"If you are a parent or school staff member, and are reading this book to help you consider how to engage parents in school, the point of this fable is not to encourage you to step forward blindly and tomorrow start a wide-ranging parent engagement effort. Instead, the point is to encourage you to seriously explore it-putting time and talent into this exploration-and make it a priority. And to recognize that it may not be a smooth road forward, and to not let the inevitable bumps deter you. (pg. 79)"
I just had the extreme pleasure of reading
Larry Ferlazzo's (of online educational blogging fame) book on parent engagement. It definitely was a first for me reading something like this but being in education and a new parent it gave me a lot to think about.
The first thing I noticed upon reading this book is how intelligently it was written. It was superbly resourced/sited and the reader really feels like the author knows what he/she is talking about.
Also, I was fascinated on reading the chapters on home visits and building a community garden. These are concepts that either were very new to me or something I've only seen in a movie( think Dangerous Minds when Michelle Pfiffer visits the homes of her students), not in real practice.
I must say this is truly a fascinating read and something both parents/educators should read alike.
You can purchase your own copy on Amazon by clicking
here.
Finally, I must say at the heart of this book is collaboration/engagement which if you think about, is exactly what Web 2.0 is all about. Not surprising that Larry happens to be one of the leading minds in that area 8-)
Klassroom is a free mobile (Android/iOS) that I just found out about for parent Monica Burns. Klassroom reminds me of a cross between Remind and ClassDojo where educators can share: photos, videos, documents, or events w/ parents in a secure environment. Also, this is a great way for teachers and parents to inform each other of field trips, student absences, and more.
Schoolze is an interesting new parent communication/engagement platform for K-12 teachers. Schoolze lets educators communicate w/ parents and students in a safe secure environment. Also, it provides a suite of tools where teachers can not only share photos, news, and more, but provides professional development to help share and receive best teaching practices.
In Touch Teacher is a new (beta) site that I just found out about. This is an excellent communication tool for teachers to stay in touch w/ parents in a secure environment. This is done by registering and creating a class that only invited parents can join. A teacher can then keep parents up to date through: online calendars, digital notes, photos, and even sign-up sheets.
