Using Social Media to Connect with Parents

Don't run the other way just yet! After reading the title of this article, many educators may so NO, NO, NO! 

I believe connecting with parents is one aspect of teaching that we all need to master in order to have a successful year. As our to-do lists get longer, but time frames remain the same it can feel like our workload is impossible. Teachers do not have to make parent communication feel like a chore. Using social media to get information out to parents in a quick and timely manner may seem like the perfect solution, all while getting to incorporate technology into the classroom. 

As a new Twitter user, I can say I am truly enjoying the endless amount of tweets to read and access to new information. Imagine using Twitter to engage parents and keep them informed about what is happening in your classroom. Instead of using old school emails, teachers can create a class twitter account and have parents follow it. Tweeting out if there will be an upcoming test or when an important date is approaching can be so helpful to parents. Having them sign up on "Meet the Teacher Day", to ensure participation on the parent end is a great way to get the ball rolling. 

Instagram is another social media platform often used in the classroom. I have teacher friends that use it in their classrooms and say their parents love it! Uploading and sharing pictures of activities you do in the classroom is a great way to get parents involved in their child's education. Letting them see firsthand what is going on in the classroom is a luxury many parents wish they had. Giving that to them can help create a positive and inviting classroom culture as well. Although I do not have a class Instagram account, I do plan on implementing this next school year. I will update this post and let you know how it goes! 

In my eyes, staying connected with parents goes far beyond a note home or the occasional email. Small updates a couple times a week helps to have parents be informed about classroom activities, etc. A quick tweet about a math lesson that went well is sure to brighten a parents day. Leave a comment below telling me if you use any social media in your classroom; I'd love to hear about it! 

"The Art of Social Media"by mkhmarketing on Flickr
Received from Creative Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mkhmarketing/8468788107/

Apps for the Classroom

Using iPads in the classroom has been on my mind a lot this school year (2016-2017). I find myself always actively searching for new ways to incorporate technology in my class. With the constant changes in education, I know the use of technology will be a big one in the upcoming years. At a recent staff meeting, I was told Orange County Public Schools will all be digital by 2019. That makes me very excited! My short term goal is to get all of my students using iPads at least once a week within the next two months. 

I researched quite a bit and came across an app called Plickers. It is a formative assessment data tool that is extremely user friendly. The steps to get started are easy:
1. Add students in your class to your group 
2. Each child is given a special QR code that you can print off
3. Have students hold their QR codes in a specific way to show whether they choose A, B, C, or D as an answer. 
4. Ask a question through the Plickers app 
5. Scan the students' codes and the app will graph the results right away. (The best thing about this is that you can stand at the front of the class and scan your entire classroom in one go; It is amazing!) 

Another, quite popular, app is Class Dojo. Although I have never used it, I have heard great things about it being used as a classroom management tool. It enables the teacher to give students positive or negative points, based on a child's classroom behavior. After researching Dojo, I found that parents can have instant access to when you give students points or negatives. Parents are able to set up alerts that will be sent straight to their phones. I am currently questioning whether I should introduce it to my class now (although we are 4 weeks into the school year) or wait until next school year. Comment below and let me know what you think I should do. 

An app that I have been actively using for the past year now, is called Remind. It is used to communicate with parents via text messaging. The most enticing aspect of it, is that all phone numbers are secure. You are able to send out class announcements, text parents individually, and even create group chats. Teachers are also able to set virtual "office hours", that work with their schedule. 
I have found it to be extremely useful and practical in the classroom setting. Parents can reach me quickly when they need to communicate important information. Last school year was the first time I used it and I got a lot of positive feedback from parents. They loved that I was using technology and how easy it was to reach me. 

I hope to get more technologically savvy as time goes on and get my students to show their critical thinking skills via different forms of technology. 

"iPad" by Sean MacEntee on Flickr
Received from Creative Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/6972694584

Technology in the Classroom

Technology is being sought after more and more as the years pass by. How can we integrate technology into our classrooms on a regular basis? Do we have the resources to use it effectively? The world is ever-changing as is the field of education. We are living in such a pivotal time where teachers and students alike have to adjust to new methods of classroom instruction. I am biased when saying it is more stressful from the teacher perspective versus the students, because I am a teacher. It is unbelievable to think within the next four years, education will be transformed completely.

After watching the Did You Know video, I came to the realization that everything is changing around us; Whether we want to embrace it or not. I was fascinated at the thought of, "We are currently preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist". We are teaching students to think in creative and innovative ways so that they are able to attain a skillset for a job that still needs to be invented. When you think of that, it puts the pressure on, but it also gets me excited. Excited to try new teaching methods and get students to think in ways they never have.

Jahana Hayes (2016 Teacher of the Year) brought up some valid points in the article on EdSurge. She said, "We don't have the resources to keep up with technology". This is something I believe all educators can relate to. Funding is limited for schools, which in turn limits our access to resources for our children. Jahana came up with the notion to partner with companies/universities who do have the resources to keep up with technology. This partnership, I believe, can create so many other opportunities for students. It could lead the path for children to become interested in STEM activities in turn leading to working in that field. The possibilities are endless and I believe Jahana has many rational suggestions that can be the start to something bigger.