Adding Parents to the EdTech Information Stream

Much of the focus of classroom systems and technology is on the teacher and student, but I think that this leaves out the third, and very important part of the equation, the parents. Getting parents more involved is the goal of many districts, and there are numerous programs that are designed to do just that. To help this occur, the learning systems used in the classroom, need to be opened up to allow adding parents to the information flow.

However, we have to look closely at what is actually being shared. Focusing on only the results of class work and grades, then communicating them to parents via these systems likely will have some negative consequences. For example, High School students strive to keep their parents from knowing what’s happening at school. It’s been true for 100 years. Broadcasting just grades, and especially bad ones, just closes down communication channels. The potential that classroom systems become a kind of “Big Brother”, focused on just the outcomes, may not be helpful. I’m not saying grades shouldn’t be reported, but if the goal is truly to get parents involved, let’s move the focus to more than metrics.

One of the most important aspects of the learning system that I think needs to be communicated to the parents is about the curriculum and what is being taught. As a parent of three children that have experienced their K-12 years, getting information about what they were learning and what the goals were was very challenging. It’s impossible to be involved to any useful measure, if you don’t know what’s going on. Teachers don’t have time to explain it in enough detail, and with the very limited interaction time for meeting with teachers, it’s impossible to stay abreast of what’s being taught. So being involved is nearly impossible. And having a “grades only” view only creates antagonism between parent and child.

Given that many classroom and learning systems do document the curriculum at some level, and have information that parents might find useful, making these systems more open to parents that want to be involved makes sense. Bringing parents into the mix in a way where they can support what is being taught is the most effective type of involvement. Looking for ways to use information that is already available in the learning management systems and use it to get parents involved is, in my opinion, far more important than systems that are designed just to report the metrics of grades, attendance, and homework completion.

To summarize, engaging parents by leveraging the learning systems in place to assist in achieving the educational goals, not as a punitive reporting system, must be a priority. Reporting results is simpler, but the focus is on what has happened, not what is happening. And, the focus on results forces parents into a very limited role. Focusing on what is being taught, presents a lot more ways for parents to be part of the process and improve the outcome. This is essential to increasing parental engagement.

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Organization encourages people to become foster parents

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- ABC7 News and Sleep Train have teamed up for the Dream Campaign. For every new like ABC7 News gets on Facebook, $1 will go to help foster kids. ABC7 News reporter Karina Rusk introduces us to an organization helping foster children and some of the kids benefiting from the nonprofit.

Jani Wild is proof you don't have to give birth to be a mom. She and her partner Deb have five children. Joshua is the oldest. He was just three when he came to them as a foster child with autism. He's now nine and thriving.

"He's incredible; he just got student-of-the-month at school and everyone was beaming from the principal on down," Jani said.

The couple not only adopted Josh, they also adopted four other foster children because they were siblings and didn't want to break up the family.

"I think it helps that both Jani and I come from large families because it's chaos, it's chaos sometimes," Deb Wild said.

The Wilds first became foster parents through a nonprofit called Aspiranet. The organization is dedicated to encouraging more people to become foster parents and helping kids who rely on the foster system.

There are nearly 60,000 children living in foster care in California.

Richard Lazaro Alonso and Steven Weatherbee know firsthand what it's like to need a place to call home.

"My parents weren't able to be there for me when I was younger while growing up in foster care system I was in 12 different homes," Lazaro Alonso said.

The quality of foster care can often have a lifelong impact; Weatherbee now sits on Aspiranet's board of directors.

"I'd like to think that the good foster families I had are going to affect me and in turn and in turn everyone I meet for the rest of my life," he said. "So it's very appreciated."

The Wilds have housed numerous foster children over the years, ranging from days at a time to months. The commitment to five of those children is now forever.

"They have filled our lives and I'm not saying there was something missing we didn't really know what life could bring and now we see what life can bring," Jani said.

It turns out being a foster parent doesn't just change a child's life.

Foster children rely on the kindness and generosity of strangers. Programs like Sleep Train's try to make it easier for those strangers to help.

Here's how you can help foster kids in the Bay Area achieve their dreams. ABC7 News and Sleep Train have teamed up for the Dream Campaign. All you need is your Facebook account! Just go to Facebook.com/abc7news and click on the Dream Campaign tab. For every new 'like' on our page this summer, $1 gets donated to Bay Area kids. Once you 'like' our page, or if you're already a fan, you can still spread the word to your friends. Just choose your favorite badge and share it on your wall.

(Copyright ©2012 KGO-TV/DT.

View the original article here

Organization encourages people to become foster parents

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- ABC7 News and Sleep Train have teamed up for the Dream Campaign. For every new like ABC7 News gets on Facebook, $1 will go to help foster kids. ABC7 News reporter Karina Rusk introduces us to an organization helping foster children and some of the kids benefiting from the nonprofit.

Jani Wild is proof you don't have to give birth to be a mom. She and her partner Deb have five children. Joshua is the oldest. He was just three when he came to them as a foster child with autism. He's now nine and thriving.

"He's incredible; he just got student-of-the-month at school and everyone was beaming from the principal on down," Jani said.

The couple not only adopted Josh, they also adopted four other foster children because they were siblings and didn't want to break up the family.

"I think it helps that both Jani and I come from large families because it's chaos, it's chaos sometimes," Deb Wild said.

The Wilds first became foster parents through a nonprofit called Aspiranet. The organization is dedicated to encouraging more people to become foster parents and helping kids who rely on the foster system.

There are nearly 60,000 children living in foster care in California.

Richard Lazaro Alonso and Steven Weatherbee know firsthand what it's like to need a place to call home.

"My parents weren't able to be there for me when I was younger while growing up in foster care system I was in 12 different homes," Lazaro Alonso said.

The quality of foster care can often have a lifelong impact; Weatherbee now sits on Aspiranet's board of directors.

"I'd like to think that the good foster families I had are going to affect me and in turn and in turn everyone I meet for the rest of my life," he said. "So it's very appreciated."

The Wilds have housed numerous foster children over the years, ranging from days at a time to months. The commitment to five of those children is now forever.

"They have filled our lives and I'm not saying there was something missing we didn't really know what life could bring and now we see what life can bring," Jani said.

It turns out being a foster parent doesn't just change a child's life.

Foster children rely on the kindness and generosity of strangers. Programs like Sleep Train's try to make it easier for those strangers to help.

Here's how you can help foster kids in the Bay Area achieve their dreams. ABC7 News and Sleep Train have teamed up for the Dream Campaign. All you need is your Facebook account! Just go to Facebook.com/abc7news and click on the Dream Campaign tab. For every new 'like' on our page this summer, $1 gets donated to Bay Area kids. Once you 'like' our page, or if you're already a fan, you can still spread the word to your friends. Just choose your favorite badge and share it on your wall.

(Copyright ©2012 KGO-TV/DT.

View the original article here