1. Middle School Matinee:
Using Media to Involve
Parents
Drs. Carl Walley & David Kommer
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio
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2. Types of Involvement
(Epstein, Sanders, Simon, Salinas, Jansorn, & Van Voorhis, 2002)
Parenting Skills: assisting Learning at Home:
Volunteering: involving involving parents in
parents in understanding
adolescent behavior and
parents in school homework, goal setting,
development activities and projects
Communication: contact Communities: providing
Decision-Making: with families about information and contacts
involving parents in school programs and with community
school governance student progress. All resources and
through advisory groups efforts involve community efforts
communications.
3. Why Communicate With
Parents
•Positive behavior
•Improved attendance
•Improved self-esteem
•Positive achievement
•Increased graduation rates
•Improvements are across all SES levels
•(V. Anfara, 2008)
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4. Why Communicate?
S Parent involvement is a positive initiative that
communicates to students that adults care about their
well being and school performance. (Fan & Chen, 2001)
S Communications between school and home is a facet of
school involvement. (Myers & Monson, 1992)
5. Resistance to
Communications
S Despite the clearly documented benefits of parent
involvement for students’ achievement and attitudes
toward school, parent involvement of all types declines
progressively during the elementary school years. By
middle grade school, the home school connection has
been significantly reduced, and some cases is non-
existent.
S (Carnegie Council on Adolescent
Development, 1989)
6. Resistance Points to
Communications With Parents
S Adolescent Development is associated with a natural tendency to
withdraw from parental influence and increase the influence of
peers.
S Parents may have a personal discomfort with school based on
their own school experiences.
S Language barriers either from non standard English backgrounds ,
or Non English speaking/reading parents.
S The formal language register used by school personnel and the
informal register of low SES parents creates a communications
barrier.
7. Virtual Proximity – Addresses
Resistance Points
S Tendency for adolescents to Adolescents enjoy technology
withdraw from parents. and the personal nature of
DVD, Glogster, etc.
S Parental discomfort with The virtual nature personal type
school. contact with parents, yet they
control their contact
S Language barriers Visual nature of some forms
facilitates understanding,
translations can be made by
students as they watch with
parents or translated copies
can be made.
9. Learning at Home
S What are some strategies where Virtual Proximity might
lead to greater learning at home?
S Share ideas you are already using at school that facilitate
positive parent involvement.
S Problems or concerns related to using any of the ideas
we presented in this session.
10. Suggestions for Communicating
with Parents
S 1. Use the informal language register. Speak as you would with
a colleague or friend.
S 2. Enlist students in the production of the content and product.
S 3. Use multiple sources to communicate.
S 4. Put your best foot forward – initiate positive contacts.
S 5. Work to accommodate parents schedules.
S 6. Give them information that helps them - not just you and the
school.
Introduce selves and experiencesBegan this process as a result of Ruby Payne workshopBoth as teachers and principals valued parent involvementAs parents we noticed children moving us away from schoolRuby Payne: Poverty values relationships, entertainment (almost every home has DVD), casual communication, power of technologyMiddle Class loves paper—lower SES needs something different. Non-written works.
DAVE: Introduce 6 types of involvementThree yellow ones are the ones we will focus on in this workshop.There is some nice overlap between the three
CARLResearch indicates power of communication and improves academic achievementSupport for parentsSupport from parents
CARLWhen teachers and schools communicate it supports the message that “we care about you” that students pick up on.Communication benefits teachers because it breaks down isolationLucy Calkins“A school is defined as a series of isolated learning units united by a heating system.”Dan Lortie“Teachers lead lives of isolation and loneliness.”Parents become part of the team.
ASK THE AUDIENCE:If middle school is so great then why doesn’t communication happen?Why does communication break down?
Use this list to punctuate their ideas.Carl’s story about Justin not talking to him at game.Dreama’s story about teachers talking about her because her family was poor. Felt out of step as parent with teachers.MY story of being Anglo teacher in Hispanic areas and not being able to communicate or communicate through child makes both student and parent feel awkward.Language barrier one is likely a new one.Schools love print but this off-puts low SES parents.After brief reviewASK THE AUDIENCEWhy aren’t teachers more assertive about getting parents on board?
Make more out of term Virtual ProximityHere are ways teachers can address this situation and overcome non-assertiveness.Go over the slide
