshift_55771": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "mindshift_55771",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "55771",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1587546142000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "mindshift"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1587546142,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "10 Comfort Games That Encourage Kindness, Community and Well-Being",
"title": "10 Comfort Games That Encourage Kindness, Community and Well-Being",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the world’s first history book, Herodotus recounts how the ancient Lydians faced a prolonged period of food scarcity. Months passed without relief and despair set in, spurring the desperate Lydians to implement an unusual solution. Life was organized according to a two-day schedule, where they fasted on the first day and played games to distract from hunger, while on the second day they ate and abstained from play. Herodotus writes that the people lived according to this pattern for eighteen years, survived the famine, and invented some of the games that we enjoy today.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three thousand years later, we stand to learn much from the Lydians. Games might be a timely balm as we grapple with our own social crisis. French philosopher David Émile Durkeim believed that games are a cornerstone of human bonding, while their power to absorb and distract helps ease our thoughts from the troubles at hand. Also, digital games can simulate vast navigable virtual spaces, an attractive commodity when access to real world space is restricted. But, unlike the Lydians, we already have tens of thousands of games ready to go, many of which have been designed to dissolve physical distance.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As we adjust to a prolonged sojourn in the great indoors, the games included here may help ease the burden of confinement. Players can draw comfort from bridging distance through online collaboration, traveling the virtual world, sharing struggles, or getting a daily fitness fix, all without having to step outside.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Kind Words\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://popcannibal.com/kindwords/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kind Words\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’ core mechanic is meaningful human contact. Players can anonymously write short letters to share their struggles or respond to others with supportive words. After the tutorial, all letters and responses are produced by real people. This little game with a big heart seems ideally suited to our current circumstances as it transcends space with its anonymous virtual network that encourages positive interactions, mutual comfort and support. It’s also a fun way for kids to exercise reading, writing and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/54853/why-its-imperative-we-all-learn-to-be-emotion-scientists\">emotional intelligence\u003c/a> through empathetic engagements. Not surprisingly, many recent letters address social distancing issues which grant ample opportunity to connect on the foundation of shared experience.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnJ2sRTkZo8\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Journey\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Doesn’t it feel like a good time for a mystical pilgrimage across the desert? \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://thatgamecompany.com/journey/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Journey\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a striking work of video game art where a player traverses a surreal desert landscape as they make their way to a distant mountain. The soothing soundtrack, austere expanses and calming rhythm of play are a powerful antidote to the doldrums of social isolation. The best part is that you are not alone. At every level, one might encounter another anonymous player with whom they can exchange magic scarves and form a temporary alliance. Communication is limited to avatar motion and nonverbal chimes or “pings.” Strangely, these \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-07-08-how-journey-only-truly-made-sense-when-almost-everything-had-been-cut\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">constraints deepen the emotional connection\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> between players as it impedes potentially toxic behavior. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Journey\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a powerful metaphor that binds inward and outward voyages, but perhaps the most relevant message it delivers is its persistent reminder that less is more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkL94nKSd2M\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Stardew Valley \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The pastoral life calls in \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.stardewvalley.net/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stardew Valley\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, where you’re an urban office worker who inherits an abandoned plot of land from your grandfather. Fed-up with the city grind, you decide to take the plunge and start a new life in Pelican Town, an idyllic 16-bit farming community. Soon, you’re clearing land, managing crops, monitoring your sleep cycles, visiting the general store, socializing with the townsfolk and exploring the surrounding countryside. The surprise hit of 2016 is a refreshing tend-and-befriend game with throwback graphics and diverse tasks that will keep you blissfully occupied for hours. You can also farm with friends: there’s a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gamesradar.com/stardew-valley-co-op-multiplayer-how-to/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">multiplayer co-op\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> version that lets up to four players work together, share an income and even tie the knot. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot7uXNQskhs\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Animal Crossing: New Horizon\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fresh off the press, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/animal-crossing-new-horizons-switch/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cem>Animal Crossing: New Horizons\u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is the latest installment of the enduring life simulation franchise where players explore a cartoony paradiscal island and build a thriving community of cutesy animal citizens. The open-ended sim is a highly customizable sandbox where players build, collect, craft, grow, fish, trade, play and socialize. Time on the island is tied to the real world clock, the weather is in flux and the flora and fauna change according to the seasons. Four can collaborate on the same system and up to eight online players can meet to work and play on the island.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3YNL0OWio0\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>GeoGuessr\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While we await regularly scheduled flights to resume, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.geoguessr.com/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">GeoGuessr\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> lets us explore the world from the comfort of home. It leverages Google Maps and Street View technology to drop you somewhere on the globe to wander around searching for clues to determine your location. Street signs, landscapes, flora, fauna, company logos, store signs and architecture all provide clues to help you figure out whether you’ve been beamed to the heart of Mongolia or deposited in downtown Nairobi. There are diverse challenges available and those who aren’t ready to go global can choose to materialize at landmarks, specific countries, or U.S. capitals. Once you’ve satisfied your wanderlust, hand it over to the kids for an entertaining boost to their geographic knowledge and critical thinking skills.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Outer Wilds\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After you’ve exhausted your virtual tour of the world, you might consider heading off planet to the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mobiusdigitalgames.com/outer-wilds.html\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Outer Wilds\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The recent winner of BAFTA’s Best Game of 2020 award is sci-fi on the surface, but \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Outer Wilds\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a gentle, carefully crafted masterpiece that rewards careful exploration. This time, you’re a rookie alien astronaut caught in a 22-minute time loop that always ends with a massive supernova, blackout and you wake up at the campfire starting position again. Rinse, but not quite repeat, as every churn of the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Groundhog Day\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> cycle reveals a new piece of the puzzle as you learn why you are trapped in the loop. It is ultimately a story about community and connection that caused \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.polygon.com/2019/12/13/21011871/outer-wilds-goty-best-games-of-the-year\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">one reviewer\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to confess that \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Outer Wilds\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">final revelations left a mark that will be on my soul...one that pulls at me every time I hear its simple, enthralling theme music.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6LGnVCL1_A\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In case you didn’t notice, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is back and bigger than ever. The iconic sword and sorcery tabletop role-playing game (RPG) with the eccentric dice has enjoyed a massive resurgence as an embodied alternative to online socialization. Besides its mainstream popularity, educators, therapists and parents have leveraged \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">D&D\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to encourage \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51787/leveraging-the-lore-of-dungeons-and-dragons-to-motivate-students-to-read-and-write\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">literacy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51790/how-dungeons-dragons-primes-students-for-interdisciplinary-learning-including-stem\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">STEM\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51784/how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">social and emotional wellbeing\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The pen-and-paper game was designed to be played around a table; however, it takes more than a lockdown to subdue. Wizards of the Coast curates a wealth of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/remote\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free tools and resources\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to help transition your \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">D&D\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> campaign online, and Polygon offers \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/17/21182538/how-to-play-dungeons-dragons-pen-and-paper-games-online-virtual-tabletop-coronavirus\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a guide\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to help make the shift with other RPGs. Roleplay is cathartic, and tabletop RPGs are ultimately collaborative storytelling experiences, a fundamental human impulse to strengthen social cohesion.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/2PEt5RdNHNw\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Minecraft\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minecraft\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is in a category all its own, and a mainstay of every video game list ever. It’s the second best selling title of all time, the commercial video game most widely used \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://education.minecraft.net/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">in education\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and it remains enormously popular with players of all ages. Blockish avatars explore, mine and build structures ranging from simple homes to sophisticated circuits. Geographically distanced friends can collaborate on projects, and it’s even possible \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/virtual-computers-built-inside-minecraft-2015-2\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">to build a computer\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://blog.connectedcamps.com/creative-minecraft-theater/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">stage a live performance\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the virtual world. For tens of millions of youth (and adults) around the world, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minecraft\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a safe and familiar place to converse, compete, collaborate and, best of all, create.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Ring Fit Adventure and Just Dance\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finally, physical exercise is a cornerstone of wellbeing, and games can help with that too. There is no end to online fitness videos but, let’s face it, sometimes the motivation just isn’t there. Some may be more willing to build up a sweat if they have to battle monsters and clear obstacles in a dungeon. Nintendo’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/ring-fit-adventure-switch/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ring Fit Adventure\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the spiritual successor to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Sports\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wii Sports\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, uses motion sensors, a plastic ring peripheral and an RPG narrative to incentivize a workout. It also includes more traditional guided exercise routines. If you prefer to boogie, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ubisoft.com/en-ca/game/just-dance-2020/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Just Dance\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> curates classic and contemporary dance hits and scores players on how well they can execute the guided moves, while co-op mode allows for dance offs and collaborative routines.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClIanDEQSyk\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dutch historian John Huizinga believed that games are magic circles whose self-contained rules and protocols separate them apart from the real word. Today, it might be more applicable to think of games as magic networks rather than circles, meaningfully connecting people far and wide through designed experiences, and offering a refuge from our refuge. A wayward Danish prince who was also trapped at home once said, “I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space.” With a little help from modern technology, so can we.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "55771 https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/?p=55771",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2020/04/22/10-comfort-games-that-encourage-kindness-community-and-well-being/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": true,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1587,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 15
},
"modified": 1587741499,
"excerpt": "Players of these games can draw comfort from bridging distance through online collaboration, traveling the virtual world, sharing struggles, or getting a daily fitness fix, all without having to step outside.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Players of these games can draw comfort from bridging distance through online collaboration, traveling the virtual world, sharing struggles, or getting a daily fitness fix, all without having to step outside.",
"title": "10 Comfort Games That Encourage Kindness, Community and Well-Being | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "10 Comfort Games That Encourage Kindness, Community and Well-Being",
"datePublished": "2020-04-22T02:02:22-07:00",
"dateModified": "2020-04-24T08:18:19-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "10-comfort-games-that-encourage-kindness-community-and-well-being",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/mindshift/55771/10-comfort-games-that-encourage-kindness-community-and-well-being",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the world’s first history book, Herodotus recounts how the ancient Lydians faced a prolonged period of food scarcity. Months passed without relief and despair set in, spurring the desperate Lydians to implement an unusual solution. Life was organized according to a two-day schedule, where they fasted on the first day and played games to distract from hunger, while on the second day they ate and abstained from play. Herodotus writes that the people lived according to this pattern for eighteen years, survived the famine, and invented some of the games that we enjoy today.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three thousand years later, we stand to learn much from the Lydians. Games might be a timely balm as we grapple with our own social crisis. French philosopher David Émile Durkeim believed that games are a cornerstone of human bonding, while their power to absorb and distract helps ease our thoughts from the troubles at hand. Also, digital games can simulate vast navigable virtual spaces, an attractive commodity when access to real world space is restricted. But, unlike the Lydians, we already have tens of thousands of games ready to go, many of which have been designed to dissolve physical distance.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As we adjust to a prolonged sojourn in the great indoors, the games included here may help ease the burden of confinement. Players can draw comfort from bridging distance through online collaboration, traveling the virtual world, sharing struggles, or getting a daily fitness fix, all without having to step outside.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Kind Words\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://popcannibal.com/kindwords/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kind Words\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’ core mechanic is meaningful human contact. Players can anonymously write short letters to share their struggles or respond to others with supportive words. After the tutorial, all letters and responses are produced by real people. This little game with a big heart seems ideally suited to our current circumstances as it transcends space with its anonymous virtual network that encourages positive interactions, mutual comfort and support. It’s also a fun way for kids to exercise reading, writing and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/54853/why-its-imperative-we-all-learn-to-be-emotion-scientists\">emotional intelligence\u003c/a> through empathetic engagements. Not surprisingly, many recent letters address social distancing issues which grant ample opportunity to connect on the foundation of shared experience.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/wnJ2sRTkZo8'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/wnJ2sRTkZo8'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>\u003cb>Journey\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Doesn’t it feel like a good time for a mystical pilgrimage across the desert? \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://thatgamecompany.com/journey/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Journey\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a striking work of video game art where a player traverses a surreal desert landscape as they make their way to a distant mountain. The soothing soundtrack, austere expanses and calming rhythm of play are a powerful antidote to the doldrums of social isolation. The best part is that you are not alone. At every level, one might encounter another anonymous player with whom they can exchange magic scarves and form a temporary alliance. Communication is limited to avatar motion and nonverbal chimes or “pings.” Strangely, these \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-07-08-how-journey-only-truly-made-sense-when-almost-everything-had-been-cut\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">constraints deepen the emotional connection\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> between players as it impedes potentially toxic behavior. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Journey\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a powerful metaphor that binds inward and outward voyages, but perhaps the most relevant message it delivers is its persistent reminder that less is more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/bkL94nKSd2M'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/bkL94nKSd2M'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>\u003cb>Stardew Valley \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The pastoral life calls in \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.stardewvalley.net/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stardew Valley\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, where you’re an urban office worker who inherits an abandoned plot of land from your grandfather. Fed-up with the city grind, you decide to take the plunge and start a new life in Pelican Town, an idyllic 16-bit farming community. Soon, you’re clearing land, managing crops, monitoring your sleep cycles, visiting the general store, socializing with the townsfolk and exploring the surrounding countryside. The surprise hit of 2016 is a refreshing tend-and-befriend game with throwback graphics and diverse tasks that will keep you blissfully occupied for hours. You can also farm with friends: there’s a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gamesradar.com/stardew-valley-co-op-multiplayer-how-to/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">multiplayer co-op\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> version that lets up to four players work together, share an income and even tie the knot. