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What are pros and cons of making videos with students or by students? What are pros and cons of different programs?

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Windows, Linux, Apple

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Jahshaka is the future of immersive digital content creation. It gives you the power to create virtual worlds in a environment that's both powerful and easy to use.

Jahshaka's authoring system allows you to create virtual worlds both inside and outside of virtual space. It has access to libraries of pre built content, and let's you easily publish to the web so you can easily share your virtual experiences.
Find out more

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Jahshaka is the future of immersive digital content creation. It gives you the power to create virtual worlds in a environment that's both powerful and easy to use. Jahshaka's authoring system allows you to create virtual worlds both inside and outside of virtual space.

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Apple

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iMovie for iOS and iMovie for macOS make it easy to turn your photos and video clips into stunning movies or trailers and share them with the world.

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Windows & Apple

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You could make amazing videos! It's easy with Filmora!

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Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor for Windows, Mac) is an easy and powerful video editing tool to edit & personalize videos with rich music, text, filter, element.

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Windows

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iOS & Android

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iOS

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‎Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots and learn more about iMovie. Download iMovie and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

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Android

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VideoShow-Video Editor, Video Maker, Beauty Camera - Apps on Google Play

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★VideoShow - Video Editor and Movie Maker App Available VideoShow is ranked as the No.1 video editor & video maker app in many countries. It's the choice of 200 million users! The app has received numerous honors in the app markets, and has gained more than 2,000,000 five-star ratings.

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Android

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MiniMovie - Free Video and Slideshow Editor - Apps on Google Play

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Announcement] Please note that we have stopped development and maintenance of MiniMovie, therefore MiniMovie will no longer be supported on ZenFones running Android 8.1 or above. You can still use the previously downloaded MiniMovie. However, please be aware that MiniMovie may not work normally after the device system is updated to Android 8.1 or above.

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Windows Phone

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Android

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VivaVideo - Video Editor & Photo Movie - Apps on Google Play

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We are proud to announce - VivaVideo is an Amazing Video Maker with Music & Movie Maker that allows you to become a professional video creator in no time! #VivaVideo Key Features & Highlights POWERFUL VIDEO EDITOR - Fastest Videos Editing & Photo Movie app with amazing Slow Motion Video Editor inbuilt.

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Turn your students into safe, smart, responsible digital citizens and help your school keep valuable federal support for technology at the same time!

Get started by watching the overview tutorial, then access engaging lessons complete with plans, handouts, videos, assessments, and parent tip sheets on the tabs below.

Like what you see? Register as an educator to stay in touch and share this resource with your colleagues.

Your school and district need to keep a record of the Internet safety and digital citizenship education you've provided. Download and complete the Teacher Verification Document after you have taught the lessons above. Return this document, along with any other documentation your district requires, to your school's E-rate administrator.
Download the Teacher Verification Document

Learn more about E-rate and CIPA at www.usac.org/sl.

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Common Sense Education on E-rate and CIPA: Toolkit for Teachers | Common Sense Education

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Turn your students into safe, smart, responsible digital citizens and help your school keep valuable federal support for technology at the same time! Get started by watching the overview tutorial, then access engaging lessons complete with plans, handouts, videos, assessments, and parent tip sheets on the tabs below. Like what you see?

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Educators to develop best practices and identify curriculum under new policy

Washington State's new media education law (SSB6273) provides leadership for a growing number of states advocating for digital citizenship and media literacy education. Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is empowered to develop resources for teaching literacy that encompasses both new media and new technologies.

"This bill will launch a much-delayed conversation about education policy and the essential skills we need to be teaching our children today. Once signed into law, it takes us one big step closer to creating an environment for comprehensive media literacy education - to include safe interet use and digital citizenship," said Media Literacy Now President Erin McNeill. "Legislative momentum is surging in states across the country. Washington's language, supporting schools to take action, will be a model for other states."

State Sen. Marko Liias championed the legislation. "Digital citizenship is fundamentally important for our children and our society," he said. "All students need the skills to positively use media and digital technology. This legislation elevates instruction in 21st century skills as an educational priority."

Washington's Action for Media Education collaborated with the national Media Literacy Now organization in shaping the legislation with Senator Liias and guiding the bill through the legislative process.

