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Take Social Emotional Learning Videos to the Next Level with VR

Kai Frazier
November 8, 2022

In a time marked by rapid and unprecedented change, educators can’t just focus on teaching students academic foundational skills. Building skills like resiliency and tenacity are also important. Many educators turn to social emotional learning videos for help here. But what if there was something better?

Enter virtual reality for SEL. 

With virtual reality (VR) in our backpack, we’re revolutionizing education through immersive technology. Our platform supports the development of emotional, social, and academic skills and makes it fun.

With VR, kids can step into any environment without leaving their seat. 

Sure, social emotional learning videos can provide students the opportunity to broaden their worldview, but you just can’t beat immersive experiences. 

Why are Social Emotional Learning Videos Important?

But before we get into why virtual reality is so great, let’s cover why social emotional learning is so great. 

What does this rapidly-expanding class subject actually prepare kids for? A whole lot. 

Skills learned through social emotional learning videos can be the difference between students being at the mercy of life’s trials and having control over their response to those trials. For example, SEL can teach children how to:

  • Avoid emotional manipulation by social media 
  • Seek positivity in digital spaces
  • Stop stereotyping people 
  • Build a firm foundation for healthy relationships

Because of these benefits, social emotional learning videos can be useful for education at any age, from kindergarten to higher education. 

Social emotional learning has the capability to radically shift the way future generations process and react to emotional situations. SEL also has the potential to improve mental health.

Social emotional learning has the ability to aid people in creating respectful, lasting relationships by helping them develop open-mindedness at an early age. When children are kind and accepting, making friends is a breeze.

Social emotional learning has already been shown to have a positive influence within the classroom. Statistics have revealed that students who are taught SEL tend to have an increase of 13% in their achievement scores. These students also report improved attitudes about themselves and their peers, resulting in positive changes in classroom behavior and an improvement in social and emotional skills. Social emotional learning techniques also serve to improve classroom management by reducing behavioral challenges and emotional distress at a rate of 24%. These changes create an improvement in the learning environment for everyone.

But how do schools incorporate social emotional learning? Through graduated steps. Educators can teach SEL skills as building blocks for forming healthy habits. Early elementary SEL milestones include:

  • Children being able to vocalize, identify, and label feelings
  • Children describing their self-awareness 
  • Children adapting quickly in the transition from home to school

Social emotional learning for middle school can help children build upon the skills they learned in early education. These children are using more advanced SEL skills such as:

  • Communicating their anger and frustrations appropriately
  • Putting calming strategies to use
  • Identifying and de-escalating teasing and bullying behaviors
  • Recognizing and discussing stereotyping and its negative impact on their fellow students

Social emotional learning can be taught to children of any age through a multitude of mediums. Many educators like to use tech to get students excited about SEL.

The positive results of SEL point to its incredible potential for improving the social dynamics and individual self-worth of future generations. 

Level Up Social Emotional Learning Videos with XR

XR style learning is beneficial for a multitude of reasons. Not only do we provide a fun and exciting atmosphere, we also care about the science behind education. Our XR education experiences promote: 

  • Active Learning- XR allows students to actively participate with the content they are experiencing. 
  • Visualization- Students, through XR, have the opportunity to visually observe concepts that otherwise would be impossible to see. An example of this is an immersive video illustrating how the inside of an aircraft engine works. 
  • Game-based Education- Gaming engages students in a fun way that enables learning through varying levels of difficulty that can be tailored to each individual child. 
  • Immersive Storytelling- Storytelling is a historically proven way to convey information from one generation to the next. XR, combined with storytelling, provides an immersive experience that is sure to be remembered. 
  • VR/AR Field Trips- Virtual field trips, such as Kai XR’s 360 degree field trips, allow students to experience locations and cultures they otherwise would not be able to access within their lifetime.
  • Motivated Learning- By utilizing a hands-on approach that is entertaining, XR educational resources help promote self-motivated learning. 

Image Source: Unsplash

Kai XR Boosts Social Emotional Learning Videos

How do you teach social and emotional intelligence to children in a way that sticks? By implementing extended reality technology. We’ve created a platform just for that!

Through XR, children can learn social emotional skills with ease. 

For example, Dreaming in Za'atari—one of our virtual field trips—introduces students to Syrian teens living in a refugee camp. Students can fully immerse in the experience and get curious about how living environments around the world are similar to their own and differ from their own. After the experience, educators can lead students in an SEL discussion about human resilience. 

Virtual field trips levels up social emotional learning videos to truly engage students. Plus, they help broaden students’ worldview and help them grow their empathy and social awareness.

Our programs allow children to interact with cutting-edge technology which will help them in future endeavors, while also instilling an understanding of basic SEL skills. 

Kai XR and SEL combine to create a formidable asset to any educator or parent who wishes to instill necessary life skills. Some of our most popular experiences include:

Our virtual field trips are able to give children real life experience in a way other platforms cannot. The immersive nature of XR allows for greater retention of information and hands-on experiences. 