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/ot7uXNQskhs'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ot7uXNQskhs'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>\u003cb>Animal Crossing: New Horizon\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fresh off the press, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/animal-crossing-new-horizons-switch/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cem>Animal Crossing: New Horizons\u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is the latest installment of the enduring life simulation franchise where players explore a cartoony paradiscal island and build a thriving community of cutesy animal citizens. The open-ended sim is a highly customizable sandbox where players build, collect, craft, grow, fish, trade, play and socialize. Time on the island is tied to the real world clock, the weather is in flux and the flora and fauna change according to the seasons. Four can collaborate on the same system and up to eight online players can meet to work and play on the island.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/_3YNL0OWio0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/_3YNL0OWio0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>\u003cb>GeoGuessr\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While we await regularly scheduled flights to resume, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.geoguessr.com/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">GeoGuessr\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> lets us explore the world from the comfort of home. It leverages Google Maps and Street View technology to drop you somewhere on the globe to wander around searching for clues to determine your location. Street signs, landscapes, flora, fauna, company logos, store signs and architecture all provide clues to help you figure out whether you’ve been beamed to the heart of Mongolia or deposited in downtown Nairobi. There are diverse challenges available and those who aren’t ready to go global can choose to materialize at landmarks, specific countries, or U.S. capitals. Once you’ve satisfied your wanderlust, hand it over to the kids for an entertaining boost to their geographic knowledge and critical thinking skills.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Outer Wilds\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After you’ve exhausted your virtual tour of the world, you might consider heading off planet to the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mobiusdigitalgames.com/outer-wilds.html\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Outer Wilds\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The recent winner of BAFTA’s Best Game of 2020 award is sci-fi on the surface, but \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Outer Wilds\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a gentle, carefully crafted masterpiece that rewards careful exploration. This time, you’re a rookie alien astronaut caught in a 22-minute time loop that always ends with a massive supernova, blackout and you wake up at the campfire starting position again. Rinse, but not quite repeat, as every churn of the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Groundhog Day\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> cycle reveals a new piece of the puzzle as you learn why you are trapped in the loop. It is ultimately a story about community and connection that caused \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.polygon.com/2019/12/13/21011871/outer-wilds-goty-best-games-of-the-year\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">one reviewer\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to confess that \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Outer Wilds\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">final revelations left a mark that will be on my soul...one that pulls at me every time I hear its simple, enthralling theme music.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/d6LGnVCL1_A'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/d6LGnVCL1_A'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>\u003cb>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In case you didn’t notice, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is back and bigger than ever. The iconic sword and sorcery tabletop role-playing game (RPG) with the eccentric dice has enjoyed a massive resurgence as an embodied alternative to online socialization. Besides its mainstream popularity, educators, therapists and parents have leveraged \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">D&D\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to encourage \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51787/leveraging-the-lore-of-dungeons-and-dragons-to-motivate-students-to-read-and-write\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">literacy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51790/how-dungeons-dragons-primes-students-for-interdisciplinary-learning-including-stem\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">STEM\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51784/how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">social and emotional wellbeing\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The pen-and-paper game was designed to be played around a table; however, it takes more than a lockdown to subdue. Wizards of the Coast curates a wealth of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/remote\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free tools and resources\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to help transition your \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">D&D\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> campaign online, and Polygon offers \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/17/21182538/how-to-play-dungeons-dragons-pen-and-paper-games-online-virtual-tabletop-coronavirus\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a guide\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to help make the shift with other RPGs. Roleplay is cathartic, and tabletop RPGs are ultimately collaborative storytelling experiences, a fundamental human impulse to strengthen social cohesion.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/2PEt5RdNHNw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/2PEt5RdNHNw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>\u003cb>Minecraft\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minecraft\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is in a category all its own, and a mainstay of every video game list ever. It’s the second best selling title of all time, the commercial video game most widely used \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://education.minecraft.net/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">in education\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and it remains enormously popular with players of all ages. Blockish avatars explore, mine and build structures ranging from simple homes to sophisticated circuits. Geographically distanced friends can collaborate on projects, and it’s even possible \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/virtual-computers-built-inside-minecraft-2015-2\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">to build a computer\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://blog.connectedcamps.com/creative-minecraft-theater/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">stage a live performance\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the virtual world. For tens of millions of youth (and adults) around the world, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minecraft\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a safe and familiar place to converse, compete, collaborate and, best of all, create.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Ring Fit Adventure and Just Dance\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finally, physical exercise is a cornerstone of wellbeing, and games can help with that too. There is no end to online fitness videos but, let’s face it, sometimes the motivation just isn’t there. Some may be more willing to build up a sweat if they have to battle monsters and clear obstacles in a dungeon. Nintendo’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/ring-fit-adventure-switch/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ring Fit Adventure\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the spiritual successor to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Sports\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wii Sports\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, uses motion sensors, a plastic ring peripheral and an RPG narrative to incentivize a workout. It also includes more traditional guided exercise routines. If you prefer to boogie, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ubisoft.com/en-ca/game/just-dance-2020/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Just Dance\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> curates classic and contemporary dance hits and scores players on how well they can execute the guided moves, while co-op mode allows for dance offs and collaborative routines.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/ClIanDEQSyk'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ClIanDEQSyk'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dutch historian John Huizinga believed that games are magic circles whose self-contained rules and protocols separate them apart from the real word. Today, it might be more applicable to think of games as magic networks rather than circles, meaningfully connecting people far and wide through designed experiences, and offering a refuge from our refuge. A wayward Danish prince who was also trapped at home once said, “I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space.” With a little help from modern technology, so can we.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/mindshift/55771/10-comfort-games-that-encourage-kindness-community-and-well-being",
"authors": [
"11107"
],
"categories": [
"mindshift_21345",
"mindshift_21280"
],
"tags": [
"mindshift_21344",
"mindshift_21343",
"mindshift_20784",
"mindshift_1040",
"mindshift_548",
"mindshift_20655",
"mindshift_21106",
"mindshift_20865",
"mindshift_20661",
"mindshift_20774",
"mindshift_943",
"mindshift_419"
],
"featImg": "mindshift_55774",
"label": "mindshift"
},
"mindshift_55521": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "mindshift_55521",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "55521",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1584353126000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "mindshift"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1584353126,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "Resources For Teaching and Learning During This Period of Social Distancing",
"title": "Resources For Teaching and Learning During This Period of Social Distancing",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As each passing day brings more school closures, educators and families scramble to respond to a situation that is uncertain and without precedent. Will the term be extended? Will the year be lost? How will college admissions be affected? How will learning continue while kids are stuck indoors for weeks? Who will look after the kids? The rapid imposition of social distancing took many by surprise, and each school and individual teacher must contend with unique challenges as they grapple with the crisis. Some districts have sent kids home with a provisional two weeks worth of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://chalkbeat.org/posts/newark/2020/03/12/newark-prepares-take-home-assignments-for-students-in-case-of-coronavirus-closures/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">homework\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, while others have followed universities like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2020/colleges-in-california-and-across-the-country-move-to-online-instruction-in-response-to-coronavirus/625099\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stanford and Berkeley\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and pivoted to remote learning in a bid to salvage the year. While the move online is the best approach to continue classes, it not only entails a change in format, but also demands a change in practice.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Designing effective distance learning programs requires planning and targeted professional development. Teachers who did not expect to teach online were caught understandably unprepared in the final leg of the school year. Some schools have the support systems in place that will make the transition easier, while many others have students who \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://theconversation.com/online-learning-will-be-hard-for-kids-whose-schools-close-and-the-digital-divide-will-make-it-even-harder-for-some-of-them-133338\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">do not have reliable internet access\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The web offers countless best practice guides and curated tool inventories, but educators currently in triage mode are not in a position to craft ideal online learning programs. This brief guide aims to help educators, administrators, and parents better navigate the pitfalls of making the quick jump to online learning. It curates useful tools and resources with a view to maintain the indispensable human touch of teaching and learning during this period of social distancing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Foundation: A Flexible Mindset and Realistic Expectations\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A positive attitude and a flexible mindset are key to make the online transition as smooth as possible. There is some liberation in accepting that the entire world is imperfectly adjusting to a new reality, and nobody expects business as usual.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Classes will not continue seamlessly, and lessons will have to be rejiggered to work within the constraints of time and technology. Formal tests and exams are difficult to administer online and will likely be postponed or cancelled. Science experiments, maker projects, and physical activities that require specialized equipment or spaces may no longer be possible. The school year will not unfold as planned, all curricular goals will not be met, and expectations should be managed accordingly. Rather, learning online may present an opportunity to apply creative solutions, learn some new tricks, connect with students in a new context, and support the community by keeping kids stimulated and productively occupied. Sounds an awful lot like business as usual.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leaders can best serve their schools and districts by prioritizing mental health over curricular efficiency. The anxiety produced by the evolving crisis is compounded with teachers who may now have their own children to care for at home, ill family members, the stress of managing household resources to comply with social distancing measures, or they may fall ill themselves. This is the context in which some teachers are asked to quickly redeploy their classes. Ideally, they will be granted sufficient time to organize their lives and reconfigure their classes before resuming teaching. It is also important for administrators to actively check-in with teachers to maintain personalized communication and take the pulse on how to best provide support.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Likewise, teachers should try to maintain personal connections with their students, which can be a challenge when mitigated by the Internet. But \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0034654311421793\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">strong student-teacher relationships positively affect school engagement and achievement\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and meaningful connections are particularly important for high schoolers, and vulnerable students in particular. Online learning can feel isolating and lacks the warmth of a busy classroom; however, teachers who transition from face-to-face classes have the advantage of having established relationships with their students. These can continue by facilitating informal interactions, such as sharing class-room appropriate memes, comics, images, or humorous short videos that may not be entirely relevant, but can help maintain the community and set an uplifting tone. Similarly, the class can use \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/5-online-discussion-tools-to-fuel-student-engagement\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">forums\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for formal discussion, but also to post pictures, stories and updates. Rather than whole-class meetings, organize periodic video meet-ups with smaller groups of students to chat, check-in and provide help, support and assistance. Finally, if school policy allows, individual calls and check-ins to support struggling students is crucial, as distance learning particularly \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/business/online-courses-are-harming-the-students-who-need-the-most-help.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">disadvantages students who struggle\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. On the flipside, online formats \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://blog.connectedcamps.com/online-communities-improve-social-skills-confidence-kids-autism/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">might be an advantage\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for some kids with autism. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most importantly, be kind and forgiving of yourself and your students. The next few months will be emotionally taxing, so pedagogical energies are better directed to the heart than the mind. Subject learning is important but, as the world is reshaped in the foreseeable future, there will be opportunities to learn invaluable lessons about community, family, civic responsibility, and social health: central components of human life that can be woven into the curriculum.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Home/Work Routine: Workspace, Calendar, and Survey\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">First step: organize your space and time at home to accommodate your new work environment. As many veteran telecommuters will attest to, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/19/smarter-living/work-at-home-tips-advice.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">there’s an art to working at home\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Basic daily practices like showering, changing into work clothes, setting up a firm work schedule and a designated work area are all advisable. There are countless websites and blogs devoted to advising on the trials and triumphs of working at home. Online learning is often asynchronous and can involve variable timetables, so using a shared calendar such as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/calendar/icl1022/mac\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">iCal\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://gsuite.google.com/intl/en_ca/products/calendar/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=na-CA-all-en-dr-skws-all-all-trial-b-dr-1008072&utm_content=text-ad-none-any-DEV_c-CRE_246638587853-ADGP_Hybrid%20%7C%20AW%20SEM%20%7C%20SKWS%20~%20BMM%20%2F%2F%20Calendars%20%5B1:1%5D%20%5BCalendars%5D%20-%20calendar-KWID_43700024970837362-kwd-297873394288&utm_term=KW_%2Bcalendars-ST_%2Bcalendars&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj-_M75Gd6AIVEtbACh234Ai4EAAYASAAEgIVCPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Google Calendar\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> will not only help organize a dynamic schedule, but also afford easy sharing with parents and students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Glen Irvin, an Instructional Coach at Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools in Minnesota, who has taught and learned online, suggests that schools should circulate a preliminary survey to gauge student connectivity. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The best advice I can give you is to do an audit of your school community’s technology capability,” \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RTeybp_Jbo&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0mqxx_84XCg_ZlX3qyV-Wh3xkje-2oRyCvYo3d6dBjrwHvFtkyhdH8lds\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">said Irvin\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in a recent webinar. “In our district, we wanted to make sure we dug deep into what kind of access our students have and what does that mean for the delivery of teaching and learning in these online environments.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teachers who want to poll their students can use \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.ca/forms/about/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Google Forms\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or the free trial version of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.surveymonkey.