EdSERT Digital, from Aperture Education, is an online social and emotional learning (SEL) professional development program for educators. The EdSERT (short for Educator Social-Emotional Reflection and Training) Digital program provides a comprehensive set of research-based and practical resources to help educators increase their knowledge about SEL and it guides them to reflect on and build their existing SEL skills and practices in the classroom which enables them to more effectively promote the SEL skills of their students. EdSERT Digital includes:
- SEL professional development modules focusing on eight essential social and emotional competencies aligned to the CASEL Framework: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, goal-directed behavior, personal responsibility, decision-making and optimistic thinking.
- Self-reflective assessments for educators to reflect on their existing social and emotional teaching practices.
- Personal development plans to guide educators in identifying growth opportunities and setting goals in areas such as managing emotions in the classroom, self-care, understanding personal biases, promoting positive relationships and classroom culture, and modeling SEL skills.
- Self-directed strategies to help educators strengthen their social and emotional teaching practices and model them in the classroom.
EdSERT Digital can be used as a standalone professional development program or as an educator-focused complement to an existing SEL curriculum for students.
Formats/platforms used:
EdSERT Digital is an online learning management tool. Laptop and desktop devices are recommended for the best user experience.
Primary website URL:
www.apertureed.com/educator-sel
Problem solved:
Many teachers, especially in secondary education, aren’t taught social and emotional learning, let alone how to teach SEL or integrate it into their classrooms. SEL development isn’t just important for students. Socially and emotionally competent teachers are more resilient and prepared for their daily challenges, and are less likely to leave the field of teaching. Providing teachers with good SEL professional development is the first step in them being able to incorporate SEL into their lessons. Aperture Education created EdSERT Digital to help educators get good SEL PD no matter where they are and at their convenience. This online professional development program helps educators build their own SEL competence and improves their SEL teaching practices.
Grades/age ranges:
EdSERT Digital is geared toward educators, from pre-service to in-service teachers and out-of-school time staff teaching students in K-12th grades Anyone who teaches can benefit from EdSERT Digital.
Core/supplemental/special needs/extracurricular/professional development?
Professional development.
Topics:
Professional Development, Social and Emotional Learning
Lesson time needed:
Lesson times vary depending upon if the product is being used individually or with group-based PD. Teachers typically spend about an hour per module.
Pricing model:
Pricing is per teacher/educator.
Additional products or services needed:
None
What makes EdSERT unique?
EdSERT Digital is unique in that it is aligned to the five core SEL competencies put forth by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). All content—from the self-reflective assessment to the strategies—is research-based and is also in line with the DESSA, Aperture Education’s SEL assessment suite for students. These alignments allow for the creation of a comprehensive and cohesive SEL program for an entire school or district.
Characteristics:
The EdSERT Course is hosted within a learning management system. Participants are given a username and password to access the course and each purchase of EdSERT allows for a full year of course access. Within the course, there are 9 modules including an intro and a module for each of the 8 social and emotional competencies. Due to the online format, pacing can be flexible and how a participant moves through the course can be self-directed or selected by the course facilitator who we call the "EdSERT Manager". EdSERT Managers are provided with discussion topics and the option to host online discussions within the course, or in-person discussions if they choose to do so which allows for a more hybrid learning experience for participants. Due to the personal nature of the content the course has been designed such that all activities are only visible to the learner. Participants/learners will complete personal development plans for their social and emotional growth and those documents are stored within their course e-portfolio, which is only viewable by them and accessible for the entire duration of the course.
Here's what users are saying:
“EdSERT provides a common knowledge for the leaders and teachers in our school district. Together, we are building our competence through a time of learning, self-reflection, and application.”
-- Jennifer Gardner, MTSS District Coordinator, Green County Schools -
“We realize that just like these past several months have been stressful for our students, they’ve also been stressful for our staff members. This year we are using Aperture’s Educator Social-Emotional Reflection & Training (EdSERT) program, a professional development program that helps support and strengthen the SEL skills of educators, and prepares them to effectively teach SEL in the classroom. We think this resource will go a long way in helping to address any potential trepidation our staff might have about teaching and assessing SEL.”
-- Emilie Tregellas, school psychologist, Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District
“What can I practically do tomorrow with teachers? That’s a question I am left with after professional development, but that’s not a feeling I’m left with at all with EdSERT. It’s practical, research-based, and I can implement the resources from the modules immediately with the teachers I’m coaching.”
-- Danielle Ringold, instructional coach and licensing manager, Memphis Teacher Residency
