The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.
January 23, 2014
Announcing a New Format for FINE
HFRP is excited to announce that we will be sharing resources and articles more frequently in the year ahead and offering additional opportunities for you to connect with and learn from experts and other members of the Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) community. These changes come from feedback that readers provided in our recent survey about improving the format, frequency, and content of the FINE Newsletter. Over 70% of respondents told us that they would like to receive updates from us in between quarterly FINE Newsletters and that they would also like to hear more from other members of the FINE community. Respondents also expressed interest in interactive features, such as webinars and chats.
Our new format will include these recommendations. We will now be rolling out newsletter sets. Each set will be tied to a specific theme and will be composed of bundles of materials — articles, resources, and interactive events — that FINE members will receive over several months. If you aren't already a FINE member, join today—it's free!
The first set of 2014 will focus on digital media and learning (DML) and the ways in which families and practitioners can support children’s learning through digital media. Over the next few months, we will be sending you articles, resources, and interactive features related to this important topic to help you think about how to guide children’s learning through their use of digital media. In February, keep an eye out for the next bundle in the DML set! We also invite you to respond to our mini-poll to help us crowdsource about an upcoming resource on DML.
For now, check out the resources below, which can help stimulate creative thinking...
Thinking in New Directions -- Resources to Inspire!
Developing new strategies for FINE took us through an exciting process that taught us a lot about thinking in new and innovative ways. We found the following resources especially stimulating and thought they might help inspire you to take creative approaches in designing your family engagement work.
|
Finding Meaning in Details
This 2005 TED Talk features IDEO's Paul Bennett, who teaches through design elements the importance of paying attention to even small details to ensure meaningful, human-centered results. His message holds lessons for everyone who wants to communicate effectively with families. For instance, looking at issues from a family's point of view is likely to provide a new understanding of the family's situation. It is also important when engaging with families to keep in mind Bennett's belief that "small is the new big"-that small, personal gestures often mean more to families than large ones. View video
|
|
|
Collaborating for Creativity
We-Think is a collaboratively produced book by Charles Leadbeater, who looks at the scope and possibilities of mass innovation in the age of the Web. The book examines the powerful ways in which the Web allows us to share ideas, collaborate, and participate in thinking on a worldwide community level as never before, opening up enhanced opportunities for creativity and innovation. This unique book can be especially inspiring to those who want to harness the power of the Internet and collaborate with others to develop new, meaningful approaches to supporting children and their families. Learn more
|
|
|
Building Adult Capabilities to Help Children's Outcomes This is a short video on a theory of change from the Frontiers of Innovation at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. The video explains why actively building the caregiving skills of the entire community of adults in children's lives, especially when children are young, is critical to ensuring positive outcomes for children. Doing so is particularly important for disadvantaged children and families. Among other messages, the video clearly points to the numerous advantages of a two-generational approach in building a strong foundation for children to improve their lifelong outcomes. View video Mini-Poll: Crowdsourcing About Social Media Use and Digital Media and Learning |
|
