We are almost at the halfway point in the course and our team has learned so much from you all. This week, we focus on executive functioning skills. This set of skills is so important because we use it to set goals, to plan for reaching goals, and to focus our efforts until the goals have been met. These skills have implications for daily classroom success and for the real-world. Often, our most difficult students struggle with executive functioning skills such as impulse control, attention, emotional control, and others, making it particularly important to explicitly teach and address.

Things to look for in this unit:

• Make sure you check out Matt’s story - this current college student is particularly good at describing how it feels to have learning differences both as he is learning and emotionally as he deals with labels.
• The second stack of micro-credentials is live! We are hoping to get 50 people to submit the first badge in the stack - please take some time to try it out and submit the 3 questions needed to earn your first executive function badge in the stack.
• The Voxer Group is alive and kicking! If you want to join our voxer group you can learn more here and sign up here.
• Virtual PLCs have been a great way to connect in real time with people around the world and to have deeper, content driven discussions. Sign up for Unit 3 PLC discussions here!

To access the unit you can click here or log-in to the course at go.ncsu.edu/summerld and scroll down to the unit 3 links at the bottom of the page.

If you are an instructional coach or work to support other teachers: Be sure to check out the Coaches Corner in Units 2, 4, and 6. I​​n the Coaches Corner, you or your site-based team can engage in an optional, extended learning opportunity ​to​ work on a cumulative deliverable - ​a​ Learning Differences Coaching Action Plan​. You can access Part I of the Coaches Corner in Unit 2 or by clicking here.

You will receive an additional 5 CEUs for completing a Learning Differences Coaching Action Plan​ - individually or as team (all members will receive credit for a single plan) - and participating in the relevant coaches corner discussions and peer review forums.