FERPA

Personally, I think FERPA is a good thing to have.  I am sorry that it is so overlooked or misrepresented.  Technology is great is the classroom.  Having blogs or wikis like anyother thing could save lots of time in the classroom.  However, people have to be informed.  What are the procedures that should be implemented in the classroom.  Educate the parents as to what exactly and how you are going to use technology.  A lot of times parents do not know or understand what is going on and therefore refuse to try anything new.  Just as grading papers and displaying students work needs to be accomplished but with a childs privacy protected. 

Things that could help when using technology:  have the parents give permission, have a parents night and show them how technology is going to used with a blog or wiki and have the students sign a contract also stating that they will follow procedures in the classroom.  The more detailed you get with procedures the more the procedures will be followed without problems.  Let the parents and the students SEE what will be happening in the classroom.