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Survey Monkey\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The survey might also invite student recommendations of platforms, tools or viable social media that might be used to meet them where they are.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Leverage the Power of Community\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While waiting for survey results, explore at least one of the online communities that have recently sprung-up to share resources in response to school closures. Facebook groups such as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/Temporaryschoolclosuresupport/?multi_permalinks=1599694000183239¬if_id=1584113729715153¬if_t=group_highlights\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Educator Temporary School Closure for Online Learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/2954479804602992/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Online Teaching Tips for the Plague-Averse\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are great places to start. They are spaces to share material, ask questions, trade stories, commiserate, vent, and connect through shared experience. Many of the groups are international and North American educators can benefit from their counterparts in \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/what-can-americans-learn-from-hong-kongs-unplanned-experiment-online-learning-during-coronavirus-180974331/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">China\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Japan and Italy who are several weeks into emergency online implementation. It’s also advisable to maintain contact with immediate colleagues to provide mutual support. Also, for teachers looking to keep their children occupied while they work at home, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.participate.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Participate\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a community-building company, recently launched a free and open \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://app.participate.com/communities/learning-at-home/5e955e09-75b5-4c8e-8a09-0a420ac4bdb2?join=true&utm_source=social&utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=lah_comm&fbclid=IwAR2zB2vl93hGrYQpNOGp7imSSc-ABGV7OwPcy3z82c5_0F8Dcdnsu5yfHSw\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Learning at Home\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> group. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Educational communities are also circulating shared documents that offer an array of resources to help teach online. For example, this document of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1szHdBo1cjIK6ww-CmlN8iCJ2O2H_2NSGi2Lgpycvn9I/edit?usp=sharing\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">shared resources for virtual learning in emergency school closure\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> was co-authored by educators from around the world, and organizes most of its resources according to age categories. Some \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t3r618pd8MAi6V87dG2D66PtiKoHdHusBpjPKXgm36w/htmlview?fbclid=IwAR00l_8Bug9i-vRM18njjPn0n1CmLS3Rd_VkXDYKrp_diYU_ljUjsII97EU&sle=true#gid=0\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">keep updated lists of companies offering free subscriptions \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">due to school closures, and this handy chart \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/13fK2OsB2T4QAe1SItJHc1a_D8Q68LjvcwjogJLh-AY4/edit\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">organizes web-based tools according to the 5Es of online learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Quick Start Guides, Platforms, and Tools\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Several organizations and companies have published quick start guides to help teachers hit the ground running. The Academy of Active Learning Arts and Sciences (AALAS), which specializes in supporting flipped classrooms, offers a free \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://aalasinternational.org/rtol/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rapid Transition to Online Learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (RTOL) program to help educators efficiently transfer their courses to an online format. Global Online Academy (GOA) recently published an excellent \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://globalonlineacademy.org/insights/articles/10-strategies-for-leading-online-when-school-is-closed\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">comprehensive playbook\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that targets school leadership, but also has value for teachers. Similarly, the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.khanacademy.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Khan Academy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> also has a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19Lth2WB8GcklAdIZxqA0p3WVJz2I_qtrBwP8nevKynM/edit#slide=id.p\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Remote Quickstart Guide\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to leverage their extensive course offerings.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some teachers will have existing learning management systems (LMSs) and web-based apps that can be repurposed for online classes. Extending the use of the same tools online saves the trouble of students having to navigate new software. If teachers must adopt a platform from which to deliver their classes, there are many free options. National School Choice Week (NSCW) recommends these \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://schoolchoiceweek.com/37-free-online-resources-for-schools-shifting-online-during-coronavirus/#section1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free online communication platforms\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> as well as other useful tools to get educators up and running. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://teachercenter.withgoogle.com/first-day-trainings/welcome-to-classroom\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Google Classroom\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a user-friendly option that is designed for classroom use but works well for online environments. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://moodle.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Moodle\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a free open source learning platform, offers a robust toolbox that can be leveraged for distance learning. For group video conferencing, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://blogs.skype.com/news/2019/04/04/call-up-to-50-people-at-once-with-skype/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Skype\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://hangouts.google.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hangouts\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://gsuite.google.ca/intl/en_ca/products/meet/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hangouts Meets\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://zoom.us/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Zoom\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are good free options.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teachers who want to keep it simple can DIY their own delivery system using shared work platforms like Google’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://gsuite.google.ca/intl/en_ca/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">G Suite\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> software. A shared class agenda with links to tasks and resources can be created and shared on a single Google Doc. PDFs, images and other files can be stored on Google Drive and linked to the class agenda. Formative tests, quizzes and polls can be created and circulated with Google Forms, and lessons can be organized on Google Slides. Microsoft’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Office 365 Education\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> would also do the trick, but it’s not free. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond platforms and content delivery systems, an Internet search will yield countless free applications and online tools. The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://techagainstcoronavirus.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tech Against Coronavirus\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> site curates an thorough \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://techagainstcoronavirus.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">list of online tools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to facilitate COVID19-era communication. The CATO Institute curated a list of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cato.org/blog/free-online-learning-resources-when-coronavirus-closes-schools\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free online resources\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to support learning at home, while UNESCO jumped into the\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-emergencies/coronavirus-school-closures/solutions\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> emergency toolbox\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> game with this well-organized list of educational technology resources. Scholastic announced that it is offering a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/teaching-tools/articles/resources/scholastic-learn-at-home--free-resources-for-school-closures.html#\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free 20-day Learn at Home\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> program for K - 8 students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Has there been a better time for students to take field trips to\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">virtual museums\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, play in the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://education.minecraft.net/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minecraft\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> playground, run through a few rounds of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://kahoot.com/blog/2020/02/27/kahoot-free-access-schools-higher-education-coronavirus/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kahoot\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, or tune-in for a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://education.skype.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Skype lecture\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by a special guest speaker? “Everything is the technology of online education,” said Joanna Dunlap, Assistant Director of Teaching Effectiveness University of Colorado - Denver, alluding to the vast spectrum for enhancing online instruction. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And, if all else fails, there’s always email and telephone. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Silver Lining\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The sudden shift to online education will undoubtedly pose a challenge for many, but there’s also an upside. Disruption and discomfort are the enemies of complacency and can spur intense professional growth. Some teachers may be surprised to discover new tools, resources, and approaches to nourish their practice. They’ll also get the chance to see their students in a new light, and maybe better connect with their own families. In the case of younger students, there will be a need to more deeply involve parents in the learning process. Schools may want to explicitly communicate that any parents in a position to support their children’s learning should do so with some helpful guidelines to proceed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another positive is that remote learning can be carried out asynchronously, meaning that both teachers and students can work and contribute when it’s convenient for them if they don’t have to be in a specific place at a specific time. This flexibility can allow educators to manage life at home while doing school, and it might even allow kids to get that sleep that seems to be in short supply.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "55521 https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/?p=55521",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2020/03/16/resources-for-teaching-and-learning-during-this-period-of-social-distancing/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 2005,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 24
},
"modified": 1585068241,
"excerpt": "School closures related to COVID-19 have forced classroom teachers into scrambling to become online educators. Here are some tips for making the imperfect transition during these extraordinary times. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "School closures related to COVID-19 have forced classroom teachers into scrambling to become online educators. Here are some tips for making the imperfect transition during these extraordinary times. ",
"title": "Resources For Teaching and Learning During This Period of Social Distancing | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Resources For Teaching and Learning During This Period of Social Distancing",
"datePublished": "2020-03-16T03:05:26-07:00",
"dateModified": "2020-03-24T09:44:01-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "resources-for-teaching-and-learning-during-this-period-of-social-distancing",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/mindshift/55521/resources-for-teaching-and-learning-during-this-period-of-social-distancing",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As each passing day brings more school closures, educators and families scramble to respond to a situation that is uncertain and without precedent. Will the term be extended? Will the year be lost? How will college admissions be affected? How will learning continue while kids are stuck indoors for weeks? Who will look after the kids? The rapid imposition of social distancing took many by surprise, and each school and individual teacher must contend with unique challenges as they grapple with the crisis. Some districts have sent kids home with a provisional two weeks worth of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://chalkbeat.org/posts/newark/2020/03/12/newark-prepares-take-home-assignments-for-students-in-case-of-coronavirus-closures/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">homework\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, while others have followed universities like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2020/colleges-in-california-and-across-the-country-move-to-online-instruction-in-response-to-coronavirus/625099\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stanford and Berkeley\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and pivoted to remote learning in a bid to salvage the year. While the move online is the best approach to continue classes, it not only entails a change in format, but also demands a change in practice.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Designing effective distance learning programs requires planning and targeted professional development. Teachers who did not expect to teach online were caught understandably unprepared in the final leg of the school year. Some schools have the support systems in place that will make the transition easier, while many others have students who \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://theconversation.com/online-learning-will-be-hard-for-kids-whose-schools-close-and-the-digital-divide-will-make-it-even-harder-for-some-of-them-133338\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">do not have reliable internet access\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The web offers countless best practice guides and curated tool inventories, but educators currently in triage mode are not in a position to craft ideal online learning programs. This brief guide aims to help educators, administrators, and parents better navigate the pitfalls of making the quick jump to online learning. It curates useful tools and resources with a view to maintain the indispensable human touch of teaching and learning during this period of social distancing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Foundation: A Flexible Mindset and Realistic Expectations\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A positive attitude and a flexible mindset are key to make the online transition as smooth as possible. There is some liberation in accepting that the entire world is imperfectly adjusting to a new reality, and nobody expects business as usual.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Classes will not continue seamlessly, and lessons will have to be rejiggered to work within the constraints of time and technology. Formal tests and exams are difficult to administer online and will likely be postponed or cancelled. Science experiments, maker projects, and physical activities that require specialized equipment or spaces may no longer be possible. The school year will not unfold as planned, all curricular goals will not be met, and expectations should be managed accordingly. Rather, learning online may present an opportunity to apply creative solutions, learn some new tricks, connect with students in a new context, and support the community by keeping kids stimulated and productively occupied. Sounds an awful lot like business as usual.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leaders can best serve their schools and districts by prioritizing mental health over curricular efficiency. The anxiety produced by the evolving crisis is compounded with teachers who may now have their own children to care for at home, ill family members, the stress of managing household resources to comply with social distancing measures, or they may fall ill themselves. This is the context in which some teachers are asked to quickly redeploy their classes. Ideally, they will be granted sufficient time to organize their lives and reconfigure their classes before resuming teaching. It is also important for administrators to actively check-in with teachers to maintain personalized communication and take the pulse on how to best provide support.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Likewise, teachers should try to maintain personal connections with their students, which can be a challenge when mitigated by the Internet. But \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0034654311421793\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">strong student-teacher relationships positively affect school engagement and achievement\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and meaningful connections are particularly important for high schoolers, and vulnerable students in particular. Online learning can feel isolating and lacks the warmth of a busy classroom; however, teachers who transition from face-to-face classes have the advantage of having established relationships with their students. These can continue by facilitating informal interactions, such as sharing class-room appropriate memes, comics, images, or humorous short videos that may not be entirely relevant, but can help maintain the community and set an uplifting tone. Similarly, the class can use \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/5-online-discussion-tools-to-fuel-student-engagement\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">forums\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for formal discussion, but also to post pictures, stories and updates. Rather than whole-class meetings, organize periodic video meet-ups with smaller groups of students to chat, check-in and provide help, support and assistance. Finally, if school policy allows, individual calls and check-ins to support struggling students is crucial, as distance learning particularly \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/business/online-courses-are-harming-the-students-who-need-the-most-help.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">disadvantages students who struggle\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. On the flipside, online formats \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://blog.connectedcamps.com/online-communities-improve-social-skills-confidence-kids-autism/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">might be an advantage\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for some kids with autism. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most importantly, be kind and forgiving of yourself and your students. The next few months will be emotionally taxing, so pedagogical energies are better directed to the heart than the mind. Subject learning is important but, as the world is reshaped in the foreseeable future, there will be opportunities to learn invaluable lessons about community, family, civic responsibility, and social health: central components of human life that can be woven into the curriculum.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Home/Work Routine: Workspace, Calendar, and Survey\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">First step: organize your space and time at home to accommodate your new work environment. As many veteran telecommuters will attest to, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/19/smarter-living/work-at-home-tips-advice.