>Connecting Home and School: Helping Students Succeed

>I had the opportunity to present “Digital Literacy Portfolios” with a teacher colleague Debbie Ivanochko at the IT Summit in Saskatoon Saskatchewan. The idea behind the portfolios was to have a secure space where parents could log on and observe video, screencasts, or scanned documents of their child’s work. For instance, Debbie posted videos of her students reading a story they wrote in Nov. and one a story they wrote in March, you could easily see the growth and or struggles that a student was having. The secure space provided a place for the teacher and parent to comment on the child’s learning. I’m all for open learning spaces and sharing but I think that there is also room for a closed space where parents and teachers can have honest conversations regarding their child’s learning. Student Learning – A Parent Focus from Niagara Catholic District School Board is a good video to help support the home-school connection. Here is another great video that helps describe the importance of having parents involved in their child’s education.