Virtual field trips have emerged as an engaging resource, offering students immersive experiences and allowing them to explore global landmarks, museums, and natural wonders without leaving their classrooms.
Virtual field trips connect students to places that, due to funding, geography, or other logistical challenges, they may not otherwise have a chance to visit or experience.
These trips promote active engagement, critical thinking, and cater to diverse learning styles. For instance, students can virtually visit the Great Wall of China or delve into the depths of the ocean, fostering a deeper understanding of subjects ranging from history to science.
If you’re looking for a new virtual field trip to bring to your classroom, here are a few to investigate:
Giant Panda Cam at the Smithsonian National Zoo: Watch Bao Li and Qing Bao–the two new Giant Pandas at Smithsonian’s National Zoo–as they explore their indoor and outdoor habitats at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat. The Giant Panda Cam is live from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET daily. After 7 p.m., the cam feed will switch to a pre-recorded view of the last 12 hours.
The Superpower of Story: A Virtual Field Trip to Warner Bros. Studios: Students will go behind the scenes on an exclusive virtual field trip to DC Comics headquarters at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California!.They’ll step into the world of legendary superheroes and blockbuster films, uncovering the secrets of how stories evolve from bold ideas to iconic comics to jaw-dropping live-action spectacles on the big screen. Along the way, they’ll hear from the creative minds who shape the DC Universe and get an insider’s look at the magic that brings their favorite characters to life.
Mount Vernon: Students can enter different buildings and click on highlighted items or areas for explanations about their significance or what they were used for.
Arctic Adventures: Polar Bears at Play Virtual Field Trip: Do polar bears play? The LEGO Group’s sustainability team, Polar Bears International, and Discovery Education travel to Churchill Manitoba and the Polar Frontier habitat at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in search of polar bears at play. Students will meet polar bears and play experts and uncover how arctic animals use play to learn just like humans, while inspiring students to use their voice to change their planet for the better.
The Manhattan Project: Join The National WWII Museum for a cross-country virtual expedition to discover the science, sites, and stories of the creation of the atomic bomb. Student reporters examine the revolutionary science of nuclear energy in the Museum’s exhibits and the race to produce an atomic weapon in complete secrecy.
The Anne Frank House in VR: Explore the hiding place of Anne Frank and her family in virtual reality using the Anne Frank House VR app. The app provides a very special view into the Secret Annex where Anne Frank and the seven other people hid during WWII. In the VR app, all of the rooms in the Secret Annex are furnished according to how it was when occupied by the group in hiding, between 1942 and 1944.
Night Navigators: Build for Bats Virtual Field Trip: Join Discovery Education, the LEGO Group’s Social Responsibility Team, and Bat Conservation International as we travel across Texas and Florida in search of bat habitats. Students will meet play experts as they explore how these nighttime pollinators use play to learn and discover the critical role of bats in protecting farmers’ crops from pests and what we can do to help bats thrive.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
Two years ago, I was invited to deliver a course at a prestigious management school abroad. Though hesitant at first, I accepted the opportunity to do what turned out to be one of my most rewarding teaching experiences. I taught a group of students unlike any I had taught over the span of my long teaching experience in diverse settings and institutions.
The students portrayed an exceptional level of behavioral engagement. This surprised me since I had never seen them before, and I was new to them. I had not had the chance to establish any social or emotional bonds with them. I could see them taking their own notes during the lessons, never asking me for my slides, a common practice among other students I have taught. They would work on the assigned tasks in class and use their time efficiently. Assigned homework was always completed without me having to send them reminders. When I gave a break during a session, many would open books and read until the class resumed.
It happened that my class was interrupted by the New Year’s one-day holiday. I asked the class after the holiday to think of a new year’s resolution, and to my surprise, a handful of students said that they intended to increase the number of books they would read in the coming year.
At the end of my visit, I left those students and went back home to my regular educational setting. I found myself reflecting on my own recent experience. In my setting, most teachers I work with grapple with the challenge of engaging their students in their learning; thus, they work hard on providing students with incentives and support to stay on tasks, contribute to their groups, and complete their assigned work. I know that many of those teachers designed very good learning experiences and tried to accommodate their students’ needs, yet they did not observe the engagement they hoped for.
This contrast raised several questions:
What are we missing as educators when it comes to student engagement?
Are the challenges related to the curriculum, the school, or the larger context extending beyond the school to the home and society?
Is it the collective perception toward education a factor in fostering student engagement? Have educators and parents been able to help students understand the bigger meaning behind their school experiences and tasks?
Have we been able to help them make the connection between these tasks and their reality?
Has the system taken these into considerations when designing the educational curricula?
Talking about relating learning experiences to real life brings to my attention how this group of young management students integrated their academic knowledge with their online profiles. Many connected with me on LinkedIn, where I have been seeing them share deep reflections and insights from their studies. Although they are still in their early years of their university studies, they express their opinions and stand as though they are experts in their field. They report on activities they engage in related to what they study and reflect on what they encounter and experience. They provide bulleted lists of advice and practice. Reading their posts, I see these students already can foretell their placement in life after they graduate and are acting accordingly. This could be a reason why they embrace schoolwork and engage with it willingly.
I end with two incidents from my visit that resonate with me. For one of the assessments, I conducted an online, objective-type quiz, consisting mainly of multiple-choice questions. The class speed in which the students submitted their responses led me to think they had worked collectively on a WhatsApp group. When I raised this concern, one student who seemed offended assured me that they would not do such a thing. This claim was validated when I graded the final exam, a rigorous three-hour subjective type of exam. The class average was an impressive A.
The second incident was when I asked the class for feedback on my teaching, as I usually do towards the end of a semester. One student advised me: “Next time you teach here, be tougher on students. We are used to working hard, and we can handle it.” I had never heard of anything similar from a student; on the contrary I have students who often request reduced workload and extended deadlines.
