Comments on: A Parent’s Appreciation of a Classroom Blog

By: Parents Love Blogs Too! | A Blank Canvas

Parents Love Blogs Too! | A Blank Canvas — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:20:11 +0000

[...] from http://www.edsocialmedia.com A Parent’s Appreciation of a Classroom Blog When Sophie came home on the first day talking [...]

By: Antonio Viva

Antonio Viva — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:20:34 +0000

The News from Room 32 is what its really all about. Fantastic!

By: Summer

Summer — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:19:49 +0000

I had a child in Mrs. Morrison’s class last year. I’m in complete withdrawal! The fantastic communication that Mrs. Morrison offered was shocking and incredibly appreciated by both my husband and myself. It was such a treat to sit back at the end of the day and read about what our daughter had been up to. The pictures were terrific… seeing her interacting with her peers was something we never got to see before. Reading all the posts written by the kids was so much fun. We got to know each child in her class so well. What I wouldn’t give to have every teacher do this! I do realize it’s not easy to learn and devote the time to, which makes Mrs. Morrison all the more special. Steve and Nicole, enjoy this year!!

By: Elizabeth Morrison

Elizabeth Morrison — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:05:50 +0000

Thanks so much for the positive feedback on the blog, Steve! It’s appreciative and involved parents like you and Nicole that make it worth doing.

In response to Peter’s questions: When I started the blog last year it was a big adjustment for me. It took time that I wasn’t sure I had, and I wasn’t clear about the direction I wanted to go with it. I definitely wanted to be in touch with parents and show them the great things their kids were doing during the day, but I also wanted to freshen up my writing program and give students a wider audience for their published work.

Not having a defined vision led me to trying out all sorts of things with the blog. Students interviewed community members and wrote news stories, they took on a pen pal project with the seniors at our local high school, and they shared their favorite poems and other pieces of writing. We put together an occasional podcast, as well.

As parents, teachers and a few people from around the world made comments, the enthusiasm of the class grew and I decided that it was going to become a permanent part of my classroom.

How have I adjusted my daily routine so that I can keep up? Our district has made a commitment to train its teachers and keep them current with technology, and to that end we have all been given MacBooks. Being able to travel with this computer has made it easier for me to upload pictures during the last 5 minutes of lunch, and write a short blurb while the class is at an allied art. I often post while waiting for my eggs to cook in the morning or for dinner to finish cooking at night. Because I enjoy it, blogging doesn’t ever feel like a burden.

Thanks again, Steve! I truly appreciate your encouragement and support!

By: Cassie Dull

Cassie Dull — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:55:09 +0000

Great story! We’ve been encouraging all of our kindergarten and Lower School teachers to set up their own class sites and the response has been phenomenal, not only from the parents who are excited to see for themselves what happens on a daily basis, but also the teachers who want to improve communications with parents. And it really is so easy for teachers to set up a blog or site these days.

By: Rob DiMartino

Rob DiMartino — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:32:32 +0000

Good post Steve. With Three kids under 8, I would like some sort of insight and “access” to what is going on in the day in the life.

Wish more teachers had that “Just Do It” attitude. I will share this case study with my own children’s school and teachers who sometimes do not understand the value of access and insight for parents and what these tools can offer parents.

Kudos…

By: Steve Ritchie

Steve Ritchie — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:55:38 +0000

Thanks for the comments, guys. I’m hoping that if Mrs. Morrison has a chance between her own posts she can share her thoughts about the what, when and why of her blog.

By: Curt Lewellyn

Curt Lewellyn — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:24:40 +0000

Great post , Steve! Open and timely communication between teachers and parents is so critical. I feel like I have a sense of Mrs. Morrison’s classroom after a quick browse of the blog – I can only imagine how refreshing that kind of “access” would be to a parent.

By: Peter Baron

Peter Baron — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:59:18 +0000

Terrific post, Steve.

I found myself asking two questions… any sense of how Mrs. Morrison adjusted her daily routine to keep the blog fresh? Did the blog replace previous communication methods?

Thanks for sharing.