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">there’s an art to working at home\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Basic daily practices like showering, changing into work clothes, setting up a firm work schedule and a designated work area are all advisable. There are countless websites and blogs devoted to advising on the trials and triumphs of working at home. Online learning is often asynchronous and can involve variable timetables, so using a shared calendar such as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/calendar/icl1022/mac\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">iCal\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://gsuite.google.com/intl/en_ca/products/calendar/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=na-CA-all-en-dr-skws-all-all-trial-b-dr-1008072&utm_content=text-ad-none-any-DEV_c-CRE_246638587853-ADGP_Hybrid%20%7C%20AW%20SEM%20%7C%20SKWS%20~%20BMM%20%2F%2F%20Calendars%20%5B1:1%5D%20%5BCalendars%5D%20-%20calendar-KWID_43700024970837362-kwd-297873394288&utm_term=KW_%2Bcalendars-ST_%2Bcalendars&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj-_M75Gd6AIVEtbACh234Ai4EAAYASAAEgIVCPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Google Calendar\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> will not only help organize a dynamic schedule, but also afford easy sharing with parents and students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Glen Irvin, an Instructional Coach at Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools in Minnesota, who has taught and learned online, suggests that schools should circulate a preliminary survey to gauge student connectivity. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The best advice I can give you is to do an audit of your school community’s technology capability,” \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RTeybp_Jbo&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0mqxx_84XCg_ZlX3qyV-Wh3xkje-2oRyCvYo3d6dBjrwHvFtkyhdH8lds\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">said Irvin\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in a recent webinar. “In our district, we wanted to make sure we dug deep into what kind of access our students have and what does that mean for the delivery of teaching and learning in these online environments.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teachers who want to poll their students can use \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.ca/forms/about/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Google Forms\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or the free trial version of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.surveymonkey.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Survey Monkey\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The survey might also invite student recommendations of platforms, tools or viable social media that might be used to meet them where they are.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Leverage the Power of Community\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While waiting for survey results, explore at least one of the online communities that have recently sprung-up to share resources in response to school closures. Facebook groups such as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/Temporaryschoolclosuresupport/?multi_permalinks=1599694000183239¬if_id=1584113729715153¬if_t=group_highlights\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Educator Temporary School Closure for Online Learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/2954479804602992/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Online Teaching Tips for the Plague-Averse\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are great places to start. They are spaces to share material, ask questions, trade stories, commiserate, vent, and connect through shared experience. Many of the groups are international and North American educators can benefit from their counterparts in \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/what-can-americans-learn-from-hong-kongs-unplanned-experiment-online-learning-during-coronavirus-180974331/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">China\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Japan and Italy who are several weeks into emergency online implementation. It’s also advisable to maintain contact with immediate colleagues to provide mutual support. Also, for teachers looking to keep their children occupied while they work at home, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.participate.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Participate\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a community-building company, recently launched a free and open \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://app.participate.com/communities/learning-at-home/5e955e09-75b5-4c8e-8a09-0a420ac4bdb2?join=true&utm_source=social&utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=lah_comm&fbclid=IwAR2zB2vl93hGrYQpNOGp7imSSc-ABGV7OwPcy3z82c5_0F8Dcdnsu5yfHSw\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Learning at Home\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> group. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Educational communities are also circulating shared documents that offer an array of resources to help teach online. For example, this document of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1szHdBo1cjIK6ww-CmlN8iCJ2O2H_2NSGi2Lgpycvn9I/edit?usp=sharing\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">shared resources for virtual learning in emergency school closure\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> was co-authored by educators from around the world, and organizes most of its resources according to age categories. Some \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t3r618pd8MAi6V87dG2D66PtiKoHdHusBpjPKXgm36w/htmlview?fbclid=IwAR00l_8Bug9i-vRM18njjPn0n1CmLS3Rd_VkXDYKrp_diYU_ljUjsII97EU&sle=true#gid=0\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">keep updated lists of companies offering free subscriptions \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">due to school closures, and this handy chart \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/13fK2OsB2T4QAe1SItJHc1a_D8Q68LjvcwjogJLh-AY4/edit\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">organizes web-based tools according to the 5Es of online learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Quick Start Guides, Platforms, and Tools\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Several organizations and companies have published quick start guides to help teachers hit the ground running. The Academy of Active Learning Arts and Sciences (AALAS), which specializes in supporting flipped classrooms, offers a free \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://aalasinternational.org/rtol/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rapid Transition to Online Learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (RTOL) program to help educators efficiently transfer their courses to an online format. Global Online Academy (GOA) recently published an excellent \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://globalonlineacademy.org/insights/articles/10-strategies-for-leading-online-when-school-is-closed\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">comprehensive playbook\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that targets school leadership, but also has value for teachers. Similarly, the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.khanacademy.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Khan Academy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> also has a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19Lth2WB8GcklAdIZxqA0p3WVJz2I_qtrBwP8nevKynM/edit#slide=id.p\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Remote Quickstart Guide\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to leverage their extensive course offerings.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some teachers will have existing learning management systems (LMSs) and web-based apps that can be repurposed for online classes. Extending the use of the same tools online saves the trouble of students having to navigate new software. If teachers must adopt a platform from which to deliver their classes, there are many free options. National School Choice Week (NSCW) recommends these \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://schoolchoiceweek.com/37-free-online-resources-for-schools-shifting-online-during-coronavirus/#section1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free online communication platforms\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> as well as other useful tools to get educators up and running. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://teachercenter.withgoogle.com/first-day-trainings/welcome-to-classroom\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Google Classroom\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a user-friendly option that is designed for classroom use but works well for online environments. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://moodle.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Moodle\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a free open source learning platform, offers a robust toolbox that can be leveraged for distance learning. For group video conferencing, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://blogs.skype.com/news/2019/04/04/call-up-to-50-people-at-once-with-skype/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Skype\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://hangouts.google.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hangouts\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://gsuite.google.ca/intl/en_ca/products/meet/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hangouts Meets\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://zoom.us/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Zoom\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are good free options.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teachers who want to keep it simple can DIY their own delivery system using shared work platforms like Google’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://gsuite.google.ca/intl/en_ca/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">G Suite\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> software. A shared class agenda with links to tasks and resources can be created and shared on a single Google Doc. PDFs, images and other files can be stored on Google Drive and linked to the class agenda. Formative tests, quizzes and polls can be created and circulated with Google Forms, and lessons can be organized on Google Slides. Microsoft’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Office 365 Education\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> would also do the trick, but it’s not free. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond platforms and content delivery systems, an Internet search will yield countless free applications and online tools. The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://techagainstcoronavirus.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tech Against Coronavirus\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> site curates an thorough \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://techagainstcoronavirus.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">list of online tools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to facilitate COVID19-era communication. The CATO Institute curated a list of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cato.org/blog/free-online-learning-resources-when-coronavirus-closes-schools\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free online resources\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to support learning at home, while UNESCO jumped into the\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-emergencies/coronavirus-school-closures/solutions\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> emergency toolbox\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> game with this well-organized list of educational technology resources. Scholastic announced that it is offering a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/teaching-tools/articles/resources/scholastic-learn-at-home--free-resources-for-school-closures.html#\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free 20-day Learn at Home\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> program for K - 8 students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Has there been a better time for students to take field trips to\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">virtual museums\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, play in the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://education.minecraft.net/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Minecraft\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> playground, run through a few rounds of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://kahoot.com/blog/2020/02/27/kahoot-free-access-schools-higher-education-coronavirus/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kahoot\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, or tune-in for a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://education.skype.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Skype lecture\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by a special guest speaker? “Everything is the technology of online education,” said Joanna Dunlap, Assistant Director of Teaching Effectiveness University of Colorado - Denver, alluding to the vast spectrum for enhancing online instruction. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And, if all else fails, there’s always email and telephone. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Silver Lining\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The sudden shift to online education will undoubtedly pose a challenge for many, but there’s also an upside. Disruption and discomfort are the enemies of complacency and can spur intense professional growth. Some teachers may be surprised to discover new tools, resources, and approaches to nourish their practice. They’ll also get the chance to see their students in a new light, and maybe better connect with their own families. In the case of younger students, there will be a need to more deeply involve parents in the learning process. Schools may want to explicitly communicate that any parents in a position to support their children’s learning should do so with some helpful guidelines to proceed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another positive is that remote learning can be carried out asynchronously, meaning that both teachers and students can work and contribute when it’s convenient for them if they don’t have to be in a specific place at a specific time. This flexibility can allow educators to manage life at home while doing school, and it might even allow kids to get that sleep that seems to be in short supply.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/mindshift/55521/resources-for-teaching-and-learning-during-this-period-of-social-distancing",
"authors": [
"11107"
],
"categories": [
"mindshift_192"
],
"tags": [
"mindshift_21344",
"mindshift_21343",
"mindshift_358",
"mindshift_20784",
"mindshift_1040",
"mindshift_187",
"mindshift_122"
],
"featImg": "mindshift_55527",
"label": "mindshift"
},
"mindshift_53553": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "mindshift_53553",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "53553",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1580976895000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "mindshift"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1580976895,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "Five Best Practices Teachers Can Learn from Dungeon Masters",
"title": "Five Best Practices Teachers Can Learn from Dungeon Masters",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>“Being a good teacher is exactly like being a good Dungeon Master, but with far more pressure,” said Kade Wells, who uses \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> with his high school students. As a preservice teacher he was struck by how much lesson planning felt like preparing for a \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> campaign and, ever since, he’s plotted his classes with a Dungeon Master’s cunning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Dungeon Master (DM) is the popular role-playing game’s chief storyteller and referee. A DM designs and administers the medieval fantasy world where a party of player-adventurers quest for loot and glory. It’s a big job: they plan and narrate the story, enforce rules, settle disputes, draft floor plans and accommodate players’ whims. Like teachers, DMs aim to guide, challenge and engage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This series has looked at how \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> and similar role-playing games (RPGs) have been used for learning. Be it in classrooms or afterschool clubs, \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> has been used to\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51787/leveraging-the-lore-of-dungeons-and-dragons-to-motivate-students-to-read-and-write\"> support literacy\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51784/how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills\">s\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51784/how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills\">ocial emotional development\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51790/how-dungeons-dragons-primes-students-for-interdisciplinary-learning-including-stem\">interdisciplinary studies\u003c/a> and to inspire teachers to structure their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53071/how-schools-spark-excitement-for-learning-with-role-playing-games\">classes as games\u003c/a>. In all of these cases, teachers and professors channeled their inner Dungeon Master to reimagine how learning takes place in their classes and schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what, specifically, are the Dungeon Master skills that can lead to fruitful implementations in education?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What follows are five DM practices that are compatible with teaching and learning objectives. Their application, whether with games or otherwise, can help make classes more fun, challenging, socially cohesive, personalized and, yes, epic.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>1. DESIGN FOR EXPERIENCE\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When it comes to preparing a successful class or planning a good game, design is king. A Dungeon Master’s focus on player-centred experiences can yield big learning dividends when applied to instructional design, which is why many educators who integrate RPGs in their practice plunder the DM’s bag of tricks for inspiration and ideas to power-up their lessons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sarah Roman, who uses \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> with high school English students, draws parallels between the work of DMs and teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_52305\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-52305 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-1020x1530.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-160x240.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-240x360.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-375x563.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-520x780.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sarah Roman teaching students how to play Dungeons & Dragons. \u003ccite>(New Jersey Education Association)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You essentially progress with the same practices and ideas for getting a group of people to come together to work towards a common goal,” said Roman. “You set aside time to craft a campaign (lessons), put in roadblocks and problems (individual lessons), craft puzzles and dungeons that scale in difficulty (tests), all while making sure to understand the people with whom you’re working. In both cases, you become the leader and entryway to a world that they’ve never experienced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Matera, who runs his middle-school \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53071/how-schools-spark-excitement-for-learning-with-role-playing-games\">social studies classes as games\u003c/a> synthesizes lesson planning with game design.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you think about the central points to building a good game, they share many with the core strategies for building successful instruction,” said Matera. “By creating an experience, we as the game designers for our classroom worlds venture into their worlds as students. Our efforts to design a great game are well returned by students who will work hard within the game environment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matera designs for experience, an approach that aligns with \u003ca href=\"http://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/learning_teaching/ict/theory/constructivism.shtml\">constructivist learning theories\u003c/a> that maintain that students learn better by \u003cem>doing\u003c/em> rather than as passive recipients of information. Dungeon Masters only design for experience, and educators who want to do the same can tap into their extensive resource toolbox for ideas and inspiration. There are virtually endless \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Master%27s_Guide\">guides\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Master%27s_Design_Kit\">manuals\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.dndadventure.com/dnda_dm_resources.html\">sheets and tables\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://geekdad.com/2016/02/easy-dungeon-master-preparation/\">blogs\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://geekandsundry.com/7-helpful-apps-for-dungeon-masters/\">apps\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://themagictreerpg.blogspot.com/2008/10/gms-ten-commandments.html\">commandments\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://themagictreerpg.blogspot.com/2008/10/gms-ten-commandments.html\">websites\u003c/a> and even a \u003ca href=\"http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/dm-support-group\">support group\u003c/a> to help DMs produce exciting experiences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>University of Connecticut assistant professor \u003ca href=\"https://education.uconn.edu/person/stephen-slota/\">Stephen Slota\u003c/a> encourages teachers to not only pick and glean from DMs, but from the wider design universe at large, whether video games, gardening or architecture. “Don’t reinvent the wheel,” said Slota. “If a design strategy exists and has been used in another realm but not yours, repurpose it - with appropriate attribution, of course. No one will worry that it’s been done before as long as the design works.