Reflecting on this experience, I believe the following can be considered as main takeaways for educators:
Design meaningful learning experiences: The type of learning experiences we design for our students should relate to their realities and be meaningful and to where the students see themselves later in life
Recognize the multifaceted nature of engagement: Student engagement is not necessarily the product of the teacher’s efforts but a myriad of aspects including the curriculum, perceptions, school and culture.
Allow students’ voices: Listening to the students’ voices provides us with a lot of tips on how we can improve the learning experiences for them and attend to what they think they need help with.
Foster student accountability: There are ways to help students be accountable to their own actions and to behave responsibly towards their learning
Cultivate academic integrity: academic integrity can be achieved effortlessly when students are interested in what they do and understand the positive impact of their learning on their lives.
Amal Farhat has experience in teaching and instructional coaching at K-12 schools and higher education. She has worked in the private and public sectors. Her interests mainly pertain to the development of professional learning communities through positive, constructive interactions among stakeholders of an institution. In higher education, she taught in the Faculty of Letters and Humanities and Faculty of Education. Additionally, she works as a teaching and learning specialist supporting faculty members with their teaching practices. Amal holds a PhD in education from the Doctoral Institute at Lebanese University, a counseling in pedagogy diploma from St. Joseph University, and is CAEL (Certificate in Advanced Education Leadership) certified from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Lumio by SMART Technologies, a cloud-based learning platform that enhances engagement on student devices, recently announced a new feature for its Spark plan. This new offering integrates AI Assist, an advanced tool designed to save teachers time and elevate student engagement through AI-generated quiz-based activities and assessments.
Designing effective quizzes takes time—especially when crafting well-balanced multiple-choice questions with plausible wrong answers to encourage critical thinking. AI Assist streamlines this process, generating high-quality quiz questions at defined levels in seconds so teachers can focus on engaging their students rather than spending time on quiz creation.
More News from eSchool News
HVAC projects to improve indoor air quality. Tutoring programs for struggling students. Tuition support for young people who want to become teachers in their home communities.
Almost 3 in 5 K-12 educators (55 percent) have positive perceptions about GenAI, despite concerns and perceived risks in its adoption, according to updated data from Cengage Group’s “AI in Education” research series.
Our school has built up its course offerings without having to add headcount. Along the way, we’ve also gained a reputation for having a wide selection of general and advanced courses for our growing student body.
When it comes to visual creativity, AI tools let students design posters, presentations, and digital artwork effortlessly. Students can turn their ideas into professional-quality visuals, sparking creativity and innovation.
Ensuring that girls feel supported and empowered in STEM from an early age can lead to more balanced workplaces, economic growth, and groundbreaking discoveries.
In my work with middle school students, I’ve seen how critical that period of development is to students’ future success. One area of focus in a middle schooler’s development is vocabulary acquisition.
For students, the mid-year stretch is a chance to assess their learning, refine their decision-making skills, and build momentum for the opportunities ahead.
Middle school marks the transition from late childhood to early adolescence. Developmental psychologist Erik Erikson describes the transition as a shift from the Industry vs. Inferiority stage into the Identity vs. Role Confusion stage.
Art has a unique power in the ESL classroom–a magic that bridges cultures, ignites imagination, and breathes life into language. For English Language Learners (ELLs), it’s more than an expressive outlet.
In the year 2025, no one should have to be convinced that protecting data privacy matters. For education institutions, it’s really that simple of a priority–and that complicated.
Charlotte, NC —Discovery Education, the creators of essential K-12 learning solutions used in classrooms around the world, today announced a host of exciting product updates during a special virtual event led by the company’s Chief Product Officer Pete Weir. Based on feedback from the company’s school-based partners, these updates make teaching and learning even more relevant, engaging, and personalized for users of Discovery Education products.
Among the enhancements made to Discovery Education Experience, the essential companion for engaged K-12 classrooms that inspires teachers and motivates students, are: teachers and motivates students, are:
Improved Personalized Recommendations for Teachers: With thousands of resources in Experience, there is something for every classroom. The new Core Curriculum Complements feature in Experience automatically surfaces engaging resources handpicked to enhance school systems’ core curriculum, simplifying lesson planning and ensuring tight alignment with district priorities. Additionally, Experience now offers educators Personalized Content Recommendations. These content suggestions made to individual teachers are based on their unique profiles and preferences, or what is frequently used by other educators like them.
An Enhanced AI-Powered Assessment Tool: Originally launched in 2024, this tool is the first in a new suite of AI-powered teaching tools currently under development, and it empowers educators to create high-quality assessments using vetted resources right from within Experience. Educators can now more easily customize assessments according to reading level, question type, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and more – ensuring optimal learning experiences for students. Educators can also review and tailor the questions and, once ready, export those questions into a variety of formats.
A New Career Exploration Tool for All Discovery Education Experience Users: Career Connect – the award-winning tool that connects K-12 classrooms with real industry professionals – is now accessible to all Discovery Education Experience users. With this new feature, classrooms using Experience can directly connect to the professionals, innovations, and skills of today’s workforce. Furthermore, Experience is now delivering a variety of new career pathway resources, virtual field trips, and career profiles – building career awareness, inviting exploration, and helping students prepare for their future.
A newly enhanced Instructional Strategy Library: To elevate instruction and better support teachers, Discovery Education has enhanced its one-stop-spot for strategies supporting more engaging, efficient, and effective teaching. The improved Instructional Strategy Library streamlines the way educators find and use popular, research-backed instructional strategies and professional learning supports and provides connected model lessons and activities.
Also announced today were a host of improvements to DreamBox Math by Discovery Education. DreamBox Math offers adaptive, engaging, and scaffolded lessons that adjust in real time to personalize learning so that students can build confidence and skills at their own pace. Among the new improvements to DreamBox Math are:
Major Lesson Updates: Based on teacher feedback, Discovery Education’s expert curriculum team has updated DreamBox Math’s most popular lessons to make them easier for students to start, play, and complete successfully. Students will now encounter lessons with updated scaffolding, enhanced visuals, greater interactivity, and added context to ground mathematical concepts in the curriculum and the world they live in.
