Communicating with Parents and Students

Using Technology

Mike Modleski –Senior High English Teacher

Can you be my teacher?

Cyberspace creates a permanent record

Warning!!

• Parents love them.• Short updates once every five weeks.• Praise student work since last email.• Let them know about past work they should have

heard about from their children.• Let them know, in general terms, what’s going on

in the next few weeks…including approximate due dates!

• Give suggestions for things to talk about at home.• Remind them they can contact you anytime about

anything.• See Email – Post open house

Email groups

Setup

Address Book

Setup

Setup

Click OK – We’ll come back to this

Setup

Make notes to yourself – ESPECIALLY

IF MOTHER AND FATHER SEPARATED

Experiment and play with phrasing

Setup

Contacts

Setup

Should be alphabetica

l

Setup

We’re back to this…click on

distribution list

Select Members

Setup

Make sure you’re in contacts

Just add members!

You have a group – Try with students too!!

- Make one!- Saves all kinds of trouble.- Post homework and grades to start.- Make it clear that both homework and grades are unofficial and subject to change at any time.- NEVER GUARANTEE THAT YOUR WEBSITE WILL BE UPDATED.

Website!

Teacherweb siteMy own site - Dreamweaver

Now to students – Message Boards

• Free internet message boards provide safe way for students to communicate online.

• Allows for personal messaging capabilities.• Debates and forums can be set up for topics of

choice• Students can turn in written work online…and receive

feedback from other students and the teacher.• Students can communicate from different classes

and teachers…even across school districts.• Experiment, experiment, experiment

What are the benefits?• Password protected - Only those in your class

have access.• Easy to use.• Encourages student response…beyond the

confines of the classroom.• Appealing to students.• Options are unlimited!

Yeah, but is it safe??• Entirely password protected.• No outsiders can get in without your password (keep it

from students).• You have ability to delete problem students.• Teacher may edit or delete all responses.• All responses linked to user name.• No different from general classroom.• NEVER heard of a student problem with message

boards.

Yeah, but is it safe??- The real answer…not entirely. - Nothing is entirely safe…but this opens opportunity for

discussion.- Make clear consequences for problem behaviors. - Have backup assignments planned for students who

fail to meet expectations….- …Or make clear that they will earn a 0 if they are

disrespectful.

Yeah, but is it safe??

Bottom line…bullying happens. We can only hope to keep kids aware that there are solutions.

• Edu20.org• Nicenet.org• Wikispaces.org• Moodle.org• Tappedin.org

What’s available?

EDU20.org Teacher Password to join Victor’s group - Victorcsd Student Password - VictorStudent

EDU20.org – Home page

Create new classes

EDU20.org – Home page

Create new classes

EDU20.org – Home page

Forums, chats, and blogs…all able to be monitored and edited by YOU.

EDU20.org – Forums

You can create endless topics for discussion.

EDU20.org – chat rooms

Create chat rooms that log and continue conversations, even after a student logs out.

EDU20.org – Blogs

Students can keep blogs.

EDU20.org – Other options

Post worksheets, post assignments, or create tests/quizzes, all online.

Nicenet.org

Nicenet.org

Entirely on their own…

Here students recommend books they have finished to other students…providing a resource impossible for me to provide in school!

Submitting…and responding electronically!

• Online or on paper!• Feedback immediate

and electronic.• The novelty of

feedback through personal messaging encouraged early completion.

Private personal messaging appeals to students!

• Personal messaging options allow easy access to me, and to one another, outside the classroom. It acts like an email roster!

Possibilities!

• Math problem of the week or homework help.• Cool science facts or ideas about upcoming labs.• Debate questions for thought.• Social studies discussion about current events.• Posting of articles and discussion to follow.• Ongoing chats about classroom activities.• Questions that classroom time would not allow.• Extra credit response to articles (linking capabilities)• Editing and revising of work online…with students providing

feedback.

Most importantly, it’s easy!

• Simply access the site and follow the step by step instructions. Start small and let the students help you learn!

Wikispaces – Mr. Toy

Wikispaces – Discussion

Wikispaces – Ask Questions

Wikispaces – Interact with other Wiki members.

Wikispaces – Mr. Toy

Teaching in a digital age

Thanks! All this is posted on my site! Email me for more help if you need it. There are plenty of people in every building who will be glad to help you out!