Although we offer over 150 interactive learning aids for various career and technical education programs, RealCare Baby®, our company’s flagship product, continues to soar in popularity. One way we can tell: Social media. RealCare Baby makes for great social media; one only needs to conduct a quick Instagram or Twitter search for #RealCareBaby to get an idea of just how widespread these posts are.
To celebrate the creative teachers who continue working hard to engage their students – even when distance learning is the only option – we’re sharing five memorable times RealCare Baby has been featured on social media recently. Keep reading to see each memorable post, and learn how Baby is bringing value to each featured classroom.
Abby Shroeder (@rwhs.facs), FACS Teacher at Red Wing High School in Minnesota
Why we love it: With COVID-19 safety measures now officially in place, Abby recently went the extra mile by creating a plan to ensure her students didn’t miss their weekend simulation experiences.
From Abby: “I was questioning if I should have sent the babies out with students that Friday as we didn’t know what the upcoming week held for the state of Minnesota. That Sunday night, the governor announced the school closures. I instantly got emails from students who had the babies home with them, asking what they were supposed to do with them since our building was closed. We worked out a plan where they have been able to drop them off as they pick up their school supplies to do distant learning. What a crazy experience for all of us!”
Why Abby loves RealCare Baby: “RealCare Baby is by far the students’ favorite project in this class. They are all so excited to take the baby home Friday afternoon and then just as excited to drop it off in my classroom Monday morning. They talk about how much they love bringing the baby around town but having their daily schedule interrupted so many times was is exhausting. RealCare Baby is the most realist school project these students will experience. The comments and feedback I get from students, their parents, and the community are also positive and reaffirming on why students should be taking this class and this baby home.”
Joyce Krebs (@KrebsKlass), Family and Consumer Sciences teacher/CTE and STEAM Education, Triway High School, Ohio
Why we love it: Joyce not only appreciates the true-to-life experiences that RealCare Baby offers her students, but she takes the time to create learning opportunities from those experiences and encourage engaging peer-to-peer discussions.
From Joyce: “I love RealCare Baby because it truly gives students a sense of what being a real parent is all about. It helps dispel the fairy tale of having a ‘cute, sweet newborn.’ It is the harsh reality of 3:00 a.m. feedings that never seem to end, cluster feeding, multitasking, worrying if you’re doing the right thing for your child, being gentile with this fragile being, and finding time to balance work, school and life as a parent.”
Why Joyce loves RealCare Baby: “It has been an incredible bonding experience for my students… between themselves, and between my students and I. It is certainly an experience they will never forget, and I hope the lessons that they learned about caring for a newborn, and the lessons they learned about themselves, will carry forward into their adult lives in a profound, yet empowering way.”
Michelle Lee Landon (@MichelleLLandon), Family and Consumer Science Teacher, Varina High School, Virginia
Why we love it: Whenever possible, we encourage overnight simulation experiences. Caring for Baby through the night gives students the chance to experience the realities of parenting an infant, like responding to cries for care when they are normally sleeping. We love that Michelle offers opportunities for that experience in her program!
Shawanna Sykes (@ShawannaCopela3), FCS teacher at Walter M. Williams High School in North Carolina
Why we love it: By creating opportunities for her students to learn in small groups, Shawanna is incorporating active learning experiences into her classroom – experiences Generation Z students prefer to stay engaged.
Why Shawanna loves RealCare Baby: “I love using my infant simulators to reinforce important care techniques like changing a diaper, bottle feeding, car seat safety, and picking up infants. The students really enjoy being able to practice their skills using the simulator.”
Alyson Shoaf (@healthedgirl), FCS Teacher, Lexington Senior High School, North Carolina
Why we love it: Empathy and sensitivity are difficult skills to teach, but the right learning experiences can help students develop those important skills – especially when fun is added! We give Alyson credit for being creative with her RealCare Baby infant simulators and creating “gender reveal” parties for her students. Shoaf’s post shows the benefits of engaging students with realistic learning opportunities, and helping them see how the lessons they’re learning apply to the real world.
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