Review by Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Education | Updated January 2018
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Homeroom

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Simple photo-sharing tool offers limited classroom options

Grades This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
K–12
Great for:
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Price:  Free, Paid Pictures can be compiled into a photo book for purchase through the site.
Platforms:  Website

Take a look inside

5 images
Setting up an album takes just a few steps and can be done through a Facebook or Google sign-in.
Posts and photos show up in a timeline-style feed. Photos can also be viewed in a gallery.
Default settings allow any group member to post; teachers may want to change that before adding members.
After setting up the class, invite users by email or send out a code to join.
Pictures can be compiled into a photo book for purchase through the site; banner ads remind users of that option.

Pros: Navigating the interface is intuitive, and setup is quick.

Cons: Missing key features for classroom use like private messaging and photo editing.

Bottom Line: Share photos, videos, and posts with students' families, but don't expect the versatility and features of similar tools.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Teachers can use Homeroom to give parents a glimpse into the fun and learning happening in their classrooms every day. All of the posts in the album are visible to all group members, however, so posting individual student work wouldn't be as smooth as it is with other tools like Seesaw. Teachers could appoint a journalist-for-the-day (or week) to document class work and activities in videos and photos and share them through Homeroom. Teachers could also use the tool for regular parent communication, posting announcements in addition to sharing photos and videos. Be sure to consult your school's privacy policy before sharing photos of students or students' work. 

 

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Put this tool into practice:

Homeroom is a website (and iOS and Android app) for teachers to share private classroom albums with students' families. Teachers can post text, videos, and photos to the Homeroom timeline feed; photos can also be viewed in a gallery format. Setup takes a couple of steps: naming the album and inviting users by email. There's also an option to invite a batch of users using a link. The default setting allows any member to post, but teachers can control that in the settings, restricting posts to administrators and allowing parents to comment and "like" posts. Posts can be deleted but not edited, and there's no option for photo cropping or editing in the tool.

High school teachers might use Homeroom as a safer, more regulated class social medium, but the appeal is mostly for parents. The privacy policy and terms of service specify the tool is for users 13 and older, so for younger students, use is limited to only their parents. Apps are available for both iOS and Android, so teachers and parents can connect across platforms. But there are no options for private messaging, or editing posts or photos, so classroom use is restricted. The monetizing focus of the site seems to be the option to create a photo book using pictures posted to the album, and banner ads appear to remind the user. Overall, Homeroom is simple and easy to use, but there are other tools out there -- like Seesaw or FreshGrade -- that provide more options for teachers who want to give families a view into the classroom. 

 

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

The interactive stream of posts and photos involve family members in class activities. Students will be excited to share what they're doing in class and read comments from group members.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Homeroom allows teachers to share with families the fun and learning happening inside their classrooms every day, but the tool doesn't offer much beyond sharing posts and photos.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

Setting up Homeroom is intuitive, especially to users of other social media platforms. However, a lack of options for editing posts and photos makes its use burdensome. 

Common Sense Reviewer
Amanda Bindel Classroom teacher
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