NALA Family Learning Conference
NALA family learning event
What’s the story? The role of storytelling in family learning
Exciting and innovative ways of working on family learning
Wednesday 30 November 2011 - 10.00 am to 3.30 pm
The Ashling Hotel, Parkgate Street, Dublin 8
9.30 Registration and tea/coffee
10.00 Welcome and opening remarks
Chairperson: Denis McCarthy, Regional Coordinator for the Home School Community Liaison Scheme
10.10 NALA membership information
Denise McBride, Membership and Student Officer, NALA
10.20 Overview of NALA’s family literacy research
Tina Byrne, Research Officer, NALA
10.30 The power of story to enable and sustain ongoing family learning
Carmel Maginn, Writer and Director of ‘The Power in Story’ Programme
11.00 Questions and Answers
11.30 – 1.00 Workshops:
A. Digital storytelling - Clare Sheahan, Co. Clare Family Learning Project
B. Encouraging parental involvement in family learning programmes – David Foley, Home
School Community Liaison Teacher, Bray, Co Wicklow
C. Setting up an intensive family learning programme: An inter agency approach – Germaine Cahill and Kathleen Bennett, Co. Laois VEC
D. Storysacks – Pam Buchanan, Co. Dublin VEC
1.00 Lunch
2.00 – 3.30 Workshops:
E. The ‘quick start’ to unleashing your capacity to write creatively - Carmel Maginn
P.T.O
F. Music for fun – Hong Soon Har, Music Teacher, Newpark Music Centre, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
G. Creative thinking tools for problem solving – Pam Buchanan, Co. Dublin VEC
H. Life stories: Working with parents to record day to day or special events in their
childrens’ lives – Therese Hurley, City of Limerick VEC
3.30 Close
Cost: The cost is of attending this event is €30 to NALA members and €60 to non-members.
To reserve your place, please submit booking form with cheque or postal order.
If you require an invoice, please let us have a Purchase Order number.
Information on the presentations and workshops:
Presentations:
The power in story to enable and sustain ongoing family learning
Story as an entertainment medium is widely accepted in our society for entertainment purposes, but it can also be used as an effective tool for personal or educational deficit. This presentation explores its empowering capabilities and cites examples of benefits and ongoing developments of some of those who have engaged with its explorative, expressive and transformational processes in a variety of contexts, including one-to-one, group, and family learning situations.
Overview of NALA’s family literacy research
Tina Byrne, NALA Research Officer will present an overview of findings and recommendations from NALA research on the benefits and impacts of family literacy for both adults and children. These findings will concentrate on issues of parent or guardian recruitment, benefits of participation and the impact on school related issues for both adult and child.
Workshops:
A. Digital storytelling
‘Once upon a time we sat around the fire and told each other stories, now young or old, we can do it with computers’. This workshop will look at how digital stories can be used in many different contexts in Family Learning classes. For example, how they can be used as personal reflection, as a way to engage with other people’s lives and experiences and as an engaging tool for developing language and literacy.
B. Encouraging parental involvement in family learning programmes
This workshop will look at how to develop strategies to encourage parental involvement through the implementation of in-school programs. In the area of numeracy, ‘Maths 4 Fun’ will be discussed, examining how this is run and the benefits for all concerned. Regarding literacy, the ‘One Book One Community’ (OBOC) scheme will be discussed, showing the innovative Film and Book (FAB) Project, which was developed through the OBOC scheme.
C. Setting up an intensive family learning programme: An inter agency approach
This workshop will look at how to set up and run an intensive family learning programme by working with a broad range of groups or agencies in the local community. It will also examine methods used to recruit ‘hard to reach’ parents and guardians for the programme and discuss the range of subjects that can be offered.
D. Storysacks
Storysacks is a fun and versatile way to bring literacy and numeracy to the extended family. Learn the fundamentals of creating a Storysack and how to introduce many different kinds of learning into the process. Get an insight into what works best and share thoughts and ideas for potential Storysack programmes.
E. The ‘quick start’ to unleashing your capacity to write creatively
This workshop promises to be fun! It searches out first responses to triggers that help you write more creatively. It gets the right-hand side of your brain working. This is the creative and intuitive side. When you are working with this side of your brain your thoughts and expressions are fast and free. You are thinking and writing creatively. Interested in learning more? Come to this workshop!
F. Music for fun
This workshop will introduce pre-literacy ideas and games for children and parents or guardians through the medium of music. It will look at singing of songs, singing of solfa (sight-singing), rhythm-clapping, body percussion, playing of pitched and unpitched percussion instruments, listening to descriptive music and reading music. This is a useful workshop for musically inclined adults interested in encouraging literacy in children and adults in fun ways.
See ‘musical skill linked to reading abilities’ article link below:
http://www.independent.ie/education/latest-news/musical-skill-linked-to-...
G. Creative thinking tools for problem solving
Do you ever find yourself running out of ideas? Would you like to learn how to see a challenge from several different perspectives? This will be a practical session in which participants try out some creative thinking techniques which can be used in a family learning context.
H. Life stories: Working with parents to record day to day or special events in their childrens’ lives
‘Lifestory’ is a way for students to create their own personal story for their child. It allows students to capture special moments that they share with their child and record them in a personalised storybook. This method helps children with their reading, using a medium that is familiar and pleasurable for them. It also explores many of the diverse ways parents teach their children in their everyday lives using fun activities.
