How Teachers Prepare Parents

I am a recent graduate of Auburn University, and I went straight into getting my masters. I am very excited to start teaching soon, but I want to be prepared. Not only do parents and students have to be prepared, so do the teachers. If the teacher is prepared for the first day of school, students will feel a lot more comfortable beginning school. The teacher also needs to prepare the parent.

I would love to teach kindergarten, so I would have to deal with students that had never been to school. I wanted to look up some helpful ideas for being prepared for school. I want students and parents in my classroom to feel like they already know me before meeting me. I want them to feel comfortable. I figured I would share some of my ideas for helping a parent feel better about leaving their child at school for kindergarten.

Of course, the teacher will be busy preparing the lessons and the classroom. Parents should be prepared to possibly receive a welcome letter. This is something I would definitely like to do in my classroom. The teacher will want to introduce themselves to the parents. Hopefully the letters will contain supplies your student will need and their class schedule. Parents will love to have their students’ schedule, so that they will know where their student is during the day. The teacher should also list visiting policies that the school has created. The teacher should also include their discipline policy, so that the parent can go over this with the student before school starts.

For the first day, the teacher wants to help the students learn the routine. Some students might not have followed a schedule, so the teacher will want to help the students see how the days will go. Many teachers have a website that will also list the schedule, which will be easy for a parent to look up. The teachers website could also include the welcome letter. The website is a great way for teachers and parents to stay in touch. The teacher can list topics that the students are discussing, and post pictures of the students learning.

The parent needs to realize that it is okay to stay in touch with the teacher. The parents might even have opportunities to help around the classroom. In one classroom I was in, they had a weekly reader. The students were so excited to see who was coming to read to them. Some parents would surprise their kids. 

This website has some great ways to prepare students for kindergarten.

Many are things teachers want to tell their students’ parents: http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/what-kindergarten-teachers-wish-parents-knew

Things To Do Before Kindergarten

I did my internship in kindergarten, and I was surprised how well the children were able to adapt to going to school every day. Some children might have already attended preschool, so this might have helped. There were a few days a child would come in crying because they missed their mommy, but after a little talk, they were ready to start the school day.

I really like lists of ways to get students ready for preschool. One day, I will need to use these tips I find on websites! I found a great website that has some good tips: http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Preparing_Your_5/. There are only a few tips, and I think they are great ideas that parents would like to try. I want to go over my favorite and why they popped out to me.

One of the tips for preparing your child for kindergarten is all about getting your child excited for kindergarten. The parent needs to remind their child how exciting kindergarten will be and all the new things that they will learn. Make sure your child is not scared to go to school, but that they understand how much fun they will have. If the child sees their parents are excited, hopefully they will not be scared to leave them.

Another step is visiting the school before class starts. Every teacher has an open house night or meet the teacher. The child will be more comfortable if they are able to meet the teacher before the first day. The child will also be able to meet some of the students that will be in their class. This is also a time for the student to see the classroom that they will be in all year.

I really like the tip of getting the child into a routine before school starts. It recommends waking the child up like it was a school day, getting ready, and eating breakfast. This will help the child be used to the schedule before the first day of school. Also, make sure the child knows how to do many things by themselves. The parent can ask the teacher some things their child might need to be able to do, like putting on a jacket. A teacher will not be able to put on every child’s jacket. Students need to know how to use the bathroom and put their shoes on and off. One thing that I saw many students struggle with was the milk at lunchtime. If a child could open the milk cartons, they were so excited to help their new friends open their milk too. Also at lunch, many students could not open their yogurt and other things that were sent from home. It is helpful to the teacher and your child if their food sent from home is something the children can open by themselves.

Many children might be able to easily transition into going to school, but some of these steps might be helpful to other children that might have a hard time.  These steps are really good if a child has never been to a preschool. The child needs to feel comfortable at school. If a child feels comfortable at school, they will have more fun and learn more.

Preparing Students for the 21st Century

I was lucky enough to be able to attend school during the 21^st century, but it is amazing how things have changed since I have been in school. Now, students have iPods and iPads to learn with. Technology is changing so much that within a year, textbooks can become outdated because of new inventions. My books for technology classes do not mention iPads and iPods. It is hard to keep up with technology, but I want to talk about the main things students needs to know to prepare for the 21^st century. Students need to be prepared for what they will be learning in school to be successful in life by knowing how to learn in the 21^st century.

