Parental involvement is pivotal in the academic development of students. And one way to get the parents involved is by creating reliable communication channels. Teacher-parent communication helps create a synergy between parents and teachers, which they can use to offer the best possible education to students, at home, and at school.
The primary purpose of teacher-parent communication is to keep parents and guardians abreast of what is going on in the academic life of their children.
But doing so can be challenging, considering the number of students in your class; hence, the need for EdTech tools. We will briefly discuss five EdTech tools to help you create and maintain a cordial relationship with parents and guardians.
Five EdTech Tools to Boost Teacher-Parent Communication
These tools are secure, compatible with iOS and Android, accessible online, and easy to navigate. They include:
Remind
TalkingPoints
ClassDojo
Bloomz
Classting
Remind
Remind is a free app and web-based platform that allows parents and teachers to stay connected anywhere, anytime. As a teacher, you can send messages to parents individually or collectively to update them on their children's schoolwork or notify them of classroom and school-based events. Moreover, you can share files, pictures, videos, audio, and links. You can also communicate separately in real-time with students.
TalkingPoints
TalkingPoints is a multilingual messaging application that allows teachers to communicate with parents/guardians in their preferred languages via an internet-enabled device. It supports over a hundred languages and is very effective for guardians who are not so comfortable communicating in English. And like Remind, you can share files, links, and any other form of digital media. It has a simple design interface, which makes it easy to set up an account with little or no help and send message invites to parents.
ClassDojo
Although originally known as a classroom management tool, ClassDojo is now one of the reliable EdTech tools for boosting teacher-parent communication. It helps you create a culture of accountability to parents. You can share updates, assignment briefs, pictures of learners, and more to parents during and after learning hours. ClassDojo also offers translations to over thirty languages. Meanwhile, the app is compatible with any internet-enabled smartphone, tablet, or PC.
Bloomz
This free EdTech tool facilitates seamless communication between parents and students. The good thing about this tool is that it has an offline texting option. In other words, you don't need an internet connection to send messages to parents. You can also schedule one-on-one meetings with parents to discuss the welfare of their child(ren) in school. Furthermore, Bloomz supports over fifty languages, allowing parents/guardians to interact in their preferred language.
Classting
Classting is an educational messaging platform where teachers can interact with parents/guardians and keep them updated on their children's academic performance. You can also share class content with students and communicate with them while they're at home. It is free and safe to use. The app allows different forms of media and file sharing.
One common feature of these EdTech tools is that there are no limitations to connecting with parents when it concerns students and their school life. However, to properly utilize any of these tools, you need a database of parents/guardians. You can create a spreadsheet including their names, phone numbers, emails, preferred languages, children's names, etc. This will help maintain effective communication.
Finally, you can contact us if you experience any challenges while creating an account on any EdTech tool mentioned above.