I'm at a time in my life where many of my friends have their children in preschools. I heard a story over the weekend where a childhood friend of mine picks up his little boy every day from preschool. As the little boy gets into the car, the father asks, "What did you do today?" The boy always replies, "It's a secret" or "Nothing." We were laughing about the cuteness of the boy's response, but the question remained: What do these kids do all day?
In today's classroom, many projects are technology created, but that means that parents may not see student projects unless they have access to a computer. As teachers, we know the connection between the classroom and parent is extremely important. The bridge between school and home can help align student expectations and instructional needs.
We know, as educators, that positive reinforcement provides more intrinsic motivation for our students. Therefore, our communication with our parents should be positive in nature, but also honest. Sometimes, it's easier on us to call parents only when a student needs discipline measures; however, that does not yield the best results. So, how do we promote positive communication within our own time restraints as educators? Enter technology.
With today's technology, we can do SO much more than just Friday folders. There are two different approaches that seem to work well in helping parents learn about what is happening in our classroom: teacher-centered and student-centered.
At Apple Pie Ridge, we have a variety of teachers using Classroom Dojo. This application allows the teacher to share pictures from their class and communicate directly with parents through a cell phone or a computer. There are two sections to Classroom Dojo: Parent Communication and Behavior Points. Lots of our teachers focus on the Parent Communication features of Classroom Dojo because we have other ways we already promote positive behavior within the school.
Kindergarten teacher Jenn Hottle and fourth grade teacher Victoria Trenary spoke briefly to me about their experience. Both use their cell phones to communicate via the Class Dojo app. They like the constant communication and it has helped them develop relationships with their students' families.
Check out some of Thea's examples developed by students at a neighboring elementary school:
In today's classroom, many projects are technology created, but that means that parents may not see student projects unless they have access to a computer. As teachers, we know the connection between the classroom and parent is extremely important. The bridge between school and home can help align student expectations and instructional needs.
We know, as educators, that positive reinforcement provides more intrinsic motivation for our students. Therefore, our communication with our parents should be positive in nature, but also honest. Sometimes, it's easier on us to call parents only when a student needs discipline measures; however, that does not yield the best results. So, how do we promote positive communication within our own time restraints as educators? Enter technology.
With today's technology, we can do SO much more than just Friday folders. There are two different approaches that seem to work well in helping parents learn about what is happening in our classroom: teacher-centered and student-centered.
Teacher-Centered: Classroom Dojo
Student-Centered: Seesaw
Seesaw is a way for students to share their work with their parents. Students can take a picture of their work and then narrate their explanation as a video. Students can also free draw or even upload information from Google Drive. Fellow elementary ITC, Thea Clark, has been working on this venture for some time with her elementary schools. She also uses the application as a parent. Sometimes, she even shares what her daughter does in school! It's so fun to see what her child accomplishes throughout the day.Check out some of Thea's examples developed by students at a neighboring elementary school:
Next Steps
If you would like to set something like this, reach out to me! We can set up a time to meet and work together to communicate to your parents.
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