Howdy, folks! Welcome to another in a series of periodic ed tech news roundups. We hope you enjoy this one, and if you have a story you’d like to see included, let us know.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Over the course of pandemic lockdowns, many people have taken up gardening, a great way to build skills, relax, and take a crack at self-sufficiency. Those are personal ways to grow, but educators can also use gardening to cultivate important learning outcomes like SEL, STEAM, and more.
- In Longview, students and teachers are growing a school garden now full of tomatoes, tomatillos, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, turnip greens, mustard greens, carrots, garlic, blueberries, blackberries, pears, and squash — and they’re giving it right back to students. [Longview News-Journal]
- Wisconsin officials have even proclaimed a School Garden Day in their state. [The Capital Times]
Talkin’ Texas
Here in TCEA’s home state of Texas, a number of policy changes and plans are being developed and rolled out as this spring semester winds to a close. Here are some stories you might have missed.
- It’s officially Atlantic hurricane season, a major concern for the U.S. eastern seaboard population centers and Gulf-adjacent Texas cities like Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, and more. The Texas Education Agency has new guidance to help schools and districts plan for hurricane season. [TEA]
- Meanwhile, Texas families who relied on the Pandemic EBT card for pandemic food aid are eligible for more support in the 2021-22 school year. [Texas Tribune]
Industry Insights
After many months of remote, blended, or otherwise changed learning environments, many are looking to see how the ed tech industry is responding — and how it’s growing.
- Frederick Hess writes that avoiding bad tech-related habits is key to advancing the positive use of ed tech as we move back to an in-person world. [Education Next]
- Forbes explores new teaching models using tech that we could see grow in coming years. [Forbes]
… And Finally
Cecilia “Ce” Richard had a tough and isolating school year during COVID lockdowns. When she didn’t have an escort for prom, three teachers stepped up to give her an ideal celebration. [Hometown Life]