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>2. WRAP IT IN A STORY\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Stories shape our self-perception, help us organize knowledge and make sense of a chaotic world. From the tribal campfire to Netflix binges, stories and storytelling are intimately bound with human culture and society. A story’s narrative patterns and ability to arouse emotions make them ideal memory aids, which is why \u003ca href=\"https://www.nyu.edu/faculty/teaching-and-learning-resources/strategies-for-teaching-with-tech/storytelling-teching-and-learning.html\">stories and learning have been intertwined\u003c/a> throughout human history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Dungeon Master conjures a living world through narratives, and teachers who follow suit can also make learning more meaningful and memorable. When using \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> or other RPGs \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51781/hacking-the-education-narrative-with-dungeons-dragons\">in their classes\u003c/a>, or investing courses with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51787/leveraging-the-lore-of-dungeons-and-dragons-to-motivate-students-to-read-and-write\">thematic narratives\u003c/a>, teachers should not only seek to \u003ca href=\"https://www.edutopia.org/blog/storytelling-in-the-classroom-matters-matthew-friday\">leverage the power of story\u003c/a>, but can also recruit students in the storytelling process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Famed Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer explains, the DM’s job is not just to tell a good story, but to lead a collaborative storytelling experience. “A Dungeon Master creates and directs a story for your friends to live and play in, and working with their ideas, collaborates with them in real time to write the next chapter together,” said Mercer, the star of \u003ca href=\"https://critrole.com/shows/critical-role/\">Critical Role\u003c/a>, which streams celebrity D&D campaigns. “Consider narratives that emphasize relationship and enable them to put their skills and teamwork together to surmount a challenge and really appreciate each other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But where do these stories come from? What if the creative well is dry?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Steal relentlessly,” advises \u003ca href=\"https://kotaku.com/how-to-be-a-great-dungeon-master-1766262559\">Kotaku’s\u003c/a> Tim Colwill. “Steal from TV and movies. Steal from books and comics. Steal from another D&D game you watched on Twitch. I am deadly serious and it will make you a better Dungeon Master [and teacher] if you do this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>3. OFFER CHOICE\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Like classrooms, games operate with rules and constraints but, within those boundaries, they afford players interactivity and choice. In fact, \u003cem>The Guardian\u003c/em>’s Keith Stuart \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/oct/16/video-games-power-agency-control\">argues that choice\u003c/a> may be the single biggest factor producing enjoyment in video games. We like to feel like masters of our destiny, and meaningful choices produce a sense of control that increases the likelihood of becoming invested in an experience. The absence of choice, however, can lead to the opposite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When a DM is the only one who makes decisions, we call it railroading and it’s no fun for anyone but the DM. Games are about meaningful choices,” said Scott Price at the \u003cspan class=\"s1\">Connected Learning Summit in 2018 when he was the director of product at BrainPOP. He said it's important to \u003c/span>include agency when designing a compelling experience.\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> “Good role-playing game experiences are player-driven, individualized, adaptive, meaningful and contextualized,” he said and stressed that the qualities that make a successful game also make a great class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not a revelation that students are engaged by choice, as it’s the magic ingredient in approaches like inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, passion projects, genius hours and learning pathways. However, to offer choice, educators must be willing to give up some control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I finally started and let go of control and many of the anticipated outcomes, I quickly realized how the students can really drive the learning in a powerful and fun way,\" said Steve Isaacs, who offers his middle-school game design students branching quests that allow them to choose \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53071/how-schools-spark-excitement-for-learning-with-role-playing-games\">personal learning paths\u003c/a>. \"Giving choice allowed me to step back and support students rather than ‘teach’.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When choices and options are built into the curriculum, whether in homework, assignments, classroom roles, or even assessment, students can enjoy a more personalized and meaningful learning experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PEt5RdNHNw&feature=youtu.be\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>4. REWARD RISK AND NORMALIZE FAILURE \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For a while now, the edusphere has been buzzing about the importance of inviting risks and embracing failure. In reality, many schools are competitive systems that rewards success and, especially when grades and standardized tests are involved, leave little allowance for meaningful failure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many games let players safely fail and try again, and encourage progression through risk-taking and iterative cycles of trial and error. Gamers naturally apply and practice a \u003ca href=\"http://nytimesineducation.com/spotlight/facing-failure-and-breeding-success/\">growth mindset\u003c/a> because they must constantly adjust their play tactics in response to mistakes and setbacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using games and making classes more game-like can help educators genuinely embrace risk and failure. Michael Matera, for example, found that using\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53071/how-schools-spark-excitement-for-learning-with-role-playing-games\"> RPG elements\u003c/a> cultivates a forgiving classroom culture that embraces risk-taking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am constantly amazed at how they thrive in my risk-rich classroom environment. As these are not graded in the traditional sense students can take a risk, tackle new challenges and grow as a learners,” said Matera.“When we are empowered as learners, as gamers, we win. Maybe not the game, but the war over wisdom. We learn from our failures, and when we are empowered, are able to pick ourselves up to learn even more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also important to remember that game designers don’t build risk and failure into their games to edify and educate - they just know that overcoming adversity can be a lot of fun. A prize is all the more valuable for the obstacles surpassed to attain it, so a good DM aims for the Goldilocks sweet spot between too hard and too easy, where advancement is possible but challenging. This design principle coincides with Vygotsky’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html\">zone of proximal development\u003c/a>, thus synthesizing best practices for entertainment and learning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s not just the students who should take risks. Using a game in a class or, even more daunting, turning a class into a game also involves risk for the instructor. What if it’s boring? What if it doesn’t work? What if they hate it? It takes moxie, but educators can grow from silencing the voices of doubt and model risk taking for their students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just know that the students often love you and are very willing to try new things,” said Roman. “Sometimes it won’t work or you’ll have days where it seems difficult due to timing and preparedness. They’ll see that you’re putting in effort into something new and they appreciate that regardless of the outcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>5. PROVOKE EMOTIONS\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51784/how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills\">social and emotional benefits\u003c/a> of playing \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> were addressed in an earlier installment in this series, but games can also produce memorable emotional moments within the safety of the magic circle of play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trent Hergenrader, a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, describes how RPGs produce powerful emotions in his creative writing classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We reach a momentous point in the story that requires a dice roll. Every time, the room goes quiet as the player shakes the dice in their hands and then release them, clattering on the table. I swear, the whole room sucks in a breath as we all lean in to see the result and, success or failure, there’s an explosion of hooting, hollering, laughing, groaning. In those moments, no one in that room would want to be anywhere else in the world, it’s that good. And of course that energy then translates into their work,” said Hergenrader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cheers, laughter, anticipation and surprise can all help in the absorption of knowledge and may be essential ingredients to create an experience that students will never forget.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>The Benevolent Subversions of the Chaotic Good\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The educators who have experimented with \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> in their practice are also players who have experienced the force of shaping and reshaping stories. Whether deliberately or inadvertently, they use the power learned in the realms of fantasy to hack an all too real educational narrative. In \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> parlance, their race is Human, their class is Pedagog, and their moral alignment is clearly Chaotic Good, whose description in the \u003ca href=\"http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/rpg_playershandbook\">\u003cem>Player’s Handbook\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is eerily suitable:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>A chaotic good character does what is necessary to bring about change for the better, disdains bureaucratic organizations that get in the way of social improvement, and places a high value on personal freedom, not only for oneself, but for others as well.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons \u003c/em>is a salient example of an imaginative and timely intervention, but sword-and-sorcery is not for everybody. The plasticity of RPG systems allows for the implementation of any theme or setting, and students can be recruited to help design the games around a specific topic. Also, teachers are not only using RPGs in their classes, but turning their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53071/how-schools-spark-excitement-for-learning-with-role-playing-games\">classes into role-playing games\u003c/a> which further challenges the status quo of our education system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, whether using games, RPGs, or any other initiatives, teachers have an unprecedented opportunity to exercise and model creativity, passion, problem-solving and courage to re-author their personal and institutional narratives. Armed with these mildly subversive but benevolent grassroots interventions they can rewrite the story of student, teacher and school as a legendary epic for the ages, and perhaps save the world along the way.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "53553 https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/?p=53553",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2020/02/06/five-best-practices-teachers-can-learn-from-dungeon-masters/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": true,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 2232,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 39
},
"modified": 1581103181,
"excerpt": "Being a great Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master has a lot of parallels to being a great teacher. That's why the role-playing game can be an effective teaching tool in the classroom.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Being a great Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master has a lot of parallels to being a great teacher. That's why the role-playing game can be an effective teaching tool in the classroom.",
"title": "Five Best Practices Teachers Can Learn from Dungeon Masters |",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Five Best Practices Teachers Can Learn from Dungeon Masters",
"datePublished": "2020-02-06T00:14:55-08:00",
"dateModified": "2020-02-07T11:19:41-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "five-best-practices-teachers-can-learn-from-dungeon-masters",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/mindshift/53553/five-best-practices-teachers-can-learn-from-dungeon-masters",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>“Being a good teacher is exactly like being a good Dungeon Master, but with far more pressure,” said Kade Wells, who uses \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> with his high school students. As a preservice teacher he was struck by how much lesson planning felt like preparing for a \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> campaign and, ever since, he’s plotted his classes with a Dungeon Master’s cunning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Dungeon Master (DM) is the popular role-playing game’s chief storyteller and referee. A DM designs and administers the medieval fantasy world where a party of player-adventurers quest for loot and glory. It’s a big job: they plan and narrate the story, enforce rules, settle disputes, draft floor plans and accommodate players’ whims. Like teachers, DMs aim to guide, challenge and engage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This series has looked at how \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> and similar role-playing games (RPGs) have been used for learning. Be it in classrooms or afterschool clubs, \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> has been used to\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51787/leveraging-the-lore-of-dungeons-and-dragons-to-motivate-students-to-read-and-write\"> support literacy\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51784/how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills\">s\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51784/how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills\">ocial emotional development\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51790/how-dungeons-dragons-primes-students-for-interdisciplinary-learning-including-stem\">interdisciplinary studies\u003c/a> and to inspire teachers to structure their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53071/how-schools-spark-excitement-for-learning-with-role-playing-games\">classes as games\u003c/a>. In all of these cases, teachers and professors channeled their inner Dungeon Master to reimagine how learning takes place in their classes and schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what, specifically, are the Dungeon Master skills that can lead to fruitful implementations in education?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What follows are five DM practices that are compatible with teaching and learning objectives. Their application, whether with games or otherwise, can help make classes more fun, challenging, socially cohesive, personalized and, yes, epic.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>1. DESIGN FOR EXPERIENCE\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When it comes to preparing a successful class or planning a good game, design is king. A Dungeon Master’s focus on player-centred experiences can yield big learning dividends when applied to instructional design, which is why many educators who integrate RPGs in their practice plunder the DM’s bag of tricks for inspiration and ideas to power-up their lessons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sarah Roman, who uses \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> with high school English students, draws parallels between the work of DMs and teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_52305\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-52305 size-large\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-1020x1530.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-160x240.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-240x360.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-375x563.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k-520x780.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/23/2018/10/39198010181_c92257f585_k.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sarah Roman teaching students how to play Dungeons & Dragons. \u003ccite>(New Jersey Education Association)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You essentially progress with the same practices and ideas for getting a group of people to come together to work towards a common goal,” said Roman. “You set aside time to craft a campaign (lessons), put in roadblocks and problems (individual lessons), craft puzzles and dungeons that scale in difficulty (tests), all while making sure to understand the people with whom you’re working. In both cases, you become the leader and entryway to a world that they’ve never experienced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Matera, who runs his middle-school \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53071/how-schools-spark-excitement-for-learning-with-role-playing-games\">social studies classes as games\u003c/a> synthesizes lesson planning with game design.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you think about the central points to building a good game, they share many with the core strategies for building successful instruction,” said Matera. “By creating an experience, we as the game designers for our classroom worlds venture into their worlds as students. Our efforts to design a great game are well returned by students who will work hard within the game environment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matera designs for experience, an approach that aligns with \u003ca href=\"http://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/learning_teaching/ict/theory/constructivism.shtml\">constructivist learning theories\u003c/a> that maintain that students learn better by \u003cem>doing\u003c/em> rather than as passive recipients of information. Dungeon Masters only design for experience, and educators who want to do the same can tap into their extensive resource toolbox for ideas and inspiration. There are virtually endless \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Master%27s_Guide\">guides\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Master%27s_Design_Kit\">manuals\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.dndadventure.com/dnda_dm_resources.html\">sheets and tables\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://geekdad.com/2016/02/easy-dungeon-master-preparation/\">blogs\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://geekandsundry.com/7-helpful-apps-for-dungeon-masters/\">apps\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://themagictreerpg.blogspot.com/2008/10/gms-ten-commandments.html\">commandments\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://themagictreerpg.blogspot.com/2008/10/gms-ten-commandments.html\">websites\u003c/a> and even a \u003ca href=\"http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/dm-support-group\">support group\u003c/a> to help DMs produce exciting experiences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>University of Connecticut assistant professor \u003ca href=\"https://education.uconn.edu/person/stephen-slota/\">Stephen Slota\u003c/a> encourages teachers to not only pick and glean from DMs, but from the wider design universe at large, whether video games, gardening or architecture. “Don’t reinvent the wheel,” said Slota. “If a design strategy exists and has been used in another realm but not yours, repurpose it - with appropriate attribution, of course. No one will worry that it’s been done before as long as the design works.