When El Dorado High School CTE educator, Ashlee Curtis, introduced students to future readiness software Xello, she wasn\u2019t sure if they would be ready to embrace a new tool.<\/span> It was almost as if Xello knocked down the limitations for some of our students.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cTeachers encourage them all the time. We tell them, \u2018You can do anything you\u2019d like to do.\u2019 But how many students actually believe us? When they see a career match for themselves, based on information about themselves that they put into Xello, that\u2019s huge for them. That was our turning point.\u201d<\/span> I\u2019ve noticed that students are even logging into Xello outside of our homeroom classes. When I saw that, I was like, \u2018Okay, we got them now. We\u2019ve sold them.\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s true. In two months, resistant students have embraced the EdTech that has helped them know themselves better, and prepare them for their future in other ways, too. Junior classes are learning how to build a resume from the information they\u2019ve used to create a personalized profile. Senior students are exploring scholarship opportunities and organizing their transcripts, essays, and test scores using the platform.\u00a0<\/span> Change is hard for more than just students. Introducing a new EdTech tool can have a learning curve for educators and administrators too. Curtis recommends looking for the solution that will best suit your district\u2019s needs and committing to it despite the challenges you may encounter as you get it up and running.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u201cChange is hard on our young babies. When we throw something at them that they don\u2019t know anything about\u2026 it can be rough.\u201d<\/span>
\nBut the Arkansas school needed a tool to help their 1,300 diverse students plan for their future success. Failure was not an option.\u00a0<\/span>
\nSo Curtis and her colleagues forged ahead. They began to devote some of the extended home room periods twice a week to Xello. As students became familiar with the platform, they became more and more excited. It happened right before her eyes in a special education class when one student made a startling discovery as she worked through career explorations based on her interests and skills.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u201c[The student] said, \u2018Y\u2019all, look! It says I could own my own business!\u2019 I can\u2019t remember what kind of business she was excited about, but, in that moment, that student was able to see hope; she was able to see that she could defy the odds,\u201d says Curtis.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nOnce word got out that Xello was a tool that could tell you what kind of career you should pursue based on your interests\u2014including how much money you could make\u2014it became a popular topic for hallway conversations. Curtis says she often hears, \u201cHey, what did Xello say you could be?\u201d as she moves through the school.<\/span>
\n\u201cWhen they started digging in, they looked at the options like, \u2018I actually do like stuff like that,\u2019 and \u2018I have no idea what that is. Let me look into that.\u2019 And then when you throw the dollar signs in there with [the careers], it becomes a real hot topic.”<\/span>
\nToday, instead of groaning that homeroom is coming up, students are racing to finish their Xello lessons. \u201cThat\u2019s the cool thing around campus right now: Who can finish their lessons first.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe also use Xello as a communications device with our senior students,\u201d says Curtis, noting that it\u2019s efficient and useful to keep all college and career-related information in one place.<\/span>
\nAnother benefit of the program is that teachers are getting to know their students better. With 1,300 students to serve, it\u2019s tough to ensure every last one of them is on a path that\u2019s suited for them. \u201cAs teachers, we\u2019re able to see their interests in Xello. So, if a student is signed up for art but they can\u2019t get into that class, what is something else they\u2019d be interested in, based on what they\u2019ve created in Xello? We\u2019re able to create a student-led atmosphere,\u201d says Curtis.<\/span><\/p>\nAdvice for Other Districts<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n\u201cTake the leap of faith and don\u2019t give up if it gets hard. When our students weren\u2019t having it, we could have tapped out, but we stepped back and figured out a way to get their interest,\u201d says Curtis.<\/span>
\nAt El Dorado, that meant trading off classes among teachers who were uniquely suited for each topic. \u201cOne thing we\u2019re really good at is collaborating with each other. We try to make sure that no student, just because of whose class they\u2019re in, gets left behind.\u201d<\/span>
\nNow that the initial wrinkles have been ironed out and students are excited about using Xello, El Dorado School District is on a high. \u201cOur students are now pursuing the things that interest them. They\u2019re not doing something because somebody else told them to, or to earn a grade. They\u2019re doing something for them, and it\u2019s for the better for their future. They understand that, and it works,\u201d says Curtis.<\/span>
\n\u201cThat\u2019s the thing we really love about Xello. Everybody\u2019s screen looks different because each student is unique. I feel like the biggest reward that our students get is feeling understood and individualized.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"