Technology Tuesday: Special Features for Google Sites

Off and on this summer, I've been sharing some info about setting up a Google Site for your class website. (Click to read part 1, part 2, and part 3). Today I'm going to share two of my favorite add-ons that I've incorporated into my class website.

Add-on #1: Feedburner

What it is: Feedburner is a service managed by Google that allows you to create an RSS feed for your website. Just like you might receive updates that a blog has been updated, parents could receive updates that your website has been updated. Even better, there's a way for parents to subscribe and receive emails about updates that have been made to your website.
How I use it: I have a page on my class website called "Homework & Announcements" that I update every afternoon with the day's learning targets, homework assignments, and any important announcements. At the top of the page is a "subscribe" button where parents can sign up and automatically get an email every day with the information I've posted. It keeps parents in the loop, and it requires very little effort on my part.
Why it rocks: Feedburner allows the site owner to go in and manage the subscriptions so I can see which email addresses have signed up and which ones haven't. That way, I can know who is getting the information and who may need other forms of communication. I can also manually unsubscribe parents when their child moves on to the next grade so I don't have to worry about inundating them with irrelevant information. 
How to get started: Go to feedburner.google.com.

Add-on #2:YouCanBook.Me

What it is: YouCanBook.Me is a free service that integrates with your Google Calendar to allow parents to schedule conferences and meetings with you according to the parameters you set.  When parents go to my website and click on a link, they see an image that looks like this:

Parents can choose from any of the blue time slots according to their schedule. They'll then fill out a quick form so I know who I'm meeting and what they want to talk about, and that's it. From there, I'll receive an email alerting me that a conference has been scheduled, and the conference will be automatically added to my calendar for me. The service also sends a reminder email to the person who booked the conference so they don't forget they've scheduled it.
How I use it: Let's say that I'm generally willing to conference after for an hour or two after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I'm willing to stay for one conference on Fridays. But then my daughter has a doctor's appointment one week, and I have family coming into town another week, so I won't be able to stay after school for conferences. Sounds like a lot to keep track of, right? Wrong! This service reads everything you have on your schedule and only shows the times you have available. It also lets you set other parameters such as the length of the conference (I schedule 30 minute blocks), and how much notice you need (I require at least two days notice for conferences booked through this site). I can also block off ranges of dates. This year, for example, I'm not letting any parents schedule a conference until we've been in school for at least two weeks. That way, I'll have an opportunity to get to know the kids and catch my bearings on my new class before I have to worry about parent-teacher conferences.
Why it rocks: I no longer have to send emails back and forth with parents trying to figure out a time that will work for both of us. If we need to schedule a conference, I just refer them to the link on my website and ask them to pick a time that works for them. It's a real time saver. I also like that it sends out automatic reminders to the parents and me so I don't have to worry about it. If the parent realizes the time no longer works, there's a link in the reminder email that will allow them to cancel -- automatically removing the appointment from my calendar and emailing me that the meeting has been canceled. It honestly couldn't be easier. And did I mention that the basic version is free?
How to get started: Go to http://youcanbook.me to register. 

Do you have any other time-saving tips that help you communicate with parents? I'd love to hear them! Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Confessions of a VistaPrint Addict...

I love VistaPrint. It takes my addiction to office supplies to a whole new level. And while I've spent countless hours studying all of the various designs that other teachers have shared across the web, I've never taken the time to share my own. Here's what I've made this year:

Banners

This banner hangs just above my classroom library. 

Small Car Door Magnets

Stays on our dry erase board. I write all of the homework assignments for the day or week below.

I have several students who fail repeatedly to put names on their papers. (How is this still possible in 4th grade?!?!) I hang a magnetic clip below this sign and clip any papers sans owners there so they can be reunited. I yearn for the day when this magnet can be retired.

Business Cards/Loyalty Cards

In addition to a personal business card that I give to parents with all of my contact information, I've created a couple other business cards this year.

The Nurse Pass has been a huge time-saver for me. I created the "malaise" category to signal to the school nurse that the kid seems to be fine and may just need a little TLC before returning to class.

We use Accelerated Reader at my school for a variety of things, and I require my students to take at least 5 tests each term. This helps them keep track of how many more they have to do. I fill it out with the date, book level, and score when they get credit for the assignment. 

Return Address Labels

Book Labels

For assignments that need major revisions

Note Cards

I try to send thank you cards home to parents who volunteer or chaperone, and I have all of my students sign the inside. 

This is a note I send home if my Mystery Student has a good day in the class. If it's not such a good day, I'll send an email or make a phone call.

Stamps

Postcards

(front) - This is actually from last year, before I moved schools.

(back) - The blacked out information is all of my contact info. I try to send this home 1-2 days before the conference as a reminder because sometimes parents will book conferences weeks in advance.

Sticky Notes

In my dream world (a.k.a. the 2012-2013 school year. ha!), I will have parent volunteers come in and make copies for me. It's all part of my master plan to delegate as much as possible so I can focus on the important stuff. I'm saving these sticky notes for that magical day.

Small Magnets

I'm going to try these next year to label lockers. I'll use a vis-a-vis marker so that I can maybe re-use these the following year if they hold up okay. 

Hats

Yes, I even got a hat. I wear this hat in the classroom when I'm in the middle of something important (conferring with readers and writers or doing small group work), and I do not want to be disturbed. It has also come in handy on outdoor field trips.

