Game-Based Learning

Innovative educators and a wealth of scholarly research offer myriad examples of how to effectively implement games in instruction and make school and learning fun! Use games to:

  • Teach core curriculum
  • Gather evidence of learning
  • Develop 21st-​century competencies, such as communication, creativity, and collaboration
  • Support social-emotional learning
  • Enhance extracurricular activities with after-school game clubs

Use Casel to Teach Sel

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) identifies self-awareness, social awareness, self-​management, relationship skills, responsibility, and decision making as competencies for SEL. Support students in developing these to better cope with the impact of COVID-19 by:

  • Using daily check-ins to gauge the mental state of all students
  • Engaging students in music, art, and other activities to give them an outlet to express how they feel
  • Taking every opportunity to connect with students
  • Addressing discipline from a restorative and relational approach

Professional Development for Equity and Quality

When planning effective professional development, view it through these four lenses:

  • Student learning—the primary emphasis for initiating professional development
  • Change—the understanding behind PD and how responses can help or hinder it
  • Visions—the school’s direction focused on its core values to attain a desirable future
  • Relevance—the connections to student learning, organizational change, and school vision

Beyond Textbooks

A treasure trove of differentiated instruction built on teacher-​contributed lessons connects educators across Arizona. Beyond Textbooks is a digital platform that originated in 2008 in the Vail School District that’s built on four components:

  • Digital resources for teachers
  • Tools for digital resources (projectors, document cameras, and audio enhancement systems)
  • The ability to change the traditional method of delivering instruction
  • Partnering with other districts