Perry,+Sunshine,+Parent+Collaboration

Welcome! 

A Little About Me
My name is Sunshine Perry. On July 7th, 1988, I was born, and then raised, in Southern Oregon and haven't found a place I'd rather live at more. I enjoy all the outdoor activities this area has to offer and love some indoor ones too. My activities/interests include snowboarding, reading, swimming, camping, hiking, and music. I hate onions in nearly every way, shape, and form. My favorite season is summer (which goes along with my name).

Education & Career Goals
Presently, I am studying to get qualified as a math teacher for middle/high school. I graduated high school with an honors diploma from Rogue River High School, and from college with a B.S. degree in mathematics from Southern Oregon University. My passion for math extends to most subject areas, but I particularly enjoy Algebra and Calculus. In college I also discovered the delights of proofs. I enjoy working with kids of all ages, however only the older kids catch on to my brand of humor and sarcasm. Secondary education allows me to teach great subjects and tell age-appropriate jokes. Recently, I have been toying with the idea of eventually teaching in a college setting as well.

A Time When Something was Hard to Learn
I have had many experiences with difficult–to-learn lessons. In the past, I have found mathematics to be quite difficult to learn. In fact, math is downright aggravating at times. The difference between many students and me is that I found it fun as well. My hope is to connect with struggling students using the knowledge of just how frustrating math can be, and then perhaps shift focus towards the more fun aspect. At the very least, I hope to create a classroom students won’t have to hate entering. Only time will tell.

In an earlier paragraph, I originally typed I was studying to “become” a math teacher instead of “qualified as,” but then realized the poor choice of diction. I already teach math, swimming, reading, writing, and more. I even get paid for it. I cannot become a math teacher because I already am one. My choice to enroll in and pay for college courses stems from a desire for improvement.

My Greatest Fear About Teaching
When thinking about teaching, my greatest feelings of fear arise at the thought of being consistently mediocre or worse. Should I ever deem myself ineffective with no signs of improvement, that will be the day I quit and find something else to do with my life. I expect to have bad days or failed lessons, but I am a person who believes in constantly working to evolve into someone better. Just because I have a job teaching doesn’t mean I quit learning.

What Do I Wish to Gain?
As a result of my desire to improve, I applied to the MAT program. What I expect to get out of this course and every other course I take is improvement. If I am to avoid becoming a mediocre or static teacher, then I must acquire more knowledge, experience, and practice. From this course, I expect to have a better grasp on what is required to be inclusive and the resulting benefits and disadvantages. Beyond learning the course content, I also expect to improve my effectiveness as a person and educator.

 One Last Thing that Brings me Joy !!!Turkey!!! He was born April 29th, 2011 He is 1/2 Rottweiler, 1/2 Malamute

=Collaboration with Parents = =And Other Family Too =



<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Why Parent Collaboration?
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">At the beginning of the term, everyone was presented with a list of topics to choose from to research for this wiki. Not one to push through crowds, there was only a handful left by the time I got there. To be honest, I had no idea which subject to choose because I didn't quite understand what the assignment was about. Therefore, collaboration with parents was chosen by my instructor, Angela Crum.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">After doing the research, I am satisfied with how things turned out. Teachers come and go. They're expected to be temporary. Parents or guardians, on the other hand, are generally expected to be more permanent. Certainly they're going to know more about their kids than any report. Parents deserve to have an involvement in their kids' lives and should feel comfortable doing so. Parents should not feel dread at the prospect of "another parent-teacher conference" like in the above comic. Understanding the need for parent collaboration and effective strategies to accomplish it should be a focus for every teacher. Most parents represent a beneficial resource in our drive to improve students' knowledge and well-being.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What is collaboration anyway?
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">According to Margo A. Mastropieri and Thomas E. Scruggs' //The Inclusive Classroom// (the textbook for our Inclusion class), <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">**collaboration involves, "cooperation, effective communication, shared problem solving, planning, and finding solutions"** (2010, p. 25).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Things I learned and you will too

 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Expect the unexpected__ - When I say //parent collaboration//, I don't necessarily mean parents. Some students live with grandparents or uncles, others has foster parents, some merely have guardians. This should really be title Collaboration with //Family//.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Introducing yourself is a great first step.__ - Parents should not have to only hear from parents once their child has a problem. Introducing yourself through a call, letter, or orientation establishes you as a real person who wants to connect with others.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Address differences__ - If a student's parents or guardians don't speak English, make sure communications are adjusted. If they're divorced, make two of everything. If they fear officials, find a liaison they'd be more comfortable with. Incorporate diversity in the classroom.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Report the positives!__ - Like I said earlier, parents shouldn't dread talking with the teacher. Send home notes talking about what a student does right. Call just to say how a student improved.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Make yourself available__ - If a parent doesn't know how or when to contact you, then they probably won't. If they feel you aren't open to discussions and hearing concerns, they probably won't talk to you either.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">Try This On For Size
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 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">Effective Collaboration - This is a PDF and I chose it because of the amount of information provided. The title is "Strategies for Effective Collaboration with Parents, Schools, and Community Members" which is exactly what I was looking for. It defines collaboration, highlights pertinent NCLB portions, and strategies and versions of collaboration. It's quite a bit to read, but everything is organized well, and there is a table of contents to pick and choose which parts you wish to read.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">Less Time? Try:
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 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">This is an interesting video showcasing California’s ABC’s Unified School District’s parent involvement program. They provide parent classes and events from pre-K through 12th grade. They encourage parents who attend to empower other parents and seem to have created an extensive network of parent involvement. One class is even an all Korean parents’ class with a leader who speaks Korean.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">Arranged by Rating