Inspired to create your own VistaPrint designs? Feel free to use my affiliate link to get started!

How about you? What has been your favorite VistaPrint creation, or how have you used VistaPrint in your classroom? Feel free to comment and share links below!

Improving Parent-Teacher Communication

Parents are the most valuable players in a child's education. What they do to support a child's learning can have a tremendous impact on his or her success in school. Yet this is one relationship that often struggles to get off the ground. Parents and teachers both have a variety of past experiences, sometimes negative, that can make them apprehensive about contacting one another. Ultimately, the child loses in this situation.

In order to facilitate clear communication between both parties, it's important to outline expectations. Here are some guidelines that I've pulled from my (very-much-still-under-construction) classroom website.

What I expect from parents...

1. Honor our limited instructional time. We have a tremendous amount of material to cover, and the year will go by quickly. Please make sure that your child arrives to school on time each morning. Also, if at all possible, please try to avoid picking up your child prior to dismissal or scheduling appointments during the school day.

2. Maintain regular communication. You are the most important partner in your child's education. I try to make myself available at all hours, and I'm happy to provide multiple methods of correspondence. If, at any point, you have a question, concern, or comment, please do not hesitate to let me know.

3. Talk to your child about school each day. Find out more about what topics are being studied and make positive connections with your interests and experiences whenever possible. Children are more motivated when they have adult role models that share similar interests with class material.

4. Provide a structure, space, and routine for completing homework each night. At a minimum, your child is expected to read 30 minutes every night. You can check other homework assignments and information elsewhere on my website.

5. Enforce a regular bedtime. Children need far more sleep than adults, and interruptions to a normal sleep schedule can sap a child's energy during school.

6. Read with your child on a regular basis. Children benefit from both listening to adult readers and reading to an adult. Consider sharing a favorite book with your child or reading a new book together.

7. Visit the public library. The public library has thousands of children's books in multiple genres and far more resources than we have available at school. A public library card is free to you and your child, so please sign up and visit at least bi-weekly if you don't already.

8. Encourage your child to take responsibility for his or her learning. While I provide multiple sources for information about school events, upcoming assignments, etc., your primary source for information should be your child. Monitor your child to make sure that he or she is recording all assignments, preparing for tests, and completing all homework. You'll quickly learn that I am not the type of teacher that provides "busy work," so it's absolutely vital that your child stays on top of all assignments. Work together to create a schedule for larger assignments and projects.

9. Get involved. There are several different ways you can become involved in your child's education, and it sends an important message about how much you value school. Join the PTA and attend meetings. Volunteer to help in our classroom before, during, or after school -- there are always projects that could benefit from an extra set of adult hands. Don't be shy about seeking out these opportunities. I'll regularly update or classroom calendar and the link How You Can Help to notify you of upcoming events.

10. Respect my time. I am more than happy to accommodate your schedule to ensure that you can attend conferences and stay involved with your child's education. If you make an appointment for a conference, especially on an official parent-teacher conference day or significantly before or after school, please notify me as soon as possible if you'll need to reschedule. It's very frustrating to me when I stay late after school or turn away other parents requesting specific conference times only to have a parent not show up. I don't mind rescheduling, but please notify me in advance so I can make the most productive use of my time.

What you can expect from me...

1. Regular communication. I send home a weekly newsletter that describes several class activities, major assignments, and important dates. I will also be updating this website and our class calendar with homework assignments and important events on a daily basis. When events happen in school that merit your attention -- both positive and negative -- I will call or email. My preferred method of correspondence is email because it helps me keep track of everything, but I'm more than happy to discuss matters on the phone or in person as well. I want you to feel well informed about what's happening in our classroom, and if a method of contact isn't working out for you, please let me know.

2. Transparency in grading and expectations. I will update your child's grades through the online parent portal at least once a week. When major assignments are coming up, I will provide study guides, checklists, and/or rubrics to inform you about how the assignment will be evaluated.

3. Meaningful assignments. I want learning to be fun, yet challenging. I see textbooks as important resources that can support our learning, but they're not the primary source for our learning. As a result, students are often given assignments that draw on other resources and materials. They'll be doing far more reading and writing tasks and problem solving activities than worksheets.

4. Respect for individual learning styles. I work very hard to create assignments that are appropriately challenging for all students. I recognize that some students may need more or less time to learn something, and students learn things in different ways. I try to offer many different learning opportunities that address these individual needs. If, at any time, you feel like your child's needs are not being met, please talk to me so that we can revise our plans.

5. Prompt feedback. I'm typically able to grade tests and quizzes within 24 hours. Projects, especially ones that involve student writing, require about a week. Homework assignments vary. I don't grade every homework assignment. Sometimes I grade for accuracy, other times I grade for completion. Students won't know in advance how their homework will be graded because I want them to treat all assignments seriously.

6. Accessibility. I value any opportunity that I can get to have parents involved in education. If the parent-teacher conference schedule doesn't meet your needs, I will be more than happy to arrange another time to talk. I can be available before or after school. I'm also open to teleconferencing by phone or Skype in the evenings. I make my contact information available because I want you to feel comfortable using it. Feel free to call me on my cell phone any time before 10:00pm. If I'm not available, I'll call you back as soon as I can.

Teachers: How are you communicating expectations to parents and building their support? What ideas need to be added to this list?

Parents: What other kinds of information would you want from your child's teacher? What more can/should be done to help you get involved?