Typically my email inbox is sparse.
I try to keep the communication broad and frequent so the members of the learning community know what we've done, what we're doing, and what we plan to do. Hence there's usually little need for emails except for important, timely matters.
I use the following communication vehicles and patterns:
Daily
- Twitter: Daily updates with a class hashtag: #team14hh and professional share.
- Professional Blog and Google+ : Professional reflection and share
- Email: To announce newsletter updates, one-to-one correspondence, collegial share.
- Newsletter Website: A Website that host regular newsletters, and provides a snapshot of the year.
- Weekly Schedule (template example) Shared with all members of learning community: students, families, colleagues, and leaders.
Regularly
- Website: A reference book for the class--a go to place for general class information and links.
- Content Websites: Related to specific teaching and learning units. (example)
- Class Blogs: Showcase blogs of student work and share. (example)
I analyzed this process last year and wrote the reflections in this blog post.
Are your communication platforms and patterns similar? What else do you use? I noticed that Pernille Rip does a video newsletter which could be a great weekly addition particularly if students created and published the reports.
This is a good time of year to try out ideas for next year, and a good time of year to rethink, revise, and update communication patterns.