Professional educators such as Dr. Aaliyah Samuel have been outspoken about the emphasis that should be placed on both traditional academics as well as SEL. It is for the benefit of students everywhere that the two be integrated. 

We do just that on our extended reality platform. For a brighter future for every student we have to think beyond strict academics and integrate SEL curriculum. 

Social Emotional Learning Videos (in XR!) for Kindergarten

The sooner it starts, the better. You can introduce social emotional learning in elementary school… or even in kindergarten!

By laying a foundation of awareness, management, and healthy decision-making, children have the opportunity to develop these positive attributes.

Social emotional learning teaches children how to feel happy, sad, bored, how to express their emotions and regulate them, and how to work with others and resolve conflicts. It helps kids develop empathy early so they can better understand someone else's point of view or feelings. This not only makes for improved communication but also potentially prevents bullying behaviors from happening in the first place. Kindergarten is the first opportunity most children will have to gain social emotional learning through an educational setting. 

At Kai XR, we offer a twist on social emotional learning videos for children of all ages, including kindergarteners. Young children love using Kai XR’s virtual field trips for kindergarten! Social emotional learning videos are an essential component of child development through Kai XR. It can help them build good mental health habits and avoid negative ones while also fostering positive relationships with others. 

Ideally, social emotional learning should be integrated into every aspect of childhood life - from kindergarten all the way through adulthood. 

Image Source: Unsplash

Social Emotional Learning Videos (in XR!) for Middle School

6th, 7th and 8th grade are times of rapid growth. As students begin gaining independence and developing a sense of self, teaching social emotional learning concepts is more critical than ever.

There are a few prominent reasons why SEL videos benefit middle school students in particular:

  • Building confidence
  • Modeling behavior
  • Teaching self-regulation
  • Building resilience
  • Teaching decision-making

We’ll dive into these benefits a bit more below.

One of the key benefits of social emotional learning videos is that they can help a student build confidence at a time when it is often lacking. SEL can give a child or adolescent someone to look up to and offer them lessons on how to communicate with others in ways that are healthy and non-destructive. These lessons can help build an individual’s sense of self-worth and confidence. 

Middle school students often struggle with self-regulation. Feelings play a large role in all areas of life. If students are never taught the correct way to manage feeling properly, they may struggle to do so as adults. Research shows that SEL is linked to better social and emotional development, higher levels of resilience, and a greater capacity for empathy. 

An emphasis on social emotional learning in middle school also has the potential to help children with responsible decision-making. As children enter their adolescent years, they are often faced with more important life decisions than ever before. The tools gained in our SEL field trips help them learn how to make healthy decisions. 

Kai XR: Changing the Game in Education

Extended Reality, XR, is a new tool to revolutionize the learning experience. It provides many benefits, including accessibility and inclusivity. You can take your social emotional learning videos to the next level with immersive XR.

Through technology, we’re working to eliminate educational barriers.

The VR classroom can positively impact your students. VR enables students to see places they otherwise would never get to experience. This broad view of the world helps to encourage social awareness and understanding among children. Virtual field trips provide a revolutionary approach to learning that is entertaining enough to capture the attention of children of all ages. 

At Kai XR, our platform is both socially-conscious and SEL-inclusive. These qualities come together to provide a safe and progressive learning experience for children. 

For example, in 360º field trips like “Explore the Obama Portraits,” children get to see out-of-reach art—like the official Obama portraits—up close! 

Other field trips can teach students about environmental issues and encourage them to create change in their communities. For example, “The Curse of Palm Oil” field trip introduces students to the oldest residents of the Malaysian Rainforest and explains how they cope with the deforestation of their home. 

Kai XR can benefit educators, parents, and students. Our platform broadens the horizons of children and provides educators with an avenue to teach social emotional learning concepts. 

We help bridge the digital divide by ensuring functionality on a wide range of devices, including tablets and smartphones. No VR-specific equipment is required to experience captivating field trips across the globe. The accessibility and diverse offerings of Kai XR are illustrative of our groundbreaking approach to education. Our platform provides a safe place for children to explore, free from ads and privacy concerns. 

Ultimately, we provide an inclusive, high-value platform that levels up social emotional learning videos. We rise above the rest to curate immersive, quality SEL content. 

Social Emotional Learning with Kai XR is a Recipe for Success 

The educational resources we provide at Kai XR enhance the teaching of important life skills. Studies have shown that SEL programs have reduced emotional distress as well as student depression and anxiety. The overall beneficial impact of SEL, when combined with Kai XR is a positive choice for any parent or educator to make. 

When used together, these two concepts highlight and reinforce each main goal. They make available to all children the skills needed to succeed and create a brighter future. 

For more information, you can read more about Kai XR, or contact us

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In memory of my sunshine, Ky(ra) G. Frazier. Love you to the moon and back.