A New Look for Middle School: Middle school students will encounter a more vibrantly colored and upgraded user interface featuring a reorganized Lesson Chooser whose intuitive design makes it easy to identify teacher-assigned lessons from their personalized lesson options. Additional updates will follow throughout the year.
New Interactive Curriculum Guide: Discovery Education has strengthened the link between DreamBox Math and school systems’ core instruction with an Interactive Curriculum Guide. Educators can now explore the breadth and scope of DreamBox content by grade and standard to locate, preview, and play lessons, increasing familiarity with lessons, and enhancing targeted instruction. The DreamBox Math team will continue to make updates to standards and curriculum alignments throughout the year.
To watch a replay of today’s special event in its entirety, and to learn about additional updates to Discovery Education’s suite of K-12 solutions, visit this link.
“Discovery Education understands teachers’ sense of urgency about closing the achievement gaps highlighted by recent NAEP scores,” said Pete Weir, Discovery Education’s Chief Product Officer. “In response, we accelerated the development and deployment of what has traditionally been our ‘Back-to-School’ product enhancements. The stakes for our students have never been higher, and Discovery Education is dedicated to putting the highest-quality, most effective resources into teachers and students’ hands as soon as possible.”
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) recently announced that it has become the new steward of Engaging Schools’ extensive body of educational resources. With Engaging Schools set to close in early 2025 after more than four decades of impact, CASEL will ensure the organization’s valuable tools, books, and frameworks remain available to educators worldwide.
As part of this transition, CASEL is making these resources freely accessible to the public. Over time, CASEL will integrate elements of Engaging Schools’ work into several areas including the free Guide for Schoolwide SEL to further advance high-quality, evidence-based SEL implementation in schools and districts.
“For more than 40 years, Engaging Schools has helped educators create safe and supportive learning environments where students thrive,” said Aaliyah A. Samuel, president and CEO of CASEL. “We are honored to carry forward their legacy by making these resources widely available and embedding them into our work to create school communities that prioritize academic, social, and emotional development.”
Engaging Schools has long been recognized for its contributions to fostering inclusive school climates, strengthening restorative and equitable discipline, and advancing engaging teaching practices.
“We take immense pride in the lasting impact of Engaging Schools’ work,” said Larry Dieringer, Executive Director of Engaging Schools. “Though our organization’s chapter is closing, we are deeply grateful to CASEL for ensuring our resources continue to benefit educators and students for years to come.”
For more than 30 years, CASEL has been a trusted leader in advancing SEL through research, practice, and policy. By integrating Engaging Schools’ resources into its offerings, CASEL reaffirms its commitment to supporting educators with the tools they need to create engaging, inclusive, and academically rich learning environments.
Kevin is a forward-thinking media executive with more than 25 years of experience building brands and audiences online, in print, and face to face. He is an acclaimed writer, editor, and commentator covering the intersection of society and technology, especially education technology. You can reach Kevin at KevinHogan@eschoolnews.com
Co-Authored By Aaliyah Lee-Raji, Amadis Canizales, Amaiya Peterson, Andrew Stillwell, Anessa Mayorga, Aniyah Campbell, A’niyah Leather, Anna Fleeman, Brookelyn Vivas, Cassandra Mathieu, Christian Bennett, Clio Chatelain, Daniel Abernethy, Fatoumata Sow, India Davis, Isabella Maiello, Jazmine Collins, Jennifer Sanchez-Martinez, Joseph Stauffer, Karlee Howard, Kaylee Japak, Keanell Tonny, Kristian Isom, Leonardo Pisa, Mackenzie Lemus, Maddox Wreski, Madelyn Beasley, and Saverio Consolazio
In higher education, one of the greatest challenges is getting students not only engaged in learning but also excited about research. An equally pressing issue is navigating the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the teaching and learning space. This semester, I aimed to tackle both by teaching a psychology of wellness class that integrated the principles of positive psychology with the use of AI tools. During the two-week module on positive psychology, I wanted students to experience research and writing as positive and engaging activities. I floated the idea of co-authoring an article on student wellness from their perspective, incorporating the responsible use of AI, fostering a passion for research, and ensuring that the process was enjoyable.
Here is how the project unfolded:
Day 1: Setting the Stage for Collaborative Writing
The project began by gauging student interest in co-authoring an article on student wellness. I asked those who wanted front-facing credit and authorship acknowledgment to text me their consent and indicate if they would be comfortable with their photo(s) being included. Importantly, students had the option to opt-out at any time if they felt uncomfortable with the direction of the article. I was fortunate because a large majority of the students showed a genuine interest in this assignment.
To kick off the project, I used ChatGPT to generate an outline based on positive psychology as aligned with the textbook chapters and student-led ideas and topics. The students were then divided into groups, where each group received a dedicated workspace in our learning management system, D2L. Each group selected a predetermined subtopic to focus on, and I tasked them with using ChatGPT to generate 20 ideas on that subtopic. From those 20 ideas, the groups narrowed it down to three, which they discussed in detail, considering both research-based and personal experiences. Each group member took notes to guide the next stage of the project.
Day 2: Mind Mapping and Cross-Pollination of Ideas
On the second day, students were given poster paper and markers to create mind maps of their ideas and help gain clarity on their discussions from the previous day. Each group placed their chosen topic at the center of the mind map and organized the associated ideas around it. The mind mapping exercise allowed students to visually connect their thoughts and discussions from day one.
One member from each group was nominated to circulate among the other groups, engaging in discussions about each team’s subsection of the article. This not only gave students a broader perspective on how their topics related to the overarching theme of student wellness but also facilitated the flow of information between teams. After gathering input from other teams, the group representative brought the new insights back to their original group, enhancing their understanding of their own topic and how it fit into the larger article. To ensure continuity, students took photos of their mind maps, which would later serve as guides for the writing process.
