Each day as I read through hundreds of Twitter posts, I am amazed at all of the new technology (Voxer, Domo, Edmodo, LiveBinders etc) that educators are embracing. The latest apps, software and technological advances are coming at light speed and each day I feel as if I am falling behind with the newest and greatest innovation for educators. That’s why this school year I have made a new commitment to explore one new app, platform or piece of software each month to educate myself and my faculty on the best new technology. My goal is to explore and integrate the technology into my own day and then introduce it to my faculty to enhance their “technology toolbox.” By the end of the year, teachers will have a variety of technology options to use in the classroom to enhance student learning.

I decided to begin with “REMIND” or formerly “Remind 101”. Remind is a free service that enables teachers to text students in their classes in a safe manner. The teacher and students never see each other’s phone numbers. I thought that this would also be a good tool to use as an administrator. It takes a long time to input every faculty member’s phone number into a group text and REMIND enables everyone to sign up easily through one email invitation. I began using REMIND last January as an easy way to text my entire faculty with the latest information. My original goal was to use REMIND as a way to communicate with faculty during a crisis. However, I ended up using it for much more! Throughout the past six months, I have used REMIND as a fast communication method to remind faculty about upcoming meetings, snow emergency, parking issues etc. and teachers appreciate getting their messages without having to check email.

Once I began to explore REMIND, I realized that I had only scratched the surface of what this service can do for all educators. Their website (https://www.remind.com) is well designed and is very “teacher friendly“ with a visionary mission, “to connect every teacher, student and parent to improve education.” REMIND has a “Teacher’s Board” that advises on all REMIND products to make everything as simple as possible for teachers with templates, resources, and a tip sheet with the top ways to use REMIND for teachers or coaches:

1. Send reminders for homework, sports practice, a meeting etc.
2. Send links to articles and resources
3. Send pictures capturing the day’s lesson or events
4. Send trivia or warm-up questions to students or test questions that can be scheduled.
5. Send permission slips directly to parent’s phones
6. Send assignments to student’s phones
7. Send parents important information or information as simple as “Ask your son/daughter about today’s assembly.”
8. Send encouraging words to students

This list gave me a great foundation for new ways I could use REMIND in my own school when classes begin next week. The website also posts helpful blogs with fantastic ideas to improve teacher-student communication.  For instance, REMIND can be a huge asset for the Guidance Department. Counselors can use REMIND to notify juniors and seniors of important deadlines or send scheduled videos or information on filling out applications and the FAFSA. REMIND is a great tool for coaches as well!  The volleyball coaches at Millbrook High School (@stolly23 @swb1321) have already signed up their teams for this school year as an easy way to notify families of games and practices.

With some creativity, REMIND can be used in a myriad of ways in schools to improve communication between teachers, students and families. If you have used REMIND, please share your story!