When I look at the game plan that I have created I feel that is a pretty simple one to complete. However there is so much gain in it for both my students and I. Through creating a better communication between me and their parents and other teachers, I am creating an environment where they can really soar as students. The resources that I will need are simple: a computer, a blog site/wiki site, parent emails, colleague support, and time to work on communications. These are all things that I currently am trying to work on; however, with the extra time I will be spending on them I will be able to better support my students.
In addition to the resources that I need I also feel that there is some extra information that I can gather from other teachers that are trying to complete the same goals. Through communication with other teachers, I will be in a better position to help my students. There are numerous articles and websites available for me to use while I start out on this journey. I need to remember to keep my mind open and look for the various options that are available to me. As the author of our textbook; and every textbook I have read throughout college, states “flexibility is key” (Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer, 2009). I need to stay flexible for both my students and I so that we can both achieve greatness.
So far in order to jump start my game plan I have created a wiki site and have been using the blog that is currently on my districts teacher pages. I have also started to ensure that I have all my parents’ emails so that I can stay in touch with them as the school year is coming to a close. I think that this is a great time for me to beef up the communication because it is getting so close to the end of the year and so many students are missing this or that. This is a great time for me to work with my students and parents to ensure that the students end the year on a strong and positive note. In the future I would like to get in touch with next years parents quickly through the use of the wiki or the blog. This will be a great way for me to interact with my parents other than email. It will also allow the students to see what their parents and I are talking about. This is going to be a great step in the communication lines for this year and next.
References:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning
Erinn,
ReplyDeleteSometimes the simplest plans are the best! And I agree, there is much to be gained by strengthening communication with parents. It's great that you have all your parents' email addresses. If you're like me, you've found that most parents find a greater comfort zone in communicating by email than by phone or in person. And the convenience factor helps tremendously, too. It's often impossible to reach a parent by phone, especially the some of the ones we need to speak with the most. Your ideas are great -- even if they seem simple!
Susan
Erinn,
ReplyDeleteI love that you created a wiki to communicate with parents. Now that it is the end of the year, you might want to put your end of year conference schedule on the wiki. This way parents can sign up directly on the site and can refer to the site as a reminder for their conference. It works out well because parents can immediately see which time slots are available and which are not.
Keri
Erinn,
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that you are trying to implement the use of your wiki and blog as soon as possible. I think that will give you a lot of confidence heading into next year. It is also very important to keep that communication at the end of the school year to make sure your students finish strong. When beginning next year, how do you plan on informing parents of your wiki and blog. I think it would be great to be overly aggressive when introducing yourself to parents at the beginning of the school year. Maybe you could send out a e-newsletter or printed newsletter to let parents know of your intentions and expectations for the wiki and blog.
Thanks,
Bryan