Enroll Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/expanding-sel
In recent years, social and emotional learning (SEL) has gained significant traction in educational settings, and for good reason. The ‘Expanding SEL’ course on Coursera, taught by Emily Price and Ben Kirshner, dives deep into community-based and youth-empowerment approaches to SEL, making it a must-take for educators, administrators, and anyone interested in the intersection of education and social justice.
The course is structured into five comprehensive modules, each addressing critical aspects of SEL:
1. **Behavior Management and SEL**: This module introduces the complexities of using SEL as a tool for behavior management. It highlights the potential pitfalls, such as emotional manipulation and the disproportionate impact on students of color. The focus here is on creating humanizing management structures that empower students rather than control them.
2. **Culture, Context, and SEL**: Here, the course emphasizes the importance of cultural and contextual factors in shaping SEL programs. It encourages participants to consider race, class, gender, and sexuality when developing SEL approaches, ensuring that they are inclusive and relevant to all students.
3. **Examining ‘Success’: Goals, Measurement, and Outcomes in SEL**: This module tackles the often ambiguous nature of success in SEL. It explores various methods of measuring student outcomes and the challenges associated with assessing soft skills, which are crucial for social and emotional development.
4. **Moving Forward: A Critical Examination of the Self Competencies**: Focusing on self-awareness and self-management, this module presents equity-oriented strategies, including mindfulness practices and personal testimonials, to enhance these competencies among students.
5. **Moving Forward: A Critical Examination of the Social Competencies**: The final module shifts to social competencies, such as social awareness and relationship building. It introduces innovative approaches like critical witnessing and youth participatory action research (YPAR) to enrich traditional SEL methods.
Overall, ‘Expanding SEL’ is not just an academic course; it is a transformative experience that challenges participants to rethink their approaches to social and emotional learning. The insights gained from this course can lead to more equitable and effective SEL practices in schools, ultimately benefiting all students.
I highly recommend this course to educators, school leaders, and anyone passionate about fostering a more inclusive and supportive educational environment. By understanding the complexities of SEL and its broader social implications, we can better equip our students to thrive both academically and emotionally.
Enroll Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/expanding-sel