Interview with the Principal

Stacey and I went yesterday to interview the Principal at St John's. It was a lot of fun and very informative. Stacey has videoed the interview and will select parts to be included into the "School" part of the group assignment.
I have created a power point for the day so when we get together we will be able to add our individual parts to it.

Here are the questions we asked the Principal.

• How would you define student success?



• As teachers what is their defining role in supporting student success?


• What are the influences you feel affect students’ abilities to achieve at school.


• Research by Henderson and Epstein indicates that parents are integral in ensuring student success. Therefore, as principal how do you encourage parents to become more involved in the classroom.


• In lower primary many parents are involved in the classroom, why is it then do you feel that in the upper grades, which are more academically focussed, parents become less visible in their children’s learning environment and how can this be rectified ?


• Whom do you believe benefits from standardised tests such as NAPLAN?


• As a parent, what do you feel are the benefits of homework and do you agree that it assists in student success?


• With the introduction of the new National Curriculum next year, what affects will this have on teachers, students and parents?


• What methods will you use, to inform parents, about all the new changes and what do you believe will be the positive and negative outcomes of all these?

Principal / Teachers

I have been unable to make an appointment with the Principal as he has been off school sick. I will try to get one for early next week. I spoke to some of the teachers yesterday and they should have all the questionnaires filled in by the end of week.
We are going to have to make a power point for the assignment. I ill start one and then we can alter where required.
I have nearly finished my part of the assignment and will post this over the next few days.
As each part of the graphic organiser we will have a colour and then each explain the steps we took to come to the conclusion.

Speak to you all Monday

Bernice

Video

Thumbs up on the video Stacey. It was great. You did a fantastic job. Definately on the bloopers I was nearly in tears with laughter.

You have amazing skills

We are pretty awsome at acting multiple characters by the way.
Can not wait to have everything finalised and ready to go.

Hannah

Ask Lyn

I have sent through the questions for Lyn to look at. Time is not on our side so I thought it was best to get this questionnaire done.
I think we also need to design our own brochure / handout for this assignment, with references to our blog etc.
What do you all think?

See you tomorrow

Hi everyone,
I hope you have had the time to read the Blog. We need to get this questionnaire out so please have a look.

Bernice

Research / graphic organiser

My part so far

Research for the question?
Is the bond between parent and school integral for students to succeed?


This question for many of your viewers may not have ever been considered.
Ask audience is they have thought of this before???? (Bringing in the other students)
As a researcher at CQ Wiki University along with my fellow colleagues, have in the last ten years made a concerted effort to find answers to this question.
What process have you used? (Kylie asks)
The learning framework in which we have based our research is from the DOL focussing on dimension 4
Systems analysis ....
I have designed for you a graphic organiser which has been broken down into four main components with the main focus being on the student and the positive and negative aspects placed upon said student.
Similar to the old saying “It takes a village to raise a child” we have found that each of these four components is integral in finding the solution to the question and no matter how you rotate the graphic organiser they will always be interlinked thus integral.
Explain graphic organiser --- People who will be explaining each part
My own research has not just focussed on Australian children but on it being a world wide questionthat requires to be answered.As we all know children attend school throughout the world ad what is more important than finding out what is best for children throughout the world.


Research shows ...... Dixon 1992 p 16, Loucks 1992, Henderson a new wave of evidence 2002
The National Family-School Partnerships Framework
Academic development institute www.adi.org


Stats....... search on web – graphic organiser

Bernice

Questionnaire

Look at these and comment / alter. If we all agree I will send to Lynn and then get Barb to letterhead etc.

1. Do you encourage parents to become involved within your classroom?
2. What 3 forms of communication do you use to "bridge the gap" between home and school?
3. What are the 3 most effective tools of assessment you use within your classroom?
4. What do you feel are the advantages and disadvantages of National test such as Naplan, for both students and teachers?
5. Do you  agree that student assessment results reflect your
     teaching ability. .#____#_______#________# (mark agree / strongly agree) etc
     Students ability  #____#_______#________#
6. In what ways do student assessment results alter the way in which you teach your students?
7. Do you feel that parents are integral in ensuring student success?

Bernice

Viewed the video

Stacey what a great job editing you are a PRO.

I thought everything looked really great. No changes as far as I am concerned. It makes me laugh and will be a great hook for the assignment.

Bring on Hollywood. (Bernice)

Video editing

Here is the link to our video (so far). It has been uploaded to a private file on Youtube so people are only able to view it if they have the link. The editing process has taken a lot longer than I expected. Also, I have uploaded the file in low quality, so don't panic when you view it. The finished product will look and sound better than this one. If you (group memebers) feel uncomfortable about ANY of the footage, please let me know. We can remove the bloopers if you like and remember, it's not too late to reshoot some scenes. Also, please check the spelling of your names.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhGCZsRnZl0

To do List

Questionnaire - 6
Theory of assessment
Partnerships
Graphic Organisers

Video Shooting

Meeting in the Library (21st July) at 9am we all arrived feeling a little apprehensive but very excited. Costumes and wigs in hand it was time to review the script and begin shooting.

Kylie first - Wig and blazer (Looking good) - only a couple of takes and the first scene was complete.

Moving over to the Palace Hannah was looking great and had the look of success. Within 15 minutes all was filmed.

