Something that is very important to me is parent involvement. As a first grade teacher, it might be challenging to have my first graders blogging, but I can create a discussion board that parents can assist their chidlren with. I could give homework assignments which involve posting to the blog. (I could do the same with a wiki.) For parents, I can post newsletters and important information. For educators, I can post lesson plans and teaching ideas.
Here is a blog aboug blogging in education that I found interesting and beneficial: Learning.now
Here are articles about blogging in the classroom: Using Blogs to Integrate Technology in the Classroom and Using Blogs to Promote Authentic Learning in the Classroom
I enjoyed the video, Kate!
ReplyDeleteI found this page by a Kindergarten teacher in which she explains her plans for blogging to parents: http://davisonkindergarten.pbworks.com/w/page/34332743/kidblogs
I love this link! It makes it very easy for parents to understand. The Q & A format always simplifies things. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI thought that link was great as well. I went through her whole blog. It is amazing that she stays that up to date and detailed. I hope I get to that point one day.
DeleteDo you have a lot of parent involvement at your school? I really like the idea of using a blog to create communication between parents and complete homework assignments, but I feel like it would not be adequately used in my class. I send out a weekly email and update my website, but I don’t see much traffic or communication back and forth. In my last email, I listed four different websites that have basic facts practice and emphasized that students should be practicing every night. Five days later, I asked my students who had visited the sites. One student raised her hand. I would like to think that a class blog would be a great tool, but I’m hesitant based on what I see so far. It’s frustrating!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I don't have a lot of parent involvement this year. Last year I was at a different school where the parents were VERY involved. I'm still kind of stuck in the mindset of keeping parents happy and I'm hoping to transfer back to a similar school within the next year or two.
ReplyDeleteParents at my current school probably wouldn't use a blog because they don't have access to computers or the internet.
I understand that you're frustrated! We do so much work on webites, emails, and newsletters, and many times they're overlooked. At least we're ahead of the game! :)
I think if you start a blog and get students excited about it, it would be easier to get parents involved. "Train" the kids to direct parents to the blog (in an ideal world). It may be a tough task, but hopefully it would be worth it in the end!
ReplyDeleteKate,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the resources that you've provided. They were great :).
You mentioned that you’d like to post newsletters and important information on your blog for your parents to stay updated. Do you really need a blog, which serves as a back and forth communication tool, to update your parents? Why can’t a simple email and/or a website (which does not require two way communication) help you accomplish this goal?
Lilit
An email or website could serve the same purpose. What if we're having a class party? Parents could organize volunteers/donations through the blog rather than emails. That way information is available to everyone. It would also be a great idea for field trips. Parents could ask questions about the field trip and everyone could see the answers!
ReplyDeleteKate,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and even though I'm not in your group I wanted to post a response. While my students would be able to blog more since they are high schoolers, you brought a good point when you said, "I can create a discussion board that parents can assist their children with." I use Edline, which you can blog on only if I start the blog. I haven't yet because I am still toying around with the features. It is very different than Blogger. However, Edline is not very interactive, it just displays information and links to documents and websites I attach. Parents are unable to discuss with me concerns or questions in an on-going manner besides email. While email is great it does not benefit all of the parents and students. This blog with parents and students (especially if they are older) could clear up common misconceptions and help out the entire class instead of one student and their parents. It's more efficient and interactive.