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>2. WRAP IT IN A STORY\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Stories shape our self-perception, help us organize knowledge and make sense of a chaotic world. From the tribal campfire to Netflix binges, stories and storytelling are intimately bound with human culture and society. A story’s narrative patterns and ability to arouse emotions make them ideal memory aids, which is why \u003ca href=\"https://www.nyu.edu/faculty/teaching-and-learning-resources/strategies-for-teaching-with-tech/storytelling-teching-and-learning.html\">stories and learning have been intertwined\u003c/a> throughout human history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Dungeon Master conjures a living world through narratives, and teachers who follow suit can also make learning more meaningful and memorable. When using \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> or other RPGs \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51781/hacking-the-education-narrative-with-dungeons-dragons\">in their classes\u003c/a>, or investing courses with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51787/leveraging-the-lore-of-dungeons-and-dragons-to-motivate-students-to-read-and-write\">thematic narratives\u003c/a>, teachers should not only seek to \u003ca href=\"https://www.edutopia.org/blog/storytelling-in-the-classroom-matters-matthew-friday\">leverage the power of story\u003c/a>, but can also recruit students in the storytelling process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Famed Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer explains, the DM’s job is not just to tell a good story, but to lead a collaborative storytelling experience. “A Dungeon Master creates and directs a story for your friends to live and play in, and working with their ideas, collaborates with them in real time to write the next chapter together,” said Mercer, the star of \u003ca href=\"https://critrole.com/shows/critical-role/\">Critical Role\u003c/a>, which streams celebrity D&D campaigns. “Consider narratives that emphasize relationship and enable them to put their skills and teamwork together to surmount a challenge and really appreciate each other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But where do these stories come from? What if the creative well is dry?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Steal relentlessly,” advises \u003ca href=\"https://kotaku.com/how-to-be-a-great-dungeon-master-1766262559\">Kotaku’s\u003c/a> Tim Colwill. “Steal from TV and movies. Steal from books and comics. Steal from another D&D game you watched on Twitch. I am deadly serious and it will make you a better Dungeon Master [and teacher] if you do this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>3. OFFER CHOICE\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Like classrooms, games operate with rules and constraints but, within those boundaries, they afford players interactivity and choice. In fact, \u003cem>The Guardian\u003c/em>’s Keith Stuart \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/oct/16/video-games-power-agency-control\">argues that choice\u003c/a> may be the single biggest factor producing enjoyment in video games. We like to feel like masters of our destiny, and meaningful choices produce a sense of control that increases the likelihood of becoming invested in an experience. The absence of choice, however, can lead to the opposite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When a DM is the only one who makes decisions, we call it railroading and it’s no fun for anyone but the DM. Games are about meaningful choices,” said Scott Price at the \u003cspan class=\"s1\">Connected Learning Summit in 2018 when he was the director of product at BrainPOP. He said it's important to \u003c/span>include agency when designing a compelling experience.\u003cspan class=\"s1\"> “Good role-playing game experiences are player-driven, individualized, adaptive, meaningful and contextualized,” he said and stressed that the qualities that make a successful game also make a great class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not a revelation that students are engaged by choice, as it’s the magic ingredient in approaches like inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, passion projects, genius hours and learning pathways. However, to offer choice, educators must be willing to give up some control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I finally started and let go of control and many of the anticipated outcomes, I quickly realized how the students can really drive the learning in a powerful and fun way,\" said Steve Isaacs, who offers his middle-school game design students branching quests that allow them to choose \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53071/how-schools-spark-excitement-for-learning-with-role-playing-games\">personal learning paths\u003c/a>. \"Giving choice allowed me to step back and support students rather than ‘teach’.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When choices and options are built into the curriculum, whether in homework, assignments, classroom roles, or even assessment, students can enjoy a more personalized and meaningful learning experience.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/2PEt5RdNHNw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/2PEt5RdNHNw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>4. REWARD RISK AND NORMALIZE FAILURE \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For a while now, the edusphere has been buzzing about the importance of inviting risks and embracing failure. In reality, many schools are competitive systems that rewards success and, especially when grades and standardized tests are involved, leave little allowance for meaningful failure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many games let players safely fail and try again, and encourage progression through risk-taking and iterative cycles of trial and error. Gamers naturally apply and practice a \u003ca href=\"http://nytimesineducation.com/spotlight/facing-failure-and-breeding-success/\">growth mindset\u003c/a> because they must constantly adjust their play tactics in response to mistakes and setbacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using games and making classes more game-like can help educators genuinely embrace risk and failure. Michael Matera, for example, found that using\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53071/how-schools-spark-excitement-for-learning-with-role-playing-games\"> RPG elements\u003c/a> cultivates a forgiving classroom culture that embraces risk-taking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am constantly amazed at how they thrive in my risk-rich classroom environment. As these are not graded in the traditional sense students can take a risk, tackle new challenges and grow as a learners,” said Matera.“When we are empowered as learners, as gamers, we win. Maybe not the game, but the war over wisdom. We learn from our failures, and when we are empowered, are able to pick ourselves up to learn even more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also important to remember that game designers don’t build risk and failure into their games to edify and educate - they just know that overcoming adversity can be a lot of fun. A prize is all the more valuable for the obstacles surpassed to attain it, so a good DM aims for the Goldilocks sweet spot between too hard and too easy, where advancement is possible but challenging. This design principle coincides with Vygotsky’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html\">zone of proximal development\u003c/a>, thus synthesizing best practices for entertainment and learning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s not just the students who should take risks. Using a game in a class or, even more daunting, turning a class into a game also involves risk for the instructor. What if it’s boring? What if it doesn’t work? What if they hate it? It takes moxie, but educators can grow from silencing the voices of doubt and model risk taking for their students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just know that the students often love you and are very willing to try new things,” said Roman. “Sometimes it won’t work or you’ll have days where it seems difficult due to timing and preparedness. They’ll see that you’re putting in effort into something new and they appreciate that regardless of the outcome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>5. PROVOKE EMOTIONS\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51784/how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills\">social and emotional benefits\u003c/a> of playing \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> were addressed in an earlier installment in this series, but games can also produce memorable emotional moments within the safety of the magic circle of play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trent Hergenrader, a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, describes how RPGs produce powerful emotions in his creative writing classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We reach a momentous point in the story that requires a dice roll. Every time, the room goes quiet as the player shakes the dice in their hands and then release them, clattering on the table. I swear, the whole room sucks in a breath as we all lean in to see the result and, success or failure, there’s an explosion of hooting, hollering, laughing, groaning. In those moments, no one in that room would want to be anywhere else in the world, it’s that good. And of course that energy then translates into their work,” said Hergenrader.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cheers, laughter, anticipation and surprise can all help in the absorption of knowledge and may be essential ingredients to create an experience that students will never forget.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>The Benevolent Subversions of the Chaotic Good\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The educators who have experimented with \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> in their practice are also players who have experienced the force of shaping and reshaping stories. Whether deliberately or inadvertently, they use the power learned in the realms of fantasy to hack an all too real educational narrative. In \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> parlance, their race is Human, their class is Pedagog, and their moral alignment is clearly Chaotic Good, whose description in the \u003ca href=\"http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/rpg_playershandbook\">\u003cem>Player’s Handbook\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is eerily suitable:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cem>A chaotic good character does what is necessary to bring about change for the better, disdains bureaucratic organizations that get in the way of social improvement, and places a high value on personal freedom, not only for oneself, but for others as well.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons \u003c/em>is a salient example of an imaginative and timely intervention, but sword-and-sorcery is not for everybody. The plasticity of RPG systems allows for the implementation of any theme or setting, and students can be recruited to help design the games around a specific topic. Also, teachers are not only using RPGs in their classes, but turning their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53071/how-schools-spark-excitement-for-learning-with-role-playing-games\">classes into role-playing games\u003c/a> which further challenges the status quo of our education system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, whether using games, RPGs, or any other initiatives, teachers have an unprecedented opportunity to exercise and model creativity, passion, problem-solving and courage to re-author their personal and institutional narratives. Armed with these mildly subversive but benevolent grassroots interventions they can rewrite the story of student, teacher and school as a legendary epic for the ages, and perhaps save the world along the way.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/mindshift/53553/five-best-practices-teachers-can-learn-from-dungeon-masters",
"authors": [
"11107"
],
"categories": [
"mindshift_193"
],
"tags": [
"mindshift_21211",
"mindshift_20784",
"mindshift_1040",
"mindshift_20790",
"mindshift_20774",
"mindshift_943",
"mindshift_21166",
"mindshift_20931"
],
"featImg": "mindshift_55281",
"label": "mindshift"
},
"mindshift_51784": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "mindshift_51784",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "51784",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1557731110000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "mindshift"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1557731110,
"format": "standard",
"disqusTitle": "How Dungeons & Dragons Can Help Kids Develop Social-Emotional Learning Skills",
"title": "How Dungeons & Dragons Can Help Kids Develop Social-Emotional Learning Skills",
"headTitle": "MindShift | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>For many of the kids who arrive at \u003ca href=\"http://www.lihighschool.org/\">LiHigh School\u003c/a> in Vermont, it’s their last chance at school. They have serious behavioral challenges that are difficult to address in traditional settings. LiHigh is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/40184/can-self-directed-learning-work-for-underprivileged-children\">democratic school\u003c/a> and emphasizes a therapeutic approach to student learning. It also uses a variety of personal learning strategies to develop curriculum around the students’ passions and interests, including the tabletop role-playing game (RPG), \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em>. A few years ago one of Kyle Callahan’s students with autism asked if the game could be played in class, and it has since become a cornerstone of the school’s program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without a doubt, \u003cem>D&D \u003c/em>has been one of the most successful classes we’ve offered at LiHigh School,\" said Callahan. \"Students love it; staff love it; and it genuinely helps the students achieve their social-emotional goals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Join the Party\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> is a fundamentally social experience. A team of adventurers, known as a party, are immersed in a pseudo-medieval world of sword-and-sorcery run by the Dungeon Master (“DM” for short), who narrates setting and events and adapts the emerging game to the players’ free actions and decisions. The world of the game is orally constructed and conjured in the imagination with the help of rule books, reference guides, charts, multifaceted dice and maps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rather than compete, players work together to coordinate their complementary skill sets to problem-solve and overcome diverse challenges. Their co-dependence translates into a sense of belonging and genuine social cohesion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PEt5RdNHNw\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Cooperative games are on the rise right now as I think people are tired of strict competition in every game they play. \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> is the original cooperative game,” said Dr. Ian Slater, who teaches at York University in Toronto and runs Black Dragon Games, a company that trains novice players and organizes \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragon\u003c/em> campaigns for schools and private events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“\u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> is a class-based system in the sense that your set of usable in-game skills is determined entirely by your class. Since the classes are based on archetypes (e.g. the knight, the wizard, the thief and the priest), the skills vary. As adventuring occurs in a dangerous and dynamic environment where all those skills are needed, for the most part, if you don’t cooperate you die,” said Slater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Callahan claims that while his students play, they collaborate with their classmates, are relieved of loneliness and are granted a safe haven from difficult home lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They develop real relationships with the players at the table, and while they can still get annoyed or frustrated with one another to the point where their disorders will sometimes come out, more often than not, they connect with and support one another, sometimes with a kind word and other times with a perfectly placed fireball,” said Callahan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to encouraging students to work together and form social bonds, Callahan and other educators who use \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> and similar role-playing games claim that their students acquire and practice a broad range of social and emotional skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how does battling a spike-hurling Manticore with an enchanted two-handed axe contribute to a person’s emotional well-being?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_53558\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-53558 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2019/05/DnD-Sarah-Roman-e1557527352420.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1328\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sarah Roman's students at Raritan High School learn how to play Dungeons & Dragons. (Courtesy of Sarah Roman) \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Sarah Roman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Real-World Fantasy\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a hot topic in education discourse as \u003ca href=\"https://casel.org/impact/\">a growing body of evidence\u003c/a> finds that self-confidence, self-control, social and self-awareness, empathy and a sense of well-being are predictive of academic success. More importantly, the cultivation of these qualities generally leads to happier and more fulfilling lives. If this is the case, then the traditional educational emphasis on academics to the neglect of SEL seems to be a clear case of placing the cart squarely ahead of the horse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Foglia is the founder of \u003ca href=\"http://www.southjerseysudburyschool.org/\">South Jersey Sudbury School\u003c/a>, which pursues a vision of fostering a non-hierarchical educational community where students design their own curriculum and learn through exploration and play. The school’s student-centered philosophy emphasizes conflict resolution, empathy, self-regulation and open interpersonal communication. Foglia found that including \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> in the curriculum has fit well with the school’s emphasis on SEL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ability to imagine, design and role-play a character who has a background from an imaginary universe with its own rule context is immensely sophisticated,\" said Foglia. \"Practicing this confers many emotional benefits, including increased empathy skills, negotiation, problem-solving, teamwork and social maneuvering. These are all immensely valuable skills in the adult world, as well as for children.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/VoiceOfOBrien/status/1037363232569057282\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite its outward appearance as a frivolous escape from reality, the fantasy genre has profound metaphorical correspondences to the real world. Tolkien’s influential \u003cem>Lord of the Rings\u003c/em>, for example, has been interpreted as symbolically capturing the \u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zgr9kqt\">horrors he experienced as a soldier in World War I\u003c/a>, as an \u003ca href=\"http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2016/05/lord-of-the-rings-allegory.html\">allegory of power\u003c/a>, and as an \u003ca href=\"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/9737923/The-Hobbits-Andy-Serkis-Gollum-is-based-on-addiction.html\">exploration of addiction\u003c/a>. The enchanted settings are veiled representations of universal human experiences and emotional truths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paradoxically, for kids, the fantasy genre can be both an escape from reality while simultaneously providing an indirect commentary on everyday life. Bullies become dragons, malevolent gods are the feared adults in their lives, and a labyrinthine dungeon filled with puzzles and ghouls become a metaphor for school The fantasy world is sufficiently removed from reality that kids are empowered to tackle difficult subjects at a safe emotional distance. Confronting these challenges, even within the symbolic realm of sword-and-sorcery, may help provide scaffolding to improve emotional awareness and help players operate more confidently in the real world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have seen the quietest student in class become the biggest voice at the gaming table. It is heartwarming to watch these students’ confidence grow to such a degree from a game, and a great triumph to see them carry that over into the classroom,” said Houston-area teacher \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51781/hacking-the-education-narrative-with-dungeons-dragons\">Kade Wells\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A cursory Google search yields pages of stories from adults who credit \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> for making them more \u003ca href=\"https://ideas.ted.com/how-playing-dungeons-dragons-has-helped-me-be-more-connected-creative-and-compassionate/\">caring and compassionate\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://thewalrus.ca/send-the-barbarian-in-first/\">better parents\u003c/a>, and even \u003ca href=\"https://www.huffingtonpost.com/levi-a-miles/how-dungeons-dragons-saved-life_b_4735303.html\">saving their lives\u003c/a>. In almost every case, they attribute their best social and emotional qualities to an adolescence spent role-playing with friends in a parallel universe woven by their collective imagination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8Pis2bqcIY\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Transformative Power of Role-Play\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assuming a role and experimenting with alternate views, identities and perspectives lies at the heart of how games like \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> have the potential to foster SEL skills, including empathy and self-awareness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Good players must act not according to one’s own disposition but to that of the character, whose experiences are almost certainly totally different,” said Foglia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The characters may be fictional, but playing them requires a cognitive and emotional investment that is rooted in the player’s real psychological life. Students can try on different ways of being, and safely push boundaries that may normally limit them in their day-to-day life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In a real sense you 'become' the character you play,\" said Slater. \"When your character is threatened with death it gives \u003cem>you\u003c/em> a jolt. In almost every adventure I’ve run someone has died, and you can see the excitement pass through the room. Things get real, real fast.