Communication between home and school is very important for ensuring student success. With lives getting busier all the time, though, sometimes frequent communication between teachers and parents can be quite difficult to achieve. Online communication tools simplify this necessity and should most definitely be used inside and outside of the classroom by teachers, students, and parents.
While, being a substitute teacher, I have not had the opportunity, yet, to use online communication tools, I would certainly use them as a regular teacher. Additionally, I use them as a parent to keep up with what is happening with my own children in school. As a mother, I know how important it is to communicate with teachers regarding my children’s education and am thankful for the use of online communication tools by their school district.
Oftentimes, students will habitually forget what has been assigned to them in class as homework. Websites which allow teachers to post assignments with due dates in addition to other information students may need to know outside of the classroom can be very helpful. In fact, the chapter eight video for Duffy and McDonald’s Teaching and Learning with Technology entitled “Web site supports learning” reveals a teacher’s use of this type of online communication tool. From home, students are able to access information they were previously given in class, including any assignments. Of course, parents can benefit from this, too, as they can determine certainly whether or not their children have homework.
Some school districts allow their teachers the use of a district site for communicating in this manner. Teachers, students, and parents can benefit from its use. Teachers increase their students’ success rates and gain effectiveness and efficiency through this online communication tool. Additionally, through the correspondence between home and school, teachers are better able to realize their students’ needs and interests which can bring about an enhanced learning environment. Even when students are absent from class, they can find out what assignments need to be made up in order to be prepared for their next class date. Therefore, this type of technology is valuable for them, also. In fact, students may gain the most from the use of this type of online communication tool as the communication between home and school potentially allows them increased learning abilities. Even parents can have an advantage through the communication produced with this tool. Because so many can benefit from its use, many districts will likely begin using this online communication tool, if they haven’t already.
As a teacher, I would absolutely use this type of online communication. If my school district did not already have a site in place for doing so, there are sites available online to allow teachers the simplified opportunity to communicate to their students and their students’ parents. One site can be found at http://assignaday.4teachers.org while another is http://www.yourhomework.com. There are surely others, too. The opportunity for communication between home and school exists; every teacher, for their students’ sake, should make use of it.
Image from http://users.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/extendclass.html
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