A Special Request – Asking for Parent Volunteers
From the Teacher's Desk Tagged learntogether, Parents February 25, 2011
A new goal I have set for our blogging journey is to have parents participate with our class blog(s). I’ve had conversations with parents and they’ve expressed that they are nervous, hesitant or unaware of how to learn more about the technology students are learning at school.
One way to learn more about what students are experiencing is to try to learn with them. Teacher Challenge #4 was a good reminder that one of the main purposes of a blog is to help communicate the learning happening in our classroom to parents. I do believe parents & family members of my students are involved and look at our blog, but mostly as an observing participant. In order to establish good communication I feel it is important to identify whether or not the information is being received. It is with that I ask my observing participants – TO VOLUNTEER A FEW MOMENTS OF YOUR TIME AND BECOME AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN OUR LEARNING.
HOW??? Here are 5 ways to get active and communicate with us.
- Leave a comment on any post here on our class blog
- Visit 5 student blogs and leave a comment for each student
- Have a student teach you how to write a post and then guest post on their blog.
- Express your interest to come into our class t0 participate in a Bloggers Cafe.
- Subscribe to our blog(s) by email, or RSS feed and get automatic updates
If you do comment please follow our guidelines and only use first names, or student and relationship (i.e. Josh’s Mom). I’m aware this may be out of your comfort zone, but many students were unaware of what blogging was when they started. I know all students are more comfortable with blogging now, and they will you tell the best way to learn is by just doing it! Take the plunge and give it a try, and if you have further questions or a special request send me an email mrcmtpleasant@gmail.com.
ONE MORE THING – We are starting a new learning experience with video conferencing- SKYPE. I know many parents are unable to get to school during the day, and it’s expensive for us to travel to learn about different careers in the work place. Let’s put the two together, and if you can we would like a chance to video conference with you at work. If this is something that interests you please contact me (email, phone or even a comment here)
February 26th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Awesome post – have tried for years to get our parents invloved in our class blog http://ithinksummerland.blogspot.com
but very few do – love your suggestions here and will give it another go – here’s hoping!
February 26th, 2011 at 11:37 pm
It is very important to encourage parent involvement with classroom and student blogging. I like how you made the ways to volunteer simple enough for beginner blog readers and writers. In addition to encouraging them to “guest post” I think that in the near future I will write a post on suggestions of topics they can post about because I know sometimes, for myself, it is hard to determine what to share with the blogging community. For example parents can share a family tradition, recipe or photos from a recent family trip. Thanks for the ideas!
March 2nd, 2011 at 9:46 pm
Mr. Carson my mom Cheryl commented on 5 students blogs
willymtpleasant.edublogs.org
jakejmtpleasant.edublogs.org
alexmtpleasant.edublogs.org
courtneymtpleasant.edublogs.org
nikitamtpleasant.edublogs.org
I will try and get her to participate in more of our class’s blogging. I will also try and get my dad to help to!
March 3rd, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Hey Mr.Carson, my mom didn’t get the time to comment on my classmates blogs, but she did comment on mine… but that was a while ago. She did view some classmates blogs though, they were…
bethmtpleasant.edublogs.org
charliemtpleasant.edublogs.org
bayleighmtpleasant.edublogs.org
duncanmtpleasant.edublogs.org
Next time I’ll get her the time to actually start commetning on some of the students blogs! But’s that all she visited for right now!
March 6th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
Mr. Carson my mom has subsrcibed to your blog. This will be a great way to keep her informed on what we are doing. My mom also did see my glog for “All About Me” and she really enjoyed it!
March 9th, 2011 at 11:42 am
hey mr c my mom comented on 5 blogs those blogs are
courtneys blog
nikitas blog
carters clog
JJs blog
auras blog
i think its a good idea getting the parents involved in this
March 9th, 2011 at 11:55 am
I got my parents to comment on Jacob D, Eric, Duncan, Willy, and Angus’ blogs. -Duncan
March 10th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
My experience with getting my mother to do these things is like getting my sister to do things well there is a new glee episode on, almost impossible I should say. So I had to make an agreement. I would read the post to her she would watch or listen to the slide show and she would say what she wanted me to write on the post. I think that it was an interesting time. I would say that we should do it now and she would keep saying that “it is me favourite show I can not miss it.” Then I took the computer to her. Then we did it and it was over