My Learning Diary by Selma

Hello, my name is Selma Rego

selma_rego — 2017-09-25 13:08:13 UTC

I'm an educational mediator working in a grouping of schools that is Educational Territory of Priority Intervention in Viana do Castelo, north of Portugal. I´m interested in learn more about parent's engagement and also

enrich my work practices to achieve this.

Why am I here?

selma_rego — 2017-09-25 13:25:21 UTC

Why am I here? First because i work everyday on my school with student's parents looking for a

a higher level of implication, articulation and consequently better school and social results. It is so hard sometimes! And I think that school must try always more to improve at this level.
 I'm here also because i'm a mother, and I love my daughter, and I want the best for her. So I want she could be a happy and successful student and I know I have a role on this.
I hope to learn more and be a better professional (able to improve parent engagement in my school) and a better mother too.

Introduction to the Final Course Activity

selma_rego — 2017-09-25 14:50:17 UTC

I am thinking of creating a communication mechanism with parents that focuses on positive information. Most of the time the school communicates with families is to make complaints or to present the difficulties of the students and I think that this can increase the distance between the two and cause more and more the families of some students to move away, thus increasing the their levels of failure. I intend to create an instrument that will change not only the way the school and the families communicates, but also what they communicates

Module 1: "Why Engage Parents in School?"- Summary of key ideas

selma_rego — 2017-09-26 08:27:54 UTC

- Because parents are the most important people in children's life;
- Because parents know their child the best;
-Because child's life at home is different that child's life at school, and its important to bring those two lives together to get a better understanding;
Because engaging parents early in a students' school career, significantly reduces the risk of a student dropping ou of a school.

Parent Involvement

selma_rego — 2017-09-27 08:18:39 UTC

selma_rego — 2017-09-27 08:21:51 UTC

Parental Involvement in Education

selma_rego — 2017-09-29 08:43:09 UTC

Family Engagement = Student Sucess

selma_rego — 2017-09-29 08:46:10 UTC

Why family engagement is important

selma_rego — 2017-09-29 08:52:53 UTC

Selma Rego, Portugal

selma_rego — 2017-10-02 13:17:03 UTC

Module 2: Communicating and sharing with parents

starter activity

My favourite way of communicating online is email if we talk about my job. However, with regard to contacts that are not related to work, my favourite way of communicating online is through messenger app.

Teacher and Parent Communication

selma_rego — 2017-10-02 20:55:37 UTC

Parent Teacher Relationship

selma_rego — 2017-10-02 21:02:24 UTC

selma_rego — 2017-10-02 21:04:29 UTC

Module 2: "Communicating an Sharing with Parents" - Summary of Key iedas

selma_rego — 2017-10-04 11:33:28 UTC

- Building positive relationships with parents is the essence of any effective parental engagement;
-Use different methodologies for different parents;
- Encourage parents and make them realize what kind of education they are doing;
- It is important to understand the motivations of the parents and their background stories;
- To facilitate a positive engagement of parents we need a good communication system; a code of conduct and a decision make process);
-adapt the language when contact with parents of different socio-economic levels

selma_rego — 2017-10-04 15:05:43 UTC

Module 3: Involving Parents in Educational Activities - starter activity

selma_rego — 2017-10-09 11:33:19 UTC

In my school i created a "parents' school" wich consists of periodic meetings with parents to discuss and adress topics of interest to them and related to educational and parental issues.

selma_rego — 2017-10-09 11:40:38 UTC

Opportunities for Parent Involvement

selma_rego — 2017-10-09 13:06:56 UTC

In my school we organize an event called "professional show" wich consists of a professions fair. Each parent has a stand where they are representing their profession, and the students visit the fair for a day, interacting with parents and knowing a little more of the professions presented.
After all, I think that the Parents' fairs where parents act as audience for students work is a perfect idea to implement in my school, and I will sugest that.

Challenges of involving parents in educational activities

selma_rego — 2017-10-09 13:40:03 UTC

I have already had parents who had committed to participate in an activity with the students not attending. Well, what I did was contact other parents who could replace them. Sice then, whenever I program something with parents, I do it in a way that allways has a few substitutes planned.

Module 3: Involving Parents in Educational Activities - Summary of key ideas

selma_rego — 2017-10-09 14:32:00 UTC

- To be able to create opportunities for parents play a role in teaching and learnig we first need a positive relationship; need to know how the parents are, their strengths, and also need effective communication channels.
- There are may roles that parents can play in educational activities but, whatever role they take, it is important to create a framework for their involvement

Module 4 - Bringing learning into the families

selma_rego — 2017-10-16 13:29:03 UTC

I agree with shares of Eszter and Maria. I also like to see this video about Family Literacy night. I think that another activity could be to give a study/ research topic for students develop at home with their families, and then organize a day where in a kind of conference where each family and student presents to others the results of their research.

Module 4 - Home visits

selma_rego — 2017-10-16 13:42:20 UTC

I make several home visits. Specialy with roma families. But I am a educational mediator and I think that my work could not happen without this visits.
I tell families what is being done at school, I give them information they need to know, we draw up joint strategies...I am usually welcomed and families are gratefull for the visit.

Module 4: "Supporting Family Learning" - Summary of key ideas

selma_rego — 2017-10-16 14:32:01 UTC

- Teachers should engage parents in projects that allow them to enjoy learning in itself and understand the importance of becoming a lifelong learner;
- By sharing the knowledge and skills the students pick up at school with their parents, students are invariably learning more;
- "Home Visit" is a powerful tool to build trust, develop effective communication, involve parents in classrooms and family learning.

selma_rego — 2017-10-20 08:20:21 UTC