| Evaluating | Planning | Managing | Producing |

School - Home Communications

boy reading paperFrom No Child Left Behind mandates to grass roots parent groups, schools and communities are increasingly seeking ways to build ongoing collaborative relationships. Regardless of whether you're using web development tools, word processing documents, or desktop publishing software, there are many ways to build effective school-community connections through effective communications.

Workshop Materials

Use the following links to access information about creating school-home connections.

 
Activity
1
 Go to the School-Home Communications Blog developed for this workshop. Click on comments and describe your experiences with home-school communications.
 
Activity
2
 Go to Teacher and Class Blogs and Teaching Blogs. Explore how blogs are being used for teaching, learning, and communicating with parents. Learn more about at Blogs and Blogging from escrapbooking.
 
Activity
3
 Go to Blogger and start a blog for your school or classroom.
And/or, try using Flickr for a visual newsletter.
 
Activity
4
 Using the following websites as starting points, evaluate three school-home communications. Compare and contrast the three communications.

Teacher Tap: School Newsletters
Teacher Tap: Online School Magazines and Newspapers
• National Scholastic Press Contest Winners - 2005
• Paly Voice from Palo Alto High School
Teacher Tap: Cool Classroom and Teacher Pages
Teacher Tap: Cool School Websites
Teacher Tap: Cool School Library Websites
Teacher Tap: Cool Project and Center Pages
Learn more at Evaluating Communications
 
Activity
5
 Go to the School-Home Communications Blog and discuss issues related to school publication policies. Go to the Planning page and explore permission and release forms and publication policies.

Go to Start the Press! for a great tutorial on starting your own high school newspaper. Or, watch QuickTime videos of high school students describing their expereinces as journalists.
 
Activity
6
 Go to Babelfish Translation. Try it. Discuss discuss issues in language translation and the use of other languages in home communication.
 
Activity
7
 Go to M&M Magazine. Check out the Podcasting section. What are the pros and cons of incorporating audio elements into our web-based communications. Go to ipodder for podcasting software.
 
Activity
8
 Go to Teacher Generated Content. Create a list of websites that could be highlighted in communications with parents.
- OR -
Go to Student Generated Content. Create a list of topics and resources for students publications.
Learn more at Planning Communications
 
Activity
9
 Explore the options for Interdisciplinary Newsletters. Download your favorite. Then, (1) repurpose the template for your setting, (2) create a sample document for your students, or (3) write directions for use of the template.
 
Activity
10
 Try ReadWriteThink Printing Press for simple newsletters.
 
Activity
11
 Go to Lessons and Activities that incorporate the production of newsletters as a student project. Select a lesson or WebQuest that you think might be useful. Using Microsoft Word, adapt the assignment to fit the needs of your classroom.
 
Activity
12
 Go to Student Assessment. Examine rubrics for evaluating students newsletter projects. Learn more at Managing Communications.
 
Activity
13
 Go to Resources and Tools. Explore resources for use in projects. Learn more at Producing Communications.
 
Activity
14
 Go to Discovery Channel Quiz Center, Survey Builder from CHNM or another survey builder. Create a survey for parents.
 
Created by Annette Lamb, 6/04. Updated 6/05.