Sarah Gonzales

Instructional Technology
Professor Elliot
15 February 2015
Technology to Support Communication
The turn of the 21st century has impacted the world of education
in drastic ways. Technology in all forms has exploded and made its way
into the field of education. Teachers are now able to enhance the
communication between them, their students, and their students
parents. As access to technology continues to expand, the capabilities
for connecting parents to schools will continue to grow (Olmstead,
2013). As a future educator, I plan to use all the advances in
technology to assist communication within my classroom and also with
all engaged groups in the educational community, all while addressing
Internet security and safety.
During my first year of teaching, I will use technology to
communicate with all engaged groups in the educational community. I
will do my very best to make sure that the parents of my students are
always thoroughly informed on what is going on in my classroom. To
make sure that every parent is informed I will consider the different
methods of communication, and use multiple ones in my classroom
since each parents will prefer a different way to be communicated to.
The first form of communication I will use will be by e-mail. The old-

fashion way of conveying messages to parents would be by sending a

letter home with a student for their parent. However, there is no
guarantee that the letter will make it from the students backpack to
the hands of the parent. This is why e-mails can be so effective.
Teachers no longer have to rely on the responsibility of the students,
they can trust the reliability of an e-mail. Parents also can check their
e-mails at their own convenience.
A class website is another form of technology that I plan on
integrating into my classroom communication plan. Having a class
website can be very effective for both students and their parents.
Data were collected through surveys and semi-structured focus group
interviews to analyze the relationship between parents' and teachers'
perceptions of student achievement when electronic communications
are used between parents and school (Olmsted, 2013). These studies
revealed that communication between parents and teachers help
students preform better in school. You will find that your
communication with parents will improve and, therefore, so will the
success of your students (Rebeccah Haines). Therefore, the
communication that can be used in a class websites is a crucial part of
assisting students performance. In my class website I will post all
lectures and materials, a calendar with dates for homework, tests,
quizzes, and other events. My class website will not only help students

and parents be connected, but also stakeholders and the global

community since the page will be public.
I plan on addressing Internet security and safety while I use
technology for communication. As educations rely more and more on
computers to store information they must take necessary precautions
from the potential risks of using computers to keep this information
safe. School districts, for example, must take precautions to
guarantee that student information, such as grades, attendance rates,
personal and family data, and special needs accommodations, is
protected from loss and kept confidential (Shelly,2012). For example,
viruses can become a potential risk to the security and safety of your
class. However, viruses can be prevented. There are anti-virus software
available to purchase. Scanning all media, files, and attachments are
also a way to detect and prevent viruses. Teachers also must be aware
of the dangers from computer hackers. Hackers refer to people who
try to access a computer illegally. Teachers can prevent unauthorized
use by installing different levels and types of access controls. Schools
have set up their networks so that users have access only to those
programs, data, and information for which they are provided (Shelly,
2012). These are just a few of the ways that I plan on keeping my
students information safe.

References
Shelly, G., Gunter, G., & Gunter, R. (2012). Teachers Discovering
Computers: Integrating Technology in a Connected World (7th
Edition).
Olmstead, C. (2013). Using Technology to Increase Parent Involvement
in Schools. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve
Learning, 57(6), 28-37. doi:10.1007/s11528-013-0699-0
Haines/ UNC School of Education, R. (n.d.). Keep parents in the loop
with a class website. Retrieved from
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/6639