Open House

Overall, open house was a huge success. There were a few basic questions: Can they log on from home? How many times do they have to comment?. Comments of that nature-which were easy to answer. I had already sent a note home discussing this so it didn't catch me off gaurd.

Most of the parents enjoyed writing a note to their child at open house. I had a post where their child could teach them to blog. It was very cool to see the children teaching their parents. The students also enjoyed seeing what their parents wrote to them. It was nice because I had a parent who was worried because her husband couldn't come. She wanted to know if there was anything he could do to let his little girl know he was thinking of her. I showed her after school how to use the blog and in turn she showed her husband. He then left his daughter a note that she read when she was teaching mom how to blog. Her eyes lit up when she saw that her dad had written her from his office.

However, things were not perfect. I had one parent who questioned the use of the blog and wasn't sure she wanted her child to use it. She has an older child and I think she has only seen it be used as a social tool. I told her that I do monitor the blog at least every other day (which she looked at me like "really?" and that I delete posts that aren't appropriate. I also told her that I understand and respect her choice whatever it might be. I didn't think much of it until today. The same parents sent me an email today questioning me on why I should use it in my classroom (basically she asked what is the point?) and why push the students into something that they will learn on their own later on in life. (Which scares me because wouldn't we want to teach them how to use it properly first?) I still haven't answered her email, but will soon. Luckily, I have 24 hours to email her back-which will give me time to come up with some awesome reasons to give her.

Well, I am off-specials is over. Must get back to teaching.