Author: By Don Ringelestein, CETL, Yorkville CUSD #115

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Digital Equity 2025

Beyond the visible: Recognizing and accommodating invisible disabilities

More conversations are needed around access and protections for those with non-apparent disabilities that aren’t always addressed

By Don Ringelestein, CETL, Yorkville CUSD #115

This post on accommodating invisible disabilities originally appeared on CoSN’s blog and is reposted here with permission. Key points: The concept of accessibility for individuals with disabilities has been an evolving journey, significantly propelled by landmark legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Enacted over three decades ago, … Read More

Digital Equity 2025

Why AI in the classroom needs its own ‘doll test’ 70 years post-Brown

AI chatbots could become the new face of discrimination in education--they have the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities and create new ones

By Priten Shah, Contributing Writer

Key points: As we mark the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, it’s worth reflecting on a simple experiment’s role in dismantling the doctrine of “separate but equal.” In the 1940s, psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark conducted the now-famous “doll test,” which revealed the negative … Read More

Digital Equity 2025

High school computer science classes might expand in Michigan–will that address equity issues?

Some stakeholders worry that under-resourced schools will struggle to offer high-quality computer science courses due to a lack of certified staff

By Alex Klaus, Chalkbeat

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters. In her two years of high school at Dearborn Public Schools’ Virtual K-12 school, rising junior Weaam AlAliyi has already learned about computer programming, understanding algorithms, and data analysis in three computer science courses. Weaam believes … Read More

Digital Equity 2025

Increasing K-12 tech accessibility

Students need tech knowledge and skills--which means their classrooms need to be equipped with tech tools

By Sam Bowman, Contributing Writer

Key points: Believing that all students have the same access to technology is a mistake. According to the U.S. Census, 90 percent of American households have a broadband internet subscription, and 95 percent have a computer–but that doesn’t mean kids are learning to use these tech tools as they should. … Read More

Digital Equity 2025

Advancing digital equity through teacher leadership

In today’s digital world, teachers must have the skills and knowledge to effectively use technology to enhance student learning

By Content Provided by Digital Promise

I was a chemist, not a teacher. As I sat in the principal’s office interviewing for a teaching role at a school closer to my home than the factory where I conducted polymer research and development, I faced a tough question: “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Not … Read More

SEL & Student Well-Being 2025

How SEL can help prevent burnout in teachers and students

Integrating SEL into daily practices helps schools equip teachers and students with the tools to navigate stress and build strong connections

By Kseniia Begma, IB Educator

Key points: The demands of modern education often leave teachers and students feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. From juggling multiple responsibilities to meeting high expectations, burnout has become a significant challenge in schools. Social-emotional learning (SEL) offers a way to combat this issue, providing tools to build resilience, foster connection, and … Read More

SEL & Student Well-Being 2025

Putting the “social” back into SEL–and why it matters now

Implementing SEL with a priority on social aspects can contribute greatly to creating a greater sense of belonging for students

By Elizabeth Bruce, Ori Learning

Key points: Even before COVID-19, data revealed concerning trends related to youth mental health. Between 2011 and 2019, the number of high school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness increased nearly 10 percent, from 28 percent to 37 percent. COVID-19, and the isolation and uncertainty that accompanied it, … Read More

SEL & Student Well-Being 2025

Why SEL must be part of the chronic absenteeism solution

Social-emotional learning programs provide a time-tested and effective solution for improving multiple educational outcomes

By Andrea Lovanhill, Committee for Children

Key points: Chronic absenteeism remains a nationwide challenge, despite efforts to return to normalcy post-pandemic. And the data suggests we are far from solving it. Right now, one in four classroom seats sits empty–nearly double since the pandemic. This alarming trajectory could have a long tail for students, who will face not … Read More

SEL & Student Well-Being 2025

SEL implementation soars across U.S.

New findings also show educators who instruct their students in SEL are more likely to report higher student interest and more positive climates

By CASEL Staff

Key findings: A national survey of educators and principals shows a record number of K-12 schools reporting social and emotional learning (SEL) implementation, according to new research from CASEL and RAND. By the 2023-24 school year, 83 percent of school principals reported that their schools used an SEL curriculum. That … Read More