Friday, June 3, 2011

Do Schools share too much with parents?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/05/31/digital.helicopter.parent/
Schools now have the technology to allow parents to monitor their children's status on class projects, grades, and missing, late, or incomplete assignments. However you feel about this change, it is a change that will have an impact on our students.

'Helicopter parents' is a term that refers to a parent whose child is in college and who has the desire to fly in and fly out with the purpose of rescuing their children in distress.(ABC News: 20/20 television Series) Parenting is a difficult task and has many more challenges ahead.  Enter technology and the accessibility it now offers.  If you know you can help your child, why wouldn't you?  Universities are inundated with phone calls from parents with all sort of requests to assist their children.

I believe that one must practice some caution in this age of transparency in schools. Parents do indeed have the 'upper-hand' with their children.  All of this information, parents didn't have before, now must come with some precaution. One should keep in mind, that part of the learning, is to teach students to try and solve issues and problems on their own.

What are your thoughts?