Day 3: Writing and Research Alignment
On the third day, each group was tasked with creating a document that contained a minimum of five references, with each group member responsible for contributing at least one reference. The document consisted of chunks of article drafts accompanied by their respective references. Students were asked to align these references with the ideas discussed during the earlier sessions and integrate them into their mind maps. Next, students took 15 minutes individually within a shared Google doc to write about their subsection, drawing from their mind maps and class discussions. This individual writing time allowed students to consolidate their thoughts and begin crafting their portion of the collaborative article.
Day 4: Ethical Use of AI in the Writing Process
The fourth day focused on ethical AI usage. We began with a discussion on how students had been using AI tools like ChatGPT and how they envisioned using any type of AI tools in the creation of this article. Together, we created an AI disclosure statement, agreeing on how AI would be used during the editing phase.
We explored specific AI prompts that could enhance their writing, including:
“Rephrase for clarity.”
“Organize this paragraph for the introduction, summary, or conclusion.”
“Give me a starting sentence for this paragraph.”
These prompts were designed to guide students in using AI as a tool to enhance clarity and organization rather than relying on it to write the content.
Day 5: Final Writing and Cohesive Editing
On the final day, students returned to their group documents and spent 15 minutes revising their sections. Afterward, they worked together to co-edit the document without the use of AI, striving to make the article more cohesive and polished. Finally, we revisited the agreed-upon AI prompts, and students were given the option to use AI only when they felt it was necessary for tasks like rephrasing sentences or organizing paragraphs.
The project culminated in a completed article on student wellness, co-authored by students and enhanced by responsible AI usage. The collaborative process not only demystified research and writing but also empowered students to see these activities as positive, engaging, and enjoyable experiences.
Takeaways From This Teaching Experience
The AI writing project was a valuable learning experience for the students, as it incorporated individual and collaborative learning elements alongside technology-based approaches. Reflecting on this experience, I have identified several key takeaways to carry forward into the new semester of teaching and learning.
The Importance of Throwback Learning Experience: Something Familiar Traditional tools like markers and poster boards remain essential in fostering cohesion, socialization, and competence-building. These activities encouraged students to engage in discussions and create visual representations of their ideas, which helped build their confidence and reinforce the collaborative process.
Starting With Original Ideas Matters Students benefited from discussing their ideas within the context of originality before integrating AI-generated content. Generative AI poses a potential threat to originality, emphasizing the need for human thought, discussion, and creativity to provide a benchmark for comparing the quality and intentionality of AI contributions.
Clear Parameters and Prompts Are Essential Defining the role of AI in the writing process was critical for success. Many students initially viewed AI as a tool for producing entire works. By discussing the parameters beforehand, it became clear that AI was to be used to supplement and enhance cohesion rather than replace the creative process.
The Importance of Prompt Development Students gained a growing understanding of the importance of crafting effective prompts for AI. Recognizing how prompts influence AI outputs is a crucial skill that was previously underdeveloped in many students. Moving forward, this skill will be vital as they navigate the intersection of human creativity and AI assistance.
Final Thoughts
Developing effective AI prompts is a pivotal skill that empowers students to use AI intentionally and meaningfully in their learning. A well-crafted prompt acts as the foundation for generating accurate, relevant, and cohesive responses, highlighting the importance of clarity, specificity, and purpose in the initial instructions given to the AI. By understanding how to formulate prompts, students can better harness the potential of AI to support their ideas, enhance their creativity, and improve the quality of their work without relying on AI to replace their original contributions.
This skill also encourages critical thinking, as students must evaluate the type of input needed to achieve a desired outcome, troubleshoot issues in responses, and refine their prompts for better results. Moreover, it aligns with the broader need for digital literacy in education, preparing students to interact responsibly and effectively with technology in academic, professional, and personal contexts.
Lastly, incorporating intentional AI use into teaching strategies ensures that students not only learn how to use these tools but also understand their limitations and ethical considerations. By balancing traditional methods, which foster originality and human connection, with innovative technologies like AI, educators can create a holistic learning environment that values both creativity and technological fluency. This balance will be crucial as AI continues to play an increasingly integral role in education and beyond.
Dr. Courtney Plotts’ students in class.A snapshot of the students’ work.
Special Note of Pride: I would like to note that this group of students worked on this project during class and completed this while two natural disasters accrued, power outages, remote and in person learning and did a great job considering the circumstances. I am so proud of each of them! We originally had bigger visions for the project but due to weather we had to make some changes to the plan!
Freshman College Students’ Advice to Peers for Health & Wellness in 2025
The new year always comes with the possibility of change and growth. As students, much of our growth focus is academics and learning-based. Being academically successful isn’t an easy task. Student wellbeing is an important factor in the learning process (Frazier & Doyle-Fosco, 2024). And for most of us, throwing ourselves into our studies and homework can come with negative side effects like burnout, stress, and decreased mood and motivation. But being successful doesn’t have to come at the risk of your mental health. In our view, academic success means more than good grades and knowledge. Although you may have gone through something last year, or are still going through it now, it doesn’t have to affect you in a negative way. There is so much more that goes into being successful. Success requires dedication, consistency, self-care, and a positive mindset. But for many of us a positive mind set is hard to come by.
The Collective Obstacle
The average age of our class is 19.7 years of age. We have lived with social media all of our lives. A lot of voices have imparted information. Some good, some not so good. The negativity that is readily accessible on social media can lead to negative self-talk. “Negative self-talk refers to your inner voice making critical, negative, or punishing comments. These are the pessimistic, mean-spirited, or unfairly critical thoughts that go through your head when you are making judgements about yourself” (Scott, 2023). Negative self-talk can be detrimental to your psychological well-being. It can really bring you down after you do it for too long. Negative self-talk can also induce stress, depression, and relationship problems. How you can start to believe the negative self-talk: you can start to believe negative self-talk after a while of you doing it. The more you start to tell yourself you can’t do something, the more you’ll start to believe it.
