Developing the home-school relationship using digital ... - Futurelab

STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS3.1 DEVELOPING EXPECTATIONS3Expectations of communicationCommunication between parents and schoolis also an area where there may be uncertaintyabout what is expected. Parents are oftenunsure when it is appropriate to contact theschool, who to contact, and the best ways ofmaking contact. Teachers may well fear being‘flooded’ with lots of unfocused or demandingmessages, but one of the best ways to addressthis is to have very clear guidelines andexpectations for when, how and who to contact,and what parents can expect in response 68 .Making clear when communication is for‘information only’ and when a reply is expectedis very helpful for parents.The ways that schools expect parents toengage with them also needs to be negotiatedwith parents around their needs and othercommitments rather than simply imposed uponthem. For example, parents who do not attendparents’ evenings may be seen as disengagedwith their children’s education. However,some schools have found that parents havenot attended because they are deaf, do notspeak English well, work in the evenings, fearthat they themselves will be ‘told off’, or donot appreciate how attending can help themor their child. Using digital technologies tocommunicate with parents raises a new senseof expectations around parents’ and teachers’availability. Some parents’ work commitmentsmean they cannot be phoned during the day ordo not have internet access through work or athome; families who rely on mobile phones maynot have the credit necessary to check voicemails and so text messages may be preferable.Expectations for using digital technologiestherefore need to take account of parents’existing commitments and patterns of use.Expectations for how digital technologiesshould be used are set up by establishingpatterns of use. For example, different webforums have very different rules of ‘etiquette’,developed and maintained by a core group ofusers, who also tend to ‘police’ the rules ofetiquette when newcomers join. Using digitaltechnologies to communicate between schoolstaff and parents and children, or betweenparents, can be set up by inviting a group ofparents, teachers and children to lead the wayand enact the ways in which peopleare expected to make use of digitalcommunication services.Access to and use of digitaltechnologiesUsing digital technologies to supportcommunication between the home and schoolsupposes that children and their families areable make use of digital technologies outsideschool, including but not limited to a computerand internet connection. The level of broadbandconnectivity, mobile phone ownership (includinginternet-enabled phones) as well as gamesconsoles, printers, scanners, etc, will all affecthow it is possible to make use of technologiesin the home-school relationship.Hardware choices also affect the way thattechnologies can be used in home-schoolrelationships strategies. Lightweight netbooksor ultra-mobile PCs can be carried by childrenfrom home to school, giving them ownershipof the technology, although contingency plansfor breakage, loss and theft will be necessary.Portable devices also mean that childrencan easily show the screen to parents whenappropriate. Handheld or portable devicesmay also allow for more ad hoc use by staffrather than needing to log on to a staticdesktop computer.The Home Access initiative is starting toovercome some of the financial barriersto home computer and internet access forchildren and their families, but access is onlythe first step in making use of technologies 69 .But as well as physical access, people alsoneed the skills, confidence and desire touse technologies in order to experience anybenefits of digital communication. So as wellas discovering the levels of access in children’shomes, it is also important to consider howthey use the technologies they have access to.As well as broadband access at home, it isworth considering how children and teacherswill access internet services at school. In manyschools, there are limited facilities for childrento access the internet in between lessons, sowifi available on children’s own devices may bea better option.3468. Lent Rise Primary School in Buckinghamshire promises a response to parents’ emails within 72 hours, even if this is a ‘holding’email acknowledging receipt and explaining what is happening until the matter can be resolved.69. See the Research and policy review above for more detail on the Home Access policy