Tuesday, April 3, 2007
My thesis topic
The problem that I am facing in my classroom is how to teach the parents of my kindergarten students what their children need to know, and how they can help them at home. I have taught kindergarten for four years and I have noticed that more than half of my class is not being adequately supported at home. I regularly send home classroom newsletters outlining student standards, expectations, and objectives, and I also communicate ways in which parents can help their students at home. I also communicate student progress to parents regularly. Each year I have noticed a trend. Many students are still performing below grade-level standards and require a great amount of support at school. I also have a high turnover rate each year where many of my students move and new students enter my class at risk. Students can also enter kindergarten at any point in the year without having had any prior schooling. Due to the recurring problems that I face each year I have decided to create a standards based video that outlines the goals and objectives of kindergarten. The video would include activities that parents could do at home with their children to help them achieve their learning goals. I plan to create three videos, one for each quarter. The first video will be shown at kindergarten orientation and parents will be given a copy to take home. Each time I get a new student, their parents will be given a copy of the video. Parents will be given a new video each quarter.
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6 comments:
I think you have a great idea! Are you planning on putting the video in English and Spanish?
I think that your topic is great especially since my topic is similar. The main difference being mine is at second grade. I think that it is vitally important to assist parents in their being able to help their children become successful in school. This project will allow parents that opportunity and the earlier they get help the better it will be for the students in their entire school experience.
I made an attempt at creating this type of project in the past and I have learned two things from doing it. The first thing is that my families no longer had VCRs in their homes, but did have DVD players, so that is one thing you might want to check on. The second thing I now do differently is to fully write out the script with all the componants I will need before I begin.
When I find some good peer review articles on helping parents help their child I will forward them on to you. Please send me any titles you find.
Good luck with your project. I think it will be wonderful.
Kathy Kronemeyer
Hi Raevon,
The project idea is really great. I am pretty sure that your MA project will beneficial for your students and their parents.
In Week3 posting, please share the outline of your Literature review (key headings and their subheadings).
Thanks,
Baek
Raevon,
I like the idea of the video for the parents to fall back on to know what the standards are. I think one of the issues in general in the early grades is the transition that the parents go through, as well as the kids. The parents actually have to in a sense go back to school and get used to a system all over again.
I find one of the greatest challenges that I have as a working parent in a MA program, is finding the time to review everything my daughter brings home let alone to keep up with the standards, areas she needs more practice on etc... I consider myself a very dedicated parent and sometimes staying on top of things means staying up and burning the midnight oil to do so. I am blessed that my child does well with little additional assistance, but if that were not the case my life would be much more challenging.
I guess I said all of that to ask....are you looking at the video as being a more accessible format for parents as compared to the text based notes home, or as a more "interesting" version of the text based information, thus they will be more likely to pay attention? Just curious.
Davena
I think that you have a good layout to your thesis. Good job.
Hi Raevon,
How has your thesis writing been going? Please share your progress with us.
Thanks,
Baek
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