On Saturday, April 23rd a professional
learning community (PLC) meeting was held with pre-k teachers on the topic of “Using
Digital Technology in Early Childhood Education Classroom”. One of the components discussed was ways to
communicate with parents in this world of technology that were not just the
common ones of telephone calls, sending emails and so forth.
It is so important to help parents have a smooth
transition along with their child they enter the doors of the pre-k classroom
using technology. Here are ideas to
think about as you plan for the start of the 2016-2017 school year:
1. Prior
to the first day of school record a virtual tour of your classroom then share
as part of the “Open House” events. Start
clockwise or counter clockwise introducing them to centers along with the
skills/objectives and do not forget the open-ended inquiry-based questions to
build upon children’s critical thinking skills.
If possible, make available as a podcast so parents can view throughout
the school year.
2. Create
a classroom blog (e.g., www.blogspot.com),
closed Face Book page or webpage to display daily and/or weekly lesson plan
content. Remember to discuss with your
administrators for approval and have written parental permission that their
child’s photos can be displayed. Also to
include technology teachers can (a) link resources related to child development
developmental age appropriate activities, (b) link songs and/or finger plays,
(c) link videos of classroom activities and other important events that went on
in the class.
3. Due
to parents busy schedules who may not be able to attend face-to-face
parent/teacher conferences rethink using the technology such as Skype,
video-conference (e.g., www.freeconferencecall.com)
and other electronic devices.
4. Prior
to the start of school and as you conduct your home visit consider asking
parents to make family scrapbook. Encourage
parents to put information in Power Point, Word or other program to create
their family book. This can be shown to
ease the transition and/or viewed privately by child as needed. In addition, you may send home and/or post
electronically lesson plan related question(s) where parents can send in child’s
end product and/or include in child’s family scrapbook.
5. Create
a school photo gallery for each child using Power Point, Word or other program
displaying work samples and skills incorporated to enhance parent’s knowledge
of what’s happening in the classroom. The
child’s photo gallery can be send at least once a month so parents are abreast
of child’s mastery of developmentally age appropriate skills.
6. Record
and/or download songs that are a part of the weekly lesson plan onto MP#
player, iPad, tablet or other devices then send it home for child and parents
to sing for the night and return next day.
If possible include the words (in English and primary language of
family) and a related activity that can be returned the next day with the
song. You may want to include a journal
where child (with assistance from parents) can draw picture and dictate to
parent to record then bring back to school then sharing during large group
time.
We live in the 21st century of technology
and it is important that pre-k teachers move in that directions with parents
and children enrolled in the classroom.
If you are using other strategies to bridge the gap based on technology
exposure to parents please share.
Knowledge is powerful!