"I'm encouraged that our children won't become victims to mass media messages that tell them who they are and how they should be. With critical thinking skills in place they'll be able to use media instead of being used by it," said Action for Media Education head Claire Beach.
Media Literacy Now works with states to develop laws implementing digital/media literacy education in schools. We provide policy and advocacy information, expertise, and resources to state chapters and others interested in digital/media literacy.

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Digital Citizenship and Internet Safety Education Law in Washington State is National Model

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Washington State's new media education law (SSB6273) provides leadership for a growing number of states advocating for digital citizenship and media literacy education. Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is empowered to develop resources for teaching literacy that encompasses both new media and new technologies.

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Digital Citizenship - Module 4 - OHSDTechTraining

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The goal of this resource is to provide you with easy to use and easy to apply technology training. The training was created through feedback from T3 Coaches, librarians, teachers, administrators, and IS Department technicians. Please note that this resource is a work-in-progress and we will continue to update and improve this site as needed.

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As of July, 2012, the latest CIPA (Child Internet Protection Act) requirements (part of the Broadband Data Improvement Act, AKA Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act) mandate that districts applying for federal E-Rate funding* must actually have programs in place for educating students about "appropriate online behavior including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and regarding cyberbullying awareness and response." In other words, districts must be teaching digital citizenship. Simply including anti-bullying policies in a school handbook, for instance, will not meet the requirement.

The new requirements do not mandate a specific curriculum nor do they provide specific implementation procedures for teaching internet safety-digital citizenship. Since it is up to each district or school site to determine its own E-Rate implementation plan, EGUSD has compiled a dynamic set of lessons posted to the EGUSD Digital Citizenship Curriculum Google Site. Note: Access to the Digital Citizenship Curriculum Google Site is limited to EGUSD staff only. You must use your district Google account to login.

In alignment with the CIPA requirements, all resources added to the EGUSD DigCit Curriculum Google Site focus on:

Appropriate online behavior (building a positive digital footprint, respecting intellectual property)

Safety and privacy

Cyberbullying awareness and response

*EGUSD uses E-Rate funding for:

Telecommunications - Voice communications, voice mail, or messaging.

Internet Access - Internet access and the power of video conferencing (making global connections possible from all school sites).

Infrastructure - Extending connectivity down to every classroom.

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As of July, 2012, the latest CIPA (Child Internet Protection Act) requirements (part of the Broadband Data Improvement Act, AKA Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act) mandate that districts applying for federal E-Rate funding* must actually have programs in place for educating students about "appropriate online behavior including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and regarding cyberbullying awareness and response."

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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How can we teach kids to use technology responsibly when the technology is changing faster than we can keep up? How do we foster the values of good digital citizenship in students who are old enough to scoff at the "thou shalts" and "thou shalt nots"?

Grappling with these questions is just the beginning of the digital citizenship conversation. Most educators recognize the need for it, but many are at a loss for how to teach it. Some have tried creative approaches and failed.

In classrooms where digital citizenship is taught effectively, the teachers often share two things in common: They model ethical technology use for their students on a daily basis, and they naturally incorporate conversations about it whenever technology is part of their lesson plan. In other words, they weave digital citizenship seamlessly throughout their curriculum.

Here are some resources to help:

Schools have long woven citizenship lessons into their curricula, but now that much of our social interaction happens online, many teachers are struggling to figure out how to teach students about responsible digital citizenship as well. Yet the two aren't that different. This infographic compares the basic tenets of traditional citizenship with the essential elements of digital citizenship.

Technology is changing faster than teachers can keep up, leaving many educators struggling to develop a cohesive digital citizenship curriculum. In this video, tech integration expert LeeAnn Lindsey discusses the main challenges schools need to address.

In a classroom where learning is already infused with technology, it's a simple matter to incorporate digital citizenship into any lesson. Kelly Mendoza from Common Sense Media offers three examples of how to slip digital citizenship into your regular activities.

Empower students to think critically, behave safely and participate responsibly in a digital world. Common Sense Media's K-12 curriculum is available as either an iBook or printable PDF.

Students are far more likely to absorb the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use when they see teachers modeling it on a regular basis. Explore how the ISTE Standards for Teachers address the need to model good digital citizenship.

Explore the major issues surrounding digital citizenship in schools with this self-paced online course. It includes resources, videos and lessons to help educators at all levels - from administrators to teachers to coaches - develop, model and facilitate digital citizenship skills.