The effects of positive self-talk are the opposite of negative self-talk. It will improve your mental health, can reduce stress, lessen depression, and improve relationships. This not only impacts academics, but other aspects of life. To minimize negative self-talk, you can catch your inner critic when it’s happening and change your thinking to think more positive thoughts, remember that thoughts are not facts, contain your negativity, shift your perspective, think like a friend, or other trusted advisors.
Two Positive Ideas to Embrace in 2025
Two ideas to embrace in the new year that can jumpstart your positivity are evaluating how you think about failure and the control of your future. Failure is an inevitable part of life, but it is through our setbacks that we find opportunities for growth and success. How we respond to failure matters more than the failure itself, and cultivating a mindset of optimism is key to overcoming challenges (Hilppö & Stevens, 2020). Optimism, combined with grit—the perseverance and passion to achieve long-term goals—forms the foundation for a positive and resilient lifestyle. Together, these qualities enable us to turn obstacles into stepping stones and approach life’s difficulties with determination and hope. Think of failures as learning opportunities. Think about the knowledge you gain from hindsight when thinking about failure.
Additionally, understanding the distinction between what we can and cannot control is crucial for maintaining positivity and health (Pourhoseinzadeh, Gheibizadeh,& Moradikalboland, Cheraghian, 2017). Accepting that not everything is within our power allows us to shift our focus to areas where we can make a difference and grow from the experience. Remaining positive during challenging situations and remembering the aspects we can influence help us navigate adversity with a constructive mindset. It’s also important to respect that some factors are beyond our control and may happen for reasons we do not yet understand. By seeking to understand why certain things are outside our control, we can cultivate acceptance and use these moments as opportunities for reflection and personal growth.
The Importance of Health Communication in 2025
Healthy communication is critical to positive personal growth. Asking open-ended questions is important when engaging in meaningful communication because it ensures that there are no assumptions being made. One researcher found that assumptions “lead to consistent and unnecessary community failures” (Macrae, 2018, p.5). Additionally, healthy communication can build true connections among people and better understanding. Also, avoiding assumptions is a way to stay present in the moment allowing you to determine if there is genuine interest in the conversation. Most importantly, health aspects of communication like listening, reflecting, and pausing encourage new thinking and can develop new ideas just about anything.
In addition to healthy communication, think about sharing more of your experiences with peers. Starting from a place of curiosity and health, inquire about someone’s well-being. You can start with a simple phrase like “Are you ok?” Or be ready and willing to share your own personal experience when the time is right. Not only can this help someone else but sharing your story can also help you process what you have been through. Sharing and listening to each other’s experiences can show understanding and help you feel more willing to share now and in the future. Understanding and being present is a power combination for communication.
Lastly, remember that relationships are complex. Whether parental, academic, or personal, everyone has their relationships challenges. One tactic to strengthen relationships is humor. Remember to laugh and enjoy life and the people around you. Most people forget about light heartedness and humor, and how humor can help strengthen and resolve issues within a relationship. Humor can improve the quality of relationships by reducing the stress, tension, and anxiety of the people within the relationship. This effect can only occur if humor is used respectfully in relationships. When used right, humor also can create a more comfortable relationship with less anxiety and sadness for those in it. It’s ok to laugh—even in challenging times.
Summary
A positive mindset is the root of achieving any goal you put your mind to. As a collective voice, we hope the information we shared is valuable information. Our goal was to share meaningful information for your new year and new journey in 2025. As students, we fully understand the importance of mental health, especially because all of us experienced covid at some of the most challenging times of our lives. We hope this information helps you in the new year as much as it helped us learn and grow. Remember to stay happy, healthy, and safe in the new year and think positive!
Dr. Courtney Plotts is a Dynamic Keynote Speaker, Author, and Professor. Dr. Plotts is the National Chair of the Council For At-Risk Student Education and Professional Standards, the country’s only organization that provides standards for working with marginalized and nontraditional students in Kindergarten to College. Her role as National Chair includes training, consulting, and research. Her subject matter expertise has been used in a variety of book publications. Most recently “Small Teaching Online” By Flower Darby with James M. Lang published in June 2019. Dr. Plotts was recognized in 2017 by the California State Legislature for a bold commitment to change in education. She is currently in talks with higher education institutions to launch an institute that focuses on diversity and best practices in online teaching spaces to launch in 2021.
References
Frazier, T., & Doyle Fosco, S. L. (2024). Nurturing positive mental health and wellbeing in educational settings – the PRICES model. Frontiers in public health, 11, 1287532. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.12875
Hilppö, J., & Stevens, R. (2020). “Failure is just another try”: Re-framing failure in school through the FUSE studio approach. International Journal of Educational Research, 99, 101494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.101494
Macrae, C. (2018). When no news is bad news: Communication failures and the hidden assumptions that threaten safety. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 111(1), 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076817738503
Pourhoseinzadeh, M., Gheibizadeh, M., & Moradikalboland, M., Cheraghian, B. (2017). The Relationship between Health Locus of Control and Health Behaviors in Emergency Medicine Personnel. International journal of community based nursing and midwifery, 5(4), 397–407.
More than half of science teachers believe the most important value of science education is how it contributes to students’ curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity, according to a new report from LEGO Education. But are today’s students truly engaging with science education?
LEGO Education’s State of Classroom Engagement Report: Science Edition surveyed more than 6,000 global teachers, parents, students, and U.S. administrators to gather data that can offer insight to support educators as they strive to engage their students in science learning.
Science learning builds life skills students will use even if they do not pursue the science in college or as a career. It also increases student engagement and well-being, but here’s the catch: Students have to feel connected to the material in order to build these skills.
