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KBC - Anyone else here?
KBC - Hi Beth
Beth Bruno - What do you teach?
KBC - This year I am teaching special ed and technology
Beth Bruno - What has your experience been with dads in the classroom?
KBC - Not many fathers but did have an assistant that was a father and volunteered lots of extra time
Beth Bruno - Its a stereotype, I guess, but I wonder if more dads particpate in technology?
Beth Bruno - Do you notice anything that discourages dads from coming to school where you teach?
KBC - Don't get any parents in the lab.
Beth Bruno - Divorced fathers feel especially left out from what I've heard.
KBC - I am new this year at my school but find that there are always parents around.
KBC - I think many non custodial dad feel that
Beth Bruno - When you mention a lab, is that a technology lab? Do you also teach special education in a lab?
Beth Bruno - If more dads were available to help you out, what would you ask them to do?
KBC - I have a mini lab in the student support room and maintain a class lab as well
Beth Bruno - I don't understand what you mean by lab.
KBC - I think Dad's can help with anything Moms can. The one dad the did help me, learned how to sew along with his son
KBC - We have a computer lab with 26 computers
KBC - My mini lab has 5 networked computers and 2 stand alones
Beth Bruno - I understand what you mean by a lab now. thanks.
Mary - I've joined this chat as an assignment for a graduate class
Beth Bruno - One of the dads in our neighborhood is a fabulous tailor - can sew better than anyone I know.
Beth Bruno - Hi Mary. What questions do you have that we might be able to answer?
Beth Bruno - What's the class you're taking?
Beth Bruno - KBC, do you teach special education students on your computers, too?
Mary - It's Telecommunications--I'm working on a master's in Technology in Education
Mary - I live in Las Vegas, and it's through Lesley University out of Cambridge, Mass
Beth Bruno - Are male and female students equally proficient on computers these days?
Beth Bruno - Can you take courses at Lesley online?
Mary - I teach junior high, and have found that girls are better at some things, like keyboarding, and boys are better at other things, like Internet
Beth Bruno - I'm surprised that the subject of dads in the classroom didn't bring more people out. Why do you suppose there's so little interest?
Beth Bruno - When you say boys are better at the Internet, are you talking about research or website development or ... ?
Mary - I think dads might feel uncomfortable around a lot of kids
Beth Bruno - I suppose they feel outnumbered, but lots of dads volunteer to coach sports.
Mary - I guess sports is something most guys can handle
Beth Bruno - is there anything you want to ask about the practice of school psychology in the schools, Mary. That's my field.
Mary - I'm sure most dads are at work during the day also, and can't get away to be in their child's classroom
Beth Bruno - Lets see if we can turn our small group into something useful.
Mary - Okay. This is my first time in an online chat
Beth Bruno - Mary, that's a good point. I think it applies to most moms these days, too. Plus there are more and more dads staying at home to take care of kids.
Beth Bruno - How about you, KBC. Anything cooking with your students that you would like to ask a school psychologist to comment on?
Beth Bruno - Shall we call it a night, MAry?
Beth Bruno - Thanks for dropping in.
Mary - I guess. What made you want to talk about this?
acoop - just read you are studying computer ed.
Beth Bruno - I received many letters from dads who only were called to the schools if their kids were in trouble. Otherwise they felt unwelcome, so I wanted to discuss this with others.
acoop - I am researching the use of networks in education.
Beth Bruno - Hi acoop. What do you teach?
Beth Bruno - What do you mean by networks?
acoop - I know thhis is not the topic but if you could help me out I would appreciate it to no end.
Beth Bruno - I think of the whole Internet as one huge network.
Mary - Is your school networked?
acoop - o you use networks for sudents in your teaching or know of any good learning network site?
Beth Bruno - are you talking about courses offered online or about interactive sites?
acoop - Like global school house, e-pals, AT&T. I don't know what you would call it over there in Australia we call it networks.
KBC - I am curious Beth, when you say you are a school psychologist. Do you mean a psychomatrician?
acoop - The internet is the largest network.
helllo - so are the dads welcome in schools?
acoop - This site would be classed as a network site, but not a learning network.
Beth Bruno - I do diagnostic work-ups like psychometricians do, but a school psychologist also does counseling and consultation with teachers and parents.
helllo - i say yes
acoop - I teach casual/ sub k-6.
KBC - That is really interesting - here it is two very different positions
acoop - No ideas for me mary??
helllo - well since no one talking to me ill go.
Beth Bruno - dads are welcome in schools. yes. but some feel pushed away, especially divorced and separated fathers. I think we need to try harder to keep them involved.
helllo - i'll*
acoop - hi hello
acoop - sorry for the slow welcome.
Beth Bruno - what do you teach, helllo.
helllo - thatnks thats what i needed to know ,bye
KBC - Do you think part of the noninolvment of fathers has to do with a majority teaching staff of females?
