Web-enhanced Family Literacy Initiative
Roxanne Owens
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Marie Donovan
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We-FLI – Bringing literacy (and other skills) home to parents
October 27, 2009
Some questions are close-to-the-heart.
“My son in first grade always seems to be getting into trouble, everywhere — at home, at school, on the playground …”
“My daughter does fine in school, but has always struggled in math. How do I know if… she has some kind of learning disability?”
“My eighth-grade son … is unmotivated, disorganized, and doesn’t seem to care about much. Is this normal 8th grade behavior?”
Others are bread-and-butter practical.
“How do I help my child find good books?”
“My child is constantly asking me to spell words for her; should I?”
“How do I offer constructive criticism on my 3rd grader’s writing?’
Two years ago, Marie Donovan and Roxanne Owens, both associate professors in the School of Education, started We-FLI (Web-enhanced Family Literacy Initiative) — a website where experts in education and child development address issues of importance to the parents of children in grades K-12.
Some of the site’s podcasts tackle specific, personal questions, large and small; others share insights on topics of universal interest, such as avoiding homework headaches, tips for test anxiety, and getting ready for a new school year. All the “answers” are practical, honest, and direct — and, as the site says, “each podcast contains all of the info the expert could cram into the allotted time.”
Marie and Roxanne tell the story behind the site.
Q: How did We-FLI begin?
Donovan:
We’ve been reading to our kids since they were born — yet, like every other parent, we’ve sometimes wondered: ‘Are we doing all we can to help them build their literacy skills for life?’
As professional educators, we saw an opportunity to reach out to parents in a meaningful, purposeful way. Our goal for We-FLI was simple: To help parents create powerful, positive literacy experiences in their homes.
Owens:
First, we imagined a Q&A text format, but then realized people really wouldn’t want to read pages and pages of information — they’d rather listen to a ten-minute podcast while doing the dishes or carpooling to soccer practice. Hence, the site’s podcast format.
Last year, we had 4,000 hits on our website — www.weFLI.com — or through iTunes University. Some of our listeners are subscribers, but the site is open to anyone.
Q: How do parents find out about the site?
Owens:
Mostly by word-of-mouth, but every time we speak somewhere, we mention it. I did a workshop for teachers in Fox Valley schools, and the next day we had 1000 additional subscribers. When I do radio interviews, I always say, “You can contact us — and send your questions — through the website.’ And we’re linked to websites of other educational resources, such as the Illinois Reading Council.
Donovan:
We’re beginning to look for funding — a program officer at the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation was intrigued and encouraging. If we get a grant, we can take increase our reach in a technology-based, systematic way.
Q: Who are the experts on the site?
Donovan:
We answer questions or present topics ourselves, if we feel we’re the best “expert” — of course, we also draw on our colleagues in the School of Education.
Plus, given DePaul’s reputation and reach in education, as well as our own years of experience in the field, we have access to a wealth of resources beyond the University, from classroom teachers to recognized specialists in education or child development.
Q: How is WeFLI distinctive?
Donovan:
We’re always looking for practical applications of educational theory, and We-FLI allows us to reach out into the community and give parents good, common sense, advice. To colleagues or experts answering a question, we say, ‘Make suggestions that someone can do, because that’s what parents want.’ We never pull any punches; we take our audience seriously, and we’re here to help.
Owens:
Because we want to be realistic, we don’t just follow a party line. And we treat every topic — and every parent — with respect. We hear from parents and teachers who use the site: ‘Hey, you’ve got good stuff here’ or ‘the site really helped me and my kid.’
That’s what We-FLI is all about.
Megan Stanton-Anderson, principal at Alphonsus Academy and Center for the Arts, considers We-FLI a valuable resource for parents and students.
“We-FLI is a unique way to communicate with families — an alternate way to get information out to parents, an effective just-in-time learning experience. Where else could a parent find this type of information, available any time and any place?
“We promote We-FLI on our school website, and we participate in building its content. My teachers and I have taped podcasts on a few topics — such as ‘How should you read to your child at night? What’s important about getting to school on time? How can you help your child be successful throughout the school day?’
And we use the site to host an online book club for our students. Last year, our seventh and eighth graders wrote mystery scripts, which they then recorded at the DePaul radio station — we posted those on We-FLI, to the delight of our families.
“The feedback from parents begins at ‘Wow, this is cool” and ends up at ‘Hey, this is really good information.’”