Onto the mad  / loud parents - All members included in the scene and looking scary, laughing and joking the scenes again were completed very quickly.

Lunch

Individual parent interviews

IT'S A WRAP

Great day everyone - all on track now down to the research.

Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes

Date: 15th July 2010 Thursday
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm

Members: Stacey, Bernice, Kylie and Hannah

Discussion and decision making:

School/home connections in ensuring success in assessment

Movie as a hook – principle and parent interviews, questionnaires, and news flash
Individual research tasks: assessment (Hannah), partnerships (Kylie), success (Stacey), statistics for the bonds between parents (Bernice).
Dimension 4 – problem solving
Organisation of clothing and roles for the movie
relate assessment and problems – link to partnerships
story board for the movie
talked about the script

Discussed when filming will begin and when each member is free to do so.

Date: 19th July 2010 Monday
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Discussion and decision making:

Deciding on one question to focus on for assignment – Bernice came up with many questions to look at.
Time to begin Wednesday for filming.
Exchanging details for communication
Making a blog to communicate collected material and meeting notes.
Dimension 4 focus – changed to System Analyses

Theory of assessment

Discussion with Lyn on our plans for the assignment

Is the bond between parent and school integral in ensuring students succeed? – final question to focus on.

Systems Analysis

What are the parts of the system? - Assessment, school, parents, students.

What are the things that are related to the system but are not part of it? - Productive pedagogy, teaching and learning, 8lm questions (systems within), resources (how to access).

How do the parts effect each other? Domino effect. Restraints/problems

What would happen if various parts stopped or changed their behaviour?

References

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar05/vol62/num06/No-Choice-But-Success.aspx
http://www.familyschool.org.au/2009/07/parents-involved-in-schooling-and-engaged-in-learning/

The teacher questionnaire

Ensuring Student Success - Teacher Questionnaire

All answers are treated with the upmost respect and confidentiality.
We ask you to be as truthful to your own beliefs as possible (love this)
1. How long have you been in the teaching profession?
2. What year level is most preferential to you and your teaching style? Why?
3. Do you design your own class assessments?
4. Do you feel that one type of class assessment (written) shows the rue potential for all your students?
5. What other assessment tools do you use?
6. Do you design assessment tasks in the hope that all the students will succeed? Can we combine this and question 3?
7. Do you feel parents contribute to student success (Explain)? (This question is a MUST I think)
8. What tools do you use personally to encourage school/home partnerships? (This one too)9. Within your own classroom, are parents encouraged to participate within all lessons or only some. (why)?
10. Do you think parents respect the time and effort that you put into teaching their children? (I like this)
11. Do you feel that parents judge your ability to teach their children?
12. What means of communication do you use to (...?...)
13. Are parents integral to the success of their children in assessment?
14. What strategies do you use to encourage parents involvement with their children’s studies (I'd really like to pose this question in particular to teachers)
15. Do you feel that some parents lack of education skills hinders their children’s ability to succeed academically?
16. If your whole class receive high results in assessments, do you believe that it is because you have effectively taught them? (Great question!)
17. Do you believe that parents try to take credit for their children’s success /why do you think this is the case?
18. What are some of the ways you politely ask parents to butt out of the classroom? (Maybe this one needs to be a little different, like, "Do you feel swompt by parents at times? If so, what are some of the ways you...)
19. Do you think parents, in general, value their children's success?
20. Do you value student success?
21. Do you think teachers and parents are successfully building and maintaining partnerships? If not, how do you think we could bridge the gap?
22. How are good parnterships maintained in a teacher/parent relationship?
23. How do you encourage parents to get involved in students education? Why?

Partnerships

Hi Girls

Well I am finding that it is historically proven that partnerships do have a positive effect on students success. I am trying to find what makes a good partnership and how we can foster those partnerships and create them. Looking forward to starting the next part of our journey on Wednesday.

Kylie

Our Awesome Script

Stacey
Kylie
Bernice
Hannah
.........

Program (Master Chef)

News flash

Kylie: We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. It has been confirmed that parents have rallied outside a teacher’s classroom, and they are demanding answers about why their children are not succeeding at school. Now we cross live to Hannah.

Hannah: (fixing hair) Are we rolling? .....Thank you, Kylie. I am here at Wiki State School, an behind me you can see the mayhem unfolding. It seems that parents have cornered a teacher in her classroom and are looking for answers about why their children are not succeeding. Nobody knows exactly what sparked the incident but sources have confirmed that the teacher is refusing to come out. Here is some footage taken earlier.

Flick to recording

Parents outside of classroom. Teacher’s face peering through the glass window. Lots of yelling, blaming, and cursing happening. Teacher refusing to talk to anyone.

Back to Hannah

Hannah: As you can see, the situation is out of control. We spoke with the school’s principal to shed some light on the story.

Interview with Principal. (shoot after research)

Hannah: Well there you have it. The situation is not getting any better. And nobody seems to be able to bridge the gap between teachers and parents. Back to you Kylie.

Kylie: Thank you Hannah. We will keep you up-dated as the story unfolds. Join me Kylie O'Brien tomorrow on the 7.30 CQ report, where we will be answering the question.
Is the bond between parent and school integral in ensuring students succeed?



Thankyou and goodnight.......