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JennaFishoff

MarianFregeolle
HanahKim
JasonKawana
LizLee
BeckyPadilla
CrystalPuentes
FamilyActionProjectClintonElementarySchool
ForourFamilyActionProject,theteamofUCLATEPstudentteachersat
ClintonElementarySchoolcreatedandledaworkshopforthestudentsfamiliesand
parentsoneasilyaccessibleactivitiesforthesummerbreakthatalignwithCommonCore
StateStandards.Wewereintentionalinensuringthattheparentsfeedbackwould
determinethefocusofourworkshop.Afterwecollectedsomedata,itwasveryapparent
thatmanyoftheparentswereinterestedinwaystheycansupporttheirchildsdevelopment
inScience,Mathematics,andEnglishLanguageArts.Workingwiththeparentfeedback
andlimitedtime,wewereabletoholdanengagingworkshopinwhichwegainedmuch
experiencethroughboththedevelopmentandexecutionoftheevent.
Oneofthechallengeswefacedatthebeginningoftheprocesswas
miscommunicationwiththeschoolscommunitycoordinator.Althoughwehadjustbriefly
talkedaboutholdingtheworkshopwithher,thenextweekshehadplannedadateandtime
forusandputitontheMaycalendarthatwasprintedanddistributedtothestudentsbefore
wehadachancetoconfirm.Inordertoworkaroundthatcommitment,wesuccessfullysent
outparentsurveysinwhichweinformedparentswhattheworkshopwouldfocuson,
providedparentsoptionsoftimes(includingthemorningslot,thecommunitycoordinator
hadreserved),andhadparentsselectthesubjectstheypreferredtolearnmoreabout.We
endedupselectingtheWednesday,May21stfrom9:30to11:00AMtimeslot,because
thatdateshowedsufficientparentavailability.Achallengewehadwasbeingunableto
accommodateallparentsschedules.Althoughthetimeslotworkedforsomeparents,we
feltthatitlimitedattendanceofparentswhoworkduringtheday.Inourfutureplacements,
weagreedthatitwouldbeimportanttoprovidemultipleopportunitiestoaccommodateas
manyparentsandguardiansschedulesaspossible.Asuccessofthesurveyswasthat
wewereabletopinpointtheparentsinterestinlearningmoreaboutLanguageArts,
Mathematics,andScience.Withthedateandsubjectsset,wecreatedaflyerforthe
event.Thedayweprintedtheflyertogohome,wecameacrossanotherchallenge.The
communitycoordinatorhadalsocreatedaflyerfortheeventthatdidntexactlycapturewhat
weweredoingfortheworkshop.Wenavigatedthesituationbythankingherand
respectfullyrequestingthatourflyerbetheonethatwearegoingtousefortheworkshop.
Althoughwehadourchallengesclearlycommunicatingwiththecoordinator,wewere
appreciativeofthesupportsheprovidedandtherapportshehadwiththeparentsand
communitymembers.
Ontheactualdayoftheworkshop,wewereexcitedtofindalonglineofparentsand
familymemberseagertoattendtheworkshop.Webeganbyintroducingourselvesand
gaveabriefsummaryofwhatwehadprepared.Initially,weplannedonhavingparents
rotatebetweenthethreesubjectgroupsevery15minutes.However,duetothelarge
numberofpeopleintheroomandthelimitedroomspace,wehadtobeflexibleandwork
withourcircumstances.Wedecidedtohaveeachgrouppresentonebyonewithallofthe
parentsseatedandlisteningtogether.Luckily,thissetupaddedtothesuccessofthe
event.Priortotheworkshopwewereconcernedaboutnothavingatranslatorforallthree
stations,butthroughthisimpromptuformatwewereabletohaveCrystalprovide
translationandsupportforallsubjectareas.Also,havingallhandsonboardforeach
presentationmadeforamuchmoreefficientdistributionofmaterialsandtroubleshooting,
suchasmakingadditionalcopies,andaccommodatingparentsarrivinglateorleaving
early.Wefeelanothersuccesswastheorganization,qualityandsmoothdeliveryofeach
groupspresentation.Mostimportantly,wefeltthegreatestdeterminantofsuccessofthe
workshopwaswitnessingtheenthusiasmtheparentsportrayedforengaginginactivities
withtheirchildren.Aseachgroupwentuptopresenttheiractivities,parentsweresmiling,
takingpicturesandvideos,andpayingcloseattentiontowhatweweredemonstrating.At
theendofourevent,weprovidedtheparentswithanemailaddressthatwecreatedin
ordertokeepthelinesofcommunicationopenandoffercontinuoussupport.Wedo
realizethatwehavemadetheassumptionthatthemajorityofthefamilieshavethe
technologicalmeans,andwewillmakesuretotakethatintoconsiderationinfutureevents.
Allinall,wefeltthatwehadasuccessfuleventandapositiveexperienceworking
withtheparentsandfamiliesatClintonElementarySchool.Althoughwehavelearnedand
discussedtheimportanceoffamilyinvolvementinastudentseducation,beingableto
brieflyexperiencebuildingrelationshipswithourownstudentsfamilymembersgaveusa
glimpseofwhatwecanlookforwardtoasfutureeducators.

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