Engaging, User-Friendly, and Exceptional People
Community Review for Wayfinder
My Take
To be fully transparent, Wayfinder was not initially on our radar as a potential Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum. However, they reached out, offering to send three representatives to run an activity with our SEL team and address any questions we had. Following this meeting, it became evident that Wayfinder was the ideal fit for our needs. It seamlessly aligned with the tenets of our academic curriculum and complemented the restorative practices integral to our district.
Initially, we faced challenges with the bilingual components, and while improvements have been made, further fine-tuning is still desired. Currently, the videos are dubbed, and we express a preference for them to be available in multiple languages to accommodate our highly diverse district. We are also in the early stages of navigating the data component, Waypoints, and although feedback is limited at this point, we are eager to leverage it district-wide. One notable aspect is that the assessment piece does not currently track down to kindergarten through 2nd grade, a feature we hope to see expanded to gather comprehensive data for the entire district.
The simplicity and visual appeal of Wayfinder were significant draws. The aesthetics of the journals, platform, lessons, and activities were pleasing. Furthermore, the curriculum aligns well with the CASEL competencies and introduces a crucial purpose component that we find essential for our secondary students. It was not just the material but also the collaborative support from the Wayfinder team that stood out. They actively engaged with our feedback, offered professional development tailored to our district, and seamlessly integrated Wayfinder into our core values and beliefs. This holistic approach set Wayfinder apart, making it more than just an SEL curriculum but a valued partner in our educational journey.
How I Use It
I have conducted lessons with 5th-grade classes and engaged in activities with both students and staff using Wayfinder. On each occasion, I found the platform to be extremely user-friendly. Navigating through it was seamless, allowing me to easily locate lessons and activities that aligned with the specific needs of the class, students, or staff.
The strengths of the lessons and activities were particularly noteworthy, as they proved to be highly engaging. Students not only enjoyed the sessions but also expressed a desire for me to return and conduct the same activities again. This positive reception often led to requests from other classrooms to replicate the activities that became favorites among students.
In the realm of professional development, Wayfinder proved invaluable in providing suitable icebreakers. The activity library eliminated the common challenge of finding appropriate activities for PD, saving considerable planning and preparation time. The lessons required minimal preparation, with the only necessary step being familiarizing oneself with the content.
While we encountered a few issues with Wayfinder, the platform demonstrated responsiveness to feedback. One notable example was the lack of bilingual support for teachers, requiring them to translate lessons into Spanish themselves. This issue extended to videos accompanying some lessons. However, upon bringing these concerns to our implementation specialist, prompt action was taken to address and resolve both situations efficiently. Overall, Wayfinder's commitment to addressing user feedback positively impacted our experience with the platform.
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