Going Digital with Grandparents

This past week I headed a "Going Digital with Grandparents" event to celebrate Grandparents Day at school. I really wanted to find a way to better include our parents, grandparents, and families in our 1:1 quest. The kids read a book with their grandparents to start things off. That was the easy part. Once I gave the task of making a Book Commercial on the iPads, some of the grandparents got a little nervous. I heard a lot of "I can't even work my cell phone; how does this thing work." I had many giggles in our 2 hours together. An awesome moment occurred, I was able to say with great confidence, "Grandpa and Grandpas, if the iPads make you nervous and you aren't sure what to do, have no fear. The kids know exactly what to do." They were amazed that the little ones knew exactly what to do. By the end of their time together, some students created iMovies with their grandparents, showed them their projects and some of the apps that they use in their classroom, and many pictures were taken of grandmas and grandpas for students to see everyday on their iPads.

It's great to use the technology every day with the students. The magical moments occur when they are able to teach others and are excited to share what they do with the technology. Nothing's
better than combining family involvement, technology, literacy, fun, and snacks. It was wonderful!

How do you involve your family in your 1:1 environment or technology transformation?