Using Let's Get Together™ in Schools

Students use the software to

• Solve their own real conflicts without adult intervention
• Refocus attention on teacher instruction without the emotional distraction of conflict
• Learn and practice analytical thinking and interpersonal skills

Teachers use the software to provide

• Real life context for the teaching of language arts, citizenship, math and science skills
• Visual, auditory, kinesthetic experiences to advance learning
• Relevant subject matter that engages students and recognizes the importance of emotions in the learning process

Classrooms use the software to

• Create a climate for managing differences and a process for problem-solving
• Speak a common language for talking about feelings, perspectives and solutions
• Foster independent student decision making

About Let's Get Together Software

Let's Get Together™ software and other tools are non-threatening and allow students' strong emotions to de-escalate so that they can focus attention on the problem-solving process. The characters, Sunny and Chili, consistently model neutral and respectful communication, understanding different points of view, expressing and acknowledging feelings. This nurtures empathy, which is made evident by the use of skills. Empathy must be understood and practiced before it can be applied in real life. Children need many opportunities to experience, recognize and develop the ability to show empathy.

As the Let's Get Together™ software coaches them through a step-by-step interactive process, students in conflict can interact with each other and learn to be self reliant, compassionate problem solvers. As they work through their conflict, they consider information from different perspectives, analyze that information, articulate their analysis, generate solution ideas, and ultimately create a plan for resolution. When children come up with solution ideas acceptable to both, it affirms their effective communication and their ability to recognize different perspectives and feelings. Working through the process of choosing positive alternative behaviors creates neuronal pathways in the children's brains that associate these new behaviors with their emotions. They begin to see not only that there ARE skills for interacting nonviolently with others, but that these skills work. As they use these alternatives to hitting, kicking, name calling, teasing the children will become more skilled in "good behavior."

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How the Human Brain Learns

Let's Get Together™ software provides these five ingredients necessary for learning:

1. Attention to Emotions: Emotions are a critical component of learning.

The Sunny and Chili characters interact with students in a consistently neutral and respectful manner thus creating an emotionally safe environment. Creating this emotionally safe environment reduces perceived threat and stress and allows students to problem solve in their "thinking brain."

2. Personally Relevant Subject Matter: Information must have meaning, and it must connect to memory if it is to be retained.

Students solve their real life conflict, a subject which has the utmost personal relevance to them.

3. Interactive Engagement: The brain is complex. The more parts of the brain that are active the more information that will be retained and applied to make connections with other information.

The Let's Get Together™ software allows students to talk into the program, to Sunny and Chili and to each other. The students' voices become part of the program. This feature engages the students and extends the level of ownership for problem-solving. Students may also input their perspectives, feelings and solutions, by typing on the keyboard.

4. Visual and Audio Stimulation: When the brain processes both visual and audio information different neuronal-pathways are created.

The Let's Get Together™ software has both an audio and written text. There are visual cues with color and movement to help students recognize words. The software also allows students to use their natural and most comfortable learning modality, whether it be visual, audio, kinesthetic.

5. Process: Presenting information in a process enables memory associations and the creation of templates in the brain. This assists recall and application of the information.

The Let's Get Together™ software leads students through a step-by-step interactive process during which they consider information from different perspectives, analyze that information, articulate their analysis, generate solution ideas and create a plan for application. While students solve their conflict, they practice the same thinking skills that they need to be successful academically.