Training for Parents and Managers as Facilitators for the Benefit of Education
Project of Training for Mothers, Parents and Teachers as Facilitators for the Benefit of Education is aimed at working with the participation of parents and guardians to strengthen their figure and empower them as co-protagonists in the educational process of their children. This will be achieved through a research-based training program on successful projects for training mothers, fathers and caregivers as facilitators of their children’s continuing education (Epstein, National Parent Teachers Association [National PTA], 2007 and Aguilar, 2000). Services are offered in person at the site of participating schools, according to the convenience schedule established by the school community to meet the needs of parents, guardians and caregivers.
The aim is to generate an action plan (project) that allows the effective participation of parents in their respective learning communities. Each training activity takes into consideration the development of the dialogical and andragogical model (based on problem-based learning), centered on the planning, organization and fostering the educational processes of adults, emphasizing self-learning, with special attention to the procedures that they make it easier for adults to build new learning according to their immediate needs.
Training activities will be offered through the development of short-duration workshops, school-style mini-courses for parents and practical integration and support activities according to the needs identified by the parents, mothers and caregivers themselves. To monitor the training process and implementation of the activities the project will have a virtual space called Network of Mothers, Parents and Education Facilitators .
The Training Project for Mothers, Fathers and Teachers as Facilitators for the Benefit of Education includes workshops and courses. The project has six core areas:
- Facilitating learning at home
- Strengthening the home
- Shared power for the benefit of education
- School Management
- Seizure of parents, mothers and guardians
- Effective communication
The modality of the short-term workshops is 3 hours and they are offered at night or in the evening. The duration of the mini-courses is 6 hours. The workshops and mini-courses are offered for all academic levels (elementary, intermediate and superior) and are adapted according to the audience. All workshops and mini-courses include materials, assessments and participation certificates . The mini-courses and workshops are offered by resources with a Master’s and / or Doctoral level.
Understanding how my child learns Workshop that describes how the learning process develops in the student. It will offer advice and recommendations for parents on supporting their children in the learning process.
The generations and how they learn Learning to describe the different types of intelligence, to identify the type of intelligence predominant in their child and how to establish learning activities according to the intelligence type.
The generations and how they learn The workshop presents a description of the characteristics of generations that coexist in the family nucleus and the school. It presents what research says about how to motivate learning according to these generations and the activities and resources that motivate them.
Guide to strengthen the learning of my children Parents are the first teachers and those who exert the greatest influence in the lives of children. That is why it is very important for parents to develop and maintain strong links with their children’s schools. When parents and families get involved in schools, children tend to stand out more and their opinions about school are more positive. In order for children to be successful in school, parents and families must be actively involved in their children’s learning. In this workshop suggestions will be presented so that the father can develop the creativity of his son to help him succeed in school.
The game as a learning method The motivating force and the intrinsic interest that children include in their games are born from the epistemological nature of being human; that’s why the game and learning are related. Children’s play is considered an activity of great potential for development and learning. Therefore, it is important to guide parents and present the strategies of the game that allows children to investigate their own thinking, test their knowledge and develop progressively in the interactive use of actions and conversations among peers. This workshop presents parents with various alternatives where the game becomes an activity that motivates children towards the acquisition of knowledge.
Minicourses: Practical workshops to help my child learn in Mathematics, Spanish and English A series of mini-courses that aim to train parents on effective strategies to support and help their children according to each discipline and academic level. The mini-courses are adapted according to the academic level of the school that requests them.
How to help my child succeed in school Provides effective strategies that will help you help your child succeed in school. We discuss: information about the things that a parent does at home to contribute to the success of their child’s school; activities that parents can do to help their child acquire the skills he/she needs to excel in school and practical tips to help the child take tests more successfully.
How to help my child with math Suggestions to develop safety in math skills in their children. Activities that you can use with children will be presented to reinforce math skills and instill positive attitudes toward mathematics. The father does not need to be a great mathematician or have a college degree in mathematics to use these. Teaching techniques will be presented to make mathematics more effective.
How to help my child with Spanish Research studies have found that oral language, including grammar, vocabulary and semantics of the language, play an important role in the recognition of words and that it serves as a basis for reading. Oral language is learned through the communication that the child has in his environment such as family, friends and media such as television and the internet. Therefore, as parents, we must work at home with activities to encourage the development of oral language and oral and reading comprehension. Parents must know what they should pay special attention to the language of the children when communicating. This workshop discusses these aspects as well as offering suggestions for developing interest in reading and writing.
How to help my child with English Anyone can learn a new language. Some people find it easier than others, but everyone can do it. Children, in particular, can learn to be bilingual. They can learn two languages at home, at school or in the community. The themes of this mini-course are aimed at helping parents to teach their children English language. It will be focused on the use of resources to help in the acquisition of the language at home, which can cause problems when learning English and what the parent should expect when his child is learning English.
Peace, love and health: key elements for my success as a father
Guidance on the steps for developing a healthy life for the family members. Explore the basic concepts for healthy coexistence, relationships, prevention, health, nutrition and safety.
The emotional and social development of my child
To promote the emotional and social strengthening of children, through the integration of the family as the central core of the community and through the discussion of the following topics: social and emotional development of the children, to identify why the children behave different ways. Describe the impact that children have with challenging behaviors in families. Identify the resources available to help and support parents during the process.
Parents promoting a culture of nonviolence
It will deal with issues related to ethics, communication, handling of personal problems, being and ego, as well as how to approach conflicts, to reduce the rates of violence within the home, communities and schools. Training will be provided on mediation for the resolution of conflicts, the use of a language of conciliation, management of anger and frustration, tools necessary to act in cases of violence. This workshop aims at motivating people to bring a message of peace to the communities in their homes and in their schools.