As socialization increasingly shifts into the digital realm, something is getting lost in translation: empathy. One way to discourage cyberbullying is to help students build empathy skills. Discover three powerful approaches to counteracting the empathy gap.

How do we teach digital citizenship to older students, who don't respond well to lecturing and finger pointing? Instructional technology coordinator Cynde Reneau shares her strategies for guiding students to draw their own conclusions about cyberbullying.

Looking for a fun way to help younger students become more social media savvy? Flocabulary's animated rap video for kids offers 10 tips for appropriate posting and sharing on social media.

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9 resources for teaching digital citizenship

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How can we teach kids to use technology responsibly when the technology is changing faster than we can keep up? How do we foster the values of good digital citizenship in students who are old enough to scoff at the "thou shalts" and "thou shalt nots"?

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Acceptable Use Policy

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Welcome to the updated Digital Citizenship Website

Digital Citizenship is a concept which helps teachers, technology leaders and parents to understand what students/children/technology users should know to use technology appropriately. Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool; it is a way to prepare students/technology users for a society full of technology. Digital citizenship is the continuously developing norms of appropriate, responsible, and empowered technology use. Too often we are seeing students as well as adults misusing and abusing technology but not sure what to do. The issue is more than what the users do not know but what is considered appropriate technology usage.

The new Digital Citizenship Handbook for School Leaders: Fostering Positive Interactions Online by Mike Ribble and Marty Park, is now available at ISTE.org or Amazon.com

The Knights of 17th Street​is a fiction book for Young Adults that connects with the ideas of digital citizenship in an action filled format. Check out more information here.

Order the paperback or Kindle version from Amazon.

Digital Citizenship Today

The concept of Digital Citizenship is being viewed as an important area of educational knowledge not only in the United States but around the world. Whether it is called digital citizenship, digital wellness or digital ethics the issues are the same; how should we act when we are using digital tools, interacting with others online, and what should be taught to help the next generation be better stewards of this technology.

After 15 years working on this topic there has been some updating to the nine elements of Digital Citizenship. In addition to the updates to the the Digital Citizenship definition, as well as the Nine Elements a new Framework has been created to help users to understand and organize these themes. It is the S3 Framework (Safe, Savvy and Social). Go to the Nine Elements page to learn more about these changes.

Some great materials and discussions for our 2019 Digital Citizenship week! Here are a couple of conversations on the topic: Facebook Live with Tito de Morais (Portugal) - Facebook: facebook.com/cyberbullying.pt/videos/464966610778236/

YouTube: https://youtu.be/_HbNRzyoNBc and a Podcast with LaKisha Hudson (Dr. Hudson's Counseling Corner) Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-hudsons-counseling-corner/id1433902401#episodeGuid=Buzzsprout-1813330
YouTube: https://youtu.be/lF71q5x5Dn8 Buzzsprout: http://www.buzzsprout.com/152176

Working with Dr. Marty Park we have released a a new, updated book on Digital Citizenship titled - The Digital Citizenship Handbook for School Leaders: Fostering Positive Interactions Online. Once again we will be partnering with ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). Don't let the title scare you off, if you are looking for information on Digital Citizenship, you are a school leader. If you have questions or comments about the material found on this website please click on the Contact Us link to send us your information. If you are interested in reading more about Digital Citizenship please go to the Resources page then scroll down to Publications and click on the link for information you are interested in. See the latest article in Tech & Learning (Spring 2019) - Digital Citizenship Framework Updated

For those who are a member of ISTE please join the Digital Citizenship PLN (Professional Learning Network) to see how you can get involved. There is also a new initiative for everyone interested in the Digital Citizenship discussion - #digcitcommit. Go to the website - https://digcitcommit.org/ to join in. We need everyone to lend their voice to this topic.

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Digital Citizenship Consulting - Education, Technology Support

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Welcome to the updated Digital Citizenship Website Digital Citizenship is a concept which helps teachers, technology leaders and parents to understand what students/children/technology users should know to use technology appropriately. Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool; it is a way to prepare students/technology users for a society full of technology.

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10 Reasons Today's Students NEED Technology in the Classroom

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Technology is everywhere--entwined in almost every part of our culture. It affects how we live, work, play, and most importantly learn. With mobile and other wireless devices like the IoT becoming an increasing requirement across every industry today, it only makes sense that our schools are also effectively deploying mobile technology in the classroom.

