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LearnStorm
Pros: Step-by-step, fillable lessons are engaging and help students set positive goals and earn rewards.
Cons: Students may still need additional assistance; requires some extra time for setup and planning.
Bottom Line: Wonderful, easy-to-use lessons spur self-reflection and a growth mindset in students.
Use LearnStorm as a supplement to your classwide social and emotional learning content. If you're a school counselor or social worker, use the site as a supplement to your curriculum on growth mindset and goal setting. During morning meetings, check in as a class and see how much progress your students have made. Make sure to use the teacher dashboard to see what activities or materials you may need to prep or plan. Consider using the progress chart as part of your math discussion as you analyze the graphic data. Use the content as part of a biology or science lesson that focuses on the neurobiology of the brain.
As part of a responsive classroom, acknowledge those who do well by presenting them with certificates that LearnStorm provides at no additional cost. Check in at the end of the day as part of a classroomwide incentive management program to send students off with a positive message and a summary of their hard work.
LearnStorm is a free six-week course through Khan Academy that helps encourage growth mindset and resiliency skills for students in grades 3-12. The website begins with a teacher dashboard that introduces you to the content and allows you to add your students to the class via the Khan Academy interface. LearnStorm then diverts students to the current weekly activity based on their progress.
For each activity, there's a lesson that may incorporate an interactive graph or visual aid such as a short video clip. Then the content prompts students to fill in answers on-screen and set small, incremental goals. It ends with a weekly reflection that allows students to add a visual representation of their goal and share it on the LearnStorm social forum. Throughout the course, students can earn badges and certificates.
LearnStorm is successful at helping young students learn how to set measurable, achievable goals in a positive and engaging way. Not only does it provide background content and lessons on how the brain works, but it actively guides students through ways to engage in growth mindset activities (e.g., type in three positive phrases you can say to yourself).
LearnStorm appears to be designed to encourage classwide participation, which only enhances the overall concept of individualized and team goal setting that much more. While LearnStorm has a focus devoted to social and emotional learning, it also allows for teachers to customize it to their content area and use many of their own tools to make this a relevant and appealing activity for students of many ages.