information

=Ways to Use Technology to Disperse Information to your Classroom Community=
 * Emailing Parents
 * Using Blackboard, a blog, or a wiki to **post homework, assignments, classroom policies, and class events online[[image:Boy_at_computer2.jpg width="186" height="186" align="right"]]**

Collecting Email Addresses

 * Spend time at the beginning of the year to gather email addresses from parents/caregivers. To do this, you may send home a form for parents/caregivers to fill out. The problem with this is that you may not be able to decipher their handwriting when you get it back! Another alternative is to make a homework assignment for students to have their **parents email you their contact information**. By doing this, you will definitely get the correct information, and it will save you time typing in each email address! You may have to chase down a few students to give you this information, but it is worth it! It will save you so much time later in the year!
 * Once you have all parents' email addresses, create a distribution list (or group) in your email.

What do I send them?

 * Send mass emails once every few weeks, updating parents/caregivers on major assignments, test/quiz dates, and when progress reports are being sent home!
 * Send parents/caregivers emails when their child is missing homework assignments--this can even be a mass email if you **BCC**!

Using BCC

 * When you send mass emails, use the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) function so that people who recieve the email can not see the email addresses of everyone else who is receiving the email. This will help **maintain student and parent anyonmity**!

2) Posting Homework, Assignments, Class Events Online

 * Go to the sections on Blogging and Wikis to see how to easily post. Many teachers in Saskatchewan also use **Blackboard**.