How brands could support active learning for homebound students
Today was the final day for each New York and New Jersey public school to tell the department of education which blended learning model they would like to employ come September. My son Porter’s middle school will be employing the three cohort, three-week rotation schedule…fair to the majority of students but a touch tough to think about managing on the homefront. A major factor in that being the limitations of distance learning platforms.
Kudos to Google for offering a free service in a category that has increasingly become pay-to-play! If they hadn’t been there with a near-ubiquitous solution, schools and families would have had an even greater scramble on our hands in March. And with just a few modifications of Google Classroom, brands could start partnering broadly with educators this fall to offer a variety of engaging curriculum-supporting multimedia content.
Ways Google Classrooms could be a stronger supporter of active learning include:
Make Google Classrooms even more accessible for families with more kids than computers and kids whose only home computer is a gaming or streaming device. Explore the role a native Google Classrooms app for platforms such as Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Playstation, Apple TV, Roku or Amazon Fire might play
Better integration of component apps such as Google Meet and Google Forms within the platform, rather than as a suite of separate components. For instance, more streamlined integration of Meet might allow students faster and less formal exchanges between each other within the class setting (maintaining teacher visibility) or facilitate collaboration in breakout teams within the larger group to better mimic in-person collaborative learning
Developing a marketplace where brands might offer lesson plan-supporting content that educators could employ to vary the kinds of activities students undertake in meeting course objectives.
These sorts of expansions and integrations would allow brand partners to step in with some super engaging educational content that extends learning into the real world and reaches into students’ daily home lives. ‘Cause if your kids are like ours, they think distance learning is,
“horrible because (we) don’t DO anything” Porter Stanfield, 11 years
While we’ve written before about how Meal Prep Kits could enhance their current formats to become more relevant to homebound families, with expanded Google Classrooms functionality these brands could offer engagement beyond their delivery formats - think multimedia, like math and chemistry focused cooking tutorials. Gardening brands like Burpee could provide horticultural learning activities. Household brands like Tide could teach the science behind cleaning. Workout brands like CrossFit could uplift P.E. by establishing grade-specific indoor fitness regimens that help kids train for state physical fitness tests. In these ways, not only would students be exposed to the more impactful active learning approach, they could also develop or further hone some basic life skills. And hey, some of this might even lighten the load for parents who are home-based as well, trying to pursue their own jobs and accomplish daily tasks.
Brand-led content could also come from the non-profit sector. Kids today love a good challenge, particularly if they believe they are participating in something everyone else is doing too. The World Wildlife Foundation or the ASPCA could wrap animal-focused challenges around classroom assignments, in a way that keeps students socially engaged and raises environmental awareness. It doesn’t have to be city or even schoolwide. Young people love the idea of being part of something positive that is larger than themselves and sharing it with others, so even small group activities would motivate.
All brands can embrace the challenge/achievement culture by taking cues from the gaming industry, building a system of meritocracy around learning activities: Inspire kids with badges they can earn or skills of which they can claim mastery, and use achievement paths as a means to unlock new tutorials, content, challenges, etc. For instance, once you master weights and measurements you can unlock directions for making different types of modeling clay out of common pantry ingredients.
Yes, this would require partnership with educators and administrators to ensure common core standards are being reinforced. And yes, that kind of content creation and the new engagement models are outside most brands’ primary lines of business. But as marketers and brand stewards, we are always striving to develop deeper authentic relationships with emerging and existing audiences. If a brand has permission to uplift the community in a meaningful way, the possibilities are at least worth thoughtful consideration.
How could your favorite brands support active learning for homebound students? We look forward to hearing your thoughts. #PANDEMPROVEMENTS together for the world, one brand category at a time!
We recognize that the transition to distance learning is one of the many areas where this pandemic has focused new light on our society’s grave inequities. Given how far outside our areas of expertise such policy issues are, this piece does not attempt to address the needs of the 114k+ homeless NYC public school children, let alone low income and special needs students across our nation. But please consider this an invitation to share any thoughts on solving those greater and deeper challenges, if you have them!
About us
Christina Stanfield is a Brand Commercialization expert and 11-year-old boy / 2 Sheepadoodle puppies juggling novice.
Jeremy Grimes is an award-winning, creative consultant with 2 boys who are very close to finding the last unwatched video on YouTube.