Interacting with families and whanau
The use of school blogs also has the potential to give parents and caregivers a unique view into their child’s classroom.
The regular flow of information and student discussion about learning can strengthen the school partnership with families and whanau.
Some schools may consider or actively encourage parents and caregivers to make contributions to school blogs as a means to enhance communication with the community.
This potential to increase student and parent engagement in learning through the use of blogs has created a wave of teacher enthusiasm to set up classroom blogs.
This enthusiasm has, in some cases, overshadowed the fundamental considerations educators should address to ensure the use of school blogs remains focused within an educational context and that students and their work is safe online.
Perhaps something in the guidelines about how to communicate with families & whanau about how students use their blogs & other web 2.0 media when they are at home. Making these guidelines that are applicable at school & at home.
Do you actively encourage parent participation in your school blog? If so what response do you get from parents and caregivers? What advice would you give about parent participation in blogs?
I have a concern with parents and whanau being able to edit and contribute to a class blog. I am very happy for them to view the class blog, or their child’s individual school blog. This is because parents and whanau are not bound by the same rules and regulations that their children are at school. All it takes is one indiscretion. While parents/caregivers may be responsible, it is easy for siblings, cousins, etc to get online using a parent log-in and act in an immature way to bring the whole thing down.
Therefore view access, Yes, edit and contribute access, No.