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Kids think they know how to use the internet to search and find the information they need, but November has found through many interviews and school visits that often students have no idea why Google or any other search provider works the way it does. And they don't know how to phrase questions to get the answers they seek.

"Kids literally take their teachers assignment and Google it," November said. "They don't understand that Google doesn't speak English or any other language." He's tested his theory in classrooms, asking students to research the Iran Hostage Crisis. Students inevitably Googled the event and cited the first few pages that came up. But every resource was written from a U.S. perspective on an event that affected two very different countries.

"Your kids are not thorough," November said to the hundreds of educators gathered. "They don't see what they don't see, so it's really important that teachers challenge what's missing." Even more important is for students to learn the syntax of searching. To find sources from Iran students need to type "site:ir" in order to direct a search engine to explore that part of the internet. Even using that trick doesn't solve the problem because Iranians don't call that event "Iran Hostage Crisis," they call it " Conquest of the American Spy Den."

"It's my observation that we are not instilling a discipline and rigor of the grammar and syntax of the tool they are going to use more than anything else for homework," November said. And worse, when he asked kids about the kinds of assignments teachers give, students said 85 to 90 percent of the answers could be found with a quick internet search.

"I think we should give kids problems that you can't look up on the internet," November said. "Or, if you do, build the capacity to do it well." With the Iran Hostage Crises example, a teacher could require that students use sources from Iran, and could spend time brainstorming the right questions to ask a search engine to get the best information. These skills will help students throughout the rest of the school year and should be covered early.

"In the first 5 days I think we should front load really high level research skills," November said. That means teaching students to " power search" using Google operators, the words that define how Google searches. "A lot of kids have never used the advanced system of Google algorithms," November said. Without it, the internet is a vast space with little organization. November compared power searching to the Dewey Decimal System in a library - without it people are just wandering around a building hoping they find the right book.
MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS
Another important concept to impart within the first few days of school to students: you can make meaningful contributions to the world, no matter how old you are, November said. He described MathTrain, a website created by middle school math teacher Eric Marcos. Marcos asks his students to make math tutorials to help one another and posts them on the site. Some of the tutorials have been viewed over 50,000 times by people all over the world. When students learn their work can make an impact, they're not only more motivated, but they work harder.

"A global audience can be more motivating than a teacher in the classroom," November said. And kids love to connect with other kids, so why not give them that experience early in the school year and make it a regular occurrence. Most kids say they will ask a friend for help with something they don't understand before asking the teacher, November said. So why not let kids teach each other and help them see that what they are learning can help others.

"The best teachers were kids who had really struggled with the material and really understand what it's like to learn," November said. "Sometimes teachers suffer from knowing too much. The material they teach is easy to them and it can be hard to empathize with the stumbles of a new learner. Kids who have struggled with the material understand the pitfalls and can often explain them in ways other kids will understand.
ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR PASSIONS
The school year is often broken into so many units of study, standards to cover and snippets of time, that kids rarely get to work on one sustained project for very long. November is a big proponent of letting kids define and work on a project that has very few parameters and no rubric, and that will be presented at the end of the year.

"They resist because they have all this anxiety over the unknown," November said. "They are seeking safety in your rubric." But insisting students give it a try can yield strong projects, and more importantly it gives students the experience of defining the project and deciding when it's good enough. In a computer science class November taught, the most resistant student ended up building a massive database of resources for people with disabilities in her town. She couldn't finish it by the end of the year, so she came in during the summer to complete the work.

"That's the difference when students define their own problems with intrinsic motivation," November said. They care so much they're begging for the computer lab to stay open during the summer.
BUILD A LEARNING ECOLOGY
One great way to teach students how to learn is to show them how teachers learn and what their sources are. November favors Diigo, but there are lots of sites that help people organize what they've read online and share those resources. For teachers who are actively improving their knowledge of the subject matter they teach, why not share that digital library with students and show them what lifelong learning looks like?

"I think teachers should demonstrate how they learn in the first five days," November said. Typically we demonstrate what we already know and have learned. That has to change. We have to teach students to learn to learn."

A great way to do that is through social media, one of the best ways for teachers to connect professionally and find ideas to further their own craft. If Twitter is such an important tool for educators, why keep it from students who also want to know how to connect and build a network?

"We should teach them to follow the best minds in the world on whatever their passion is," November said. He remembers showing a boy interested in becoming an entrepreneur the Harvard Business Review's Twitter page. The magazine follows heavyweights in their fields, who are accessible to students in ways they never were before the internet, if student know how to look.

