ISTE 3: Model Digital-Age Work & Learning

         ISTE 3

        The technological demands of 21st century society require teacher preparation programs to equip future educators with the "knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society" (Figure 1).  It is essential that teachers have a familiarity with modern and relevant technology and can utilize available digital resources to communicate and collaborate with parents, students, and professional communities.  

Figure 1: ITSE 

How can I improve parent-teacher communication while demonstrating effective use of contemporary digital tools and technology?

       It is always a challenge to find effective communication tools to interact and partner with parents.  It seems as though many of the traditional methods of communication- email, classroom newsletters, parent portals- are not as effective as in years past.  The growing number of adults using social media and the rise in smart phone usage has transformed the way people receive information.  Figure 2 shows the percentage of people with social media profiles increasing from 24% in 2008 to 78% in 2016.  

Figure 2

      There are a wide array of beliefs on the usage of social media as an communication tool in education. Before researching technological tools used for parent-teacher communication, I thought I would not have guessed social media would be an effective method.  My initial hypothesis was that online grading parent portals, Google apps, and student portfolios might be the most useful tools.  However, my research led me to believe that when used correctly, social media networks are perhaps the most practical and efficient communication tools when it comes to parent-teacher communication. 

      Twitter offers an avenue for instant communication through the use of microblogging.  It can provide one-way communication to parents and community members regarding events, deadlines, policy changes, weather updates, and other school or classroom news (Carpenter & Krutka, 2014).  By sending out  brief 140-word or less Tweets that link to a school Facebook page or website with more information, you can connect with parents and community members immediately and provide essential information.  However, it is important to realize that microblogging is an art and successful engagement is closely tied to the quality of your tweets (Porterfield & Carnes, 2011).

     Facebook and Instagram are two other social media platforms that given parents ways to remain informed and get a glimpse into a school or classroom culture.  Teachers can use these networks to post pictures of student work, short videos of classroom activities, and information updates. Parents can engage with this information by commenting, "liking", and/or reposting.  Moreover, schools can use Facebook and Instagram to promote athletic events, student-life activities, and performing arts shows.  The interactive component as well as the accessibility of these social media platforms make them ideal parent communication tools. 

      Clearly, "the logical implication for educators is to experiment with social media and to explore its potential for communication and collaboration both in and out of the classroom (Wankel, 2011, p. 3).  With the research highly in favor of social media as a tool for parent communication, I am excited to see if using these networks will improve the efficiency of parent-teacher communication and boost parent involvement in my classes. 

Resources

Carpenter, J. P., & Krutka, D. G. (2014). How and Why Educators Use Twitter: A Survey of the     Field. Journal Of Research On Technology In Education, 46(4), 414-434. doi:10.1080/15391523.2014.925701

Edison Research; Triton Digital.  (n.d.). U.S. population with a social network profile 2016. Statistic. Retrieved February 12, 2017, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/273476/percentage-of-us-population-with-a-social-network-profile/

Porterfield, K., & Carnes, M. (2011). Twitter: Not just about ham sandwiches. Educational Leadership, 68(8). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/ may11/vol68/num08/Twitter@-Not-Just-About-Ham-Sandwiches.aspx

Wankel, C. (2011). Cutting-edge Technologies in Higher Education : Educating Educators with Social Media. Bingley, GB: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

Intro to Teaching Reflection

As stated in Internship Performance Criteria 8.2, teachers grow and develop professionally when they participate in a collaborative educational community where feedback is given by colleagues to improve instruction and advance knowledge of teaching practices and methods.  Through collaborative learning in this course, I gained an understanding of how culturally relevant teaching practices can positively impact students in my classroom.

The purpose of culturally relevant teaching is to enhance learning by connecting academic concepts to students’ cultural knowledge, prior experiences and performance styles (see Figure 1). 

Figure 1

For every human being, previous experiences and cultural contexts determine the lens through which he or she learns.  It is vital that educators validate students’ identities and backgrounds by incorporating curriculum that includes their life experiences in their learning. As students and teachers become more familiar with the cultures represented in their community, they learn to value diversity, self-assess their own biases, and understand dynamics of difference within their school (Cross, 1989).

As I’ve participated in the course over the last eight weeks, one of my students has been on my mind. This particular high school student’s incredible work ethic is admired by all of the teachers at my school and he regularly receives good grades.  However, last year he started falling behind on assignments, often fell asleep in class, and missed several days of school. Eventually I pulled him aside to express my concern and ask what was causing these changes.  He explained that his father, a Mexican immigrant, had broken his ankle and was unable to work.  So he was working two jobs in order to help the family pay their bills, taking care of his father and younger siblings while his mother worked, and desperately trying to stay on top of the ever-mounting pile of homework so he could get good enough grades to go to college.  I was shocked! No wonder he had trouble learning at school. 

If teachers don’t understand the cultural factors and experiences that affect their students’ learning at school, they cannot provide the support and resources these students need to succeed.  This year, I hope to develop better knowledge of my students’ previous cultural experiences, plan curriculum that is relatable to students’ everyday lives, and facilitate discussion that opens students’ eyes to the diverse perspectives present in our classroom (Kozleski, 2010).   By accomplishing these goals, I can provide learning opportunities that help my students develop cultural competence and connect what they know to what they learn.

* Cross, T.L. (1989). Towards A Culturally Competent System of Care. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED330171

* Kozleski, E.B. (2010). Culturally Responsive Teaching Matters!. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED520957