Ashley Andersen

Ashandersen13.weebly.com
EDU-225
May 10th, 2015

Entry 1: Technology to Support Communication

Introduction
Technology is an important factor when it comes to communication. The best way of
communication is an in-person conversation but that is not always the most convenient method
for everyone. It is extremely important for a teacher to develop a plan of communication via
technology in a classroom. Technology enhances communication between parents, students and
the rest of the community in many ways.
Technology to Enhance Communication
Email: Email is most likely the most convenient way of communication for a parent and a
teacher to communicate. Email can be linked to many smart phones which makes email easily
accessible for anyone. According to Olmsteads article about using technology to increase parent
involvement, "All teachers reported that they responded to parents within 24 hours of
receiving an email (2013). Teachers usually have a planning period but never
usually get too much of a break, therefore it is best to communicate via email, and
the teacher can respond as quickly as possible.

Remind 101: Remind 101 is a great tool for a quick and efficient reminder to be sent out to the
student or parent. Remind 101 is a safe communication tool that allows the teacher to get

assigned a phone number that will allow the students to subscribe and receive messages from.
Students and parents dont go far without their phones these days so it is a great option to keep
everyone up to date with tasks and reminders. Bobbitt states in his article about Remind 101
Instructors should post remind101 messages in other places (such has class websites) since all
students may not have a phone or may choose not to opt-in to Remind101 (2013). Remind 101
should not be used as an only source or reminders or communication but it is definitely a great
option since so many people are on their phones so frequently.

Social Media: Social media is a great option to keep your students, teachers and co-workers upto-date with your classroom news. Creating a Facebook account would be for your class to view
updated reminders, due dates of projects, and just general information. It would be more of a fun
and creative tool for the class. The students can share ideas on the page, invite friends to see
what their class is up to, and keep in touch with their fellow classmates. The article titled,
Reinventing the Role of Information and Communications Technologies in Education, explains
They further note, complex communication requires the exchange of vast amounts of verbal and
nonverbal information. The information flow is constantly adjusted as the communication
evolves unpredictably (Dede, 2007). Communicating via technology is changing each and every
day, and it is our job as educators to keep up to date with the new technology and new
communication options.

Weebly (Teacher Webpage): Creating a webpage as a teacher is important. It is beneficial to the

fellow teachers, the parents and the students. A webpage is more of a personal level of
technology. A specific teacher webpage is specific to the teacher and their lives. It does not have

to be extremely personal but it helps the students, parents and co-workers relate when more
information is given. The webpage will be available 24/7 and the other ways of communication
would be listed on there as well. Weebly is a great resource for creating a webpage, it is user
friendly and also has upgrades to offer if interested.

Communication Internet Security and Safety

Internet safety is a very important lesson to discuss with the students at all ages. The
internet can be a sketchy place for a student that is only surfing the web. It is important for
parents to have parental controls as well as schools to have a webpages blocked. The internet
should be used for the right reasons and just one wrong click and it can completely turn around
for the bad. According to Moreno, Internet safety is highly salient for todays youth as they
spend up to 10 hours a day using various forms of media (2013). Technology is a huge part of
everyones live but safety is still extremely necessary.

Concluding Paragraph (4-6 sentences)

Communication between teachers, students, and parents is a huge part of a successful school
year. It takes a lot of work for a student to succeed in school and communication is key.
Technology enhances communication by using email, Remind101, social media, and personal
webpages. All of these options are great tools for communication!

References:
Olmstead, C. (2013). Using Technology to Increase Parent Involvement in Schools. Techtrends:
Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 57(6), 28-37. Doi:10.1007/s11528
013-0699-0
Bobbitt. R., Inman, R., & Bertrand, E. (2013). Using Remind 101 as a Classroom:
Communication Tool. NACTA Journal, 57(4), 77-78.
Dede, Chris. 2007. Reinventing the Role of Information and Communications Technologies in
Education. Yearbook Of The National Society For The Study Of Education (Wiley
Blackwell) 106 (2), 11. doi:10.1111/j. 1744-7984.2007.00113.x
Moreno, M. A., Egan, K. G., Bare, K., Young H. N., & Cox, E. D. (2013). Internet Safety
education for youth: stakeholder perspectives. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 1-6.
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-543.