Just over half of global science teachers say their students are engaged in science, which points to a critical need to boost engagement in the subject, according to the report. Interestingly, students say they are more engaged in science than they are in school overall. Only one-third of teachers worldwide indicate that their students are engaged in the classroom. Schools could leverage students’ interest in science to build schoolwide engagement–a key factor tied to student well-being.
When students aren’t engaged in science, what’s behind that lack of engagement? Often, they’re intimidated before they even learn the material, and they assume the topics are too challenging. Students lose confidence before they even try. Of students who say science is their least-favorite topic, 45 percent say science is too hard and 37 percent say they are bad at science. What’s more, 77 percent of global teachers say they believe students struggle because of complex concepts and curricula, and they’re searching for for impactful resources that support every student’s success.
“If students think they’re not good at the subject or avoid it, we risk losing an entire generation of innovators and problem solvers,” said Victor Saeijs, president of LEGO Education, in the report.
How can educators reach students who struggle to engage with science? Hands-on science learning is the key to piquing student curiosity, prompting them to engage with learning material and build confidence as they explore science concepts. Sixty-two percent of science teachers say hands-on activities drive student engagement in science. Seventy-five percent of science teachers who do incorporate hands-on activities believe this approach leads to higher test scores and grades.
More students need access to hands-on science learning. Only 55 percent of students say they regularly get hands-on experiences–these experiences usually require extra time and resources to plan and execute. Eighty-two percent of science teachers say they need more ways to teach science with play and hands-on methods.
Having access to hands-on science learning experiences increases students’ confidence, giving them the boost they often need to tackle increasingly tough-to-learn concepts:
73 percent of students with access to hands-on learning opportunities report feeling confident in science
Just 52 percent of students who do not have access to hands-on learning report feeling confident in science
Hands-on experiences in science drive:
Learning outcomes: 71 percent of science teachers who incorporate hands-on, playful learning believe the methodology supports higher test scores and grades
Engagement for all learners: 84 percent of U.S. teachers and 87 percent of administrators think that hands-on experiences help all types of learners engage with science concepts
Love of science: 63 percent of students who love science credit their passion to regular hands-on experiences
Confidence: 79 percent of students who have hands-on science experiences are confident in the subject
Administrators and science teachers are short on time and need hands-on tools and resources to quickly engage students in learning:
59 percent of U.S. administrators and 54 percent of science teachers say they need more tools to engage students in science
Nearly one-third of U.S. students do not get hands-on science experiences.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
Imagine this: You assign your students a writing prompt, and while some eagerly begin crafting their stories, others stare at the blank page, muttering, “I have nothing to write,” or “I can’t think of a story.” For English Language Learners (ELLs), this scenario is even more daunting due to limited vocabulary or fear of making mistakes. In fact, studies show that a lack of confidence and linguistic resources often prevents ELLs from fully engaging in creative writing, despite their rich cultural and personal experiences.
As educators, we constantly seek ways to help students overcome these barriers. Enter artificial intelligence (AI)–a powerful tool that transforms storytelling into an accessible and engaging experience for every student. By integrating AI into storytelling, we can empower students to generate ideas, build confidence, and create compelling narratives, all while developing their language skills.
Getting started: Using AI to spark creativity
A simple and engaging way to introduce AI in storytelling is by using a writing prompt and generating an example story opening with ChatGPT. For instance, you might ask: “Write the opening to a mysterious story about an abandoned lighthouse.”
ChatGPT could respond: “The wind howled through the cracks of the abandoned lighthouse, carrying whispers of secrets long forgotten. The light, extinguished for decades, seemed to flicker faintly as if trying to tell a story no one had yet heard.”
Students can take this opening and continue the story in their own words, expanding the scene, introducing new characters, or creating a plot twist. This method not only sparks creativity but also provides ELLs with a scaffold, building their confidence to dive into storytelling.
To bring their stories to life, students can use AI image generators like DALL-E or tools like Canva to create visuals matching their narratives. For example, they could create an eerie image of the abandoned lighthouse with flickering light and stormy skies. This connection between words and visuals reinforces comprehension and engages students in the storytelling process.
The final step is sharing stories and visuals with the class. Presenting their work allows students to practice speaking, gain confidence, and showcase their creativity.
How AI enhances storytelling
AI tools offer unique opportunities to support ELLs in their storytelling journey. When students struggle to come up with ideas, tools like ChatGPT can provide engaging prompts and vivid descriptions to spark creativity. For example, a student might request a description of a magical forest and receive a response like: “A forest bathed in golden sunlight, where trees tower like ancient guardians and the air shimmers with tiny, glowing orbs.” Such detailed imagery can inspire students to dive into their stories with greater confidence.
In addition to idea generation, AI tools help expand students’ vocabulary. ELLs can use AI to explore synonyms or alternative ways to describe scenes, enriching their language repertoire.
For instance, if a student wants to avoid repeating the word “beautiful,” the AI might suggest options like “stunning,” “captivating,” or “breathtaking,” enabling more nuanced and expressive writing.
Visual storytelling is another area where AI shines. Tools like DALL-E or Adobe Express allow students to create images that align with their narratives, making their stories come to life. For example, a student writing about a mysterious glowing orb could generate a corresponding image, blending creative thinking with visual artistry.
Once students have drafted their stories, AI-based writing assistants like Grammarly can help refine their grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. This process encourages independence and self-correction, teaching students to identify and address their mistakes while improving the overall clarity and polish of their work.
Interactive platforms like Twine take storytelling to a new level by enabling students to create “choose your own adventure” narratives. For example, students might create a mystery where readers decide whether to follow a shadowy figure or stay hidden, leading to different outcomes. This fosters critical thinking and collaboration as students craft branching storylines and engage in problem-solving to connect various plot points.
