September 29, 2016, from 9:30 to 3:00, at the Minnesota Department of Education
Lead. Learn. Build. The theme of the fall institute is "Lead. Learn. Build." There are two main concepts driving the design of this institute: Edcamps and Leadership from the Middle (LTM). The fall Family Engagement Institute is an Edcamp hybrid. The day will be driven by participants: there will be a series of group discussions on family engagement topics that will be facilitated by participants. The information generated by these discussions will help us complete the family engagement online course. By collaboratively building a professional learning system, the result will be a Minnesota-built online course that will help districts and community partners create and implement authentic, effective family engagement systems.
To see current progress on the learning modules, go to the Family Engagement page (modules are listed under Online Course)
Participants Will:
- Discuss a variety of topics related to family engagement with other practitioners,
- Exchange ideas and build relationships with others committed to family engagement,
- Identify key topics, issues, and resources related to the work of family engagement,
- Discuss tools, skills and approaches to effectively engage families,
- Create ways to work in collaboration with others in their community,
- Help move our work from planning to action,
- Contribute to the design of an online course tailored to Minnesota schools, and
- Revitalize ourselves for the family engagement work yet to be done!
Series Overview
Lead. Learn. Build. Rigorous and Robust PreK-3 Family Engagement Systems
This professional development series consists of three components:
- May 5 Institute at the Minnesota Department of Education
- September 29 Institute at the Minnesota Department of Education
- Online Family Engagement Learning Modules (created by and for Minnesota educators and leaders)
The overall goal of the series is to build and support leadership and educator competencies that result in the ability to implement effective, authentic family engagement systems. The resulting online course will provide us with a tool that districts can utilize for local implementation of family engagement systems.
AGENDA
9:00 - Arrival and Check-In
9:30 Welcome and Overview
Presentation
Click Here
Leadership from the Middle: A system strategy
Click Here, Canadian Education Association
Round Robin Discussions – Family Engagement Modules (40 minutes)
Round Robin Maps
Click Here for Morning and Click Here for Afternoon
9:55 Round Robin #1 (10:35 Transition to next round robin)
10:40 Round Robin #2 (11:20 Transition to next round robin)
11:25 Round Robin #3
12:05 Lunch (with group)
During this time participants also discuss what they have learned with their team/group members and colleagues.
12:50 Round Robin #4 (1:30 Transition)
1:35 Round Robin #5
2:15 Break
Putting It All Together
2:20
ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act)
Click Here, Debra Landvik
2:50 Closing and Next Steps
Survey
Click Here
Facilitators
Discussion Facilitators
The FEI is designed for deep exploration of family engagement topics and the family engagement learning modules. The focus is twofold: 1) Discuss key information and topics related to family engagement and 2) Collaborate on designing learning experiences for professionals involved in family engagement work.
During the day, we will have a series of small group discussions. Participants will be the facilitators of discussion. If you have questions about being a facilitator, see the Q & A below. If you have further questions, contact su.nm.etats|nworb.p.ekim#nworB ekiM.
Q & A
Q: Do I have to be an "expert" on the topic in order to facilitate a round robin discussion?
A: Not at all. We are looking for people who can facilitate constructive, meaningful conversations on the module topics. As educators, we are all used to doing this.
Q: How many people are you expecting to attend?
A: Registration is limited to 150. We had this many during the May 5 session.
Q: How will the room be set up? Click here for sample map
A: We have reserved all the rooms of Conference Center B at MDE. There is one large conference room and two smaller rooms. At the beginning and end of the day we will all be in the large conference room, which holds approximately 200 people. We will have tables set up around the room. Each table will hold 8-10. The participants will be initially seated by region (i.e., the region in the state in which they work).
For the round robin sessions, the large conference room will have 13 or 14 tables. During this time we will also use the two smaller conference rooms. This will allow us to have 6 rooms with about 15-17 groups. Participants attend one session and then rotate to the next session.
Q: So, for the round robin sessions, there will be about 10 participants at each table?
