Parent Communication / Assessment

                       
                   What is Remind?

It is a safe, classroom-friendly communication website and app where teachers can send messages, en masse or targeted, to individuals or groups without disclosure of anyone's personal contact information. Messages can also be translated into over 70 languages. While Remind used to be a one-way messaging app, new features allow parents and students to respond as well, but users can independently decide to disable this feature. Teachers can share text, audio, or video messages as well as links, files, and images. Users can even collect funds for fundraisers, supplies, or events (with a small fee per transaction).

Remind is a well-designed, highly effective messaging tool has the potential to keep students and families connected with their schools.  

Sign-up is easy: Simply add members by sharing a link, having them text a class code to a five-digit number, or sending them a PDF with written instructions.  After a confirmation text, they'll begin receiving all messages through either SMS or email.

Teachers can manage up to 10 classes with an unlimited number of subscribers per class. While Remind is great for sending reminders about homework and assignments, other options for productivity allow teachers to set office hours, create collaborative groups, add co-teachers, get read-receipts, and schedule messages.

Pros: With over 70 languages and options to share files and links, it's easy to keep students and parents informed and involved.

Cons: Not everyone has access to a smart phone and hope that your device is fully charged.

This app I am currently using as a parent.  I have not actually used this app as teacher.  Both of my children's teacher use this app to keep us up to date on everything that is happening within the classroom.  They REMIND us of upcoming events, changes in the lunch, activities that are happening at the school, etc.  This app has really kept my mom game up.  If it were not for those alerts I know I would have forgotten it was Patriots day, or wear your favorite color day, etc.  And let's be honest.  Our phones are attached at our hips.  It is more likely for us to read a message on remind that we are being alerted for then we would read a paper being sent home from school (I am still one of those parents that read and go through my boy's folders every day the second they come home), but those little reminders from the phone really stick with me.

This app has really kept me up to date with what is happening in my children's classroom.

Another parent communication app that I love is Class Dojo. 

As I mentioned in a previous Blog about scribing and tracking students progress, this app is a great way for teachers to communicate with parents.  You can easily send and receive messages from your smart device.  Reminders can be sent out and pictures of classroom activities can be posted so parents can see what is taking place in the classroom.