Helping Parents to Understand How Technology Empowers Learning (WS)

In our technology-rich schools, we are often focused on ensuring that we have the right tools so that teachers and students can use technology effectively in the classroom. We spend plenty of professional development time and funds on training teachers to transform learning for their students. On top of all that, in many of our schools, we employ coaches to help teachers continue to develop their skills with technology. However, many schools still struggle to help parents understand why students (and teachers) are spending so much time with technology.

Developing a parent education program, specifically around technology and learning, can help build a sense of community within the school, support teachers and schools in their efforts to transform learning, and create a network of positive and engaged parents who will advocate for the school’s technology goals.

This session will highlight key elements of parent education programs I have developed and facilitated over the past 8 years at International School Bangkok, Yokohama International School and NIST International School, as well as the positive outcomes of those programs for all three school communities. Along with these more formal programs, we will also explore strategies and resources for individual classroom teachers to support their efforts in both building parental understanding and sharing their innovative learning strategies with the parents of their students.

About Kim Cofino

Kim is passionate about empowering teachers to become learning leaders and helping them to authentically embed current and emerging technologies in the classroom. As a global educational consultant, Kim divides her time between Bangkok, where she is a consultant-in-residence at NIST International, the US, various schools in Asia and, more often than not,  online. She occasionally blogs at Always Learning and you can find her on Twitter @mscofino.