STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING

In this section , we shared a group of strategies and teaching tools to motivate learners and keep them engaged throughtout the lessons and other spaces. These strategies and tools are proposed by students at WDKA based on their own class experiences, lessons dynamics, atmophere and social environment in the class. It also includes a digital tool exploration that that each of our research group students have made themselves.

In addition to teaching and learning strategies and tools :

We have also discovered and experienced from our students and tutors voices that Online/Onsite or any Blended Learning Format that is being implemented is not successful If there is not a Social and Emotional Learning strategies that go together hand to hand to support it.

This is probably one of the most important aspect to build a sustainable Blended Learning path for any organization, university, or school.

Figure 1 : SEL COMPETENCIES

SEL: SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING

In addition to teaching and learning strategies and tools : We have also discovered and experienced from our students and tutors voices that Online/Onsite or any Blended Learning Format that is being implemented is not successful If there is not a Social and Emotional Learning component that goes together hand to hand to support it.

This is probably one of the most important aspect to build a sustainable Blended Learning path for any organization, university, or school.

WHAT IS SEL ?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. More than two decades of research demonstrates that education promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) gets results.

There are five key competencies that tutors need to be aware of when teaching or interacting in online , onsite or combined Blended /Hybrid Learning approaches.

1- SELF- AWARENESS

2- SOCIAL- AWARENESS

3-SELF-MANAGEMENT

4. RELATIONSHIPS SKILLS

5- RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING

SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Feeling and being well is the most important thing. Putting your (mental) health first is not only a key to feeling well, but it will make studying and teaching less hard if you have the feeling you are in the right place with your body and mind. Therefore, we feel that it is important to show some example applications to help with social and emotional learning, which you will find below this paragraph with an explanation what the application entails.

A link to the confidants can be found here: https://hint.hr.nl/nl/HR/Studie/hulp-bij-studie/mijn-studie/studieondersteuners/decaan/

A link to the Health Coaches can be found here: https://hint.hr.nl/nl/HR/Werken-bij/contactpersonen/gezondheidsondersteuners/health-coaches/

TOOLS & APPS FOR SEL ( SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING)

putting in Forest / Diary app / planning app / VGZ mindfulness app

  1. Forest

Forest is an application for your smartphone (Android/Apple) that will help you focus on real life instead of your phone. You can use it for when you are studying, or doing a hobby and not wanting to be interrupted. The fun thing of Forest is that you are building a digital forest while not using your phone, having the choice of different trees and bushes, even mushrooms for the fancier, to have an overview of how many minutes and hours you have not been on your phone. A nice touch of the application is that they will plant trees in real life when a tree is being bought with the virtual coins you collect by the minutes you are not using your phone.

Here is a video as well created by Tech Improvement on how they use the application.

The link to the website of Forest: https://www.forestapp.cc/

 

 2. Punkt: 1 sentence diary

Punkt is a diary application for your smartphone (Android/Apple) where you can reflect on your day in 1 sentence. By using 1 sentence, you really need to think of the key elements of your day and why it made you feel this way.

 

The link to the website of Punkt: https://punktapp.me/

3. Gratly – Self Care

Gratly is a self care application (Android/Apple) where you can track your emotions, your water intake as well as making a routine for yourself that suits your lifestyle and habits. Creating a habit in your routine takes around 8 weeks to establish itself and to maintain and by using this application it can help you stimulate to maintain the new habit that you want to have.

The linkt where you van i.e. find Gratly: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oliatienza.gratsy&hl=en_US&gl=US

4. Headspace

This application you might already heard of. Headspace is an application for mindfulness, meditation and helping you with a good night of sleep. Sleep is a key to feeling well, where your mind, body and cells can rest and restore for a new day. Headspace also have a show on Netflix which you can watch to work on mindfulness and to get some information on it as well.

A link to the website of Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/

5. VGZ Mindfulness (yet Dutch only :( )

The VGZ Mindfulness app (Android/Apple) is an application where they will help you to be fully in the moment, in the here and now. They use e.g. stories to help you visualise you are wandering around in the forest, concentrating on your breathing and how your body is feeling. To train your mind and body by being in the now, you can release stress that you feel for the upcoming future.

A link to the website of the VGZ Mindfulness: https://www.vgz.nl/mindfulness-coach-app?gclid=CjwKCAiAqIKNBhAIEiwAu_ZLDkZ_Y_jzPxiDBDnVUr_n7ajLxrZVHbldMWiGywRxE-Uk-ZdywH6NWRoCPyUQAvD_BwE