Beatriz and Luis are a young couple with children who have launched a fantastic project to help mothers and fathers strengthen relationships around some of the issues that concern us most: they are all those that have a relationship with the school of our children.
The project ?, it is called 'La Puerta del Cole', and then I tell you what it is. But first I would like to draw attention to all the positive aspects of the communication of parents, mothers, grandparents, uncles, caregivers ... at the time of entering and leaving school. At the door of the school the problems in the classrooms are commented, solutions are generated, birthdays are organized, concern is expressed about that flu that many of the students in the class have taken, community networks are woven that will help us in special situations, they plan excursions, the meetings convened by the AMPA or the teachers, etc. are communicated. This Puerta del Cole is very special, because from the Internet possibilities, It has become a social network that will help parents, that although they are firmly committed to the care and education of their children, they live in a crazy world, in which sometimes it is impossible to reach everything.
We, we have talked with Luis, and Beatriz, we wanted to be told in the first person more things about La Puerta del Cole. And I have to tell you that we have loved your enthusiasm, and the illusion that has been put into the project. They are communication professionals in the Internet sector, they are also parents, and the latter is what really gives consistency to this new resource. Do you want to meet them?
Peques y Más.- How did you come up with the idea of this special Cole Gate?
Cole Gate.- Precisely we came up at the door of the school, hence the name, waiting for the departure of our children. We only agreed with 3 or 4 parents and it was impossible to organize things for lack of consensus such as the realization of a costume, a joint birthday, asking who could lend us or change some books, etc.
Luis, my husband and I, then think about creating an online environment where we can communicate. At first, it was only for our son's class, but we realized that it was not just our problem, it would surely be that of many parents.
The current problem, not only encompasses parents who cannot go find their children to school, goes much further. Every day the children have more extracurricular classes, inside and outside the center, so the exits do not occur instantaneously. Communication between parents begins to be impossible, both for parents who pick up children and those who cannot
PyM.- As I have read you are parents, I agree with you that even the parents most committed to the education of their children, have difficulties to 'reach everything'. How does 'The Door of the Cole' help us?
PDC.- Being able to communicate with the rest of the parents at any time of the day is an advantage. Our children spend half the day with other children and their personality and education are taking shape with all those around them.
It is important to meet the parents of our children's classmates. Not only because that's how we tell ourselves about the news of the school, but because by being in contact, parents can discuss issues that concern us all simultaneously.
PyM.- What do parents and mothers lose when they are not present in small meetings at the school gate for work reasons? What concrete solutions does your social network propose?
PDC.- For a few years we have given a radical change to our customs. Most of us remember that our parents picked us up at school and chatted for a while while we played. In those moments, between chascarrillos, common lines of education and teamwork of parents were discussed.
The current problem, not only encompasses parents who cannot go find their children to school, goes much further. Every day the children have more extracurricular classes, inside and outside the center, so the exits do not occur instantaneously. Communication between parents begins to be impossible, both for parents who pick up children and those who cannot.
At the exit of the cabbages, there is usually talk of problems that have occurred among the children, if you pass me the uniform of your son, that mine is sure that it is worth it, if I like the English extracurricula last year ... to the day of the things that happen in the classes of the children and that they never get to tell you.
It is very important that our children also see that we care about that part of their life, that we are interested in their world, their problems with their peers and that they also see that you also know some things that they have not told you.
It is important to meet the parents of our children's classmates. Not only because that is how we tell each other about school news, but also because we are in contact with parents, we can discuss issues that concern us all simultaneously
PyM.- Can any school in Spain be accessed? In fact, when entering the educational center of our children, we can find a lot of useful information such as advertisements, photos, surveys, what advantages does the members of La Puerta del Cole have Share this data?
PDC.- All the schools that appear in our database belong to the Non-University Teaching Centers registry of the Ministry of Education. However, there are parents who have contacted us to register new centers that did not appear, such as some private kindergartens, or grouped rural schools (the latter only includes the main school and not the grouped ones)
In each center we can find a basic file with the fundamental data. However, the most interesting part is in the activity of the center. In this space we can find forums, surveys, images and videos.
These forums are open and serve both parents with children enrolled in the center, as well as people who are looking for school and ask the rest of the parents for their opinion. The center can also participate with an “Institutional User” that La Puerta del Cole puts at your disposal. In this space, the center can share images and videos on a secure network.
Surveys are a way of assessing the opinion of the rest of the center's parents on a topic that you or the center can raise. It is very useful to make a decision through voting. For example, in a school there is a mother who asked if the rest of the parents believed that a fish called panga should be removed from the menu.
The Puerta del Cole is the 2.0 taken to schools. Centers and parents have two-way communication, leaving aside the classic communications via "circulate in the backpack"
The most private level of La Puerta del Cole is in the classes. When you register your child, you access a private space that is his class. Only parents who have their children in the same class (or same educational level) participate in this space.
PyM ... - How do you take care of the privacy of the members of the social network you have created?
PDC.- By default, all fields are private. All information regarding minors is especially protected.
But when you register your profile you can configure what information you want to be private. Only people who have mutually confirmed friendship can see more private information, as in real life.
In classes, spaces that contain information about minors are disabled by default until a parent in the class recognizes you and accepts each other's friendship, for example the yearbook or the birthday date board.
In this regard we were especially careful, and we have spent a lot of time in legal and information security audits. We are the first interested in taking care of the identity of our children.
PyM.- From what I have seen, the Puerta del Cole, also fulfills an informative function since there are a number of articles on childhood, is it possible for any member to publish? What requirements are required?
PDC.- Any member can send us an article. First of all it should be a topic that is of general interest to the rest of the community. The article is valued by our team and if it is accepted we launch it.
PyM.- I imagine you expect to have a lot of acceptance from fathers and mothers, and what do you say about the schools? Would it be good if they also contributed their grain of sand?
PDC.- Nothing would make us more excited that all parents loved our initiative. It would mean we were not crazy when we started and that the two years of hard work are valued by users.
At the moment we have had an overwhelming welcome, but it is necessary that the parents themselves promote it among their classes in order to create a true community and be useful.
Many centers have contacted us to see what they can do. We have delivered your Institutional User and have already joined the parents' conversation.
But nevertheless, We know that there are centers that prefer that parents are not communicated, because they have a power situation thanks to that. We hope to change that idea little by little. The conversation always improves the brand and the consumer. In this case parents and centers.
In classes, spaces that contain information about minors are disabled by default until a parent of the class recognizes you and accepts each other's friendship, for example the yearbook or the birthday date board
PyM.- Do you know what your children think about La Puerta del Cole?
PDC.- Our children are still very young and do not know very well what exactly La Puerta del Cole is, but occasionally it sneaks into their conversations, as do other current affairs.
After the interview, we would like to thank Beatriz and Luis for their willingness, we have loved having you among us, and we also appreciate the clarity in the answers, and the speed with which you have given us collaboration.
We wish you many successes with La Puerta del Cole, although surely the work and time invested in the project set a good precedent for everything to work phenomenally.
And to the parents who read us, now you know that (without dispensing with the doors of your children's school), now you also have a virtual space to be able to communicate.
