Tools for Parent Communication

Creating a VoiceThread

VoiceThread is a great web tool if you have never seen it.  It allows someone to create a discussion around media, whether that media be images, videos, audio, text, whatever...  So, say for instance you want your students to discuss elements of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.  You could import an image of the painting from, say, Flickr's Creative Commons into VoiceThread, start the discussion by asking questions or making comments that will lead your students' comments.

Here is an example. The discussion creator explores the crisis in Darfur through political cartoons.

Math teachers often find it difficult to incorporate the web tools explored in the Challenge.  Here is a simple idea for using Voicethread to, literally, illustrate various problem solving strategies.

So, how do you create a VoiceThread?  Here is a short tutorial on the process created by yours truly!

Algebra Summit- Wikis 4 Algebra!

I am presenting at the Algebra Summit at SAS this afternoon.  I will talk with visitors about how to use wikis in the algebra classroom.  Below is my Prezi presentation.

Wikis 4 Algebra on Prezi

Facebook Communication

(Creating a Facebook Page for Parent Communication)

Why would a school or teacher want to create a Facebook page?  The answer is simple- that is where their parents are.  It is a potentially great medium to share the latest news just because it has a great chance of being seen.  Posts will appear in your parents' Facebook news feeds along with all of the other posts in their network.

However, there is a lot of fear of using Facebook professionally by teachers and other school officials.  This is justifiable because Facebook has a lot of features and murky privacy settings.  Also there are Federal and local laws and policies to worry about.

So, what do you do to take advantage of Facebook's unmatched communication potential while protecting yourself professionally?  My best advice is to create a Facebook "page".

A Facebook "page" is different from a full Facebook "profile".  A page can have unlimited followers and does not have "friends".  However, when someone clicks the "Like" button on a page, he or she will be "subscribed" to the news posted on that page.  Also, his or her network of friends will see that in their news feed.  Thus, your community will help spread the positive news coming from your school or classroom.

However, there are a few things you should keep in mind if you choose to create a Facebook page for your school or class.

Best Practices for Creating a Facebook Pages for your School or Class

1. Create an entirely new Facebook profile to generate your school/class page(s).  Keep your online professional and personal "worlds" separate.  
• If you are not the principal of your school, get explicit permission to create a page for your school.  It is also not a bad practice to clear the idea of a classroom Facebook page with your administration before moving forward.   
• DPS Board Policy 5150 states the following:
  Employees may not use personal web sites or online networking profiles to post information in an attempt to communicate with students in their roles as school system employees.
• Within the District firewall, Facebook and Twitter are blocked for students by the District's Web filter to adhere to CIPA regulations, but are accessible by staff.
2. Do not allow followers of your page to post comments, videos, etc.
3. Facebook has a minimum age of 13, so do not use the service to send news to students 12 or younger.
4. Use the "Question" post option to gather feedback in a controlled way.  

Check out these examples:

1.  Bethke Elementary School, Timnath, Colorado

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bethke-Elementary-School/141914602496111

2.  Durham Public Schools

http://www.facebook.com/DurhamPublicSchools

So, how can you utilize a Facebook page to communicate with your community?

Elementary South

Twitter for Parent Communication

(Keep Your Parents Updated Quickly, Easily)

Whenever I talk to people about Twitter, I usually get one of three reactions:

1. They love it
2. They think it's a waste of time
3. They have heard of it but really don't have a clear idea of what it is

If you fall into the third group, watch this short video for an explanation.

If you understand what Twitter is, you may still be skeptical on how it could ever be helpful to teachers and schools. 


Check out the Twitter feed I have embedded in the left-side of this web site.  It has very short messages.  The nice thing is that I do not have to edit my site in order to update it.  I can send a Tweet via my cell phone in a matter of seconds from anywhere at anytime.


Best Practices for Using Twitter for School Communication

1. Create an entirely new Twitter profile if you have a personal one in order to generate your school/class tweets.  Keep your online professional and personal "worlds" separate.
2. Combine your technology. Embed your Twitter feed into your school web site.  
3. Keep the account login information secure so updates are done by trusted personnel.  
4. Use Twitter to communicate with parents, not students. 
• DPS Board Policy 5150 states the following:Employees may not use personal web sites or online networking profiles to post information in an attempt to communicate with students in their roles as school system employees.
• Facebook and Twitter are blocked for students by the District's Web filter to adhere to CIPA regulations, but are accessible by staff.
5. Keep your tweets up to date, but don't flood your followers with too many.  

So, how can you utilize Twitter to communicate with your community? Visit the Google Doc wiki below to view a few ideas and add your own ideas, benefits, and concerns.

http://goo.gl/hU3YO

21st Century Schools Principal's Wordle

During the DPS Principals' Retreat we conducted a Polleverywhere.com survey to collect the five most important characteristics of 21 Century Schools.  Below are the results put into Wordle.net.  

Elementary School Wordle

Middle School Wordle

High School Wordle