How Connected Nation and AT&T are working together to provide invaluable resources to K-12 teachers, both in and out of the classroom
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
Clarksville, Tennessee (September 26, 2023) - Today’s educators face many hurdles as they strive to provide the best learning opportunities to their students. From a pandemic to book bans, there seems to be no end to the challenges these amazing men and women face. It takes a passionate person to persevere through these trials and still offer the warm, welcoming smile they give to their students each day.
In a world where change is the norm and education is of the upmost importance, one of the best things we can do is offer support to those who hold our children’s futures in their hands. When it comes to supporting the most important members of our communities, no one does it better than Connected Nation.
But how can a broadband solutions nonprofit make a difference in the lives of educators? The answer is in our name – we get them Connected. This goes beyond providing fast, reliable broadband services to teachers and schools across the nation. It means listening to the needs of these educators, and making sound connections that provide them with relief in the areas where they need it most.
New partnership opportunity offers new connection
One such connection came in the form of a new collaboration with AT&T at the end of 2022. Connected Nation and AT&T have a longstanding working relationship, and it’s one that has benefited teachers and students alike before.
When the company shared their new platform, The Achievery, Connected Nation was eager to partner with AT&T and help spread the word about this free online resource. Teachers struggle every year to find new, relatable content for their students that is also vetted, safe, and relevant. They need their material to be interesting and engaging, or their students may struggle to pay attention.
“In the classroom, there are a ton of distractors,” says Sandra C., a middle school educator in Tennessee. “From other students to the decorations on the walls, students will find any and everything to draw their attention away from the lesson. It means we need to find material that is short, to the point, and engaging to keep them on task. It’s not as simple as working on the projector for the entire class period. If we don’t change things up throughout the lesson, we’ll lose at least half of the kids, and they will struggle later with the material.”
When asked how The Achievery meets these requirements, she responded with a smile: “The videos from The Achievery take two to three minutes tops, which is great when I have 35 minutes to present an entirely new concept. They are easy for the kids to follow. Plus, they’re really cool. I watched one with my class that showed a clip from ‘Lego Batman’ that had them all interested. I like that the material is up to date so the students are excited and more likely to pay attention.”
Connecting teachers, students, and families
So, what is The Achievery, and how can educators across the nation gain access to this helpful tool?
The Achievery is a platform filled with content for K-12 students, educators, and parents. Presented in the form of videos, the subjects range from math and science to coding and social emotional learning. There is something for everyone, and AT&T provides new material every quarter.
Not only is this resource 100% free to use, many of the videos also contain lesson plans teachers can download to accompany the content, providing even more assistance in the classroom. With familiar content creators like Scratch, GirlsWhoCode, Warner Bros. Discovery, Boddle, and more, teachers will feel right at home navigating the content, and students will be eager to jump into familiar worlds as they learn.
Fun fact – students and parents can sign up for The Achievery, too! This allows teachers to suggest additional learning activities to be done at home to help students with new concepts. Parents can watch videos to get up to speed on their child’s lessons so they are equipped to provide more informed assistance when their student needs help on their homework. It’s user friendly and free for everyone.
Educators hold our tomorrows in their hands today – by connecting with their students to ensure they have the knowledge and confidence to take on the world. Connected Nation is proud to support resources like AT&T’s The Achievery that help make their jobs just a little bit easier.
Interested in learning more? Follow the link HERE!