Creating a Parent Newsletter

This week my group had to create a digital newsletter that would communicate with parents. We met online and decided to break the project up amongst ourselves. Micah created the newsletter using LetterPop, which was very difficult to use, but ended up looking great! The main purpose of this assignment was to understand the importance and simplicity of communicating with parents throughout a school year.


1) Why is communication important between teachers and parents? It is important to communicate because it allows for collaboration to help the students. Parents are made aware what is expected of their child and also ways to help their child succeed. Teachers, in return, are able to understand family dynamics that may impact a student's progress. No matter how parents and teachers communicate, it is important that there be more positive feedback than negative.

2) In what way will you communicate with your students’ parents? I will communicate with my students' parents by creating a class website as well as a blog in which parents can be updated on class events and assignments. I will also use a digital grade-book in which parents can have instant access to their child's progress reports. Another interesting thing I will do is web conferencing, this will allow me to chat with parents that are unable to come into the school.

3) What new communications software applications would be fun to try to communicate with parents? New software I would like to use to communicate with parents are Google Talk, web conferencing such as WiziQ Wiki, Blogs, Twitter, a class website, and podcasts. I think all of these are wonderful tools to assist in communication and collaboration.

4) What software did you use, why did you choose to use it? My group chose to use LetterPop as our digital newsletter forum. I do not think I would use this in the furture because it was quite difficult to use to create such a large newsletter.

5) How was it to collaborate on this project? Collaboration on this project was better than in the past. We used Google Docs to relay our information and we also met twice this week on WiziQ, rather than once. The only thing I wish we could have all done was create the newsletter, kind of like a wiki.

6) What would you do differently if you did a Class Newsletter again? If I had to create another class newsletter I would use different software. I myself created a small newsletter on LetterPop and that was easy, but a project this large was difficult for Micah to create. I also tried my hand at Glogster, and found it to be annoying because everything was pre-made. I would also be a little more clear in our wording of our information.