Getting Started
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In the previous modules of this course you have learned more about the importance of media characters for children, their influence on them and the connection between media characters/ celebrities and media education. In this module we will show you how to pass on this knowledge to parents in a parents' evening.
Apart from some organisational tips, which were already part of the basic course 1 in detail, the focus of this module will be on structuring your content as well as exchange and communication with parents.
Learn More
We have presented the process mentioned here as an example and in detail in the document "Parents' evening on media characters and younger children". Use this as a basis for developing your own content.
Everything Starts with Planning
Start with the organisational preparations for the parents' evening. Go back to the basic module Planning a media education parents' evening to use the materials shown there. Also use our planning sheet for systematic preparation.
Find Your Topic
Proceed as described in the chapter Conducting a media education parents' evening:
- Think about what the overall goal of your parents' evening should be.
- Derive the key points of your parents' evening from this goal.
- Choose two or three subtopics on which you want to focus your parents' evening.
Inform the Parents about your Parents' Evening
Once you have found your topic for the parents' evening, booked and set a venue and date, it is time to inform the parents about your parents' evening. You can find a template for an invitation on the right hand side in our documents section.
End Your Presentation
- Structure your topics sensibly and prepare them visually. You are welcome to use the presentation template we have prepared.
- Pay special attention to the introduction and conclusion.
- Give the parents a handout, you can find an example in the documents section.
Involve Parents
To positively influence the atmosphere and cooperation at the parents' evening, it is advisable to start with an activity that loosens up the atmosphere. This is called an icebreaker. Icebreakers can be used to help the group get to know each other better, but also to explore interest and expectations about the topic. The key to success is to ensure that the activity is specifically designed to achieve your goals and fits the group of people involved.
See the examples of icebreakers in the link on the right. The suggestions for are also good for your thematic parents' evening.
Involve parents actively in the evening through exercises and support them in questioning their own role and their child's media use. Use the exercises and tips we have compiled at the end of each module for MediaParent consultants.
Receive Feedback
Be sure to ask parents for feedback on your parents' evening. Use our feedback document as a basis.
Exercise
Plan a (fictitious) parents' evening on the topic of media characters and younger children. Use the guidelines of the document Parents Evening on Media Characters and Younger Children and derive the content structure for your topic analogously.
Also use the accompanying documents such as the planning sheet to plan your parents' evening.
What you learn in this course
- You'll be able to formulate subtopics of a parents' evening on the topic "Media figures (2-6 years)".
- You can name the design elements of a parents' evening on this topic.
- You can describe methods for conducting a parents' evening on this topic.
- You can independently assign methods to selected sub-topics.
- You'll be able to compile the topic and the methods of a (fictitious) parents' evening with the help of the knowledge from Course 1 (Basics) and Course 4 (Media Characters 2-6 years)).
- You can name the fields of application of the additional materials.
- You can use the additional materials in a target-oriented way.
- You'll be able to plan a (fictitious) parents' evening on the topic "Media figures (2-6 years)" with the help of the checklists and the planning sheet from course 1.
- You'll be able to use additional materials.
Get ready: Tips for MediaParent consultants
Not sure how to involve parents during your lecture? Try one of the exercises already mentioned in the previous modules. It is always a good idea to get parents to think about the topics of the parents' evening from their own perspective and put themselves in the shoes of their children.
Exercise 1:
You are the Hero
Guide the parents to think about their favourite media characters. What are the qualities or special powers they admire about them? Let them prepare for a few minutes. Then let them imagine what superpower they would like to have and how they would use it in the real world. Have fun together and let them share their ideas in a big group.
Exercise 2:
You can encourage the parents to do the following exercises with their children at home:
After watching a film with children, ask the child a set of questions to help him/her to process the experience:
- Tell me what happened in the show
- What did the characters do?
- Do you agree with what the characters did? Why or why not?
- What did the characters talk about?
- How did you feel watching the show? Why?
- What was your favourite part? Why?
- What part didn’t you like? Why?
- What questions do you have? (e.g., the meaning of words, actions of characters, etc.) (Coviewing with Kids, n.d.).
Discuss possible other questions and the benefits of co-viewing activities with parents during the parents' evening.