Technology to Support Communication

Introduction
The focus of the plan will need to be centered on the students. My planned grade
level is Middle School grades 6-8 thelinesofcommunicationareveryimportantinthe
successofanyplan.Inthisclassroomplan,thestudentsintheclasshaveavested
interest,andareanintegralpartofthelinesofcommunication.The development of a
plan to integrate technology into the learning environment in a classroom is a process that
needs careful research and planning (Knuth et al, 1995). There are studies that have
determined that people learn and understand things in different ways. Visual learners, use
visual objects such as graphs, charts, pictures, and seeing information. Auditory learners,
retain information through hearing and speaking. Kinesthetic learners like to use the
hands-on approach to learn new material. Communicationwilltakeseveralforms,
dependingontheformofcommunicationthatparentswouldliketosignuptoreceive.
Communication with the students and parents will include three main tools, Teachers
Website, Safe chat and a weekly blog that will help to keep both parents and students
informed of what will be coming in the next week of classes.
Teachers website: The teachers websites will provide communication for parents,
students and the community in a lot of different ways. Genuine, regular, real-time
collaboration with parents can make a positive difference in a childs learning experience.
Parents of children with work completion problems can become allies in helping these
children manage their time and turn in quality work. Answers to questions about class
rules, policies, and supplies should be readily available.(Johnson, Doug 2015)

Parents: Parents will be able to see the different schedule changes that are
coming up either by week or month. They will be able to check their childs grades.
There could be a weekly schedule added to the page where parents can follow the class
and what is being studied and what will be studied in the weeks to come. A schedule for
school activities are they having a special class activity for social studies and all of the
6th grade are wearing a special costume.
Students: Students can have access to homework past, current and future. They
can have access to website links that will help with homework or videos that they can
watch on YouTube. If a student is going to be gone they can turn in homework. If a
student is ill and wants to know what they have missed in class they can use the Teachers
website.
Community: Global community will have access to all the same things that the
parents and students have. They will in addition have links to community activities,
Fundraisers, and sports activities of other schools in the area. An activity calendar for the
school year and a lunch menu could be accessible.
A secure chat room: A secure chat room would make a safe site for students to
communicate with each other. Chat rooms have become popular because they offer users
an opportunity to express their opinions and debate or converse with other like-minded
people.(Microsoft 2015)
Parents: Teachers can have a designated time that they will be available to the
parents to answer questions or explain how the student is doing. Or the teacher can have
office hours that coincide with there time at school (before or after class is out).

Students: Students can have access to the chat with the teachers during certain
times. They are at home and realize that they do not understand the homework as well as
they thought and can contact the teacher for help. They can also chat with friends that are
working on a class project together and need to communicate with each other.
Community: The Global community will benefit from a secure place for students
to communicate about not only school but to feel safe in communications with their
friends and social functions also.
Blog: Blogs offer an easy way for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and acquisition
outside of the learning management system (Educause, 2005).
Parents: A blog will be a communication tool that can be used to keep parents up
to date on the changes in the way that we as teachers are educating the children. Parents
will know about changes in the common core and how it affects their children.
Students: This will be a good way to let the students know what is going to be
expected of them in class and throughout the year. Students will be aware of possible
projects that the class will be doing during the year.
Community: As a global community a blog can keep the community informed
with what our students are doing. Their activities in sports or curriculum that family and
friends would be interested in attending. A blog will also help to educate the public on
new Common Core or state standards that are coming into play in the school districts.
Communication Internet Security and Safety:

Repetition, repetition, repetition, Internet safety cannot be stressed enough to

students. Reminding them each time that they get online or they have earned free time on
the computer. A poster that hangs in class that reminds them of the things that they should
be aware of:
Do not share personal information such as where you live or passwords.
Use strong passwords and change it often.
Avoid clicking links that you dont know.
Always log out of computers when your done
No inappropriate behavior such as bulling
Have good Internet habits.
I think we have to have education specifically targeted about the abuses of technology
and the harm it causes in every public school starting at the sixth grade student has to
take it.(OReilly, 2009)
To sum up, technology and communication with parents, students and the global
community are not only important it is beneficial to everyone. A teachers website can
provide unlimited resources to facilitate communication. A safe and secure chat can help
students build good Internet habits. Finally a weekly Blog can help everyone stay up to
date on the latest changes in education. Teachers are on the front line for communication
and the education of technology not only for students but parents and the community.

References:
Knuth et al, 1996. Guiding Questions for Technology Planning. Retrieved May 5, 2015
from http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/guidepdf/guide.pdf
EDUCAUSE. (2005). 7 things you should know about Blogs ( No. ELI7006).
Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7006.pdf
Baiyun Chen and Kelvin Thompson (2015). Blog as a communication tool. In K.
Thompson and B. Chen (Eds.), Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository.
Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida Center for Distributed Learning.
Retrieved May 7, 2015 from https://topr.online.ucf.edu/index.php?
title=Blog_as_a_communication_tool&oldi d=3892
Microsoft, Make it safe (2015) Retrieved May 8, 2015 from
http://www.makeitsecure.org/en/useful-links.html
Johnson, Doug Multi Media and Internet Schools (2000) Teacher Web Pages That Build
Parent Partnerships retrieved May 8, 2015
http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/sep00/johnson.htm
DeFranco, Joanna F. "Teaching Internet Security, Safety In Our Classrooms."
Techniques: Connecting Education And Careers 86.5 (2011): 52-55. ERIC. Web.
10 May 2015.
O'Reilly, Bill. "Protecting Kids From The Internet." O'reilly Factor (FOX News) (n.d.):
Newspaper Source. Web. 10 May 2015.