A: Correct.
Q: What does a session look like?
A: Each session is 40 minutes. In this "round robin" format, participants discuss and learn about various topics related to family engagement. During transitions, participants will be able to choose tables/topics they want to discuss. It is during these sessions that participants learn and build. They learn about some of the key resources and information related to family engagement. They build by discussing learning objectives and discussion questions (which in turn will help us create an online course that meets the needs and wants of practitioners).
Q: Do I facilitate more than once?
This depends on the topic and the facilitator. Some participants may be willing to facilitate more than once. It is really up to each individual and each group.
Q: What should participants discuss/learn during a session?
A: This will vary from table to table, as the group ultimately determines the focus. Each table will have discussion guides that may be helpful. There will also be copies of the online modules so participants can see what is currently included in the course. Groups may want to discuss: 1) The overview of the module 2) Current information and resources about the module, and 3) How to improve their practice or their organization's practice. Also, see the goals listed on the Overview tab.
Q: What should participants contribute to a session?
A: This is the build part. 1) It would be helpful if participants discussed learning objectives. For example, what would they want their colleagues to learn about during each module? (What knowledge, skills, and attitudes do we need to effectively engage and work with families?) 2) Participants should discuss discussion questions. For example, what are the key questions that learners should be discussing in each module?
Q: Is 40 minutes long enough?
A: As educators, we know we could spend a lot of time on these topics, especially because they are so important to our work (and often complex). The shorter sessions were chosen for a couple reasons: we have not had a professional learning series solely dedicated to the practice of family engagement, and there numerous topics that are critical to the practice of family engagement. We hope that our initial discussions will lead to more in-depth workshops in the future. And, of course, that our discussions will lead to an online course built by educators for educators.
This is not intended to be a one-time event, but rather the start of more frequent and in-depth educational opportunities about topics that are critical to our work with families.
Q: Can you provide an example of how a session may be organized?
Sure. Let's say one of the tables has "Barriers to effective family engagement" as a topic. Ten participants are seated at the table. The members introduce themselves and someone may choose to facilitate the discussion (or they may decide to take turns). The group may start their discussion with one of the guided questions (e.g., In your experience, what are some barriers to engaging families?). Participants discuss this question, choosing to either go into more depth on something specific or to cover a variety of questions/issues related to the topic. Ultimately, we are looking at:
- As someone who works with families/children, what do I need to know to improve my practice?
- In order to improve their practice, what do my colleagues need to know about family engagement?
- What do organizations with effective family engagement look like, and how do we create them?
Q: I'm passionate about a topic that is not listed on the online course modules and I think it would be helpful to my colleagues. Can it be included?
A: Of course. Email Mike (su.nm.etats|nworb.p.ekim#su.nm.etats|nworb.p.ekim) to see if it can be included..
Topic Areas Based on Modules from Online Course
- Introduction to Family Engagement
- Using Theory to Ground Your Family Engagement Work
- Learning About Families
- Influence of School Culture
- Models, Frameworks, Toolkits
- Plans and Evaluations
- Leadership
- Supporting All Families
- Advocacy & Empowerment
- Family Engagement Strategies
- Communication Strategies
- Community Partnerships and Collaborations
- Your Family Engagement Strategic Plan
Round Robin Sessions - 40 Minutes Each
Morning Round Robin Sessions (9:55, 10:40 and 11:25)
Afternoon Round Robin Sessions (12:45 and 1:30)
Registration
Registration as Teams of Two is Required - Three is Encouraged
- An early childhood person (e.g., parenting educator/family support, early childhood teacher, coordinator/director, etc.).
- An elementary person (e.g., teacher, administrator, social worker, etc.).
- We also encourage you to register with a community partner (e.g., child care, Head Start).
To Register:
Closed
Planning
Planning Team Members
Pam Booker, Mike Brown, Jeanne Dickhausen, Debra Landvik
Meeting Agendas & Notes
Plans
Family Engagement Online Learning Modules
Click Here
