WEEK 5 - FULL

Readings

1. Read from your text, Building Culturally Responsive Family-School Relationships:
   • Chapter 8: Getting Acquainted with Student’s Families
   • Chapter 9: Using Families’ Ways of Knowing to Enhance Teaching and Student Learning 
   • Chapter 10: Fostering Student and Family Engagement in Learning Through Student-Led Parent Conferences 

Discussions

1. Welcome Informational Letter
    
   Analyze "Welcome Letters" 8.3A and 8.3B. Respond to the following: 
   
   
   • How are the two welcome letters different in regard to culture (the teachers' beliefs)?
   • With regard to milieu (the teachers' assumptions about their audience)?
   • With regard to social systems (the teachers' beliefs about how roles are to be structured)?
   • With regard to ecology (the tone and language of the letters)?
   • What is different about the second letter?
   • How is the feeling of family-school collaboration conveyed?
   • What changes would you make to the first letter?
   • What changes would you make to the second letter?
   
   Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.  
    
2. Contextual Instruction
    
   Contextualized Instruction consists of three levels; teaching (strategy), curriculum (culturally relevant materials) and policy (specifically in collaboration with parents and communities). Create an activity/lesson that will address all three levels. The activity/lesson should draw on what the students may already know from home, community or school, will be meaningful, will show knowledge of local norms (please choose one culture/language/community to highlight), will show evidence of integration of the community and creates an opportunity for parents or families to be involved. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.