Connecting parents and teachers using technology

Ever since I stumbled upon George Couros blog post Parents and Education Planning I have been following the views of some administrators at Connected Principals
Today I read Larry Fliegelman’s posting Inform, Invite, Perform (and Feed): A Plan to Increase Parental Involvement
Larry talks about the importance of regularly communicating with parents, how important it is to be consistent with newsletters and to use e-newsletters to keep parents updated.
I had to chuckle when I read his thoughts about feeding parents. I wonder though do people think that parents come because you feed them ( they don’t know how to cook??) I like to suggest that besides the notion that eating together is a sign of friendship providing refreshments demonstrates a recognition of the limited time parents have to participate in activities at school.
I agree with Larry about how important it is to invite parents to participate in activities at school. One of the Principals in the NCDSB Parent Reaching Out Project made this observation; “newletters are good but most people think that requests for help posted in a newsletter are meant for someone else.”
Syl Roach, former chair of the Niagara Catholic Regional School Council, shares her experiences about the personal invitation and how helpful it is in getting parents to attend at school. Click the player – it is a short clip.

I wonder though are we spending considerable energy getting parents to read at school, participate in events at school and raising money because that is what schools need from parents? Or are we thinking of parents as educational assets? Might it be a good idea to shift the focus to Teachers Involving Parents in schoolwork. By that I mean more than homework help. I mean creating learning opportunities that invite parent participation in their child’s learning. Are we inviting parents to help their child practise their oral presentations by video taping the child’s speech and reviewing the recording with a teacher checklist “good things to look for in public speaking”?

photo credit: samwebster
Are we encouraging parents to blog with their students? Have we showed them how to conduct a safe Google search?
I know that there are a small percentage of parents who have the time and opportunity to participate in activities at school and that leaves a large number of families who are not connected to their child’s learning. What good practices are you using to create opportunities that engage parents??

photo credit: markvall

Lisa Neilsen theinnovateeducator has some great ideas to share in her blog post
6 Ways to Use Cell Phones to Strengthen the Home-School Connection.

The first of the six is Google SMS – Translate. It is an excellent example of how to communicate with parents and families whose first language is not English – in the city of Toronto that is probably 50% of the families that attend English language schools. This would sure make a difference. I am anxious to hear how you as a parent feel about using these applications. Would you connect with your classroom teacher using these applications?