Classroom example: AI in action
In a Grade 8 ESL classroom, students were given the prompt: “Write about a strange object you find buried in your backyard.” After brainstorming ideas with ChatGPT, one student created a story about a glowing orb that transported them to another dimension. They used DALL-E to generate an image of the orb, and Twine to develop a branching narrative where the reader decides whether to touch the orb or call for help. The result was an immersive storytelling experience that combined creativity with critical thinking.
By incorporating AI tools, students not only created more engaging stories but also developed their language skills in a meaningful and enjoyable way.
Making storytelling accessible and engaging
Using AI in storytelling doesn’t just overcome barriers; it transforms the experience for students. Visual elements and interactivity keep learners engaged, while tools for grammar and vocabulary improvement build confidence. For ELLs, AI provides scaffolding and encouragement to take creative risks and express themselves authentically.
Guiding responsible AI use
While AI opens doors to creativity, teaching students to use these tools responsibly is essential.
Students need to understand the concept of AI “hallucinations,” where AI generates inaccurate or entirely fabricated information. For instance, an AI might describe a historical event inaccurately or create a fictional fact that seems plausible. Educators should teach students to verify AI-generated information with reliable sources.
Equally important is teaching students how to craft clear and specific prompts. For example, instead of asking, “What happens in a story?” they might ask, “Can you suggest a story idea about a character who solves a mystery in a small town?”
Modeling this process helps students see how precise wording yields better results. Encouraging critical thinking is also crucial. Teachers can create opportunities for students to analyze AI-generated content by asking: “Does this make sense? Is it accurate? Can I verify it elsewhere?” Such discussions help students see AI as a helpful tool, but not an infallible one.
Students should also learn that AI is a partner in creativity, not a replacement for their original thinking. They must guide the AI, evaluate its outputs, and make creative decisions to ensure their work remains authentically theirs. Additionally, students should be encouraged to credit AI-generated content appropriately to foster ethical use.
Conclusion
Storytelling is a cornerstone of language learning, offering ELLs opportunities to build vocabulary, practice grammar, and express their ideas. With AI, the storytelling process becomes more accessible, engaging, and impactful. From generating prompts to creating visuals and refining drafts, AI supports students in overcoming challenges and discovering the joy of storytelling.
By integrating AI tools responsibly, educators empower every student to find their voice and share their unique stories with confidence. In the intersection of creativity and technology, AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we teach and learn storytelling
Nesren El-Baz, ESL Educator
Nesren El-Baz is an ESL educator with over 20 years of experience, and is a certified bilingual teacher with a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. El-Baz is currently based in the UK, holds a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Houston Christian University, and specializes in developing in innovative strategies for English Learners and Bilingual education.
Latest posts by eSchool Media Contributors (see all)
Augmented reality (AR) is part of our daily lives, making everyday tasks easier, safer, and more interactive. However, its greatest potential may lie in education, opening new doors for engaging students through hands-on learning.
Most people use augmented reality every day without realizing it. Features like “See this in your room” at major online retailers let users visualize furniture in their space before buying, while backup cameras in cars overlay guidelines to help drivers reverse and park safely. These applications seamlessly blend the digital with the real, providing extra context to inform decisions and deepen understanding.
Now, imagine a student struggling with ratios — a common challenge because ratios require proportional reasoning and dimensional analysis, abstract skills that can be difficult to visualize.
Like “See this in your room”, what if an augmented reality app presented the student with a virtual kitchen counter on their desk, stocked with ingredients for trail mix? The student must mix the correct proportions of raw nuts, raw seeds, and dried fruit, adjusting quantities as they go. Bonus: No mess and no actual cooking. It only requires a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
This fun, real-world approach helps students learn challenging concepts through play and interaction. It’s one of many activities in McGraw Hill AR, a free app from McGraw Hill, a leading global education company.
Sean Ryan
President, McGraw Hill School
“Immersive technology has the potential to make previously out-of-reach knowledge accessible for any learner,” said Sean Ryan, president of McGraw Hill’s School Group. “McGraw Hill AR will be a game-changer for teachers, particularly in math and science, where the detailed, interactive learning experiences will spark students’ curiosity and drive them to dive into the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of complex, abstract concepts.”
Coordinate PlaneIndustrial RevolutionCirculatory System
Reaching students across subjects, languages, and platforms
Yes, the app is really free. McGraw Hill builds the app in partnership with Verizon Innovative Learning. This educational initiative seeks to help bridge the digital divide with a goal of providing digital skills training to 10 million students by 2030.
To help reach those students, the app has a growing library across math, science, and social studies, with plans to add English Language Arts in 2025. It’s available in the App Store and Google Play Store. For students learning on Chromebooks or laptops, there are 3D web-based versions at mharonline.com. All activities are available in Spanish. For educators and homeschoolers, content is standards-aligned with accompanying lesson plans and worksheets at verizon.com/learning.
By combining play with practical learning, McGraw Hill AR offers a new way to connect, engage, and learn.
Meet Maria. A recent high school graduate with her sights set on a career in web development, Maria surprised her family by choosing a six-month accelerated certificate program at a local community college over a traditional four-year computer science degree. Why? Because Maria, like many of today’s learners, prioritizes a fast track to career readiness, affordability and the flexibility to learn at her own pace. She’s not alone. This trend is playing out across the country, forcing institutions to rethink their approach to attracting and retaining students.
Maria’s story exemplifies the enrollment shift happening in higher education. Greg Clayton, the President of the EMS division of EducationDynamics says: “Higher education isn’t collapsing, it’s shifting. Schools must adapt to meet the evolving needs of today’s students or they will be left behind.” This shift is driven by a confluence of factors, from changing demographics to evolving student priorities and the rise of new technologies.
Changing How We Think About the Coming Enrollment Cliff
As we covered earlier this year in our blog post about the Enrollment Cliff, higher education is about to come up against a demographic shift that will impact first-year enrollment, starting with the Fall 2025 class. With this demographic “apocalypse” just on the horizon, all eyes and thoughts have been on what to do about a shrinking pool of 18-year-olds looking to start their first year of college.