"Before the internet there were two important things to teach: content and skills, like writing," November said. "Now there's a third skill which is to build out your network to the world."

Teaching students to view Twitter as a research tool, a way to see what the brightest minds in a discipline are thinking and reading is akin to teaching them to search the internet powerfully. It's giving them the tools to continue learning long after the test.

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Four Skills to Teach Students In the First Five Days of School

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Kids think they know how to use the internet to search and find the information they need, but November has found through many interviews and school visits that often students have no idea why Google or any other search provider works the way it does.

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Right now, you have students. Eventually, those students will become the citizens -- employers, employees, professionals, educators, and caretakers of our planet in 21st century. Beyond mastery of standards, what can you do to help prepare them? What can you promote to be sure they are equipped with the skill sets they will need to take on challenges and opportunities that we can't yet even imagine?

Following are six tips to guide you in preparing your students for what they're likely to face in the years and decades to come.

1. Teach Collaboration as a Value and Skill Set

Students of today need new skills for the coming century that will make them ready to collaborate with others on a global level. Whatever they do, we can expect their work to include finding creative solutions to emerging challenges.

2. Evaluate Information Accuracy

New information is being discovered and disseminated at a phenomenal rate. It is predicted that 50 percent of the facts students are memorizing today will no longer be accurate or complete in the near future. Students need to know how to find accurate information, and how to use critical analysis for assessing the veracity or bias and the current or potential uses of new information. These are the executive functions that they need to develop and practice in the home and at school today, because without them, students will be unprepared to find, analyze, and use the information of tomorrow.

3. Teach Tolerance

In order for collaboration to happen within a global community, job applicants of the future will be evaluated by their ability for communication with, openness to, and tolerance for unfamiliar cultures and ideas. To foster these critical skills, today's students will need open discussions and experiences that can help them learn about and feel comfortable communicating with people of other cultures.

4. Help Students Learn Through Their Strengths

Children are born with brains that want to learn. They're also born with different strengths -- and they grow best through those strengths. One size does not fit all in assessment and instruction. The current testing system and the curriculum that it has spawned leave behind the majority of students who might not be doing their best with the linear, sequential instruction required for this kind of testing. Look ahead on the curriculum map and help promote each student's interest in the topic beforehand. Use clever "front-loading" techniques that will pique their curiosity.

5. Use Learning Beyond the Classroom

New "learning" does not become permanent memory unless there is repeated stimulation of the new memory circuits in the brain pathways. This is the "practice makes permanent" aspect of neuroplasticity where neural networks that are the most stimulated develop more dendrites, synapses, and thicker myelin for more efficient information transmission. These stronger networks are less susceptible to pruning, and they become long-term memory holders. Students need to use what they learn repeatedly and in different, personally meaningful ways for short-term memory to become permanent knowledge that can be retrieved and used in the future. Help your students make memories permanent by providing opportunities for them to "transfer" school learning to real-life situations.

6. Teach Students to Use Their Brain Owner's Manual

The most important manual that you can share with your students is the owner's manual to their own brains. When they understand how their brains take in and store information (PDF, 139KB), they hold the keys to successfully operating the most powerful tool they'll ever own. When your students understand that, through neuroplasticity, they can change their own brains and intelligence, together you can build their resilience and willingness to persevere through the challenges that they will undoubtedly face in the future.

How are you preparing your students to thrive in the world they'll inhabit as adults?

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Preparing Your Students for the Challenges of Tomorrow

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Right now, you have students. Eventually, those students will become the citizens -- employers, employees, professionals, educators, and caretakers of our planet in 21st century. Beyond mastery of standards, what can you do to help prepare them?

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Take charge of your school and district communication. Bloomz is the only app that combines all aspects of the district, school and class communication, coordination, and behavior management in one powerful, easy-to-use platform.
> Used by 6M+ users in over 30,000 schools

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Bloomz - The Parent Communication App for Schools & Teachers

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Take charge of your school and district communication. Bloomz is the only app that combines all aspects of the district, school and class communication, coordination, and behavior management in one powerful, easy-to-use platform. > Used by 6M+ users in over 30,000 schools

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Schoology Learning K-12 learning management system makes it easy to implement hybrid learning and integrate your favorite teaching and learning tools.

