The first session focused on helping parents encourage and guide their children to read more outside of school.
Three Lakota reading teachers were presented on Facebook Live starting at 7 p.m. for a half-hour session that allowed viewers to ask questions in real time. A recording of the first session remains available online long after it's first shared and can be seen here.
It saves school parents time and effort while giving them access to expert opinions on a variety of educational subjects.
The new social media series is the latest outreach pushed by Lakota’s first-year Superintendent Matt Miller, who has stressed the importance of making digital and social media connections with school parents and non-school residents interested in the 16,500-student district.
"Our new Facebook Live parent learning series is another example of the innovation that is happening at Lakota. I'm excited to see the coming sessions continue to grow in popularity and success," said Miller, who also launched Laktoa's first Twitter account .
Betsy Fuller, spokesperson for Lakota Schools, said, “parents engage with their children in a variety of ways. At Lakota, we are committed to providing parents with different opportunities to encourage being involved with their child’s learning. Parents are busy and don’t always have time to run to another meeting. Our Facebook Live learning series is a great option for people who are unable to make an evening event.”
Andrea Davis, teaching & learning consultant for Lakota Schools, created the new program.
“The idea came from a conversation Keith Koehne, executive director of curriculum & instruction, and I had about ways to help parents feel involved in their child’s education,” Davis said. “We talked about different platforms for offering these sessions, but settled on Facebook because we thought we would reach a greater number of families and community members.
“This platform also enables families to gain useful techniques without having to leave their home or find childcare.
“I have always believed that children are most successful when there is a strong connection between home and school. After watching the sessions, I hope parents walk away empowered. It is my desire that the sessions will answer their questions and give them strategies they can use right away.
“I think the first session went really well and I am greatly looking forward to future sessions.”
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