Professional Development | News

PD 'Toolkit' Adds Social Emotional Learning Resources

• By Stephen Noonoo
• 05/14/14

Goalbook’s web-based professional development platform, Toolkit, now includes new resources to help teachers tackle issues related to social emotional learning in the classroom.

Based on a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, the new resources integrate instructional technology, academic research and ongoing professional development with the goal of helping teachers incorporate social emotional learning skills in the classroom--both to encourage student improvement and to curb negative behavior. 

Teachers can use them to help reduce behavioral problems, lower emotional stress, or improve communication skills. One resource, for example, helps teachers integrate role playing in their lessons to teach empathy and support classroom etiquette.

"Social emotional learning is no longer seen simply as an intervention for negative behavior, but an important set of capacities that are necessary for success in school and in life for all students," said Daniel Jhin Yoo, co-founder of Goalbook in a statement. "SEL needs to be taught, developed, and integrated throughout the curriculum.  Goalbook is excited to support educators in meaningful SEL instruction."

The use of social emotional learning in the classroom has been the subject of a growing body of research. The nonprofit research and policy organization, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has indexed many of the recent reports and studies on its website.