Video Conference in Schools
America is in the midst of a new era of working parents and juggling schedules. With more parents working full time jobs, many requiring over the standard 40 hour work week, and children’s schedules needing their own calendar, parents are feeling the crunch of time preventing them from being more active in their children’s school life. This decrease in parental involvement is felt by the schools as well. Video conferencing technology can help eliminate lack of time as an excuse for limited involvement.
Communication and involvement from parents are imperative to increasing the success of students. More demanding schedules are pulling many parents away from school involvement. However, video conference is a technology that allows parents and school personnel to meet under more convenient terms – at the computer.
Any level of education from kindergarten through college may benefit by employing video conference. In particular, elementary and middle school grades conducting parent teacher conferences may actually meet by video conferencing. Parents juggling the priorities of work and their children’s school are able to manage both through video conference,
PTA meetings can also be broadcast via video conference while at the same time live for parents who can attend in person. Video conference will allow for attendees online to watch and hear the presentation in real time, as well as ask questions that may arise throughout the meeting.
Teachers regularly send home updates similar to newsletters informing parents of what is happening in the classroom. Video conference is a powerful adaptation to this practice by allowing interaction between teachers and parents. Either party can field questions or raise concerns to increase feedback and improve communication between all parties.
While not meeting physically face to face, video conference allows teachers, administrators and parents to still meet face to face by computer. Increasing parental involvement in schools by any means will certainly be deemed a success.
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