Athens, GA (September 12, 2007) — The University of Georgia College of Education’s Dean’s Council on Diversity presents “Creating Welcoming Schools,” a presentation by JoBeth Allen, author of “Creating Welcoming Schools: A Practical Guide to Home-School Partnerships with Diverse Families” and a UGA professor of language and literacy education.  Friday, September 14, 2007 from Noon to 1:00 in the Dean’s  conference room (G-23) in Aderhold Hall.

A solid body of research demonstrates that building respectful and trusting relationships among educators, families, and community members leads to increased student achievement. How have schools and diverse families throughout the country formed partnerships that increase student learning? This interactive session will examine the role of dialogue in creating family-school partnerships for student learning, including ways teachers and parents together can explore their rich and diverse cultural perspectives through storytelling and cultural memoir; the power of learning from families through home visits, photography, and cultural informants; the importance of establishing and sustaining genuine dialogue at school conferences, open houses, and other classroom projects, as well as through home-school journals and sharing family stories; and ways families, schools, and communities can collaborate for a more democratic society.

This article was posted on Wednesday, September 12th, 2007 at 7:00 am and is filed under News.