The end of the school year doesn't have to mean a disconnect between schools and families. Use social media and cell phones to keep the conversation going. My fav four tools for doing this are:
- Remind
Remember that if you go this route, send home a reminder to parents with how they can stay connected. Ideally you will give them one place to visit which links to rest.
Wonder how these tools can help you and the families of your students? Here are some of ideas:
- Remind
- Instagram Whether or not families speak English, they can understand a picture.
- Tweet summer book or game recommendations.
- Tweet a question families can reply to so you can get to know them or their children better i.e. favorite book or game.
- Post back to school supply list.
- Recognize student accomplishments in summer programs.
- Remind families when school starts.
- Remind families of first day of school tips.
- Share a picture of something you are reading.
- Share a video of you trying to learn something. The sillier the better.
If this is of interest to you, you may enjoy watching a recording of my June 16th webinar moderated by Common Sense Education.
In the webinar I give real examples from real teachers who are using these tools to stay connected with families. I also get great ideas from the nearly 200 participants who joined us from around the globe. You can view the webinar at: http://home.edweb.net/webinar/social-media-cell-phones-connect-families-summer. You can access the presentation I created for the webinar at tinyurl.com/ConnectWithSoMe.
Lisa Nielsen writes for and speaks to audiences across the globe about learning innovatively and is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and using the power of social media to provide a voice to educators and students. Ms. Nielsen has worked for more than a decade in various capacities to support learning in real and innovative ways that will prepare students for success. In addition to her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator, Ms. Nielsen’s writing is featured in places such as Huffington Post, Tech & Learning, ISTE Connects, ASCD Wholechild, MindShift, Leading & Learning, The Unplugged Mom, and is the author the book Teaching Generation Text.
Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of her employer.
