Students at Cedars International Academy became the first in Austin to have a live-mentor at their fingertips. [Re]ThinkIt! ™, a tool designed by Austin-based OneSeventeen Media, was developed to provide schools with a comprehensive Advice Management System™ to support classroom management, all while supporting students both inside and outside of the classroom.
“Because our teachers and students use [Re]ThinkIt!, administrators have been given a reprieve from trying to manage all student personal issues and are able to focus more time and energy on other administrative duties,” said Les Simpson, Director of Technology at Cedars International Academy.
Rooted in restorative justice and social-emotional learning practices, [Re]ThinkIt! is helping schools and educators make better, faster, and more informed decisions to support students. The application serves as an in-school virtual mentor that’s part live texting with a live, on-demand mentor and part evidence-based, personalized content. It’s a trusted intervention that provides schools with actionable data in real-time.
“Through eight years of evidence-based research, we’ve discovered all kids are “at-risk.” All adolescents are in need of advice to figure out life and the people around them. (Re)ThinkIt! was born out of feedback from students, educators and parents identifying a dire need for a real-time, outcome-based fix that helps reduce classroom disruptions and emotional distress,” said Beth Carls, CEO and Co-founder of OneSeventeen Media.
[Re]ThinkIt!, offers many advantages for charter schools, teachers, parents, and student across Texas. The following pilot findings outline the key benefits [Re]ThinkIt!, brings to schools like Cedars International Academy and others around the globe.
Key Pilot Findings
1. Students Share More
In fact, students share up to five times more information when using [Re]ThinkIt! During the recent pilot program, students wrote on average of 121 words in the [Re]ThinkIt! Report – a 500 percent increase from face-to-face interactions.
The actions of students are often affected by outside circumstances in their life. Schools play a critical role in helping students willingly express these obstacles. Through [Re]ThinkIt!, 27 percent of students willingly shared that something else was going on in their life.
2. Students Feel Better
One of the most powerful benefits of [Re]ThinkIt! is the ability to help students “cool down” emotionally. This is a key step in conducting better conversations and resolving conflict for school administrators and teachers. Based on pre-and post-emotion tests among students, [Re]ThinkIt! demonstrates a 23 percent decrease in emotional distress. This results in positive school culture and easier classrooms to manage – a result that will save teachers time and schools money all while creating a better environment for students.
3. Students Accept Responsibility
[Re]ThinkIt!, helps students accept responsibility for their actions, and encourages students to make amends. During the pilot, 54 percent of students were open to accepting responsibility for their actions once accessing [Re]ThinkIt!, Because students are more willing to accept responsibility for their actions, administrators and teachers can take a quicker, more proactive approach to resolving conflicts and developing stronger relationships with students.
“Based on student requests for daily access to non-judgmental advice, our idea to reimagine how today’s tech-savvy kids could benefit formed the foundation for (Re)ThinkIt!. Research supports adolescents only need one supportive adult to succeed. Leveraging a combination of tech-driven algorithms with on-demand messaging and a caring human on the other end is resonating with kids and surprising adults with the positive outcomes”, said Amy Looper, COO and Co-founder of OneSeventeen Media.
To learn more about [Re]ThinkIt!, please visit oneseventeenmedia.com to stay connected with how OneSeventeen Media is helping students tackle the complex issues they face each and every day.
Interested in a demo of [Re]ThinkIt!, Click here to schedule your personal demo today!
