Step 6: Help parents and students (lV)

16. Virtual volunteers 
 Linda Yollis has shared the idea of having parents act as virtual volunteers on a roster basis. Rather than helping students in the classroom, they can assist online by replying to students and engaging in conversations.
17. Parent blogging Rep
 Some classrooms have a parent representative to assist with various tasks and events. Would a blogging rep work in your class?
 The rep could organize your virtual volunteer roster, invite families to read and comments on posts, respond to comments, or, depending on skills, assist with tasks like photography and the creation of multimedia.
18. Blogging Homework
 Depending on your homework policies and procedures, you could incorporate blogging into homework tasks that involve family members. Example tasks prompts could include :

• Show a familiar member a blogging buddies’ site and leave a comment together.
• Write an invitation to a friend or family member to comment on a specific post.

 19. Parent guest Posts

  Parents bring a wealth of information to your classroom community. Traditionally, some parents might present to the class on their career or hobby from time to time. Why not adapt this format by having parents write guest posts for your class blog?

  Alternatively, you could have students interview parents or community members for posts.Example