\" Unlike most video games, a character’s death in \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> is permanent, so the stakes are high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sarah Roman is a New Jersey public high school teacher who used \u003cem>Dungeon & Dragons\u003c/em> in her English classes and co-founded \u003ca href=\"https://teachingwithdnd.com/\">Teaching with \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://teachingwithdnd.com/\">\u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em>\u003c/a> with Wells. Since incorporating \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em>, she found her students were more willing to help each other, they communicated more diplomatically, and it even brought some of her quieter kids out of their shell. She recalls parents contacting her in gratitude for the changes they had noticed in their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“\u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> really forces students to become someone else for a little while. We’ve been seeing the role-playing aspect become heavily used in mental health groups, and therapists have been employing role-play as a way to promote empathy, social skills, and resilience. In that vein, we have to remember that teachers also play the role of the therapist from time to time,” said Roman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9zZIZW0gU0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Therapy groups like \u003ca href=\"http://gametogrow.org/\">Game to Grow\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://rpgtherapy.com/wp/\">RPG Therapeutics\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.takethis.org/\">Take This\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"http://www.thebodhanagroup.org/\">Bodhana Group\u003c/a> recognize the benefits of using role-play as a viable course of treatment. They use \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> and other games to treat a variety of conditions, provide social-emotional support for teens and children, and even help them contend with gender.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve known at least two gamers that regularly played different gender characters, e.g., a male playing a female character,” said Slater. “\u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> allows you to adopt a role, and that can be a powerful tool for self-exploration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Narrative therapy is another relevant therapeutic approach that encourages patients to rewrite the stories of their lives, a concept related to Maria Laura Ruggiero’s idea of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51781/hacking-the-education-narrative-with-dungeons-dragons\">hacking personal narratives\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/28/us/28white.html\">Michael White\u003c/a>, a narrative therapy pioneer, discusses the approach in his 2007 book \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Narrative-Practice-Norton-Professional-Hardcover/dp/0393705161\">\u003cem>Maps of Narrative Practice\u003c/em>\u003c/a>: “Effective therapy engages people in the re-authoring of life's compelling plights in ways that arouse curiosity about human possibility and invoke the play of imagination. It opens space for varying perspectives while assisting people to participate fuller and with a stronger voice of authorship in constructing the stories of their lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an active exercise in role-play and collaborative storytelling, \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> merges elements of both therapeutic approaches. Players experiment with different identities, and simultaneously enact the skills to reimagine their personal narratives. Furthermore, these ingredients blend within a magic circle of play, an essential element for learning and development championed by celebrated developmental psychologists Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Psychological studies are clear that play is the primary means by which humans (and all other mammals) acquire the life skills they need to succeed. Intrinsic motivation preserves and reinforces an ideal brain state for learning, processing, and retaining information. Children naturally want to play-practice those skills which are most valuable to human adults,” said Foglia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like so many struggling students, \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em>’ potential as an educational tool has been limited by how it has been labeled. When seen in a broader light, it emerges as an engaging and dynamic learning artifact that enlists the imagination, role-play, socialization, collaboration and storytelling, all of which act as powerful social-emotional catalysts that can help a child shed their own labels, and learn to tell new stories about themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "51784 https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/?p=51784",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2019/05/13/how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": true,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1861,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 34
},
"modified": 1557731229,
"excerpt": "Playing a cooperative role-playing game like Dungeons & Dragons can have the added benefit of helping kids develop social emotional skills. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Playing a cooperative role-playing game like Dungeons & Dragons can have the added benefit of helping kids develop social emotional skills. ",
"title": "How Dungeons & Dragons Can Help Kids Develop Social-Emotional Learning Skills | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "How Dungeons & Dragons Can Help Kids Develop Social-Emotional Learning Skills",
"datePublished": "2019-05-13T00:05:10-07:00",
"dateModified": "2019-05-13T00:07:09-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/mindshift/51784/how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For many of the kids who arrive at \u003ca href=\"http://www.lihighschool.org/\">LiHigh School\u003c/a> in Vermont, it’s their last chance at school. They have serious behavioral challenges that are difficult to address in traditional settings. LiHigh is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/40184/can-self-directed-learning-work-for-underprivileged-children\">democratic school\u003c/a> and emphasizes a therapeutic approach to student learning. It also uses a variety of personal learning strategies to develop curriculum around the students’ passions and interests, including the tabletop role-playing game (RPG), \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em>. A few years ago one of Kyle Callahan’s students with autism asked if the game could be played in class, and it has since become a cornerstone of the school’s program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without a doubt, \u003cem>D&D \u003c/em>has been one of the most successful classes we’ve offered at LiHigh School,\" said Callahan. \"Students love it; staff love it; and it genuinely helps the students achieve their social-emotional goals.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Join the Party\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> is a fundamentally social experience. A team of adventurers, known as a party, are immersed in a pseudo-medieval world of sword-and-sorcery run by the Dungeon Master (“DM” for short), who narrates setting and events and adapts the emerging game to the players’ free actions and decisions. The world of the game is orally constructed and conjured in the imagination with the help of rule books, reference guides, charts, multifaceted dice and maps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rather than compete, players work together to coordinate their complementary skill sets to problem-solve and overcome diverse challenges. Their co-dependence translates into a sense of belonging and genuine social cohesion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/2PEt5RdNHNw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/2PEt5RdNHNw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\"Cooperative games are on the rise right now as I think people are tired of strict competition in every game they play. \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> is the original cooperative game,” said Dr. Ian Slater, who teaches at York University in Toronto and runs Black Dragon Games, a company that trains novice players and organizes \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragon\u003c/em> campaigns for schools and private events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“\u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> is a class-based system in the sense that your set of usable in-game skills is determined entirely by your class. Since the classes are based on archetypes (e.g. the knight, the wizard, the thief and the priest), the skills vary. As adventuring occurs in a dangerous and dynamic environment where all those skills are needed, for the most part, if you don’t cooperate you die,” said Slater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Callahan claims that while his students play, they collaborate with their classmates, are relieved of loneliness and are granted a safe haven from difficult home lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They develop real relationships with the players at the table, and while they can still get annoyed or frustrated with one another to the point where their disorders will sometimes come out, more often than not, they connect with and support one another, sometimes with a kind word and other times with a perfectly placed fireball,” said Callahan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to encouraging students to work together and form social bonds, Callahan and other educators who use \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> and similar role-playing games claim that their students acquire and practice a broad range of social and emotional skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how does battling a spike-hurling Manticore with an enchanted two-handed axe contribute to a person’s emotional well-being?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_53558\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-53558 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2019/05/DnD-Sarah-Roman-e1557527352420.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1328\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sarah Roman's students at Raritan High School learn how to play Dungeons & Dragons. (Courtesy of Sarah Roman) \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Sarah Roman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Real-World Fantasy\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a hot topic in education discourse as \u003ca href=\"https://casel.org/impact/\">a growing body of evidence\u003c/a> finds that self-confidence, self-control, social and self-awareness, empathy and a sense of well-being are predictive of academic success. More importantly, the cultivation of these qualities generally leads to happier and more fulfilling lives. If this is the case, then the traditional educational emphasis on academics to the neglect of SEL seems to be a clear case of placing the cart squarely ahead of the horse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Foglia is the founder of \u003ca href=\"http://www.southjerseysudburyschool.org/\">South Jersey Sudbury School\u003c/a>, which pursues a vision of fostering a non-hierarchical educational community where students design their own curriculum and learn through exploration and play. The school’s student-centered philosophy emphasizes conflict resolution, empathy, self-regulation and open interpersonal communication. Foglia found that including \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> in the curriculum has fit well with the school’s emphasis on SEL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ability to imagine, design and role-play a character who has a background from an imaginary universe with its own rule context is immensely sophisticated,\" said Foglia. \"Practicing this confers many emotional benefits, including increased empathy skills, negotiation, problem-solving, teamwork and social maneuvering. These are all immensely valuable skills in the adult world, as well as for children.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1037363232569057282"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Despite its outward appearance as a frivolous escape from reality, the fantasy genre has profound metaphorical correspondences to the real world. Tolkien’s influential \u003cem>Lord of the Rings\u003c/em>, for example, has been interpreted as symbolically capturing the \u003ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zgr9kqt\">horrors he experienced as a soldier in World War I\u003c/a>, as an \u003ca href=\"http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2016/05/lord-of-the-rings-allegory.html\">allegory of power\u003c/a>, and as an \u003ca href=\"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/9737923/The-Hobbits-Andy-Serkis-Gollum-is-based-on-addiction.html\">exploration of addiction\u003c/a>. The enchanted settings are veiled representations of universal human experiences and emotional truths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paradoxically, for kids, the fantasy genre can be both an escape from reality while simultaneously providing an indirect commentary on everyday life. Bullies become dragons, malevolent gods are the feared adults in their lives, and a labyrinthine dungeon filled with puzzles and ghouls become a metaphor for school The fantasy world is sufficiently removed from reality that kids are empowered to tackle difficult subjects at a safe emotional distance. Confronting these challenges, even within the symbolic realm of sword-and-sorcery, may help provide scaffolding to improve emotional awareness and help players operate more confidently in the real world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have seen the quietest student in class become the biggest voice at the gaming table. It is heartwarming to watch these students’ confidence grow to such a degree from a game, and a great triumph to see them carry that over into the classroom,” said Houston-area teacher \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51781/hacking-the-education-narrative-with-dungeons-dragons\">Kade Wells\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A cursory Google search yields pages of stories from adults who credit \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> for making them more \u003ca href=\"https://ideas.ted.com/how-playing-dungeons-dragons-has-helped-me-be-more-connected-creative-and-compassionate/\">caring and compassionate\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://thewalrus.ca/send-the-barbarian-in-first/\">better parents\u003c/a>, and even \u003ca href=\"https://www.huffingtonpost.com/levi-a-miles/how-dungeons-dragons-saved-life_b_4735303.html\">saving their lives\u003c/a>. In almost every case, they attribute their best social and emotional qualities to an adolescence spent role-playing with friends in a parallel universe woven by their collective imagination.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/M8Pis2bqcIY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/M8Pis2bqcIY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Transformative Power of Role-Play\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assuming a role and experimenting with alternate views, identities and perspectives lies at the heart of how games like \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> have the potential to foster SEL skills, including empathy and self-awareness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Good players must act not according to one’s own disposition but to that of the character, whose experiences are almost certainly totally different,” said Foglia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The characters may be fictional, but playing them requires a cognitive and emotional investment that is rooted in the player’s real psychological life. Students can try on different ways of being, and safely push boundaries that may normally limit them in their day-to-day life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In a real sense you 'become' the character you play,\" said Slater. \"When your character is threatened with death it gives \u003cem>you\u003c/em> a jolt. In almost every adventure I’ve run someone has died, and you can see the excitement pass through the room. Things get real, real fast.\" Unlike most video games, a character’s death in \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> is permanent, so the stakes are high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sarah Roman is a New Jersey public high school teacher who used \u003cem>Dungeon & Dragons\u003c/em> in her English classes and co-founded \u003ca href=\"https://teachingwithdnd.com/\">Teaching with \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://teachingwithdnd.com/\">\u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em>\u003c/a> with Wells. Since incorporating \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em>, she found her students were more willing to help each other, they communicated more diplomatically, and it even brought some of her quieter kids out of their shell. She recalls parents contacting her in gratitude for the changes they had noticed in their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“\u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> really forces students to become someone else for a little while. We’ve been seeing the role-playing aspect become heavily used in mental health groups, and therapists have been employing role-play as a way to promote empathy, social skills, and resilience. In that vein, we have to remember that teachers also play the role of the therapist from time to time,” said Roman.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/C9zZIZW0gU0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/C9zZIZW0gU0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Therapy groups like \u003ca href=\"http://gametogrow.org/\">Game to Grow\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://rpgtherapy.com/wp/\">RPG Therapeutics\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.takethis.org/\">Take This\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"http://www.thebodhanagroup.org/\">Bodhana Group\u003c/a> recognize the benefits of using role-play as a viable course of treatment. They use \u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> and other games to treat a variety of conditions, provide social-emotional support for teens and children, and even help them contend with gender.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve known at least two gamers that regularly played different gender characters, e.g., a male playing a female character,” said Slater. “\u003cem>D&D\u003c/em> allows you to adopt a role, and that can be a powerful tool for self-exploration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Narrative therapy is another relevant therapeutic approach that encourages patients to rewrite the stories of their lives, a concept related to Maria Laura Ruggiero’s idea of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51781/hacking-the-education-narrative-with-dungeons-dragons\">hacking personal narratives\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/28/us/28white.html\">Michael White\u003c/a>, a narrative therapy pioneer, discusses the approach in his 2007 book \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Narrative-Practice-Norton-Professional-Hardcover/dp/0393705161\">\u003cem>Maps of Narrative Practice\u003c/em>\u003c/a>: “Effective therapy engages people in the re-authoring of life's compelling plights in ways that arouse curiosity about human possibility and invoke the play of imagination. It opens space for varying perspectives while assisting people to participate fuller and with a stronger voice of authorship in constructing the stories of their lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an active exercise in role-play and collaborative storytelling, \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em> merges elements of both therapeutic approaches. Players experiment with different identities, and simultaneously enact the skills to reimagine their personal narratives. Furthermore, these ingredients blend within a magic circle of play, an essential element for learning and development championed by celebrated developmental psychologists Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Psychological studies are clear that play is the primary means by which humans (and all other mammals) acquire the life skills they need to succeed. Intrinsic motivation preserves and reinforces an ideal brain state for learning, processing, and retaining information. Children naturally want to play-practice those skills which are most valuable to human adults,” said Foglia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like so many struggling students, \u003cem>Dungeons & Dragons\u003c/em>’ potential as an educational tool has been limited by how it has been labeled. When seen in a broader light, it emerges as an engaging and dynamic learning artifact that enlists the imagination, role-play, socialization, collaboration and storytelling, all of which act as powerful social-emotional catalysts that can help a child shed their own labels, and learn to tell new stories about themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/mindshift/51784/how-dungeons-dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills",
