Differentiated Open School Night
by mrsapia
I’ve been doing quite a bit of reflecting over the past few weeks about how I can improve my practice, as well as ensure I am meeting the needs of all the varied learning styles in my classroom. This thought process led me to also reflect upon how I can improve with my communication to parents. Last year I continued to use my classroom website, parent codes using Edmodo, Kidblog, poetry nights, and parent conferences. The feedback was fantastic from parents and families because it truly gave them an unprecedented view into our classroom and built the home/school connection.
One of the most important nights of the year is Open School Night. Meeting new parents during the first few days of school is tremendously exciting because it’s an opportunity to develop relationships and partnerships. However, during open school night, it’s the first and maybe only time we as educators will have the chance to address parents and families in such a large setting, unfortunitely.
What can we do to change that? The list below are some ways to keep families engaged. Keep in mind, this is just a beginning.
Ways to Involve Parents:
Progress Conferences
“Tech-Nights”
Poetry Nights
Author Nights
Family Math Nights
Family Days in Classroom
“Check-in” calls home
Back to open school night. How can I maximize my time with them? Do I create a standard presentation where parents just sit and listen? Is that engaging enough? Do they really just want to sit after a long day at work?
MY VISION
Upon entering the classroom, parents will be greeted with two laptops and a collaborative google doc. They will be asked to enter their first and last name, as well as email address and whether or not they have access to technology at home. If parents don’t feel comfortable exposing whether or not they have access to technology at home, I can speak to them in private.
The next step would be a quick hello, a background about my teaching career, and a review of my classroom vision.
While reflecting, my thoughts led me to think about implementing a centers based approach using QR codes. Through discussions with many in the PLN, I was led to this post. Sara Allen’s Bulletin Boards and Signs. The idea of having QR codes for quick access to websites is fantastic and easy, as long as parents have a smartphone. Fortunately, our building was able to secure a cart of iPads, so having access to devices with QR reader apps will be accessible during open school night.
Assuming parents have never been exposed to the platforms I will be using to meet their child’s needs and augment engagement, I plan on having centers focusing on Kidblog, Edmodo, Tenmarks, and my classroom website, which houses curriculum information. The QR code at each center will direct them to my vision for purposeful tech implementation focused on the given platform, as well as how their child will be utilizing each platform. I can have 2-3 iPads set up at each center while I walk around, answer any clarifying question, and provide assistance to those who need it. I would set up a timer on my IWB and parents would rotate once it goes off.
Another benefit to this type of approach is parents would be experiencing making transitions, similar to the ones their child will be expected to make, because of my math workshop and literacy workshop model. The time spent at the centers will also be an opportunity for parents to develop relationships with each other. After all parents have participated in each center, we will reconvene in a whole group setting and have a reflection period about what they learned and answer questions. This will help with planning for “Tech Nights” to ensure I am meeting their individual needs.
An additional follow-up to this night would be a parent survey, using google forms, to continue to build that rapport with parents and ensure their voices are heard and addressed. Empowering parents and making them stakeholders in their child’s education is not a choice, it’s a priority. It takes a team to move mountains and having the open dialogue and providing a support system at school and home will do nothing but serve their child’s best interest.
What do you think? Is this model possible? Has anyone tried this? What is the best way to inform parents about the upcoming adoption of the Common Core? I’d love to hear your feedback.
Our Open House Evening has usually been for parents to come into the classroom and view their child’s work and to ask any questions if needed. Basically, it has been for the students to share where they spend their day and the kinds of things we are doing. We have a separate curriculum evening for parents (the 4th Grade Team presented in May – not sure that was effective do you?). On the other hand, I love our Open House because it’s a fun night – no pressure for the parents, children or teacher. It’s just a great night.
I do love your idea of having stations for the parents using the QR codes. In this way the parents get to actually ‘walk in the shoes’ of their children, if even for a bit. Having your vision clarified at each station will certainly help the parents understand the purpose of each tool you are using this year. It may even get them interested in commenting back and participating on a regular basis.
My one question: Will your students be familiar with all those tools or do they not really need to be familiar at this point?
Would love to hear if this works for you. Not sure I would be able to do this as we do not have enough iPads/iTouches/Smarttools. But it sure would be interesting. I might try a variation of it.
Thanks for sharing.
I plan on exposing students to each platform during the first few weeks of school. They must show me that they have accepted the terms of being a responsible user when using these platforms through various activities.
During tech night, students will be much more proficient and they will be driving the night and “teaching” their parents about each platform. I will just serve as an assistant when needed.
I’m hoping I can pull this off. It was just a random idea that I had and I wanted to document my thinking incase this plan becomes action. Thanks for your response and question.
I love the idea and I think the parents will too. Clearly they will be engaged and thinking that their kids will have a great year of learning.
Wow! Some awesome ideas. Love the QR code plan. I feel the same way & am looking for ways to have more time to engage parents on our back to school night. Best of luck!
Love the idea of having parents engaged in what their children are doing throughout the day. In the center part, where you let them experience purposeful technology, could you have a posted objective or 2-3 sentences to show the reasoning behind the technology? For example, a “Why use edmodo? To give children a voice, create original responses, etc”