I really enjoyed Session 5 of Module 5 which focused on families' funds of knowledge. Often times when educators think of communication with families, it is often for the purpose of communicating information to families about whats going on in the classroom/school and how parents need to respond in order to ensure school and classroom events/systems go smoothly. Less often are these communications used for the purpose of soliciting information about families and using the assets that families bring to better the learning experience of students in the classroom. This session really helped to reframe my understanding of family outreach as 2 way communication and I think this session would be helpful for all educators to engage with to truly see families as partners, deepen our relationships with families, and build our own cultural competence. Families see us as holders of knowledge and experts in the field; however, we have much to learn and gain from their experiences and cultural backgrounds as well. Shifting the way in which we think about this partnership can be a valuable learning experience for all stakeholders.
My favorite session from Module 7 was session 2 because it gave fundamental skills that educational leaders can utilize in their practices to support equity in a virtual learning environment. Specifically, the resilient design for leading and the research bases practices that were shared. The session opened my eyes to the need for me to create opportunities for our teachers to share their ideas for innovation. Being intentional about constantly evolving and improving will benefit all of our staff. Giving teachers time to share strategies and best practices will allow us as a team to improve the virtual learning environment.
I also appreciated the four constants across learning environments being shared and the big picture it created in regards to equity. The Venn diagram shared with teacher practices and school leader practices resonated with me. This session forced me to reflect on my leadership practices and if they are designed around resiliency. The majority of the students that attend the Virtual Learning Academy that I oversee have mental health concerns or have experienced trauma so reflecting on the four constants in our program and thinking about resilient design will help me as a school leader.
Personally, I really liked Session 8, of Module 5, which talked about creating Service Learning Projects. I what I liked about this was that it made me think outside the box to solicit family/community involvement in the arts. I came up with an idea "Senior Portraits for Seniors" that could be done in-person or online.
I completed Module 5, and I think my favorite part was session 4: Effective Communication Across Learning Environments. I liked that session because it spoke to beliefs and values I hold as an educator in terms of the importance of communication with student families, but it also provided me with new strategies to help support those beliefs. Like all teachers, I have families who readily participate and other families that are more difficult to establish two-way communication with. I took a lot away from session four about new ways to reach out to those families, as well as engage them in different ways that may be more meaningful. Additionally, it was a really nice flow to move from session 3 (especially the transparency and trust pieces) into session 4.
I agree with you in that session 4 provided effective strategies for how to conduct meetings that were goal oriented and engaging. In addition, I found the toolkits, apps, digital tools, and the parent interview questions, from Teaching Tolerance, very helpful.
I agree, there was a lot of ideas to engage families and promote more two -way communication.As an art teacher, but more so as a high school art teacher, parents often are not as supportive of what their child is learning, nor do they recognize the values of the arts, and often do not even come to open house to learn about the art course and ask questions about the program.
I agree that this gave different tools to establish communication. I have realized this is one area that we can improve on in our district. The debrief session also provided a chance to see what other people are doing successfully in other areas around the state.
Session 5 of Module 5 describes in detail how students and their families have funds of knowledge, and how intertwined this knowledge is in the education of students. To me, the module speaks to the inner values and beliefs of that human beings can have or develop. There is value in culture, and in being culturally competent, but probably more important, there is value in the self-work and self-reflection of developing cultural humility. Cultural humility challenges and breaks down our beliefs and changes our perspectives and attitudes in positive and healthy ways. I appreciated the resources, including the funds od knowledge toolkit, the inventory matrix, and the article “Tapping into funds of Knowledge of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students and Families”.
I really enjoyed Session 5 of Module 5 which focused on families' funds of knowledge. Often times when educators think of communication with families, it is often for the purpose of communicating information to families about whats going on in the classroom/school and how parents need to respond in order to ensure school and classroom events/systems go smoothly. Less often are these communications used for the purpose of soliciting information about families and using the assets that families bring to better the learning experience of students in the classroom. This session really helped to reframe my understanding of family outreach as 2 way communication and I think this session would be helpful for all educators to engage with to truly see families as partners, deepen our relationships with families, and build our own cultural competence. Families see us as holders of knowledge and experts in the field; however, we have much to learn and gain from their experiences and cultural backgrounds as well. Shifting the way in which we think about this partnership can be a valuable learning experience for all stakeholders.
My favorite session from Module 7 was session 2 because it gave fundamental skills that educational leaders can utilize in their practices to support equity in a virtual learning environment. Specifically, the resilient design for leading and the research bases practices that were shared. The session opened my eyes to the need for me to create opportunities for our teachers to share their ideas for innovation. Being intentional about constantly evolving and improving will benefit all of our staff. Giving teachers time to share strategies and best practices will allow us as a team to improve the virtual learning environment.
I also appreciated the four constants across learning environments being shared and the big picture it created in regards to equity. The Venn diagram shared with teacher practices and school leader practices resonated with me. This session forced me to reflect on my leadership practices and if they are designed around resiliency. The majority of the students that attend the Virtual Learning Academy that I oversee have mental health concerns or have experienced trauma so reflecting on the four constants in our program and thinking about resilient design will help me as a school leader.
Personally, I really liked Session 8, of Module 5, which talked about creating Service Learning Projects. I what I liked about this was that it made me think outside the box to solicit family/community involvement in the arts. I came up with an idea "Senior Portraits for Seniors" that could be done in-person or online.
I completed Module 5, and I think my favorite part was session 4: Effective Communication Across Learning Environments. I liked that session because it spoke to beliefs and values I hold as an educator in terms of the importance of communication with student families, but it also provided me with new strategies to help support those beliefs. Like all teachers, I have families who readily participate and other families that are more difficult to establish two-way communication with. I took a lot away from session four about new ways to reach out to those families, as well as engage them in different ways that may be more meaningful. Additionally, it was a really nice flow to move from session 3 (especially the transparency and trust pieces) into session 4.
Session 5 of Module 5 describes in detail how students and their families have funds of knowledge, and how intertwined this knowledge is in the education of students. To me, the module speaks to the inner values and beliefs of that human beings can have or develop. There is value in culture, and in being culturally competent, but probably more important, there is value in the self-work and self-reflection of developing cultural humility. Cultural humility challenges and breaks down our beliefs and changes our perspectives and attitudes in positive and healthy ways. I appreciated the resources, including the funds od knowledge toolkit, the inventory matrix, and the article “Tapping into funds of Knowledge of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students and Families”.