Mary - Oh, sorry. I was trying to stay on the subject dads. Have you done any webquests?
acoop - I will leave you to discuss dads at schools and keep searching. THANKS for letting me interupt the topic breifly.
sue - what I want to know is how to get more dads involved
Beth Bruno - Yes, KBC, I think it can be intimidating to fathers to be the only male in a school with all female teachers.
Beth Bruno - Many elementary schools have all female teachers plus a female principal.
Mary - My own kids had a Dads and Donoughts day every year
KBC - Our school has many dad's that are active in the parent group and ehlp with field trips
Beth Bruno - In my school we have a father's day and a grandfather's day. We also ask dads specifically to help out with different learning projects.
sue - bbl
Beth Bruno - ometimes we invite dads to come in and talk with the kids about their professions.
acoop - most of the principles here are male.
acoop - did you get my pm mary?
Beth Bruno - I like the idea of a dads and donuts day. Sounds playful and inviting - plus yummy.
acoop - Why not involve them in helping with sports?
KBC - Are you in a community where Dads have flex hours?
Beth Bruno - Dads can also join in on fundraisers for the PTA, playground maintenance and building and other projects both inside and outside the school
acoop - Some it depends on their jobs.
Beth Bruno - I think that if teachers and administrators set their minds to it, they can think of many ways to get dads more involved.
KBC - It probably isn't something that many of us have really tried to address
Beth Bruno - One community where I worked, the principal set aside Wednesday afternoons as family time. Dads or moms or grandparents were welcome. It worked out really well, because eveyone in the school community knew that Wednesday afternoons were 'open house' for p
KBC - Sorry - I have to log off for dinner....this time difference makes it tough to participate sometimes. Bye
acoop - dads can do the same as mums come and help with remeadial reading, sport helpers, extra hands oon excursions.
Beth Bruno - good idea to involve dads with sports. whatever gets them into the school, so their kids feel like they are part of things.
Beth Bruno - that's so true, acoop. dads can do all those things to help out that moms do, too.
acoop - Some of the private schools here offer reduced fees for parent involvement.
acoop - a bit of a bribe.
Beth Bruno - where do you live. that's a fabulous idea!
Mary - I think the kids and teachers could really benefit by having dads around
acoop - Australia.
Beth Bruno - I agree totally, Mary. Kids need adult role models in the schools of both genders.
Beth Bruno - Do lots of kids attend private schools where you are?
acoop - Some especially need the father/male figure if from broken homes where they live with mum and don't see dad.
Beth Bruno - in Australis, that is.
Beth Bruno - Kids in US public schools don't pay tuition, so financial incentives wouldn't work to get parents more involved.
acoop - More and more are as our govt. schools are not ranking as well with grades, and behaviour management.
Beth Bruno - That trend is beginning to develop in the US in some places.
Mary - I wish the monetary incentive was there when my kids were in elementary school -- I'd be rich!!
Beth Bruno - I'd hate to see the public schools go down, though. Too many children would wind up not getting educated.
Beth Bruno - You were a super-involved parent, I take it, Mary.
acoop - The govt. has started to advertise the state system and their schools in a bid to get the numbers. they are loosing teachers as well.
Beth Bruno - Just think, if parents were paid a few bucks here and there to help out in the schools, they could put that money in savings for college for their kids.
acoop - It has been nice chatting I will be on my way.
Beth Bruno - What are the percentages at this point, acoop - percentages of kids going to private vs state schools?
Mary - Yes, the school had a lot of parent involvement. Mostly moms, but they did so much for the teachers.
Mary - Now, however, they are bussing in kids from across town, and it's too hard for the parents to drop in.
acoop - I don't know Beth.
Beth Bruno - Bussing programs do make it tough for parents to get involved, it's true.
Beth Bruno - thanks for stopping by, acoop. Nice chatting with you.
acoop - I know the pay is about $100 more per day as a casual in the private system. (australian dollars). I work in both but hope when I go full time to go into the private system.
Beth Bruno - what is a casual?
acoop - you call it substitute
Mary - Are you all in Australia?
Beth Bruno - No, I'm in Connecticut.
acoop - yes sydney.
Beth Bruno - Thanks, acoop. I never heard that term for a substitute before.
Beth Bruno - what day is it in Sydney right now? It's Thursday evening here.
acoop - relief teacher is the other term used here.
acoop - friday 1:45pm.
acoop - This time I am going, bye gals.
Beth Bruno - My son visited Australia over New Year's a few years ago. He said people there were VERY friendly. He traveled there with a college hockey team.
Mary - Wow--it's Thursday 6:45 pm here in Las Vegas
Beth Bruno - OK, acoop. G'day!
acoop - see ya.
Beth Bruno - Thanks for being part of the chat, Mary and acoop. So long.
