6 Ideas to Keep Students Engaged after Spring Break – April 2019 Newsletter
The History of the Family Business
The year was 1973 and my father, Dan Sauer, opened a small religious bookstore serving prayer groups in Southern California. Books were offered on consignment to Catholic parishes.
This humble beginning was the cornerstone for what you know today as EdTech Software. Clearly, the technology and the means by which we deliver books to the faithful has evolved, but our values and goals remained unchanged. We are dedicated to making religious texts and related materials available to those who want them, simply and easily.
Today, EdTech is on the cutting-edge of innovative online technology, bringing ebooks and ebook implementation to student, parents, school administrators, and teachers. EdTech uses technology and superior customer service to make it easy and simple for schools and students to manage and access individualized digital content using one platform from any device.
We appreciate your business and your support over the past five decades. And if you are curious about how our company evolved over the years, check out the illustration below.
Founder & CEO
Keeping the Momentum after Spring Break
6 Ideas to Keep Students Engaged
Spring Break!! A common shout out heard from students across the nation. While spring break is a wonderful opportunity to rejuvenate, it’s also a time when the “end of year” momentum hits. Distraction sets in and the classroom dynamics that you worked so hard to build over the school year start to crumble.
This “post-break/summer is almost here” period can get the best of the most seasoned teachers.
With a little creativity and patience, teachers can use this time to re-focus and motivate students. You’re almost to the finish line, don’t quit now!
Here are six strategies for keeping your students engaged after spring break:
1. Start Back to School with a Clean Slate
Take preemptive measures before the break. When creating your schedule, try to wrap up any major projects before your students leave for break. Your students will have a fresh start after returning and not be pressured to review topics covered days or even weeks earlier. Now is a great time to introduce new concepts.
2. Encourage Self-Led Learning
Just because your students are not in the classroom, it doesn’t mean there are no learning opportunities. Spring break provides plenty of chances for students to explore fresh educational endeavors. Whether it’s diving into a book, cooking a meal, exploring a zoo or museum, or starting a garden, spring break is a great opportunity for self-led learning.
3. Ease into Learning
Shake the rust off with some simple post-break activities that help students get back into the swing of learning. Have students recap their breaks by hosting a ‘show & tell’ or creating writing prompts that facilitate sharing.
4. Change it Up
Think outside of the box. Create innovative projects to keep students on their toes and prevent boredom. Use engaging and creative online resources to help students prepare for upcoming standardized tests and fixed curriculum.
5. Set Short-Term Goals
Goals can include completing all homework assignments or improving basic skills like keyboarding or reading comprehension.
6. Field Trip or Outing
A strategically timed field trip during the first few days after spring break can serve as an enticing incentive for students to remain engaged and motivated. Spend the days before studying the trip destination, and the days after going over the trip itself. Or, simply take your class outside for an ecology walk.
Declaration of Independence, the First Digital Book
In 1971, Michael Stern Hart, passionate technologist and futurist, was given access to computer time on the Xerox Sigma V mainframe at the University of Illinois. Lucky for him, his brother’s best friend was the mainframe operator and gave him unlimited time on this state-of-the-art system valued at over $100,000.
While most users of the computer focused on data processing, Hart used his computer time for information distribution. (Why waste the opportunity when you have a network connection right at your fingertips?) He had a light-bulb moment and remembered that a printed copy of the Declaration of Independence (on faux parchment paper) had been given to him at the grocery store. This precious piece of American history is what he decided to type into the computer.
Hart believed that computers would one day be accessible to the general public and decided to make works of literature available in electronic form. He made the file available to other users of the computer network, with an annotation that it was free to use and distribute. It was the beginning of the legendary Project Gutenberg, the first project to make books freely available in digital format.