By Dean Graziano
15 years is considered the crystal anniversary. Fitting,
since izzit.org has always had a crystal-clear path of providing top-shelf,
high-quality, no-cost video-based learning and a lot of extras to educators!
Our 15th anniversary has officially begun (July
1, 2006 – July 1, 2021). After a decade and a half of assisting educators, we
are looking forward to the next 15 years as only getting better at izzit.org.
As we celebrate our 15-year milestone, we extend a deep and sincere thank you
to over 419,000 registered users (and growing daily) who have made it possible.
We are also grateful to our team at izzit.org, who perform above and beyond and
keep our products of utmost quality, accurate, and accessible to ANY educator
at no cost!
What’s new for this milestone year? izzit.org has authored
governor proclamations in several states (TX, NH, MA, RI, FL, GA, and awaiting
others), declaring the month of October 2021 as Civics
Awareness Month. We have several
weekly activities planned as well as a myriad of lesson planning ideas and
supplemental materials for a very impactful Civics Awareness Month! Stay tuned
for more information about these impactful activities!
Also, we launched a pilot at Westwood High School, our Virtual
International Field Trip (see photos), as part of our summer campaign, Summer
Vacation Should NOT be a Vacation from Learning!
For many years, the research pointed out that most students
do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Prior to COVID, the
average summer loss/lag was two and a half months and is now expected to be
over six months loss in math and reading achievement. In an effort to curb that
loss, make learning fun, and provide an inter-disciplinary approach to
learning, izzit.org created this summer program, which:
• Offers a unique way to supplement learning (in or out of
the classroom!) with 15 specific izzit.org videos.
• Promotes school-wide/community-wide
involvement, which underscores an investment in student learning.
• Provides greater
flexibility over the summer and contributes to student learning. No vacation
from learning!
• Enables improved
interdisciplinary skills, critical thinking, and positive student advantages.
• Offers more experience and competency with critical
thinking skills.
Once a student completes the thought-provoking questions
that go along with our materials, they receive a “stamp” from a "Customs
Agent" (a sponsoring teacher/media specialist or parent) to indicate they
have successfully visited the given country. T-shirts will be awarded to
students who successfully complete 100% of the program. These students will
also be entered into drawings for prizes too. Who says learning can't be fun?
We are very proud to announce that we
will be unveiling our new website by the end of summer: Civics
Fundamentals. While we are still izzit.org and maintain that website,
this project is so big that we have created its own dedicated site where you
can expect more informative content and civics-only programs and videos with ways
to become civic competent. There is so much more in the planning phase and much
more ready to be introduced for the 2021-2022 school year.
15 years has made us strong and resolute
in our vision: To
see each generation of students free to flourish through critical thinking,
responsible actions, and self-reliance for the benefit of themselves, their
families, and communities.
For details about the Virtual International Field Trip, contact Dean Graziano, J.D. V.P. of Education.