Identifying and preventing risk behaviors in my son
Workshop whose purpose is to discuss the following topics: risk reduction, protective factors, difference between strategies and tactics, who should be involved in the selection of strategies for risk reduction, how to select strategies to reduce risks, what is reduction of risk and what are the protective factors.
Strengthening self-esteem and prevention of bullying
The workshop offers a guide to learn to know, express and manage the feelings for a happy family life. The following aspects will be discussed: developing emotional intelligence in our children, facing bullying with intelligence, developing the self-esteem of children from home, practices for healthy coexistence, life in society, commitment and solidarity. The discussion will be propitiated so that advice and recommendations arise according to the experiences lived by the participants.
Steps to becoming a facilitating parent
A series of mini-courses that have the purpose of providing parents and caregivers with support information that allows them, through their active participation in the school environment, to improve their styles of parenting education. The following topics will be worked on:
- Leadership strategies for parents, fathers and mothers as teachers at home.
- My obligations, responsibilities and duties as a parent.
- Knowing the Department of Education, from the perspective of parents Part I: Laws, Regulations, Rights and Responsibilities, Puerto Rican Evidence of Academic Achievement.
- Knowing the Department of Education, from the perspective of parents Part II: Knowing the Special Education Program).
The development and establishment of collaborative partnerships between parents, school and community.
The social duty to educate by tradition had been delegated to the school. Today that has changed and is established with more emphasis than the family and the school as a whole as main members are those in charge of the education of children and adolescents.
Various factors affect the family and the school so that they can carry out collaborative work. The complexity of the contemporary world requires having an integral formation throughout life, in order to develop as a person and to be inserted into society. Studies have shown that when parents participate in the school education of their children, they improve their academic performance and have a more positive attitude towards school. At the same time, it has been proven that when the mother or father expects their son to reach a high academic level and stimulates him to achieve it, that child has greater possibilities of continuing his studies and of obtaining good results. This workshop aims to motivate and guide parents to develop collaborative, effective and lasting partnerships with the school community.
Inclusive education is an educational model that seeks to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults with a special emphasis on those who are vulnerable to marginalization and social exclusion. Currently, the school has been modified to meet these needs that arise in the XXI century society, and have been transformed into inclusive schools, where the child with special difficulties, can learn in the company of other children of the regular stream. The challenge is great, but with guidance and training such as those in this workshop for parents, possibilities for success are possible.
Training for parent volunteers in the school community
Participation of parents in the education of their children is very important. When parents participate as volunteers in school activities, in general, children obtain better results in their school performance, their behavior is better, they have more positive attitudes toward school. This series of mini-courses is intended to provide parents and caregivers with the necessary training to be part of a volunteer parent project. Presents itself:
- Educational volunteering as a strategy for the educational success of students.
- Types of volunteering and methodology for the development of volunteer projects.
- Stages of development of a project on volunteering of parents at school.
- Principles of voluntary service, a development guide for the work plan for a project.
Steps to establish a support network of parent facilitators Workshop designed to motivate parents to establish a support network of parent facilitators in their school setting, with the purpose of creating a group empowered of the processes in which parents should support and commit. It is about establishing the starting point for the network of parent collaboration that should be instituted in every school community. They will also be guided on the virtual network of facilitating parents as a means of dissemination, suggestions, advices that promote the consistent participation of parents in the activities of their school community.
Workshop for parents of children with special needs Parents who have children with special educational needs need, like their children, to receive the necessary tools to meet the educational needs of their children at home. The workshop aims to provide alternatives and possibilities of how to intervene with children at home. Respond to the information needs of parents who have recently learned that their child has special needs and for those who have lived with this reality but need new information or renewed support.
Workshop for parents of talented children Talented students are often overlooked in schools because the educational system in general tends to give greater importance to the learning of children with special needs. Parents of talented students need to receive alternatives that allow them to support their children’s abilities. This workshop aims to guide students on the characteristics of these students, ways to identify those students and recommendations, in order to stimulate the development of creativity and their intellect.
The power of parents in education Whereas parents are primarily responsible for the education of their children; that together with the family, also the State and the Church have unavoidable obligations in the field of education. As parents are a fundamental link in the education of their children, the earlier they get involved in the educational process of their children the results will be better. The purpose of this workshop is to present resources, guidelines and activities to parents to promote success in the education of their children.
Basic technology principles for parents, mothers and caregivers Mini-course series that aims to train parents on the basic concepts in the use of technology, so that they can support their children’s school tasks and as a self-improvement skill. The mini-courses will be the following:
- Introduction to computers and basic keyboard operation
- Use of email
- The internet as an educational resource and
- Social networks as a support resource in education.
Improving communication with my teenagers
Workshop that provides a space for reflection among parents and caregivers in which the answers to situations and questions that arise in the parents at the time of educating their adolescent children will be addressed, providing solutions and explanations to certain types of behaviors and aspects of their children, aimed at facilitating the work of parents, mothers and caregivers.
Developing good communication with teachers of children
Generally the relationship between teachers and parents is limited to the delivery of grades, organization of some social activity, letters student behavior or on school performance. This workshop offers the opportunity to provide recommendations for the creation of spaces that promote the analysis of aspects such as; coexistence, effective communication between parents and teachers, the affective relationship between parents and children, guidance for support for school work at home and the creation of parent-teacher teams. It will include aspects such as answers to frequently asked questions about working with teachers and schools, as well as suggestions for the development and establishment of collaborative partnerships between parents, school and community.