Getting Parents Involved

Just to give you so background, I teach sixth grade at a small school in Louisiana. All of my students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, and 99% of my school is African American. My school is really great; at least that’s my opinion. I enjoy my coworkers, my students, and the administration. Don’t get me wrong, there are challenging days, but every school has it’s issues.

One of the main personal challenges that I have been struggling with recently is getting parents involved and interested in their child’s education. We don’t have a PTA, and most of the time when parents receive a phone call it involves the student’s misbehavior. Eventually, my parents just stop answering the phone. They check the caller id, see that it’s from the school, and then let it go to voicemail.

I have set this year as a turning point. I have called most of my parents to get acquainted, and offered my cell phone so that they may contact me if they have questions regarding homework, tests, or daily events. In the middle of most of these conversations, I could hear the parent’s attitude change from defensive to appreciative. I feel ashamed for not taking the initiative sooner, but now is a good starting point.

I know that many of you have wonderful parents who are actively involved in their child’s education. These parents volunteer, run off copies, lead fundraisers, and help out around the school. Others of you have overbearing or judgmental parents who stifle your ability to be creative. Either way, it is proven that parents who take responsibility for their child’s education increase student performance.

I need to make sure that my students achieve more than last year, and I need the help of their parents to make sure that what is taught in the classroom is being modeled at home. Many of my parents work late shifts, have not graduated high school, or are simply unable to help their children with their homework. I feel that if I make every effort to promote their child’s education, then they will reach out to me for assistance when help is needed.

My school uses Oncourse, which is a lesson planning web tool that allows teachers to have their own blog-type communication page. Unfortunately, many of my parents do not have the Internet, so they cannot see all of the enrichment activities, and supplemental material that I have posted. They cannot log into the school board’s website, in order see up-to-the-minute information on their child’s progress. I have a limited means of communication with the parents of my students, but it is essential that I use every avenue available.

I have already seen a change in the outlook of my students, they have learned to say “Yes, Sir,” and “No, Sir.” They follow directions well, and are attentive during the lesson. I believe that establishing parental contact early in the year has helped tremendously with my student’s behavior. I just hope that  it will be reflected in their achievement.

Visit the Classroom Management section to get Phone Logs, Conference Info, and Pre-made Letters.

If you are looking to increase or manage the level of parental involvement in your school, then the following links will really help:

http://projectappleseed.org/

http://www.parentinvolvementmatters.org/resources/resources.htm

http://www.ncpie.org/

The Nook Textbook, and Kindles in the Classroom: Using Electronic Readers to Engage Students and Possibly Drive Down the Cost of Public Education

I feel that using electronic readers in our classrooms and libraries can both benefit students and possibly lower the cost of their education. School districts spend millions of dollars purchasing textbooks, supplemental materials, books for individualized instruction, large print books, books at various reading levels, and replacement books for those that are lost or stolen.

Will these new devices actually help our student's reading comprehension, scores, and ultimately improve their outlook on reading as enjoyable? Will this new technology just be another bit of snake oil that is marketed to fix the broken American educational system?

As with any technology that has been implemented in the history of education, the success of e-readers as an educational tool depends solely on the classroom teacher or librarian. If the e-readers are not used effectively, then it is illogical to say that the technology is detrimental to the learning environment. Teachers must be trained on how to use the technology, shown how it will make their job easier, and persuaded that the technology is a better approach to teaching skills than the latest gimmicky reading program that they have been ordered to implement.

The Kindle Goes to Ghana

The difference between e-readers and reading programs is the same difference between static books and reading programs. The e-reader and the book are the medium in which the reading program is implemented.

Comparing e-readers to static books is the equivalent of comparing books to cuneiform written on clay tablets.

A static book only tells what has been written within its pages, but e-readers allow the reader to carry a limitless library of static books with ease and portability.

Schools could bundle all of the core textbooks into one device for each student, and fit an entire library onto student's e-readers. This would drastically decrease the amount of weight that students have to lug around on a daily basis. Currently, the average sixth-graders back pack weighs more than twenty pounds.

Using e-readers may eventually mean that the school library is no longer necessary. Why would stacks of books be necessary if it can all be contained in a small portable device? What would happen to the card catalog? What will the role of the librarian become? Will there still be a need for librarians, when the device can automatically search and organize information? When will teachers get their planning period, if there is no more library time?

These questions may need to be addressed in the near future, but we are not quite at that point yet.

Before e-readers are integrated into the classroom we need to iron out some things:

1. How will they be used?
2. Who will use them?
3. Will the students be allowed to bring them home?
4. Will the students be charged a "lab fee" or insurance against damage or theft?
5. What type of professional developments can be developed for proper integration?
6. Will the device cause network strains for the district?
7. Which device is more appropriate for each grade level?
8. What of visually impaired students; will the use of these devices put them at a disadvantage?
9. What pilot programs are being studied?
10. How do we start a pilot program at our school, and properly collect usable data?

I plan on posting a review of each of the prominent e-readers, and developing integration methods.

Please let me know what you think about the future of e-readers in education.