Parent Involvement

Do NOT delve straight into the portfolio process. That would be a huge mistake. You must start with the parents! If you try to publish student work online without educating parents about the importance of such an endeavor, it will most likely backfire on you. Most parents are not comfortable with this idea at first. They learned in very isolated, linear and traditional way and that is their comfort level. You must educate them on the importance of 21st Century skills, student digital footprints and the critical need for students to develop an understanding of their personal web presence. If you do this correctly, you should in turn get 100% buy-in. If you skip this step and try sending home a permission slip, you will not have the support you need. Support from parents is tantamount to success in this area. Trust me on this one piece of advice.

--Holly Clark - Google Infused Classroom

To base the learning on the abilities and interest of each learner, parent engagement is critical. Visible learning portfolios are one of the most effective ways to show a student’s learning not just at school, but also at home. Involving parents in a child’s development by having them view and give feedback on their child’s work is especially helpful for parents of children who have special needs.

When parents are given access to their child’s digital portfolio, they get visibility into an environment they don’t typically see.