It has become obvious that the inclusion of STEM – science, technology, engineering, mathematics - in a well-balanced instructional plan is critical. With the growing need for STEM-educated individuals to fill STEM jobs, students in schools today need the skills necessary for these jobs. This includes critical thinking and reasoning skills, collaboration and communication skills, and developing creative solutions to problems. Students clearly need consistent and varied STEM learning experiences. 

Pre-pandemic and school closures, many teachers implemented Google Classroom for efficient and interactive teaching and learning support. Google Classroom made using technology tools manageable and provided a user-friendly alternative to paper and pencil. How? Google Workspace for Education (formerly G Suite for Education) apps and tools help teachers and learners organize lessons, assignments, and resources. Teachers can also save and share content using their Drive folder, collaborating with colleagues at any time and from anywhere. 

The San Vicente de Paúl School (Limpias, Cantabria, Spain) provides Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary education to the surrounding communities. The school has long been a proponent of using digital media to innovate learning experiences for its learners. Antonio Medina, Director of San Vicente de Paúl School, stated, “(We are) applying training and innovation in our educational work, emphasizing new technologies and languages.” 

Coblonal Interior Design (Barcelona, Spain) is an architecture, interior design, and construction studio which has for over 24 years providing project and construction services for both residential and commercial areas. In 2019, Coblonal moved to a new, larger, and centralized space in Plaza Tetuán. The office was designed as an open space with different areas for the team and a collaborative reception area for clients and visitors. Pyme Tech Adviser, an AV installation company, and Charmex Internacional, S.A., a distributor of AV technology, recommended they incorporate dynamic and interactive display technology to better support team and client meetings.

For this space, Coblonal chose to incorporate cutting-edge UX Pro interactive displays from Clevertouch Technologies. They were impressed by the way the UX Pro provides dynamic and multifunctional features that are well-suited to their needs, including collaboration with colleagues and clients. 

How was your classroom arranged this last school year? How did the arrangement affect your instructional practice? How did it affect student learning? Do you think having an audio system might have made a positive difference for everyone in the classroom? 

Cape Business Centre (Cape Town, South Africa) a premium business center,  wanted to stay ahead of the times and bring its conferencing capabilities into the 21^st century with technology innovations that would streamline meetings. They also wanted to save their clients’ time and provide an efficient and smooth experience from beginning to end. 

With much discussion on whether to have employees fully return to offices, incorporate a hybrid model, or allow remote work to continue, the prevailing concern is whether productivity is continuous, smooth, and without major interruption. For companies that are deciding that hybrid and remote will best suit the overall company needs, including safeguarding employee health, then a means for collaboration is necessary. Do companies see employee training to improve collaboration and productivity as essential?

Stafford Public Schools (Stafford Springs, CT) is a nationally recognized school district and consistently strives to drive learning so that, according to their mission statement, their students are prepared “to assume productive, meaningful, and responsible roles in an increasingly competitive global society.” Made up of five schools with approximately 1500 students enrolled, Stafford is a 1:1 district, and this past school year, implemented a hybrid learning model – students learning from home and in-class.

Implementing social-emotional learning (SEL) skills and strategies have shown to positively impact student learning. Especially with this past year, teachers and students have had to deal with challenges they may not have been prepared for including how COVID-19 our feelings towards learning. Addressing SEL skills is not a new concept and educators have referenced the SEL Framework to meet students’ emotional needs to clear a pathway to learning success.

Horsley Park Public School (Sydney, Australia) is a small primary school, situated in the semi-rural outskirts of Sydney. Made up of of eight classes - four mainstream and four providing support for children with autism and intellectual disabilities – a goal of Horsley Park is “positive behavior, cooperation, and a growth mindset are encouraged and supported through a positive environment.”