I was looking online and found this site: http://www.techlearning.com/article/45157. This article was written in 2003, but it still lists six key elements for being prepared for the 21^st century. These six elements are: core subjects, learning skills, 21^st century tools, 21^st century context, 21^st century content, and new assessments that measure 21^st century skills.

Of course students need to learn the core subjects in school like math, reading, science, and history. Schools are being tested to see if they can teach beyond what is required.

The next element is learning skills, because it will not help students just to have basic knowledge of core subjects. Students need to learn how to use critical thinking skills, and find solutions to problems. Students also need to learn how to analyze situations, and make decisions in life.

The next element is 21^st century tools. The use of 21^st century technology will be taught right when the student starts kindergarten, because technology is so important. Almost every job uses technology, so in order for the student to be successful in life, they need to be able to easily use technology.

21^st century context is not just about what students learn in the classroom, but also outside of the classroom. Because of new technology, students can connect with people and places all over the world.

21^st century content is all about teaching students how to use technology in the 21^st century. Students must know how to use technology, or they will have a difficulty finding a job because technology is so important in the work field.

Lastly is new assessments for measuring 21^st century skills. The best part about using 21^st century skills for assessment is that students can get immediate feedback instead of having to wait for the teacher to grade the assignment.  Schools are trying to move away from standardized testing, but it has not been done yet.

By knowing these six key elements, students will be prepared to live a successful life and find a good job. They will have knowledge of core subjects, and how to really solve problems and make educated decisions. They will know how to use 21^st century technology from school, and will be able to keep learning as technology changes.

Social Bookmarking

When making my social bookmarking site, I realized how easy it was. I was thinking this project was going to be hard. The social bookmarking site I used was easy to use. The site showed me how to add a button to my toolbar to make it easy to add websites to my bookmarking site. I also learned that I should have started social bookmarking earlier. Not only is this great for keeping up with educational sites, I could also keep up with my personal favorite sites.

In my professional practice, I could use this site to find great tools and websites to use in the classroom. It is easy to add tags to the websites so it is easy to find a website that relates to the certain topic I will be looking for. On my social bookmarking site, I will probably tag sites according to subject. I could give all of my students’ parents my link to my social bookmarking website so that they could browse my site. There are a few websites that parents could use to help teach their child how to use the Internet. Students should really learn about to use the Internet safely before they begin school, and these websites would be helpful to parents.

My favorite source that I found was one that contained 100 free tools for elementary education. It is the first site on my social bookmarking list. The tools are organized into topics, so a tool that you need is easy to find. I do not like searching for a tool, but if it is under a topic, it will be easy for me, and others, to find. This site is just packed with useful tools and websites. Many teachers are already receiving new technology and this site provides tools that can be used with that technology. The teacher does not need to ignore the technology because they do not know how to use it. This site can help with that. This site could also be great for parents to let their kid use. There are fun sites to visit that relate to school topics. Even before entering school, this site could help parents prepare their students to use fun websites where they can learn.

Other professionals could use my social bookmarking website, especially elementary teachers. My bookmarking site does not only have useful websites for teachers, but it also has great information about Web 2.0 tools that can be used by anyone. One of my sites is all about helping with blogs and wikis, which anyone can use in work. I also have a website that is about project management. Almost any job will have a project, so this site is useful to many, not just teachers. My site is also not only for elementary teachers. Many of my websites have sites for education in general, not just elementary school.

Here is a link to my social bookmarking site! Please enjoy!

http://www.diigo.com/list/bcofer1/ed-529-social-bookmarking
Click here- My Social Bookmarking Site!

Pinning for Education

There are many popular websites that people enjoy browsing in their free time, like social networking site. A few months ago, I was interning in a kindergarten classroom, and the teachers kept talking about Pinterest. The teachers were talking about all kinds or crafts and school activities they were finding. I was curious, so I had to look up this website they were talking about!

When I found the website (http://pinterest.com/), I signed up for free and was amazed. It was like an Internet clipboard. This website contains all kinds of topics to choose from. The page is full of pictures that can be clicked on and taken to the website where the picture was located. If you find something you like, you can “pin” it to your own Pinterest page.

One of the topics that can be picked is “Education.” There will be pages full of pictures to click on to find useful websites for education. It contains things like classroom organization, fun hands-on activities, and education news. This site is great for teachers, because if you find something that you like, you can simply pin it to your board. It is also good for parents because it contains useful information for helping children in school.

