Matt Devine over at Classroom 2.0 asked me some questions about using technology to communicate with parents and I thought that I would bring the discussion here. I want to open up the conversation to a larger audience.
I was very excited to hear from a teacher who was using a ning to establish a communication link with parents.
He wanted to know the ” “ins and outs” of the program to enhance communication.” Ning is a a software application used to post content. comments and creates a platform for members of a ning to interact and share ideas. A social networking platform like Facebook or MySpace. In this case the teacher created a social network using the ning.
If you listen to Penny Lindballe and Joanne McMahon, you will quickly get a sense of the issues that arise when something new and untried is introduced. The “ins” requires some good leg work before you start and by that I mean map out what it is that you want to achieve.
Most parents are very busy – like the rest of the world so it is extremely important to make things easy, uncomplicated and user friendly. You would be surprised how untechnical people can be. Using a ning instead of reading a standard web change requires a skill many do not have. So education is important. There are usually only a few people who have time to write or correspond online. But there are a large number of people who read and take from the content what is important to them. In this case, specifically parents, they want to hear and talk about their children. Just like the recitals, parents turn up when the action is about their children.
With that I mind, I strongly suggest that you survey parents to see what it is that they want to know. I am guilty of trying to get people to do what I think they should do but if I don’t frame my ideas around the understandings of the people I want to “sell” the idea to, I am shooting in the breeze.
Dr. Joyce Epstein has developed a model for school, family and community partnerships and if you haven’t read her work please see NNPS. There is a section called Teacher Involving Parents in schools.
I have asked Matt to share how he uses technology in other ways to link parents to the classroom.
