Jan Hoffman wrote an article recently in the New York Times I Know What You Did in Math Class. The article reviews the use of online programs that provide parents with up to date information about their children at school, and explores the implications.
Students complain about being grounded twice for the same bad grade – first when their parents see it online and again when the grade comes home in a report card. Some schools refrain from posting marks until later in the term so that students have a chance to improve but not before it is too late. This very action is a decision that there is a line between the right amount of information for parents and too much information.
Should parents have access to know every detail about their children’s activity in school every day? What about video feeds in the classroom? Chris Lehmann, principal at Science Leadership Academy, believes students need a safe space to develop their personal identities, to make mistakes and learn from them. and that schools can provide that. Broadcasting every school moment takes away that privacy.
It seems there is a fine line that schools need to walk, not only about how much information is provided and when, but also what continues face to face with parents when online information is available. The article notes that some schools have eliminated parent-teacher conferences in favour of online information and email.
Can there be too much information available for parents? Can online connections create the same relationships as face to face interactions? The research shows that parent engagement is positively correlated with student achievement, but does that relationship change when parents are connected online? Is it ever too much?
4 responses so far ↓
1 Rodd Lucier // May 27, 2008 at 5:53 am
Education seems to be obsessed with information these days. From data warehouses to overwhelming assessment documentation, we may be failing to see the saplings straining for sunlight among the burgeoning forest of information.
Any child grounded for ‘poor grades’, is likely a child who suffers from parent disinterest. Many can’t even take the time to read the class newsletter let alone be involved in discovering what their children are learning… at least until the warning bells are sounded.
Rodd Luciers last blog post..Out of this World!
[Reply]
2 Considering a Research Question « Masterthoughts // May 27, 2008 at 6:00 am
[...] just blogged about a New York Times article reviewing parent online connections and titled my post Is it ever too much?. For my Master’s project I’m creating an implmentation guide for a K-12 Parent Portal, [...]
3 Jen // May 27, 2008 at 6:15 am
I get the work from my daughter twice, but in paper format. What’s the difference? If the technology weren’t there, wouldn’t the assignments be sent home anyway? Maybe the problem is really communication between kids and parents.
[Reply]
4 How much is too much? « Tools of Engagement // Jun 3, 2008 at 12:53 pm
[...] too much information for parents?” (you can read her post “Is it ever too much?” here and read the original story in the NY Times ”I know what you did in Math Class” [...]
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