Communicating with Parents via Technology

Communicating with Parents via Technology

I attended the EdTechTeam Google Apps for Education (GAFE) Summit in Bakersfield in June and what a remarkable and overwhelming platform for educators to learn new, innovative ways to use technology in the classroom! Coupled with my June administrative course through Brandman University about school, parent, and community partnerships, I decided to give more thought about the basics of school-parent communication via technology.

My current school, which is a K-6 elementary, prides itself in using technology on a daily basis with students. We have a 1:1 ratio of iPads for students in Grades 3-6, and the lower grades have access to iPad centers, computer stations, and the computer lab on a daily basis. I can't imagine teaching and guiding learning without an iPad, and yet I rarely use technology to communicate with parents. Our school has seen a marked decline in parent involvement at family night events over the last several years, but we don't utilize technology to communicate events and activities with parents. We are a good ol' paper flyer school, but also complain that parents never check backpacks.

So, what is the reality of parents and technology? Is this something worth the time and investment? I did a little research to find out how likely our parents are to use technology for school communication. Statistica (2015) reports that 282.1 million people in the US use the Internet monthly, and adults ages 25-34 average 82.5 hours of app time on smartphones per month. Smith (2015) from the Pew Research Center states that almost two-thirds of Americans own smartphones. Duggan, Lenhart, Lampe, and Ellison (2015) indicate that 74% of parents use Facebook on a regular basis. Also, dads are more likely to use Twitter and LinkedIn, while moms are more likely to use Pinterest and Instagram.

So, looking at the numbers, I would say that parents are highly likely to access school and teacher communication about their students via technology, especially at the elementary level because those are the young, up-and-coming parents who thrive on technology. Gilgore (2015) cites a recent study that showed frequent texting about academic goals between teachers and parents increased student achievement. In another study, student summer school engagement increased with phone calls and text messages to parents from teachers. Gilgore underscores that "light-touch communication" is most effective when parents receive specific information about how to help their students, rather than just receiving generic messages. 

Given the research, I'd say that my school and I need to move forward and communicate with parents more frequently using technology. We need to spread school-wide information quickly and effectively with our Facebook page, and we need to start having teachers communicate with each other more via Twitter ("Hey, check out what we're doing with math today!"). We need to utilize our student information system, Infinite Campus, for parents to access assignments and grades. Overall, I just need to get connected and start communicating with parents with technology.

Paper flyers and report cards won't completely go away (at least for now), but I can be a more effective educator by using the digital platforms that my students' parents are already using in their every day lives. Hopefully we can improve our communication and our students' achievement.

Reference

Gilmore, S. (2015). Probing the impact of parent-teacher digital communication. Education Week. Retrieved on June 24, 2016, from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/16/probing-the-impact-of-parent-teacher-digital-communication.html