Since my blog is focused on getting a child ready for school, you may want to use the search option on Pinterest. You can search “preschool,” and everything on Pinterest concerning preschool will pop up. Because of Pinterest, I found this great website: http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2012/03/71-things-your-child-needs-to-know-before-kindergarten/ .  This site shows parents what their children will be learning in kindergarten. It is easy just to search the Internet for this kind of information, but with Pinterest it is posted on your board. Since it is on your board, it is easy to find. I have many boards like recipes, style, and teaching boards. I pinned this site into my teaching board, so I can just go to my board and find this site by the picture. Pinterest is just a great way to remember all the education sites that I have found, and other people can view my boards to see my sites.

I would recommend for teachers to use Pinterest to find ideas for their classroom organization and activites. I would recommend for parents to use Pinterest to find ways to prepare their students to begin school, or to just prepare for the upcoming year. I personally love the site, and I think others will enjoy the site, too. 

Keeping Parents Updated with Technology

Parents spend much of their time getting their students ready for school each year buying school supplies and clothes. Teachers also spend time getting the students ready for school, but what about preparing the parents?

Many parents want to be involved in their students’ academic life. They want to make sure their students are being well educated. Most parents will be used to technology and using it everyday, and this is a great way to connect with parents. Parents will have a phone and maybe even a tablet. Teachers need to provide parents with ways to be involved in the school through 21^st century technology.

A great way to stay in touch with parents or prepare them for school is through a school website. I have been on teachers’ websites, and I love to see the different amounts of information on their site. The most helpful thing I have seen on a website is the class schedule. Other great parts of the websites have been information on the teacher. The teacher writes about where they received their education and how many years they have been teaching. This helps parents feel like they know the teacher more. Before school starts, parents could go on their site and see the schedule and information about the teacher. Another useful thing on a website could be important upcoming events that parents could easily find by visiting the site. Many teachers put important information on sheets of paper, which many parents often misplace. If it is easily accessible on the website, parents will be able to keep up with the information.

Another way to prepare parents for school is a blog. The teacher could post what student will be learning each week on the blog and homework. By doing this, parents can look at the blog on their computer or smart phone and instantly be able to see their students school work. Teachers could even let students use blogs to connect with their parents about their school day. This would let students connect to their parents through technology, and keep parents updated on their kids.

Most parents are interested in what their students are learning. By using technology, parents can easily access this information whenever they want. So many parents have smart phones and tablets and constantly have this technology with them. This website has great tips of what to put on a teacher website so that parents will have all the information they need in one place: http://www.wacona.com/technology/teacherwebpages.html  .

This site is a great way for parents to get their student ready for school together: http://www.parentfurther.com/10-back-school-tips-parents-elementary-school-aged-kids .

iPads for Learning

I am amazed with the technology in schools. I am more amazed by how well most students can use new technology. When I went to school, we had expo board, computers, and overhead projectors. When I got to college, I was opened up to a whole new world of technology. When I started my internship, I was lucky enough to go to a school with great technology. This school had MacBook Pros, iPads, iPods, and Smart boards. The students already knew how to use the iPads and iPods. I know that not all households can afford to have these things, but they are great tools to prepare students for school. It is also great to introduce them to children before they get into school so that they will be prepared to use them in school.

The school I interned at had just been given iPads, and the classrooms could sign up for times to use them. I had not even used an iPad until my internship. When my classroom received the iPads, the students could not wait to use them. I was wondering how playing with iPads was going to benefit their learning. The school loaded only educational apps for students to use.  Many students kept saying how their parents had an iPad at home and had certain games on their iPads too. The students loved Lunchbox, which was a preschool application. (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/monkey-preschool-lunchbox/id328205875?mt=8) These children were learning how to use iPads before kindergarten and were playing educational games. Some students had not used an iPad, but the other students were eager to help and show them fun games.

It is great if a parent can afford an iPad and let their student use it as a way to learn. These applications were preparing the students for kindergarten.  The students probably did not realize that they were learning, but the games were requiring students to use their knowledge to win games. If a parent or family member has an iPad, it would be great to load educational games for the child to play. Students will learn and will have fun doing it. I have included a link at the bottom that lists great applications to download that prepare students for kindergarten.

It really amazes me how much technology has changed. There are so many new ways to teach students. It is great for a child to have some exposure to an iPad or iPod and the many educational applications that they can offer. It is a great way for children to learn information for school and to learn about technology. Many schools are lucky enough to be able to let children use new technology. Students will learn how to keep up with ever-changing technology in school. Although, having some knowledge of new technology before school is very helpful to children.

http://prekinders.com/2010/03/ipod-apps-for-preschool/

http://kids-apps.mobi/pre-k-letters-and-numbers/