"authors": [
"11107"
],
"categories": [
"mindshift_193"
],
"tags": [
"mindshift_21211",
"mindshift_20784",
"mindshift_1040",
"mindshift_20865",
"mindshift_20774",
"mindshift_943",
"mindshift_20931"
],
"featImg": "mindshift_53649",
"label": "mindshift"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts?author=11107&authorName=Paul Darvasi": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 0,
"size": 9
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 9,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 22,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"mindshift_59459",
"mindshift_58624",
"mindshift_58368",
"mindshift_56205",
"mindshift_56309",
"mindshift_55771",
"mindshift_55521",
"mindshift_53553",
"mindshift_51784"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift_192": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_192",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "192",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Big Ideas",
"description": "The latest findings from experts in the field related to the future of learning.",
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "The latest findings from experts in the field related to the future of learning.",
"title": "Big Ideas Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 192,
"slug": "big-ideas",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/category/big-ideas"
},
"mindshift_21848": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21848",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21848",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Podcast",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Podcast Archives - KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21120,
"slug": "podcast",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/category/podcast"
},
"mindshift_20604": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20604",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20604",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "future of learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "future of learning Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19881,
"slug": "future-of-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/future-of-learning"
},
"mindshift_548": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_548",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "548",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "game-based learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "game-based learning Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 551,
"slug": "game-based-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/game-based-learning"
},
"mindshift_1": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_1",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "1",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Uncategorized",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Uncategorized Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1,
"slug": "uncategorized",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/category/uncategorized"
},
"mindshift_968": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_968",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "968",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "digital literacy",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "digital literacy Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 973,
"slug": "digital-literacy",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/digital-literacy"
},
"mindshift_273": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_273",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "273",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "digital media",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "digital media Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 274,
"slug": "digital-media",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/digital-media"
},
"mindshift_30": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_30",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "30",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Social Media",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Social Media Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 30,
"slug": "social-media",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/social-media"
},
"mindshift_20729": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20729",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20729",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "BACK TO SCHOOL",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "BACK TO SCHOOL Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20006,
"slug": "back-to-school",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/category/back-to-school"
},
"mindshift_21344": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21344",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21344",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "coronavirus",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "coronavirus Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20616,
"slug": "coronavirus",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/coronavirus"
},
"mindshift_21343": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21343",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21343",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "COVID-19",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "COVID-19 Archives - KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20615,
"slug": "covid-19",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/covid-19"
},
"mindshift_819": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_819",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "819",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Harvard",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Harvard Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 822,
"slug": "harvard",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/harvard"
},
"mindshift_20865": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20865",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20865",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "mental health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "mental health Archives - KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20143,
"slug": "mental-health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/mental-health"
},
"mindshift_556": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_556",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "556",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "MIT",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "MIT Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 559,
"slug": "mit",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/mit"
},
"mindshift_20852": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20852",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20852",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "student-centered learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "student-centered learning Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20130,
"slug": "student-centered-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/student-centered-learning"
},
"mindshift_21105": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21105",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21105",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "trauma",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "trauma Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20377,
"slug": "trauma",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/trauma"
},
"mindshift_21358": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21358",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21358",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Distance Learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Learn about the benefits and challenges of online learning and the future of distance education through our archive, \"Distance Learning\".",
"title": "Distance Learning - Education News and Updates | KQED",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20630,
"slug": "distance-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/category/distance-learning"
},
"mindshift_21366": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21366",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21366",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Center for Applied Special Technology",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Center for Applied Special Technology Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20638,
"slug": "center-for-applied-special-technology",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/center-for-applied-special-technology"
},
"mindshift_358": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_358",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "358",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "distance learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "distance learning Archives - KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 359,
"slug": "distance-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/distance-learning"
},
"mindshift_20701": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20701",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20701",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "equity",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "equity Archives - KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19978,
"slug": "equity",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/equity"
},
"mindshift_289": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_289",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "289",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "homeschool",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "homeschool Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 290,
"slug": "homeschool",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/homeschool"
},
"mindshift_384": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_384",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "384",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "online education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "online education Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 385,
"slug": "online-education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/online-education"
},
"mindshift_20934": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20934",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20934",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "special education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "special education Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20206,
"slug": "special-education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/special-education"
},
"mindshift_21050": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21050",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21050",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "universal design for learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "universal design for learning Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20322,
"slug": "universal-design-for-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/universal-design-for-learning"
},
"mindshift_20523": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20523",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20523",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Design Thinking",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Design Thinking Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19800,
"slug": "design-thinking-2",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/category/design-thinking-2"
},
"mindshift_21365": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21365",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21365",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "charrette",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "charrette Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20637,
"slug": "charrette",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/charrette"
},
"mindshift_939": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_939",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "939",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "deeper learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "deeper learning Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 944,
"slug": "deeper-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/deeper-learning"
},
"mindshift_21069": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21069",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21069",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "school design",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "school design Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20341,
"slug": "school-design",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/school-design"
},
"mindshift_21361": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21361",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21361",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "school reopening",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "school reopening Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20633,
"slug": "school-reopening",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/school-reopening"
},
"mindshift_21359": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21359",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21359",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "social distancing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "social distancing Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20631,
"slug": "social-distancing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/social-distancing"
},
"mindshift_943": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_943",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "943",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "social emotional learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "social emotional learning Archives - KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 948,
"slug": "social-emotional-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/social-emotional-learning"
},
"mindshift_21345": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21345",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21345",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "COVID-19",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "COVID-19 Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20617,
"slug": "covid-19",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/category/covid-19"
},
"mindshift_21280": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21280",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21280",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Mental Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Mental Health Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20552,
"slug": "mental-health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/category/mental-health"
},
"mindshift_20784": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20784",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20784",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20061,
"slug": "featured",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/featured"
},
"mindshift_1040": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_1040",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "1040",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "full-image",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "full-image Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1045,
"slug": "full-image",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/full-image"
},
"mindshift_20655": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20655",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20655",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Games and learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Games and learning Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19932,
"slug": "games-and-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/games-and-learning"
},
"mindshift_21106": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21106",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21106",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "kindness",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "kindness Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20378,
"slug": "kindness",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/kindness"
},
"mindshift_20661": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20661",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20661",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "online games",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "online games Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19938,
"slug": "online-games",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/online-games"
},
"mindshift_20774": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20774",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20774",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "role-playing games",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "role-playing games Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20051,
"slug": "role-playing-games",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/role-playing-games"
},
"mindshift_419": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_419",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "419",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "social learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "social learning Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 420,
"slug": "social-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/social-learning"
},
"mindshift_187": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_187",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "187",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Mobile Learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Mobile Learning Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 187,
"slug": "mobile-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/mobile-learning"
},
"mindshift_122": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_122",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "122",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "online learning",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "online learning Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 122,
"slug": "online-learning",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/online-learning"
},
"mindshift_193": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_193",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "193",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Teaching Strategies",
"description": "Innovative ideas - projects, processes, curricula, and more - that are transforming how we teach and learn.",
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Innovative ideas - projects, processes, curricula, and more - that are transforming how we teach and learn.",
"title": "Teaching Strategies Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 193,
"slug": "teaching-strategies",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/category/teaching-strategies"
},
"mindshift_21211": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21211",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21211",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Dungeons & Dragons",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Dungeons & Dragons Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20483,
"slug": "dungeons-dragons",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/dungeons-dragons"
},
"mindshift_20790": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20790",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20790",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "metacognition",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "metacognition Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20067,
"slug": "metacognition",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/metacognition"
},
"mindshift_21166": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_21166",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "21166",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "storytelling",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "storytelling Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20438,
"slug": "storytelling",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/storytelling"
},
"mindshift_20931": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift_20931",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "mindshift",
"id": "20931",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "tabletop role-playing games",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "tabletop role-playing games Archives | KQED Mindshift",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20203,
"slug": "tabletop-role-playing-games",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/mindshift/tag/tabletop-role-playing-games"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
}
}
