Shownotes
Edtech Throwdown Episode 218: 12 Months of Impact: The Ultimate Student Engagement Roadmap
Welcome to the EdTech Throwdown. This is Episode 218 called 12 Months of Impact: The Ultimate Student Engagement Roadmap. In this episode we’ll talk about heritage and awareness month celebrations as the driving force behind meaningful and engaging lessons. Make your projects timely and more impactful with these creative ideas. This is another episode you don’t want to miss, check it out.
Segment 1:
I recently was clicking around Canva and saw that april? Is national poetry month and that they were sponsoring a contest where students had to make a visual representation of a poem of their choice and submit it to the competition. Got me thinking … we have 12 months in each year, why not take advantage of them for classroom projects!
General tip - research for competitions a few months before and then require your students participate as part of your class.
Segment 2:
September: Hispanic Heritage Month
(Sept 15 – Oct 15)
- The Project:"Mosaic of Many Lands"
- The Goal:Students explore the diverse countries that make up Hispanic heritage. Each student or small group creates a "travel brochure" for a specific country, focusing on food, music, and traditions that have influenced global culture. Tailor it to your content area by asking for specific types of items to be featured in the brochure.
- Tech extension: Canva
October: National Arts & Humanities Month
- The Project:"The Community Story-Walk"
- The Goal:Students write a collaborative story where each person contributes one sentence and one illustration. Choose the topic of the story to fit your curriculum. The final story is posted page-by-page along a hallway or fence, allowing others to "walk" through the narrative.
- Tech extension: Boomwriter,Storyboardthat,bookcreator
November: Native American Heritage Month
- The Project:"Land Acknowledgement & Ecology Map"
- The Goal:Students research the Indigenous tribes original to their specific geographic area. They create a map that focuses on the natural landmarks (rivers, flora, fauna, geological features) that were historically significant to those tribes, connecting history with the environment.
- Tech side: Make it interactive with QR code audio narrations,thinklink
December: Universal Human Rights Month
- The Project:"The Kindness Advent Calendar"
- The Goal:The group creates a countdown to the end of the year where every day reveals a small, "no-cost" act of service (e.g., "Write a thank-you note to a custodian," or "Invite someone new to sit with you").
- Tech extension: Film some of the acts being completed and edit them into a large social media inspired videoWeVideo,Canva VideoGoogle Vids
January: National Mentoring Month
- The Project:"The Advice Exchange"
- The Goal:Students are paired with someone from a different grade level (older or younger). They create a "Survival Guide" for their current grade or a "Letter to My Future Self" to share with their partner, fostering a culture of peer-to-peer support.
- TIME CAPSULE
- Tech extension: Turn this into a lesson on AI ethics. Ask an approved edtech tool to generate these prompts before students begin. Then ask the Ss to discuss what they notice. They should see that the AI tool makes up information that it can’t find.
February: Black History Month
- The Project:"The Unsung Heroes Podcast"
- The Goal:Students research a Black figure who isn't typically featured in standard textbooks (inventors, local community leaders, or lesser-known artists). They record a 2-minute "podcast segment" or "radio spot" highlighting that person's impact.
- Tech extension: Google Vids would be great for thisspotify creator
March: Women’s History Month
- The Project:"Future Me Interview"
- The Goal:Students identify a living woman in their community or a professional field they admire. They develop a list of interview questions and—if possible—conduct a brief interview, or write a "speculative biography" of what their own life might look like if they followed in those footsteps.
- Tech extension: Turn it into a real blog post and post it on a class website using Canva or Google Siteswavacity
April: Earth Month
- The Project:"The Trash-to-Treasure Fashion Show"
- The Goal:Students design and "walk" a piece of wearable art made entirely from clean, recycled materials (plastic caps, old newspapers, cardboard). It emphasizes creative reuse over consumption.
- Tech extension: Photograph the ensembles and use Canva templates to create fake social media marketing posts for each.
May: Mental Health Awareness Month
- The Project:"The Classroom Zen Den"
- The Goal:As a group, students design a physical or digital "calm-down space." They curate a list of non-academic activities that help them de-stress, such as specific playlists, fidget tools, or guided breathing prompts they can use during breaks. Make it real and have your students present their design to administration.
- Tech extension: This takes care of itself since students will be required to find digital tools.Calm
June: Pride Month
- The Project:"The Identity Quilt"
- The Goal:Every student receives a paper square to decorate with symbols, colors, and words that represent their unique identity. When taped together, it creates a massive, inclusive wall display.
- Tech extension: jigsawmake
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As experienced presenters and content creators, you can contact Nick and Guise to speak at your school, event, or conference. They can customize a workshop that meets your organization’s unique time and content needs. While no topic is out of bounds, we are best known for sessions on:
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