Remind

Send messages instantly to parents from your phone WITHOUT giving out your phone number. This app allows you to send mass text messages, individual text messages, and even voice messages to parents of students in your class. Remind is changing the way you communicate with parents. Districts are even using this app to communicate with teachers and parents. It is making mass communication easier- no more dialing phone numbers of all parents! Remind can be used through any device or computer.

Negatives: Remind is only used as a communication tool with parents. New apps are coming out every day that are including a communication tool with the other features of the app.

Lesson Ideas: Since this is a classroom management and communication tool, there is not much that you can do in the classroom with it. However, when you are telling parents about it, be sure to have a sample of it pulled up on your phone to show them how easy it is to use.

If you want to use this for your classroom, simply sign up online. Below I have outlined the steps to get your Remind account started.

The first screen that will come up after you hit sign up will ask you to enter your email address. Then this is the next screen. You are asked to enter your first and last name and a password for your account.

The next step is for you to tell them who you are because this will dictate what your home screen will look like as well as what options you have for instructions.

Teachers, it will ask you what you want parents and students to call you in order to be as professional as possible throughout this communication tool.

After you specify your name, you will create a class. This is the class name that will be shown to parents upon signing up. If you teach multiple classes and/or grade levels this is where you will specify the class that you are messaging. There is no limit to the number of classes you can create in this app.

After creating your class name, it will ask you to link your school with your class. Search for the school that you teach at and if you can't find it, you can add it yourself and type in the information about your school.

This is your home screen when you complete the set-up. When you click on Add people, the following options to invite parents to join are available.

The first option is to enter the names and phone numbers or email addresses for parents that you have already spoken with about the app and have given permission to use their information. If you have not spoken to parents about it yet, there are three options for you to use to notify them of the program you will be using to communicate important information. Those three options are below.

The first option is a print-out PDF file that has a specific code and message that the parents should enter. It gives them step-by-step instructions to connect with your specific class. There is also translations in many different languages if you need it for your parents.

If you are physically with the parents (perhaps at Open House or Curriculum Night), you can display this screen and the parents can follow the instructions to get signed up right then and there.

The final option is to share links with parents through an email. You should have the email addresses of parents after registration and you can simply send them a message and a copy of the link where they can sign up for the Remind app.

Once you have entered the names and information of parents or they have signed up themselves, their names will appear on your home screen. To the right, there is a message bubble with a plus inside it. This will bring you to the next screen where you can message that person.