TYLER, Texas — As more school districts are opening their doors for a new year, Chapel Hill ISD is hoping to combat the distractions that come with everyday technology.
Social interactions can dwindle as digital devices like MacBooks, iPads and phones become a part of education. Chapel Hill’s new Director of Academic Programs Melanie Rivers plans to introduce cooperative learning structures in classrooms, where students will work and speak to each other more often.
It’s her first year in this role, but not her first year in education. Rivers has had almost every job imaginable in education ranging from being a teacher, to an administrator and even a math coordinator.
"The thing that we’ve been missing since the COVID era is our students partnering together and working together, having those discussions," Rivers said. "As we know in the real world, we have to have lots of conversations and our students need to be able to speak with each other. We also believe that when they’re learning and are able to share that learning verbally, that they’re developing deeper understanding of those skills."
With this, she hopes to introduce more soft and social skills into everyday learning for students, preparing them for their future careers.