September Recorded Podcast With EdWeb
This webinar, hosted by Lisa Dean and sponsored by Bloomz, brought together leading experts in education and technology to discuss strategies for inclusive family engagement across language, culture, and technology divides. The panel featured Jeff Bradbury, an award-winning digital learning strategist; Dr. Rachelle Denae Poth, an edtech consultant and educator; and Diane Dursch, Senior Director of Information Technology at Digital Promise. Each speaker shared their unique experiences and challenges in connecting with families from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing the necessity of clear, consistent communication and the importance of understanding families’ preferred methods and times for engagement. The session also highlighted the growing linguistic diversity in schools, with some districts supporting dozens of languages, and the critical role of technology in bridging these gaps.
Top Ten Takeaways from this Webinar:
- Inclusive family engagement is essential for student success and should address language, cultural, and technology barriers.
- Many school districts serve families who speak dozens of different languages, making multilingual communication a necessity.
- Consistency in communication methods and tools helps families stay informed and reduces confusion.
- Understanding and honoring families’ preferred communication channels and times increases engagement.
- Unified platforms like Bloomz can streamline communication and offer translation features to reach all families.
- AI-powered tools can instantly translate messages and reduce the workload for educators.
- Overwhelming families and teachers with too many apps or tools can hinder engagement; simplicity is key.
- Collaboration between teachers, technology leaders, and school engagement teams is vital for effective outreach.
- Starting small—by addressing one communication challenge at a time—can lead to sustainable improvements.
- Providing training and support for families on how to use communication tools ensures no one is left behind.
