Project Overview
Project Name: Home-to-School Communication
Instructor: Mr. Gue
Grade/Subject: Faculty Professional Development (PD)
Project Idea: This project is intended to help build a positive and trusting parent/teacher relationship with open lines of communication through the use of classroom websites. Teachers will work on designing a classroom website that will allow them to share information with parents and students, openly and frequently.
Driving Question:
How can we create a website that improves parent engagement in classroom life and student achievement?
Sub-Questions:
- What challenges do teachers face communicating with parents?
- How can we use technology for effective parent-teacher communication?
- What are the benefits of a website?
- How do you design a website?
- How can we deliver an engaging user experience?
- What do you think are important elements to have on a classroom website?
- What do you think parents want from a classroom website?
- How can we improve student achievement?
- How can students connect to the classroom from home?
- How can families maintain contact between home and school?
Duration: Eight 60 minute sessions.
Content Standards to be Addressed/Objectives:
- Understand the importance of the internet as a medium of communication.
- Develop computer, information processing, and organizational skills.
- Create real-world connection for learning and hence enhance teachers' confidence and responsibility.
- Extend teachers' general understanding of principles of creating an effective web design.
21st Century Skills:
ISTE STANDARDS:
1.Creativity & Innovation
2.Communication and collaboration
3.Research and information fluency
4.Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
5.Digital Citizenship
6.Technology operations and concepts
Learning Skills
- Critical & Creative Thinking- Teachers will think critically and creatively to help understand how they can improve parent engagement.
- Communicating- Teachers will analyze communication problems and propose effective responses and potential solutions.
Literacy Skills
- Information literacy- Lifelong learning. Teachers will master content and assume more control over their learning.
- Media Literacy- Teachers will learn how to access and create various forms of media.
- Technology Literacy- Teachers will learn how to use digital technology and communication tools.
Life Skills
- Productivity- Teachers will become more efficient organizing and communicating with a class website platform.
- Planning- Teachers will improve planning skills and become better at estimating time and the effort required to complete task.
- Reasoning- Teachers will develop better thinking and reasoning skills..
Entry Event:
A few random parents of current students will be invited as guests to the entry event, where both parents and teachers will take part in a healthy conversation on parent-teacher communication. To start the event all attendees will watch a short video clip "Parent Teacher Relationships- It’s Wonderful Life". Teachers and parents will then be asked to share their thoughts on the video clip, as well as what they feel are important factors to maintain meaningful and regular communication.