Thinking about Technology and Parent/Teacher Conferences

I have been thinking a lot this week about my future as an educator and what the parent/teacher conference will look like for me and the parents and children I serve. I heard a discussion on NPR the other day and one educator mentioned that they do student led conferences, where students present their best work to their parents after reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses. Obviously with younger students, this would not work without much help from the teacher, but for older students I can see this being extremely beneficial. It's similar to what we are doing in the Computers in Education course where we learn via various technology projects and develop a portfolio of our work. I envision a combination of elements where the student led conference showcases the work of the student, addresses areas of concern, and allows the student to present in a way that suits them. Students can use as much or as little technology as possible, doing e-portfolios or paper portfolios and present their information live, via video, via audio, or via text. I haven't done any online research on this yet since I am busy with other homework, but it's fun to consider breaking away from the traditional format where parents and teachers talk about a child when they aren't present. I think having the student there can solidify the notion that parents and teachers are working together in support of a child's education. Requiring reflection on the part of the student empowers and creates an environment where learners are active participants in their own learning. I look forward to learning more and incorporating low-tech and high-tech components into my idea of student led conferences.