Working with Families & Communities

 1.   ISTE Video: Creating a Culturally Responsive Classroom by Alicia Discepola

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VixB5WBiLqE

                                                                     

Summary: This video highlights importance of educators reaching the families/parents of our students simultaneously as we get to know our students. It emphasizes that a stable and culturally responsive learning environment is one that reaches into the homes of our students and highlights the necessity of digital technology within classroom culture as a means of doing so. Thus, keeping families engaged and in tune with educational journey of their children and daily classroom activities and events. 

                                                             

Rationale: This video showed me the importance of technology and how to intricately wove it into a classroom which strengthens the bond between parents and teachers. Families/parents of our students are critical to classroom culture and even the learning environment our students help to establish as they are the village our students return to upon leaving the classroom.

 It is so important to recognize the role they play in structuring a culturally responsive learning environment. Not only does the use of techonology aid in necessary communication with our parents but can serve as a way to break down even language barriers between parents of our ELL's. 

Citation: Discepola, Alicia. Creating A Cilturally Responsive Classroom. Creating a Culturally Responsive Classroom, 19 Oct. 2019, youtu.be/VixB5WBiLqE. 

                     2. Brown University- Perspectives on Parents and Families 

Summary: This article provides useful strategies on how to connect with family. It first highlights the importance of the family and parental involvement in the curriculum and educational journey of our students. It provides helpful ways and tips on integrating and connecting parental and home life with the everyday happenings and even activities within the classroom. 

Rationale: This source is an asset to my tool kit because it provides steps and strategies on ways to engage parents in my classroom. It also breaks down and describes the how's and why's of parental involvement and even family connection within the classroom. The research, tips and guidance in this article enlightened me about the positive impact families have and even how crucial their involvement is in the educational journey of their children. 

Citation: “Brown University.” Positive Perspectives on Parents and Families | Teaching Diverse Learners, The Education Alliance Brown University, www.brown.edu/academics/education-alliance/teaching-diverse-learners/positive-perspectives-parents-and-families. 

                                        3. Edutopia- Cultivating Parent Engagement

Summary: This video provides detailed ideas and advice on how to CULTIVATE parent engagement, an idea that focused on showing parents how important they are to their student's success and establishing connection from there. This video provided guidance on how to maintain connection with parents and families to encourage their engagement in our classroom. Throughout the video both parents and students are shown and their experiences shared on what this means to them and how impactful it is. 

Rationale: This video is vital to my toolkit because it does just talk about the importance of involving parents into our classroom and student's academic journey but the HOW To's on making them want to be engaged and involved. It provides necessary tools and steps that equip teachers with the ways to establish that form of encouragement and comfortability for the parents for our studnet to foster their engagement. 

Citation: Person. “Cultivating Parent Engagement.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 28 Oct. 2009, www.edutopia.org/video/cultivating-parent-engagement. 

                                                                 4. Class Dojo                                                                        

Summary: Class Dojo is one of the nation's number one leading educational resource and tool used to connect parents and families to the everyday happenings within the classroom, updates about assignment and even helpful reminder and announcements about upcoming events. The flexbility and multi-purpose website serves as a community for a continual fostered connection between parents and students as it gives parents/families a direct glance into the clasroom. 

Rationale:  ClassDojo is  apart of my teacher toolkit because it creates a sense of classroom community between parents and teachers as well as students, where parents are able to vocalize, suggest and communicate their concerns, questions and general conversation with teachers while being kept up to date with what is happening at the school, in the classroom and even with the assignments and activities of students. Classdojo is an asset to any classroom looking to reach and connect to parents from all walks of life, time schedules and backgrounds. 

                            Citation: ClassDojo. ClassDojo, www.classdojo.com/.