Communication is paramount in education. Whether it is teacher to student, student to student, teacher to teacher, teacher to parent, teacher to admin or admin to parent, or vice versa, communication is needed to make sure our students are successful.
Communication is something that doesn't always happen. Sometimes is a lack of time, a lack of resources, a lack of knowing how to get the point across or a language barrier.
Technology can help improve communication in education:
Email - connect with staff, teachers, students and parents through email.
Websites - post relevant information and resources on district, school, and classroom websites. Include a parent section.
Google Classroom, Edmodo, etc - use these systems to share assignments and announcements with students and parents.
Phone blasts - there are a lot of automated systems that will robo-call phone numbers with information.
Social Media - use social media at all levels to connect and communicate with teachers, parents, students and the community.
Translation tools - Google Translate and other translation tools can help ELL parents and students access the communication that you share with them. This exists for websites, email, social media and even the phone blast systems. This is huge in our district where there is a large ELL student population and even larger ESL parent population.
Variety of media - technology allows you to provide communications in a variety of formats - written, images, audio, and even video to help everyone access and understand the communications.
Reaching students who are absent - online resources, video recordings of classes, video conferencing, and more can make home or hospital bound students part of the class and keep them engaged. In addition, these resources can help connect parents and schools.
Technology can also help educators research topics, find resources, and connect with other educators to learn and share from each other.
Related:
Helping Educators Get Started with Educational Technology
The How's, Why's and Value of Educational Technology
Parental Involvement is major factor in student success - how do we increase it?
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