 * [|Parent/Professional Collaboration] - (5 stars) This is yet another site brimming with information. Even I have yet to complete reading through every link. The site is all about collaboration and focuses on how diverse families may be. The link will send you to the introduction, emphasizing the need for collaboration and providing questions to set you analyzing your school district’s ability to reach families. From there, you can read through the FAQ’s, peruse relevant research, and study effective practices.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Collaboration Between Home and School -<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(4 stars) Although this site is short, it contains relevant details. It explains how IDEA has strengthened collaboration between parents and schools. It also includes lists of what teachers can do to encourage collaboration, what parents can do, and what both can do together.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Creating Effective Teacher-Parent Collaborations(4 stars) This is another site that is short but contains worthwhile information. It explains why parent teacher involvement is beneficial and //how// to achieve effective teacher-parent collaboration. The site stresses quality over quantity (a concept of which I am fond). In addition, at the end of the article, you’ll find more resources in addition to the ones I provide here.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Dissertation on Collaboration (4 stars) Warning: This is a dissertation and it is //long//. Like 169 pages long. That being said, it was thought-provoking. Parents of children with disabilities were interviewed as well as service providers suggested by those parents. Findings pointed towards the value of collaboration. I especially appreciated reading two stories from those parents about their experiences. One with good collaboration experiences and one without. The differences were obvious.



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 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Divorce and Children(3 Stars)Though it only has 3 stars, this article is certainly worth reading which is why I have included it. This site focuses on how schools can collaborate with parents who go through a divorce. It makes suggestions like making it clear who parents can tell when a divorce is taking place and to have systems allowing handouts, report cards, and other information to both parents. The lower rating is based on the fact it is only focusing on one type of family situation, but it still addresses valid points.

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 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(3 Stars)This is short, and it is kind of like a commercial. This is a video describing Parent Parties as an alternative to parent meetings. While this may not work on a secondary level, it is a fun way one school has attempted to bring parents into the school.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> (3 Stars)This is a news cast about National Parent Involvement Day in Augusta. There is another news cast from 2010 in the related videos. The day is about getting parents to volunteer some time in the schools and also thanks them for their involvement. It touches on how other family members are equally as beneficial, and emphasizes the effect on students’ performance. One issue I was concerned about was the fact that some parents may not have the time to volunteer or feel intimidated by the idea. Nonetheless, it is collaboration in action as teacher’s call and talk directly to parents, therefore forging a relationship.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">Working at the Transformation Learning Center “Where the Science of Learning Meets the Art of Teaching”
<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">For this project, I chose to present one of the companies that employees me. The Transformational Learning Center, TLC, is a branch of the Center for Advanced Learning, CAL, now known as Fit Learning, from Reno, Nevada. It’s founders include Dr. Kim Berens, Dr. Nick Berens, and Dr. Kendra Brooks Richard who hold doctorates in psychology with a focus in learning science. The director here in Medford is Avri Lawton, a Certified Learning Specialist with a degree in Psychology.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">TLC employs Direct Instruction and Applied Behavior Analysis in their research-based curriculum. Every student learns in a fast-paced, one-on-one, individualized environment. Though referred to as tutoring by the students and even myself, TLC does not help kids with specific school classes as a typical tutor might. The goal is actually to identify missing or lacking basic skills, and build their fluency in order to assist students in achieving grade level abilities. TLC currently has students enrolled in math, reading, writing, and relational programs. Students who attend TLC include those with learning disabilities, ADHD/ADD, autism, general learning difficulties, intellectual disabilities, and more.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">Included in this project is the information taken directly from two brochures available at TLC. The first gives an overview of the types of learners taught and focuses/goals of teaching. The second focuses on the Autism Rescue Division.The website [|www.fitlearners.com] gives a basic overview of the companies altogether, and the brochures or an appointment with the director of TLC provides more detailed information. To contact TLC, call 541-646-8999.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">Brochure 1 - <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">Brochure 2 -

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">In the following link is the dialogues from three separate interviews I conducted specifically for this project. The first interviewee is the Medford director of TLC and my supervisor, Avri Lawton. The second is one of my students who talks about TLC, going to school, and her IEP. The third is the mother of that student who answered questions about the company and about her personal experience with the IEP process. <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Reflection
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">From the three interviews and my own experiences with TLC, I have begun to form a picture of how I will need to be as an inclusive teacher.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">First, I need to be patient. Not just with my students, but their parents and myself. Without patience, students of all types and parents too will feel rushed and uncomfortable in my presence. If I do not employ patience with myself, I will expect too much of myself at once and become burnt out quickly.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Second, I need to be encouraging. Teachers who lack this character trait most likely will fail to create a welcoming classroom. Without encouragement, I threaten to do what “Mrs. Smith” deemed the worst thing to do: take away hope. At the very least, hope requires encouragement to avoid fading.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Finally, I need to see each student as an individual. Every child who passes through my classes has his or her own learning style, personality, and life. Should I focus too much on one area, I will fail to see him or her as a complete person. Instead I will see him or her as autistic or gifted or bad at math. Each student deserves to be acknowledged as a complete and unique being.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Working here has provided opportunities to work with a variety of learners. Before TLC, my experience with students with disabilities was extremely low. While reading the textbook for this class and preparing for the project, I was able to see the connections to this job. As a result, I have a deepening understanding of my students, their parents, and my own future as a teacher. For instance, half of my interview questions were designed after studying and discussing the prerefferal and IEP process. I also asked questions with the goal of seeing TLC, IEP’s, and teachers from multiple standpoints. From TLC, I have also learned to recognize achievements, no matter how small, and have seen that every student is capable of progress. <span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: -40px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: -25px; width: 1px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">- []