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Learneast2012
This document provides tips and tools for engaging parents through technology. It discusses moving from traditional parent involvement, where the school sets the agenda, to true parent engagement, where parents help shape priorities. Technology can supplement traditional learning and build links between families and schools. The document offers suggestions in areas like parenting, communication, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and community collaboration. It emphasizes building trusting relationships, recognizing family diversity, and making engagement systemic and sustained. Technology tools like websites, email, blogs and videos can enhance engagement if implemented consistently and invitationaly.
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Learneast2012
- 1. Tools of Engagement:A Parent’s Perspective Jeannine St. Amand parent, connected learner
- 2. Tools of Engagement – about me – types of involvement / engagement – some tips and tools – sharing your tips and tools – parent learning – your learning – final thoughts
- 3. Caveats • The ideasthat follow will not work for all parents, there will be those without access to technology and they must be reached in other ways. • The work of parent and family engagement goes well beyond what is explored here, we will focus only where technology may offer additional access, success or progress. • As an advocate for student voice, I encourage you to use students to the extent possible to develop and deliver the ideas that follow.
- 9. "In today's fast-paced,information-based world, in which we seem to have ever less free time, it is important to develop innovative, practical, and productive ways to help parents find the time to connect with their children and communities to strengthen the bonds with their schools. Technology can be this kind of tool, by supplementing traditional learning, providing creative methods of teaching, and building and enhancing links between businesses, families, and schools. “ —Richard W. Riley U.S. Secretary of Education 1998 http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/TechStrength/intro.html
- 10. Parent Involvement Epstein, et. al. 2002. School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.
- 11. Parent Engagement • Parentinvolvement focuses on the school setting the agenda and determining the roles parents will play. • Parent engagement allows us to explore parents’ hopes and dreams for their children and work together to realize those ends. • Moving from involvement to engagement requires us to see parents as an integral and essential part of the process. Parents must be able to use their knowledge, skills and talents.
- 12. The way LarryFerlazzo distinguishes between parent involvement and parent engagement: Energy source: “When we’re involving parents, ideas and energy tends to come from the schools and from government mandates. We tend to sell ideas.“ “When we’re engaging parents, ideas tend to be elicited from parents by school staff in the context of developing trusting relationships. More parent energy drives the efforts because they emerge from parent/community needs and priorities.” Purpose: “When we’re involving parents, schools tend to focus on supporting students by strengthening and assisting school programs and priorities.” “When we’re engaging parents, schools support students by developing parent relationships and often working with parents to improve their local communities.” http://www.learningfirst.org/LarryFerlazzoParentEngagement
- 13. • So tobe engaging parents we need have them as part of the conversation. • You are actively allowing them to see the learning that goes on in school, AND you are encouraging them to reflect, respond, and reinforce it at home. • Engagement is interactive and relational. Learning is open, transparent and visible. • The tools of technology make this move from involvement to engagement easier – they allow us to connect, collaborate, and create together.
- 14. Parenting Assist families withparenting skills and setting home conditions to support children as students. Also assist school to better understand families. Tips: - express your expectations, learn about our expectations - encourage conversations with our children - use plain language, don’t overwhelm, vary the channels
- 15. Parenting Tools - District,school, class: website, email, blog, wiki, video, podcast MediaSmarts Tip Sheets
- 16. Communicating Conduct effective communicationsfrom school-to-home and from home-to-school about school programs and student progress. Tips: -variety -use plain language -use images -don’t overwhelm -ask questions -be consistent -just like kids, we lose paper -be invitational -respect confidentiality -be positive
- 17. Communicating Tools: school – email,website, video: info on programs class – email, online reporting: info on progress online surveys online portfolios RSS
- 18. Communicating Tools: school – email,website, video: info on programs class – email, online reporting: info on progress blogs social media texting online surveys online portfolios RSS
- 24. Achievement Reporting We wantmore frequent, more complete info: i.e. email based (markbook) or online marking (edline) info - be consistent - school-wide - frequency - but personalize - find ways to get at 21C competencies - find ways to broaden assessment language - consider online portfolios
- 25. Volunteering Organize volunteers andaudiences to support the school and students. Provide volunteer opportunities in various locations and at various times. Tips: - think outside the box - reinforce message of all shapes/sizes - think about competencies not just subjects
- 26. Volunteering Tools: District, school, class website,email, blog, wiki, social media online surveys voip Ideas to share?
- 27. Learning at Home Involvefamilies with their children on homework and other curriculum-related activities and decisions. Tips: - how can family help - expectations (both ways) - curriculum outlines - interactive (joint) learning - outside of school learning - learn about student/family life
- 28. Learning at Home Tools:province, district, school, class website, blog, wiki, video, podcast, email A Parent's Guide to 21st Century Learning
- 29. What Matters Most 1. High Expectations 2. Talking About School 3. Attitudes and Work Habits 4. Reading Together Address each of these in every area of involvement/engagement
- 30. Decision Making Include familiesas participants in school decisions, and develop parent leaders and representatives. Tips: - find ways to allow participation without physical presence - choice and voice are important for parents too
- 31. Decision Making Tools: District, school website,webconference, blog, wiki, video, podcast, voip
- 33. Collaborating with Community Coordinateresources and services from the community for families, students, and the school, and provide services to the community. Tips: - invitations - remote visits - parent initiated events/activities - help define the role of the Community Engagement Coordinator positions
- 34. Collaborating with Community . Tools: District, school, class website, email, blog, wiki, video, podcast, social media, voip
- 35. Tips and Toolsto Share? Parenting Communicating Volunteering Learning at Home Decision Making Collaborating with the Community
- 36. Parent learning… As wemove to a connected learning model we need to bring parents along too. Providing technology focused learning opportunities for parents is helpful. Involving students in the teaching of tech tools if very powerful.
- 38. To be successfulat parent engagement: • build trusting, collaborative relationships, • recognize, respect and address family needs and differences, • embrace the philosophy of partnership with shared power and shared responsibility, • make it systemic, integrated and sustained.
- 39. Your learning… There aremany people willing to share their knowledge and experience. A few who specialize in parent engagement…
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- 44. Cautions • This isjust as new for parents as it is for teachers. • Do not be discouraged if you don’t get feedback right away. • Build slowly • Involve the students • It is not your job alone. Expect more from the Minister, the Department, the District, the DEC, school administration. Speak up about what needs to happen.
- 45. Why do Ibelieve parent engagement is important? • The “system” of education we have is becoming increasingly irrelevant, especially at the high school level. (see Disrupting Class) • Unless we strengthen the “public” in our system we may be replaced. • We need to create real communities and nurture real relationships. • That is the distinct advantage that our schools have over online systems. • Connections and relationships are what we need to focus on.
- 47. twitter: @jeanninestamand blog: www.jeanninestamand.com Delicious: www.delicious.com/toolsofengagement Linkedin: Jeannine St. Amand [email protected] Presentation slides available at slideshare: