Teachers can use WhatsDue to help students and parents stay organized, especially as it relates to turning in assignments on time. However, because families will require access to technology and the willingness to download the app, teachers should not rely on WhatsDue as their only method of connecting between families and school. It's an excellent option, but will not work for all students or all situations.
Continue readingWhatsDue is a communication and classroom management app that offers teachers a way to share their calendar and classroom events, such as assignments and quizzes, with students and their parents. There's a web-based version teachers can use to manage classes, and then iOS and Android apps for students and parents. Families can check important dates and receive notifications when they're coming up. These notifications are voluntary -- students and parents will have to set the app to send them notifications, which is different from some of the one way text messaging apps available. Students can also select the intervals they want for their due date reminders. The most important part of WhatsDue isn't the reminders, however, but the "to do" list, which offers families a clear, easy to read list of upcoming assignments, events, and quizzes. As with many other electronic to-do applications, students can simply swipe to remove completed items. Teachers can organize their lists and add new types of events, such as school lunches or field trips, as well as the pre-loaded choices (assignments, quizzes, homework, etc.)
Communication between parents and teachers is key to helping students succeed, and WhatsDue provides a simple, effective way for families to stay in touch. It eliminates the need for parents to contact the teacher asking about missed assignments, and will likely be very helpful to students who have difficulty organizing their own assignments and are always carrying around a smartphone. For many students, the traditional structure of writing things down is no longer feasible or practical; this allows them to use their phones and tablets in a way many of them will already be used to.