#akedchat Archive
#akedchat is a great way for Alaska-based educators to share teaching strategies, educational resources, and more.
Monday October 17, 2016
11:00 PM EDT
-
Hi I am Sue, 3rd Grade Teacher in Fort Yukon. Our community is about 500+ people. Our school is 100 students K-12.
-
I'm principal at Harborview Elementary in Juneau. School is ~360 preK-5.
-
Lindsey, 9 & 10 ELA, Juneau-Douglas High School
-
Hi Sue. I love K-12 school environments!
-
Hi Lindsey. Nice to have a neighbor with us!
-
I've never worked in an all elmentary environment! Would be nice to have other grade level teachers around!
-
I have five questions, paced about 10 mins apart. I'll wait a few mins to see if others join.
-
I have five questions, paced about 10 mins apart. I'll wait a few mins to see if others join.
-
I remember that feeling... I guess technology is vital in that regard?
-
-
Lindsey, how long have you been at JDHS?
-
I started in K-12 in the Delta and later in a K-12 in Bristol Bay. Same level peers is nice. K-12 has advantages too
-
I moved to Juneau in June. Moved from hometown Kodiak.
-
I moved from a K-12 school to JDHS, where I had 180 students as an English teacher. Nearly killed me!
-
Cnxns w/ families gives support to what we're trying to achieve with Ss in the classroom.
-
Yes. Especially important when you realize that Sts spend majority of lives at home.
-
Not a lot of resources such as firehall/museums for PBL, so have to use family connections such as pottery studio/greenhouse
-
Inviting families in makes families an extension of a lesson or school community. Makes school-home ties stronger.
-
Say more? How are you using these connections?
-
-
As we chat, if you can share any examples of how you’ve invited families in to a lesson, that would be great.
-
Brings variety: can do fieldtrips or special projects using parents expertise since dont have art/music teacher
-
And once parents get a sense that their expertise is valued, I think a lot can go right.
-
I would love to have a monthly calendar/sign-up sheets when parents can share expertise.
-
A2 for me involves planning curio w fam's expertise embedded. Also, home assignments tap fams "funds of knowledge"
-
Every year we do a ”tour” down the Nile River. Families are invited
-
Have you tried the monthly calendar. , have you done similar digitally? Love this idea.
-
Hi Erika. How does this work. Are you still in Gillingham?
-
Yes, I love history projects when they interview "What were you doing when..." or family tree stories.
-
Dillingham. Danged auto correct!
-
-
-
Academic Parent Teacher Teams . I like the idea of meeting in supportive groups to go over academic goals and support.
-
-
I'm sure these challenges vary quite a bit from Fort Yukon to Juneau. But maybe some similarity, too.
-
In DLG. Parents come in for the lesson and join their kids in learning. Best with lots of advance notice.
-
I like this. Do you give any tips to them about how to participate?
-
1) Accessibility (Families w/o Phones or Internet) 2) Work/School Hour Clashes 3) Uninvested (b/c of high turnover)
-
A3. A persistent challenge in all settings, I'm sure, is how to reach the hard to reach families. Any breakthroughs?
-
Work/School hour clashes very real here, too. Any creative solutions?
-
There was a good session on using . Usually blog but I've had to go low-tech & do paper newsletter w/ pics
-
Sorry to jump in late...we did a personal invitation for PT conferences & scheduled a sig adult to come in come w/HS child
-
They try to do after hour evenings & provide dinner & doorprizes. I once worked at a place that did coffee mornings.
-
Hi Swuttig! Where is your school?
-
We connected to families prior by just calling to ask what they wanted us to know about their child. Had over 90% turnout
-
-
We've been discussing moving some events and meetings offsite to neighborhood settings. No action yet though.
-
A3: Finding parents' expertise and trying to schedule in around content. (trying to make dinner while tweeting...)
-
That's a really inviting strategy. How many students? How long did this take?
-
Seems like we're edging into this already.
-
Q4: Connect with families before issues. And ask them what are there hopes/dreams for their child.
-
A4: Ss interviewing parents at home & sharing at school. Still involving families.
-
Meet & Greet with teachers at Bullwinkles ;) or at one of the parks when it gets nicer. Seems easier to mingle offsite
-
Another beautifully generative question, imho. Were you surprised by any of the responses or themes?
-
A4: Inviting Ps in for Ss' presentations. Advance notice. Specific time. Around working lunch time. Multiple days.
-
Yes, interviewing family members can be such a win-win. Involves and honors them as resources. Any special pedagogy?
-
I love those chalk walls that lots of schools did at the beginning of the school year. We do ILPs /parents for each S
-
How to manage Sts without someone to interview? Do you offer options?
-
Great strategy to do multiple days. I always schedule presentations/events near pick-up time b/c lots of parents around
-
-
-
Parents often not available. You're right. Interview an adult that is important to you.
-
A5. I mentioned JoBeth Allen in previous article cite. She’s a teacher-author-researcher I pay attn to on fam-connections.
-
-
A lot of families use/check facebook, so having a group for updates, is great to share student work
-
Example interview and sharing. List of potential Qs. Rubric for assignment. Class discussion about assignment to prep
-
I love Ken Macrorie’s classic chapter on interviewing “Tell Me Something Interviews” in _Writing to Be Read_
-
Can’t wait to check out . Thank you.
-
We used Remind for our summer math camp to highlight things S's were doing with pics
-
. Does remind send photos in texts?
-
I'm not familiar. I'll have to research. Thanks!
-
A5 has some good stuff to say along the lines of ’s “hopes and dreams” calls.
-
Marcrorie invented the I-Search paper. Kind of an old-school journalist as a reader but an amazing teacher of writers.
-
So bummed to miss tonight! Just back from screening of at conf. Mind is spinning.
-
