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Below is the current version. We need to decide which questions to use for discussion. We have 10 that were suggested. **Curriculum and Culture** **Chapter 4** **Outline** I. Introduction (quick connection to the chapter) II. Class Discussion with created questions. III. Connection to Trumbull article IV. Activity—Encouraging Parent Involvement in the Classroom through Cultural Fair. **Chapter 4 Summary** Parent involvement is key to bridging cultures between home and school. We need to think of new ways of relating to parents in order to strengthen the parent-teacher relationship. The strategies discussed in chapter four suggest ways to compromise between the individualism and collectivism orientations. With cross-cultural strategies, elements of each orientation can be weaved together to meet the needs of both cultural viewpoints. This will allow us to reach out to parents more frequently and in ways that are more personal. The authors suggest taking advantage of “everyday” interactions. These types of interactions include informal conversation and impromptu classroom visits. Research shows that parents desire to have frequent interactions with teachers and other school personnel. The authors noted that school might be “unconsciously discouraging parent involvement,” particularly at the middle and high school levels. Although schools may have rules in place for safety of students, school personnel must recognize that prohibiting parents from entering campus freely may make parents feel excluded. Communication between administrators and parents can help to avoid misunderstandings. The importance of understanding parents’ viewpoints and cultural differences is emphasized in this chapter. Cultural differences may cause parents to react differently to school events, such as field trips. Teachers should allow parents to have opportunities to ask questions and participate in discussions when concerns arise. Formalized opportunities for parent-teacher interactions may be effective. One teacher noted the effectiveness of monthly parent meetings, which allowed for a formal discussion as well as time for informal interactions. These interactions were not to instruct parents, but rather to share information and seek input. These monthly meetings can also be a way for teachers to share information with immigrant parents about the US school system, the expectations of school and how they may be explicitly different from their home culture. Parent volunteers are encouraged in most schools. Immigrant parents may be concerned by their own lack of formal schooling, but teachers can find ways to involve parents from all cultures. Teachers can facilitate the volunteer process by educating themselves about the culture of the parents and working to build relationships. Teachers can take on the role of an ethnographer to get to know the families of their students. The information they obtain can be invaluable in helping to decide what types of volunteer opportunities they should construct for their parents. The key is to offer a variety of volunteer opportunities that offer explicit instructions, as well as, academic and non-academic tasks. **Discussion Questions** **:** 1- How could you help ensure that the messages sent home from your school are culturally-sensitive? 2- What are some ways parents can interact with one another? How can you as a teacher facilitate such parental interactions to enhance students' learning? 3- Discuss three effective strategies you use in your class (if you teach) to increase parental involvement in the following two areas: - Parent-teacher interaction (frequency, mode, quality, etc.) - Parent volunteering 4- Your district requires parents to go through a background check before they are able to volunteer at the school. How will you introduce this information to immigrant parents and explain the rationale behind such a requirement? How will you approach the issue especially with undocumented immigrant parents? Closely related, what strategies would you follow to make the involvement of undocumented parents possible in terms of both overcoming their fear of school as representing “the system” and also in terms of complying with your district policies of running background checks? 5- At the end of each year, one elementary school holds a volunteers appreciation tea party. While the principal addresses a general invitation to all parents in the school’s newsletter a week ahead of time, one first grade teacher prepares personal invitations and hands them out to the children of the “top” volunteering parents in her class. At the end of the school day after the volunteer appreciation party, the teacher hands out her thank-you chocolate bars to those volunteering parents who could not make it to the party. How did the teacher encourage or discourage parental involvement?