THE technology
As technology continues to transform the classroom, it becomes more and more likely that parent-school communication will be the next area to go hi-tech. Here’s a rundown of a few ways schools and parents currently communicate, as well as why they should change:
Paper and phone calls are what many schools are used to relying on for communication with parents. Even though it’s easy for schools to send out messages through paper and by phone, administrators often find that doing so can use up an inordinate amount of time and resources. For parents, this method is highly inconvenient- sheets of paper can easily disappear in busy household, and missed phone calls can often lead to more trouble than they’re worth.
Many schools have switched to websites and email as their primary methods of communication. Though this represents a relatively quick and easy solution for schools, parents often tire of scrolling through lists of irrelevant emails or website content in order to find what they want.
A relatively new platform, smartphones represent new possibilities for school-parent communication. Schools can easily update apps in the same amount of time it would take to send out an email. Parents can get the relevant information they need in a device that’s always with them. Though they haven’t been tested extensively as of yet, it’s quite possible that smartphones could transform the ways schools and parents interact.