Whether you're a new DreamEducator or flashchat phenom, we've got you covered with resources to help you dream up, plan, and execute fantastic flashchats all year 'round.
Are you thinking about innovative new ways to bring your curriculum to life this school year and beyond? Look no further! At DreamWakers, we are committed to not only connecting students in under-resourced environments with dynamic career role models, but to supporting and empowering educators in doing so, too! We’re excited to share a wealth of new and tried-and-true resources to help you organize and plan stellar flashchats throughout the year.
I’m Abigail Cordaro, the Program Manager here at DreamWakers, and I’ll be your guide to these resources, as well as your point person for all things flashchat-related for DreamEducators! If you have any questions about these resources or want to learn more about becoming a DreamEducator, please don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected].
1. NEW: Curriculum-to-Career Catalog
Our new Curriculum to Career Catalog is brought to you by popular demand! We’ve heard you: to plan flashchats, educators want to see the variety of careers our speakers represent and understand how a speaker directly relates to their area of study. We created this Catalog to be an illustrative summary of the vast careers that exist, and the major areas of study related to each Career Cluster (as defined by the Career and Technical Education network known as Advance CTE: State Leaders Connecting Learning to Work).
Our Catalog represents just a small sample of our more than 1,200 DreamSpeakers in every industry imaginable. But we hope this resource helps you understand the breadth of careers our speakers represent (all of them!) and enables you to make clear connections between these careers and course units — and that it also sparks your own excitement to expose your students to new and innovative careers they never dreamed of!
Click here to view the Curriculum-to-Career Catalog and learn more.
2. Flashchat Calendar
Our tried-and-true Flashchat Calendar is a great resource for inspiration and flashchat planning. At a glance, you can view annually recurring heritage months and social-emotional themes (we call them “DreamThemes”) we offer throughout the year. This calendar shares ideas to help you brainstorm flashchat focal areas and map out where they may fit into your class schedule.
Check out our Flashchat Calendar here!
DreamWakers Educator Fellow Lauren Gunnell-Beck uses the Flashchat Calendar to plan flashchats in alignment with the scope and sequence of her units. This April, she was inspired by our calendar and we connected her 5th-graders with conservationist Malia Byrtus. Students put together this photo collage (pictured left) after the flashchat!
“What better way to get your kids entranced with the wonders of Earth Day than a guest speaker all the way from Florida? Using Dreamwakers’ Flashchat Calendar allowed us to introduce Earth Day conservation concepts and get the kids excited for their upcoming unit.” -Lauren Gunnell-Beck, North Carolina Leadership Academy
3. NEW: Curriculum Analysis Meetings
Need help mapping out how to incorporate flashchats into the scope and sequence of your pacing calendar for a particular unit, or curriculum as a whole? No worries. I’m here to help!
As a former educator who taught an array of content across multiple grades (math, science, and world history in grades 5-7), I’m no stranger to planning lessons, ensuring the content meets curriculum standards, and (attempting) to pace the units appropriately, all while tailoring the fine details to the needs of my students along the way. I understand firsthand how difficult it can be to fully cover all of the required content within a short timeframe. I’m here to help you identify where flashchats will help augment your lessons and to discuss how to justify their value to your administration, peers, or others.
4. NEW: Welcome to DreamWakers Video Series
Our Welcome to DreamWakers Video Series is a four-part information and tutorial program that introduces you more personally to our work and walks you through the ins and outs of becoming a DreamSpeaker or DreamEducator! From signing up to requesting and preparing for your first flashchat, this series is your one-stop tutorial. Check it out below!
Our hope is that these resources empower and inspire you as educators to explore the range of what DreamWakers has to offer with the full scope of resources and tools at your disposal. We cannot wait to connect with you and your students to inform their goals and inspire their dreams via flashchats. You’re in the driver’s seat!
And remember, our job is to make your experience with DreamWakers as easy for you — and as meaningful for your students — as possible. I am always here for a chat, brainstorm, or strategy session. Reach out at [email protected].
“See” you soon! -Abigail
DreamWakers’ mission is to help students see what they can be, inspiring the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals in all industries. Representation matters, and we connect students across the country with career professionals who look like them, so that the youth of America can truly see themselves in the faces of their role models year-round.
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Are you an educator looking to bring your lessons to life, or expose your students to new and exciting career paths through conversations with career professionals? Sign up as a DreamEducator with DreamWakers today!
