Parent Engagement is Important to Student Success
At the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) it is our goal to offer resources that will help families as they guide their children in learning skills that are essential for success at school and throughout life.
CODE has produced a series of resources with input from parents across Ontario. We invite you to scroll down the page and read a short description of these resources then follow a link to learn more and access the resources for any or all of the topics that have been covered to date.
Parent Tool Kit: Teen Edition
What parents can do to help their teens succeed
This booklet is a supplement to the Parent Tool Kit: What parents can do to help their child succeed in school and is intended to help parents support and encourage teens with information organized into helpful sections:
- BE A LISTENER: provides tips on how to listen and talk to your teen without a lot of stress
- BE INFORMED: provides information on how to find out what is happening at school
- BE A MENTOR: focuses on teen independence and freedom and what to do if you are anxious about letting go
- BE A COACH: provides strategies for dealing with issues such as lack of sleep, stress or bullying
- BE A LEARNER: focuses on technology and helping your teen be a good digital citizen
- BE A GUIDE: provides resources for you and your teen to use together when planning life after secondary school
Parents, students and educators from Ontario's English and French language school boards have helped create this Tool Kit by participating in consultations, and in providing written content.
- Parent Tool Kit: Teen Edition - Download now in PDF Format
Media Awareness Network
www.media-awareness.ca/english/ index.cfm
This website offers advice for parents, teachers and students about using the Internet. You will find an e-parenting interactive tutorial to help you keep up with your teen's online activities along with advice about video games, music and television programs.
PBS Digital Nation — Virtual Worlds
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/elearning/bank.html
The Public Broadcasting Service website offers a free complete online digital parenting workshop, advice on having a media fast, tips for talking with kids about their use of technology and a long list of resources about cyberbullying and online safety. Video clips on this site feature stories about being online all the time, teenage relationship issues, and inappropriate use of the Internet:
Internet Resources
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
offer a website with information about staying safe when using the Internet, cellular phones or webcams; online scams and fraud; cyberbullying and Internet security.
www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/is-si/index-eng. htm
e-portfolio Resources
Suggest to your teen that they start to collect samples of their schoolwork in an electronic folder and create an e-portfolio. Work with your teen to help them revise and update the portfolio on a regular basis. Samples can be removed or added as your teen's work evolves. Essays, poetry, projects, artwork are just a few examples to include. This portfolio would be useful for future school and job applications.
Students can use free website applications like Blogger, Wikispaces and Google sites to post their work. They can also use the website that is available to school boards as part of the e-learning strategy.
Check with your school's student services or guidance department about e-learning courses that are offered in your secondary school.
These courses are teacher facilitated and use many technological tools such as blogs and chats to ensure that there is interactive discussion between teacher and students as well as students and students.
Specific information and webinars for students and parents are available in different languages on e-learning at the Ministry of Education website. www.ontario.ca/elearning Other information about e-learning courses is at Independent Learning Centre
www.ilc.org/index-main.phpOntario Educational Resources Bank (OERB)
Students and parents also have access to a website called Ontario Educational Resources Bank (OERB) which is part of the Provincial e-Learning Strategy. You and your teen can get access to the OERB resources at home. Suggest your teen ask a teacher or principal for the student login information. You will find games and activities that will help reinforce some of the concepts used in the classroom. You can search for information on subjects/credits by grade and course.
www.resources.elearningontario.ca
Help them get homework support. Your teens want you to show interest in what they are doing, so show them ways to get help when they need it.
Online math tutoring is available through TVO's Independent Learning Centre's Homework Help website at https://homeworkhelp.ilc.org/ Grade 7 to 10 math students receive individualized and confidential online help from certified Ontario teachers from Sunday to Thursday during the hours of 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
Videos of tutorials and frequently asked questions are available at any time at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/ elearning/homework.html.
Consult your teen's teachers or Student Services about other types of support during and after school hours.
Information about the Student Success program is available at www.edu.gov.on.ca/ morestudentsuccess/teams.html.
More resources at www.edu.gov.on.ca/morestudentsuccess/resources.html.
Go to the top of the page
Your Questions and Comments
CODE invites parents to send your questions and comments to us.
Click here to submit your questions or ideas.
Thank you for your commitment to parent engagement in your school community!
Go to the top of the page