TOP PICKS | 17 TOOLS
Apps and Websites for Improving Parent-Teacher Communication
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Messaging & Announcements
ParentSquare
Versatile communication tool fosters parent engagement and involvement
Bottom line: A convenient way to help schools streamline communication among administrators, support staff, teachers, and parents.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Paid An initial one-time fee of $300 per school includes setup and training. After, there's a yearly service fee of $4 per student for the main features or $5 per student to add smart alerts, as well as maintenance fees of $200 per school per year.
TalkingPoints
Basic multilingual texting tool enhances school-to-home communication
Bottom line: Easy-to-use tool for supporting communication and engagement with families in any of 20 languages.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Free, Paid The app is free for teachers to use. Schools can request a quote for school-wide use (per student charge).
ClassDojo
Handy classroom management and portfolio tool promotes student growth
Bottom line: Taking full advantage of the features can help students, teachers, and parents support students' growth through goal-setting, feedback, and celebration.
Grades: K–6
Price: Free
Bloomz
Full-featured parent-teacher communication platform
Bottom line: Provided all parents have access, Bloomz can be a great way to get them involved.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
ClassTag
Flexible user-friendly tool gets parents and teachers in sync
Bottom line: A fabulous way to coordinate the little sign-ups that make a big difference.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
Remind
Teachers' text reminders keep students -- and parents -- up to speed
Bottom line: Well-designed, highly effective messaging tool has the potential to keep students and families connected with their schools.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Free, Paid Remind is free, but if you use it to fundraise for events, they charge a fee of $0.50 per transaction. School and district plans are also available.
Athena's Workshop
Texting platform for students, parents, has extra classroom features
Bottom line: With creative use, this robust platform could help close the gap between in- and out-of-classroom learning.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Paid Plans vary by school size. Estimate $1 per student/per year. Normal text-messaging rates will also apply.
Smart classroom tool if used with care; priceless for PLNs
Bottom line: Twitter offers something for everyone: information, resources, and an easy way to connect with just about anyone.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
Portfolio Tools
Sesame
Portfolio and communication tool makes formative assessment a snap
Bottom line: A useful way for teachers, students, and parents to monitor progress and demonstrate holistic evidence of learning.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Free, Paid The Lite version is free for up to five classes. The Pro version is $120/year and includes more analytical, feedback, and customization options. The School version is $1,000/year for every 10 teachers and includes year-over-year data, single student profiles, and Google Apps and SIS integration.
Seesaw: The Learning Journal
Versatile digital portfolio appeals to teachers, students, and parents
Bottom line: A powerful multimedia learning and communication tool that demonstrates student progress over time.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free, Paid Seesaw Plus is $120 per year, and gives teachers more privacy options and other features. Seesaw for Schools, which includes school-wide reporting, is priced per student.
FreshGrade
A fresh way to capture, document, and share student learning
Bottom line: Multimedia documentation tools help communicate learning and expand assessment, and the addition of a gradebook sets this tool apart; still, student experience could use some polish.
Grades: 3–9
Price: Free Free for teachers, district pricing is available.
Bulb
Slick portfolio tool has cool features, limited feedback options
Bottom line: A neat tool for publishing online, possibly better suited to teacher content creation than student publishing.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free, Paid The basic version is free. For $9 per user per year, teachers can get more space and added features. Schools can contact the developer for district pricing.
Websites & Class Blogs
Edublogs
Customizable classroom blogs get students writing and collaborating
Bottom line: This rich and safe blogging tool makes it easy for teachers and students to extend the classroom into a wider community.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free, Paid Basic free version. $7.95 per month or $39.95 per year for Pro account.
Weebly
Impressively easy-to-use website-creation tool
Bottom line: Helpfully walks students through each step of website creation, and teachers can control access and monitor progress.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free, Paid Basic features are available for free. Weebly has optional Pro account features for $39.95 per year, and they offer add-on packs of student accounts (10 accounts for $10) if teacher needs exceed the 40 accounts that are included.
Blogger
Versatile, easy-to-use blog platform best used with teacher guidance
Bottom line: With teacher support and guidance, motivated kids will find this easy-to-use and eye-catching platform a fun place to share their voices.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free
Google Sites
Make your own website with customizable templates
Bottom line: With a few clicks, kids can design and populate a unique website, but customization requires multiple layers of directions.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
WordPress
Inviting, customizable mobile blog platform with easy-to-use interface
Bottom line: Wordpress's app makes it easy to create and edit blog posts, manage comments, and view friends' blogs, and could be an indispensable tool for communication and collaboration if well-implemented.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
