TOP PICKS | 14 TOOLS
Best Messaging Apps and Websites for Students, Teachers, and Parents
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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.
SchoolCNXT
Stellar translation, speech features boost parent-teacher messenger
Bottom line: If your school or district makes the investment, this is a neat and accessible way to keep parents engaged.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Free
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.
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 management and messaging tool helps recognize, reward students
Bottom line: With thoughtful classroom implementation, it can help students, teachers, and parents support students' growth through goal-setting 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
Otus
Free LMS feels rich in offering data-driven differentiated instruction
Bottom line: This teacher-created site solves more problems than it causes, but it will take some up-front professional development to take full advantage.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free, Paid Otus is free for teachers and students and includes data management and progress monitoring features. The district plan ranges from $3 to $12 per student up to a certain number and then decreases with increased enrollment.
Seesaw: The Learning Journal
Versatile digital portfolio appeals to teachers, students, and parents
Bottom line: Students can showcase their work in text, pictures, videos, and more.
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.
Remind
Teachers' text reminders give students -- and parents -- a reason to check their phones
Bottom line: Well-designed, widespread messaging tool can keep students and families connected with their schools -- provided they have access.
Grades: 1–12
Price: Free 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 with are also available.
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.
Schoology
Top-tier LMS for digital classrooms
Bottom line: To make the most of Schoology, you'll need some ramp-up time and great tasks and assessments, but it can offer rich learning and collaboration experiences.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free The Basic version is free to instructors. There's a paid Enterprise version that adds administration features attractive to districts. Call for pricing.
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.
Teachers.io
Organizational tool helps teachers plan, communicate with students
Bottom line: Scheduling solution for teachers is at its best when used alongside student homework app.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free
