The future of SEL- Rethinking

This week took a bit of a turn when I unintentionally came across a video on social media from a Canadian based company that is rethinking the future of SEL and how we can support our students, teachers and communities. The companies name is moozoom. Below is their mission:

“Our students are dealing with the biggest mental health crisis of the century. Our teachers and principals are overwhelmed and exhausted. We need a change NOW. moozoom is the only Social-Emotional Learning platform revolutionizing the way SEL is implemented schoolwide. We are creating change from inside out. Join us in our mission to support every student in every school in every district. We are the future of SEL.”

In past posts, I’ve spoken about the relationship between SEL and AI including apps and AI such as ChatGPT. Moozoom looks different though. It’s a step above all the rest and I’ve never seen anything like it. On their website they offer a blog, demos, case studies, testimonials, student check-ins and more. Moozoom is marketed to educators to use in their classes. In one of the videos below, you can see how it takes an educator through a quick tutorial of how they can use moozoom as a tool for SEL. There are different themes and lesson plans. Moozoom is not free though. It would be an investment for a school or teacher. In saying this, SEL is part of the core competencies of the BC curriculum and it’s important that teachers feel prepared and supported. This is definitely an area that I’m not seeing a lot of direct teaching for. There needs to be an improvement and teaching in this area needs to be more intentional.

Other than their website they also have a YouTube channel with really great videos. I’ve also included a variety of videos below which include their advertising video, a couple sample videos and a video directed towards how educators can use moozoom in the classroom.

Home Page

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdg8ShZN56O_qtOlUg9POiw

Moozooms advertising video.They use a Netflix style series of learning videos to connect with students, adult, educator and learners.
This video is an example of what one of the SEL educational videos looks like.
A second example of what one of the SEL educational videos looks like. You’ll notice the video is marketed for educators to use with their students.
Here is a video that models how teachers can access and utilize moozoom for different themes of SEL.

Overall, I was very impressed by the way moozoom connects and engages with the learner. I also really like how it specifically sets out lesson plans and tools for the teacher. It’s an interactive platform that is appropriate and educational. And what I like most about it, is I feel it’s a great balance with incorporating educational technology into the school while keeping the social aspect a priority. I would personally love to try this as an educator.

The one downfall is that you do have to pay for moozoom. I’m unsure what the exact cost is, as you have to go into their website, give a bunch of information and receive a quote but it may be worth looking into. It’s not just a tool but also a resource centre so schools may be open to financially supporting the cost.

I look forward to educational technology supporting more SEL resources in this way rather than students using AI or apps which seem to be more individualized and segregating.