Social Media for Family Engagement

The research is pretty conclusive. Family engagement leads to positive outcomes for students. So how do we get there? The foundation of effective family engagement starts with relationships. Families and schools should have a relationship and feel like they are part of a strong community that supports their kids. The relationship begins with schools having a culture that honors and respects the contributions of all families.

Once parents have connected with the schools the work is not over. We know that the type of family engagement that has the most significant impact on student achievement is the type that takes place at home. Parents and other caregivers do not ever need to step foot in a school building to give students the educational benefits that result from family engagement. Families just need to understand the role they can play. That is where social media can help you accomplish your goals.

Many parents have access to technology. In fact, with the advent of smart phones and affordable hardware, the technology gap is shrinking rapidly. So, how can you take advantage of the Internet to increase family engagement? Did you know that there are over 500 million active users on Facebook and over 50% of them check the site on any given day? Consider having a couple of workshops for families in your school computer lab and show them how to connect to your class Facebook page. Did you know that over 77% of all Internet users read blogs? Introduce them to blogging and then show them how to read your blogs and post comments or questions. There are over 300,000 new Twitter users set up each day and 37% use their phone to tweet. Consider setting up a classroom Twitter page and then tweeting homework assignments or strategies for parents to help with homework.

Most families are already active on the web. Give them the content that will connect them to your classroom to keep them engaged in their children’s learning. If you are interested in additional resources, Google it!