My project will research how technology can be integrated into social-emotional learning in K-12 classrooms. I teach middle school, and my district touts about our strong social-emotional learning integration into our curriculum. However, we do not use a SEL curriculum but rather each teacher does his or her own integration of SEL into his or her lessons. I am curious about the history of social emotional learning especially since it is currently a trending topic after the pandemic to support the mental health of our students. My goal is to determine how to best incorporate technology into social emotional learning.

Social emotional learning is a learned behavior for how individuals cope with emotions and interact effectively with others. Although classroom management has always been a facet in education to foster a space conducive for learning, social emotional learning explicitly teaches skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making (National University, 2022).

Figure 1: (CASEL’s Five Core Competencies of SEL, 2023)

The short term benefits of SEL instruction include making informed choices, having more positive attitudes about oneself and the community, and participating in more positive social interactions with peers and adults. Long term benefits include reduced risk-taking behavior, decreased emotional distress, and improved test scores and attendance (Hennessey and Humphrey, 2019, p. 752).

I have found three of some of the most popular SEL programs and plan to research them. These programs are Second Step, Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS), and Positive Action. After researching the nuances of these specific programs and the extent to which they utilize technology in their curricula, I will review studies regarding their evidence-based outcomes and analyze their effectiveness. Finally, I will research other opportunities in which technology, such as virtual reality, is used to enhance social emotional learning concepts.

References:

CASEL. (2023). What Is the CASEL Framework? CASEL. https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-is-the-casel-framework/

Hennessey, A., & Humphrey, N. (2019). Can social and emotional learning improve children’s academic progress? findings from a randomised controlled trial of the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (paths) curriculum. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 35(4), 751–774. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-019-00452-6

National University. (2022, August 17). What is social emotional learning (SEL): Why it matters. National University. Retrieved May 18, 2023, from https://www.nu.edu/blog/social-emotional-learning-sel-why-it-matters-for-educators/

PATHS Program. (2023). Social emotional learning for pre-K, elementary, and middle school. PATHS Program LLC. Retrieved May 18, 2023, from https://pathsprogram.com/

Positive Action. (1998). Positive action curriculum & program. Positive Action Curriculum & Program | Positive Action. Retrieved May 18, 2023, from https://www.positiveaction.net/

Second Step. (2012). Second step program: Second step. Second Step Program | Second Step. Retrieved May 18, 2023, from https://www.secondstep.org/