Two Webinars Coming Up!
Webinar ~ Tomorrow!
Strategies for Using Books to Promote SEL
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm CT

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is integral to student success in the classroom. It helps students develop the necessary skills to regulate their own emotions as well as build and maintain relationships with peers and teachers.

Research shows that SEL activities can lead to “improved classroom behavior, an increased ability to manage stress and depression, and better attitudes about themselves, others and school.”

Through IDRA’s Re-energizing Leadership to Achieve Greater Student Success project, led by Dr. Nilka Avilés, IDRA provided coaching to school leadership teams who saw the need for building teacher capacity in SEL strategies.

In this webinar, Dr. Nilka Avilés and consultants Jeanne Cantu and Gerald Sharp will present the strategy of using interactive read alouds. Students can read about and hear how book characters respond to different behavioral and emotional situations that may be similar to their own.

Since read alouds are a traditional component of classroom instruction, they are a natural and easily integrated vehicle for introducing and practicing social and emotional responses in the classroom. Interactive read alouds can readily be followed by extension activities, such as reader response, oral discussions, role playing and writing. And they and the extension activities will help build a sense of community in classrooms and support students in their interactions with others.
Webinar ~ Oct 6
The Realities of the Digital Divide within Texas Colonias
Thursday, October 6, 2022
4:30 pm to 5:30 pm CT

This webinar features a conversation on the realities of the digital divide within the colonias of Texas. Colonias are housing developments along the south Texas border that are part of the rural landscape of Texas. These vibrant communities often have been denied basic services, such as drinking water, sewage treatment, paved roads, and Internet infrastructure.

Currently, about 500,000 Texans live in the colonias and face the difficulties of being on the wrong side of the digital divide on a daily basis. In this bilingual session, you will hear from local residents and experts who will share stories of their experiences, what they have done to improve their communities and how they tackle connectivity challenges.

Panelists
  • Lourdes Flores, President of Arise Adelante
  • Jordana Barton-García, Principal, Barton-García Advisors
  • Eva Carranza, parent and advocate
  • Student

IDRA Facilitators: Michelle Martínez Vega; Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz, M.Ed.; Thomas Marshall III, M.Ed.

Translator: Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed.

IDRA is an independent, non-profit organization. Our mission is to achieve equal educational opportunity for every child through strong public schools that prepare all students to access and succeed in college. 
September 26, 2022