Every teacher who has attempted to integrate technology into the classroom knows that getting parents on board can sometimes be a challenge. Your efforts to engage students and develop digital skills can become the scapegoat explanation for problems that have nothing to do with tech. So how do educators get these parents into our corner? Here are some strategies I’ve used successfully to gain parent buy-in.

Powerful Learning Press is hosting a virtual book party on December 6th, with five teacher guests, all reading from articles featured in our first (free) eBook, The Connected Teacher: Powering Up. Come talk with Kathy Cassidy, Brian Crosby, Patti Grayson, Marsha Ratzel and Shelley Wright — and learn more about forthcoming books from PLPress.

Teacher Jen Carey left the first iPad Summit, held at the Harvard Medical School, with three takeaways: the iPad is just a remarkable piece of hardware; iPad implementation requires large-scale professional development; and if iPad implementation doesn’t redefine the way educators use technology to create and perform tasks, it’s not worth the investment.

I’ve been thinking about where I’m finding my best support for my own learning these days. While I’ve been going to my Twitter network and saving links, resources, and graphics to help me plan a new technology integration course for teachers, I’ve found that it’s actually my community of inquiry within Powerful Learning Practice that has lead me to the deepest learning. I think I owe it to my learners to help them understand that while Twitter networks might lead them to incredible contacts and resources, our classroom community will be where they can get down and dirty with some really messy learning.

Without the advantage of lots of experience, newer teachers struggle with curriculum pacing, instructional and behavior management, and knowing how to keep ever-increasing numbers of students learning in small classroom spaces. Experienced teachers have these basics mastered and are ready to tackle the challenges of experimenting with all kinds of new instructional tools…including new technology.