However, as research from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC) indicates, we may be looking at an Enrollment Shift that is happening concurrently with the Enrollment Cliff. The latest NSC data for 2024 shows that while enrollment rose 3% overall for the Fall 2024 term over the Fall 2023 term, Fall enrollment for incoming freshmen is down across all institutions at an average of 5%. To be clear, we have not hit the Enrollment Cliff yet. The importance of this data cannot be overemphasized. If 18-year-olds are already considering waiting or taking alternate paths to the workforce and obtaining a degree, the demographic shift will hit that much harder, over a longer period of time.
Digging further into the data reveals even more startling numbers, which show larger shifts in enrollment trends based on economic background. Compared to Fall 2023 enrollment, institutions which have a high percentage of students utilizing Pell grants, the retraction for both publics and private non-profits is over 10%. From the students’ perspective, “middle” income households are also seeing the steepest decline, at 8%.
So what does this tell us? It is telling us that the background noise over the past 5-7 years regarding the cost of getting a degree, the methodology with which they are achieved and the career/economic outcomes afterward are absolutely being reflected by the decisions people are making who are most impacted by these economic realities. It is telling us that the current model is not working, it is unsustainable – it is untenable for the students and it is untenable for the schools that are supposed to support them. Match this massive regression in the market with the actual Enrollment Cliff and the numbers are more than startling. It is in the millions, compounded by each year of subsequent birth decline.
And what is making up for this loss in incoming freshmen? As we have stated before, it is being fueled by a surge in “non-traditional” students – adult learners, international students and those returning to college to upskill or reskill. These students bring with them a wealth of experience and a clear sense of purpose, but they also have unique needs and expectations. Institutions must be prepared to cater to this growing population by offering programs and services that align with their goals and lifestyles.
Furthermore, the “some college, no credential” (SCNC) population, now numbering 36.8 million, represents a significant opportunity for higher education institutions. Re-enrollment among this group increased by 9.1% in the 2022-2023 academic year, demonstrating a growing desire for continued education and career advancement. Reaching out to this population and providing clear pathways for degree completion can be a valuable strategy for boosting enrollment and serving a population eager to advance their careers.
It’s also important to recognize that age is no longer a predictor of learning modality. Many younger students, like Maria, are opting for part-time enrollment, online programs, or alternative credentials that offer a quicker path to employment. The Modern Learner, regardless of age, demands flexibility and relevance. They are digital natives, accustomed to accessing information and services online and they expect the same level of convenience and personalization from their educational experiences.
The Rising of the Modern Learner Era
To thrive in this new era, consider some of these strategies higher education institutions to adapt to the needs of the Modern Learner.
Offer Flexible Learning Options
Expand online and hybrid learning modalities to cater to students who need flexibility in their schedules and learning environment. Offer evening, weekend and accelerated programs to accommodate those balancing work and family commitments. Provide multiple start dates throughout the year to allow students to enroll when it’s convenient for them. Consider incorporating modalities like microlearning and self-paced learning to further cater to individual needs. Offer mobile-friendly learning platforms and resources to allow students to learn on the go.
Focus on Career Relevance
Develop programs that align with current and future workforce needs. Partner with employers to offer internships, apprenticeships and other work-based learning experiences that provide students with practical skills and industry connections. Embed industry-recognized certifications within degree programs to enhance their value and marketability. Actively promote career services, networking events and alumni mentorship programs to connect students with career opportunities. Conduct regular labor market analyses to ensure programs are aligned with current and emerging industry trends.
Make Education More Affordable
Increase the availability of scholarships and financial aid to help students manage the cost of education. Explore tuition discounts for employees of partner organizations to incentivize upskilling and reskilling. Promote tuition payment plans to make education more accessible to those with limited financial resources. Consider offering income-share agreements or other innovative financing models to align the cost of education with future earning potential. Provide clear and transparent information about tuition costs and financial aid options.
Provide Robust Student Support Services
Offer personalized academic advising and career counseling to help students navigate their educational journey and achieve their career goals. Provide support for students balancing work, family and other commitments, such as childcare resources, online tutoring and flexible scheduling options. Create a welcoming and inclusive campus environment where all students feel supported and valued. Offer mental health services, accessibility resources and dedicated support for diverse student populations, including first-generation students, veterans and students with disabilities.
Streamline the Transfer Credit Process
Implement a clear and transparent transfer credit policy to facilitate the seamless transfer of credits from other institutions. Adopt a generous policy on accepting transfer credits, recognizing the value of prior learning and experience. Provide dedicated support for SCNC students to help them navigate the re-enrollment process and complete their degrees. Consider implementing prior learning assessment (PLA) programs to grant credit for knowledge and skills acquired outside of the traditional classroom. Develop partnerships with community colleges and other institutions to create seamless transfer pathways.
Leverage Technology to Enhance the Student Experience
Use data analytics to personalize communication and support, tailoring messages and interventions to individual student needs. Implement user-friendly online platforms for course registration, financial aid and other services, making it easy for students to access information and complete tasks. Offer on-site chat options on school websites to provide immediate assistance and answer questions in real-time. Explore the use of AI-powered chatbots to provide 24/7 support and personalized guidance. Utilize virtual reality and augmented reality technologies to create immersive learning experiences.
Embracing the Enrollment Shift
The future of higher education depends on its ability to adapt to the evolving needs of the Modern Learner. Institutions that embrace flexibility, affordability, career relevance and student-centered approaches will be well-positioned for success.
It’s time to embrace the enrollment shift. By understanding the motivations and priorities of today’s students, higher education can evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. This requires a shift in mindset, from a focus on traditional models of education to a more agile, responsive and student-centric approach.
EducationDynamics is your partner in navigating this changing landscape. We provide the expertise and solutions you need to attract, enroll and retain Modern Learners. Contact us today to learn more.
