Communication Tools
Remind 101 - enables teachers to send out text message reminders to parents and students. Privacy is key with Remind101 as the system functions without Teachers ever seeing Student/Parent phone numbers and without Students/Parents ever seeing the Teacher’s phone number. Once the teacher creates the ‘class’ on Remind101, students and parents simply text the group number to enroll. They will immediately start receiving reminder texts when the teacher sends them out. The teacher can manage up to 10 classes and can easily schedule messages to be dispatched in the future, a ‘set and forget’ feature.
Appletree - Formerly BuzzMob, Appletree lets you send updates and reminders, share assignments and push notifications, add events with photos, videos, and more, notify parents in case of emergency, keep parents informed with one-touch progress reports, and chat with multi-language translation
bloomz - All the tools you need to communicate with today's parents in one easy-to-use, free app
Celly - This tool is unique in that it basically sets up a mini social network for you and your students/parents. Once the ‘cell’ is created people join by linking their cell phones or joining in using the iOS or Android app. Phone numbers are kept private, which is great for an educational environment. Cells can have a moderator (perfect for the teacher) that is able to ensure communication is appropriate and on-topic. Beyond simple communication, Celly has been used to create study groups, for communication between teams/clubs, as a student response system (clicker), feedback, and notes.There are tons of opportunities for using Celly in education or at events that are sponsored by your building. Check out this FYI section that gives a great rundown of some of the features of Celly: http://cel.ly/faq
Class Messenger - Makes it effortless for teachers to send home important notes and updates about the day’s learning experiences, as well as creating surveys, attaching forms, and scheduling meetings. They can even see exactly which parents have read each note. And whether via app or email, communication through Class Messenger is always private.
Google Hangouts - Allows users to initiate and participate in text, voice or video chats, either one-on-one or in a group. Hangouts are built into Google+ and Gmail, and mobile Hangouts apps are available for iOS and Android devices.
Backchannel Chats
A backchannel chat is a live chat that accompanies class discussion, and is a great way to do exit ticket activities. While these chat tools aren't anonymous, Chatzy, Today’s Meet, or Ning can be powerful. Students can take notes as you teach together, and you can check for understanding by having them type answers to questions. Another avenue would be group note taking in Google Docs. (If you need to have anonymous chat, you could set something up in Google Forms.)
One tip: If you ask a question and want everyone to answer, have a rule that you cannot repeat a previous answer -- each response must be slightly different and add something to what we know. Afterward, export the chat and share it with the class as notes for the day.
(Info and ideas from 5 Fantastic, Fast Formative Assessment Tools by Vicki Davis)
A backchannel chat is a live chat that accompanies class discussion, and is a great way to do exit ticket activities. While these chat tools aren't anonymous, Chatzy, Today’s Meet, or Ning can be powerful. Students can take notes as you teach together, and you can check for understanding by having them type answers to questions. Another avenue would be group note taking in Google Docs. (If you need to have anonymous chat, you could set something up in Google Forms.)
One tip: If you ask a question and want everyone to answer, have a rule that you cannot repeat a previous answer -- each response must be slightly different and add something to what we know. Afterward, export the chat and share it with the class as notes for the day.
(Info and ideas from 5 Fantastic, Fast Formative Assessment Tools by Vicki Davis)
TodaysMeet – This online collaboration tool allows educators to create a “room” in which students can share ideas, answers and thoughts to lectures and lessons. Educators can view student responses in real time for evidence of learning.
- Chatzy is simple, free and has no popup ads, no registration steps (so students can join instantly) and works on all major browsers.
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