Building Bridges Through Community Workshops

1
Building Bridges Through Community Workshops

• Presenters
• Dean Fecher
• Rhonda Myers
• Jackie Nelson

2
Contact Us

• Dean Fecher, 5th Grade Teacher
• fecherd_at_mishawaka.k12.in.us
• Rhonda Myers, Principal
• myersr_at_mishawaka.k12.in.us
• Jackie Nelson, Technology Integration Lead
  Professional
• nelsonj_at_mishawaka.k12.in.us
• LaSalle Elementary School
• www.mishawaka.k12.in.us/lasalle/

3
Getting to know each other

• Name
• Position/School/Location
• Where are you at in the workshop process?
• What would you like to get from this workshop?
• Do you have any specific needs the group may be
  able to help with today?

4
Our Own Workshop Success Stories

• LCWS LaSalle Community Workshop Series
• Technology Focused (one topic per workshop)
• Goal was to educate parents and community members
  on software being used by students at school
  increase parental support capability at home,
  community outreach service, showcase student
  successes with technology (Student Facilitators)

5
LCWS Continued

• Targeted to parents and community members
• Multiple workshops over the school year
• Funded through an Ed Tech grant from IDOE
• Video Clips

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Family Literacy Night and Family Math Night

• Each offered once per school year
• Target audience is parents and families
• Goal of both nights is to provide support for
  parent involvement at home and encourage family
  involvement at school
• Concurrent Session format
• Slide Show of FLN
• Planning forms, etc.

7
Resources for Information

• The Indiana Center for Family, School, and
  Community Partnerships
• www.fscp.org
• The Parent Institute
• www.parent-institute.com/pmd
• Home School Connection
• rfecustomer_at_aspenpubl.com
• Reading Connection
• rfecustomer_at_aspenpubl.com

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Workshop Topic Possibilities

• Informational
• Outreach
• Community Service
• Web
• Success Stories!!!

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Planning your own workshop

• Workshop Planning
• Logistics
• Content Planning

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Part 1, Number 1 Goal

• What is your overall goal for the workshop?
• School Improvement Goals
• Support curriculum
• Community needs
• Survey potential participants for needs
• Phone, paper, email, exit survey, web, how???

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Part 1, Number 2 Target Audience

• Who are you trying to reach with this workshop?

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Part 1, Number 3 Format

• Whole group session
• Open house
• Concurrent Session
• Assigned Session
• Others

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Part 1, Number 4 Topic Possibilities

• What are you going to talk about at the workshop?

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Part 1, Number 5 Overall Agenda

• What is the agenda for the entire workshop time
  going to look like?
• Is time needed for multiple sessions,
  transitions, whole group introductory activities,
  debriefing following sessions, refreshments,
  breaks, other activities, etc.?
• Our workshop agendas

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Part 1, Number 6 Logistics Planning

• Who will be responsible for planning and
  implementing the logistics?
• Can this be handled by one person? Planning team?
  Delegated to teachers? Parent volunteers? Senior
  volunteer programs (RSVP)? Local college or high
  school consumer and family science course
  participants?

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Part 1, Number 7 Activity Planning

• Who will plan the actual activity being presented
  to the audience?
• Small groups, individual or pairs, grade levels,
  RSVP, administrators

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Part 1, Number 8 Collecting Feedback

• How will feedback be collected at the workshop?
• Feedback form
• On site
• Mailed after the workshop
• Random interviews
• Phone calls
• Email

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Part 1, Number 9 Analyzing Feedback

• How will feedback be analyzed?
• What do you hope to gain from collecting the
  feedback?

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Part 1, Number 10 Sharing Feedback

• How will the feedback be shared with all
  stakeholders?
• Who else does the feedback need to be shared
  with?
• Reflection and Celebration!!

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Part 1, Number 11 Other Considerations

• What else????

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Part 2, Number 1 Date and Time

• What dates are good for the participants?
• Other scheduled events for school
• Outside sporting events (Little League)
• Holidays/common vacation times
• What times work for everyone?
• Evenings starting time depending on meals, etc.
  
• Weekends
• Daytime
• Variety??

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Part 2, Number 2 -- Location

• What are the needs of the audience and the
  workshop goals?
• Size limitations
• Outside location may be less intimidating
• Church rec room or gym
• Public Library
• Community Center

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Part 2, Number 3 Transportation

• Do you need to provide transportation to the
  event to get attendance?
• How can that happen?
• Car pools
• City bus discount/arrangements
• School bus
• Teachers and volunteer drivers

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Part 2, Number 4 Building Partnerships

• What financial/materials needs are there?
• Where can that funding come from?
• School funding
• Local business partnerships
• PTA/PTO support
• Other sources?
• Request Letter

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Part 2, Number 5 Financial

• What are the financial needs of the workshop?
• Supplies (folders, paper, refreshments, stipends,
  supplies for activities, etc.)
• Expenses how much do you need?

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Part 2, Number 6 Door Prizes

• What will it take to get participants to come?
• Where can door prizes come from?
• Local donations (about 12 response)
• PTA

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Part 2, Number 7 Babysitting

• Increased participation
• Sources for babysitters
• Teachers or teachers older children
• Community Service Project (honor societies, etc.)
• PTA
• Local Consumer and Family Science courses

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Part 2, Number 8 Marketing/Invitation

• Who is your target audience and how can you best
  reach them?
• Flyers home with students
• Internet
• Email
• Phone calls
• Community-wide posters/flyers
• Parent conferences

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Part 2, Number 9 Registration and/or Sign In

• Do you have space limitations or needs that
  require pre-registration?
• If so, how will that happen?
• How will you know who attends the workshop?

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Part 2, Number 10 -- Refreshments

• Food talks!!
• Snacks (cookies and punch)
• Snacks at each activity
• Meal for family
• Local donations?
• School district food services

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Part 2, Number 11 Video Taping

• Documentation
• Availability to those who could not attend
• Do you need parent permission to post clips to
  web?

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Part 2, Number 12 Name Tags

• Increased interaction
• Identify presenters, volunteers, helpers

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Part 2, Number 13 Student Facilitators

• How can current students support the workshop?
• Showcase current happenings
• Support presenters
• Troubleshoot
• Question/Answer assistance

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Part 2, Number 14 Other Considerations

• What else????

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Part 3, Number 1 Goal

• Focus has to be on goal of the workshop

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Part 3, Number 2 Agenda

• Items for each activity if concurrent sessions
• Time limitations

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Part 3, Number 3 Printed Information

• Brochures
• Handouts
• Folders
• Tutorials (technology)
• Take-home games or books

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Part 3, Number 4 -- Activity

• What will participants do while they are at the
  session/workshop?
• What do they need to leave knowing?

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Reflection

• Please take 10-15 minutes to reflect on what you
  have discovered this evening and where you need
  to move to as you plan your own workshop.

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Additional Resources

• Websites for Math, Literacy, Science, Social
  Studies, and Technology
• All forms shared today available at
  www.mishawaka.k12.in.us/lasalle/edtech/bridges.htm
  .