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Demonstrations, Pricing, and Inquiries | Skyward

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Let us guess: You're pretty sure the answer to parent-teacher communication is handing out your cell phone number willy-nilly. Sure, sometimes you meet a mom or dad and think "Next year, when your kid is in the next grade, you and I are totally going to be besties." But others? Well, let's say that some parents don't understand that calling at 10:30 at night to ask if Sophia should have done the even- or the odd-numbered problems on page 172 in the math textbook does not qualify as an urgent question.

Using a parent communication app can be a great solution for protecting your privacy while keeping your parent emails and messages organized. Two of the most popular communication apps for teachers are Bloomz and Remind. WeAreTeachers reached out to our community to hear what teachers are choosing and how they are using these two apps.

It's Great to Have Options

We love how easy it's become to keep parents informed and up-to-date. Teachers used to be limited to weekly backpack notes and a shared phone in the office for the most urgent issues. (Anyone remember incredibly awkward phone calls in front of colleagues in the faculty room? *Cringe!*) Now we can connect with parents in just a few minutes on our smartphones. We love that! The only thing left to decide is which app is the best one for you. Both Bloomz and Remind are efficient when you need to send out group messages. Both apps (available for Android and on iTunes) also keep your private information stored securely so that you are communicating with parents on your terms. You can also use both Bloomz and Remind on your desktop if you'd like. This is especially helpful when you're doing the heavy lifting at the beginning of the school year to upload all of your student information. So with two great options, which one is right for you?

What Teachers Are Saying About Remind

We've heard from a number of high school teachers who say that they like Remind (formerly Remind 101). Getting students and parents signed up takes very little time because Remind gives you a specific code students (or parents) can use to join the class of a particular teacher. Some teachers even make the sign-up process part of their class routine in the first week to ensure that all of their students are onboard. (Imagine how much your students will love you if you actually allow them to take out their phones in class, even momentarily.)

With Remind, you can send one reminder to an entire group (parents or students) and even see who viewed the announcement. Remind's text-based messaging system has proven especially useful in reaching high school students. Teens are texting pros, so it makes sense for teachers to try to reach out to them via their favorite medium. If you're looking for a simple app with just enough features to get the job done, Remind might be a good fit for you. Teacher Laura H. says, "I just want to send out quick reminders about upcoming events and tests. So Remind works better for me."
Here's what students see when they receive a text on Remind. The phone number at the top belongs to Remind, so the students and parents never have access to your personal number. You don't have access to student numbers either.
What Teachers Are Saying About Bloomz

Bloomz is another favorite, especially for elementary teachers. Parents appreciate the familiar Facebook-like environment that allows them to connect with their child's teacher as well as with other parents. Teachers love the fact that not only can they send messages, they can create classroom calendars and build online sign-up sheets too. Teacher Tracy M. says, "With Bloomz you have access for students' families and are able to post reminders and photos during the day, like on Facebook."

This app is packed with features. When you post a message (which can include an attachment), parents can comment on or "like" the post, just as they do on Facebook. Because the app includes organizational features like class calendars and digital sign-up sheets, teachers are finding that they can eliminate several different systems and do all of their parent communicating with this single app.
You can see the Facebook-like interface on this demo account. Images are featured prominently and there's room for parents to like and comment on your posts.
Remind vs. Bloomz: Comparing the Features

Both apps keep student, teacher and family information secure, and both apps allow teachers to deliver a variety of updates, including images and documents. The difference is that Remind tends to cater to high school teachers who want to communicate with their students (and occasionally parents too). Bloomz, on the other hand, is geared toward helping elementary and preschool teachers communicate with parents. Which one is right for you depends on which features you think matter most. To help make your decision easier, we've created a chart that outlines the features of both apps.

Remind vs. Bloomz: Who Should Use It?

Elementary teachers are frequently drawn to Bloomz. They love the built-in sign-up sheets and calendars. Teacher Tricia H. says, "My co-worker uses Bloomz. She really likes it because she can post things like pictures." Elementary teachers are also finding that parents use the app to connect with one another outside of the classroom, which helps build community. Parents are getting to know one another and even setting up playdates on Bloomz.

Bloomz is primarily designed for teachers to communicate with parents. Remind, on the other hand, works for communicating with older high school students as well as parents, so it is often a favorite among high school teachers. They like how easy it is to privately communicate with students with a quick text message. Teacher Tasha H. says, "I like Remind because it takes 1 minute to start up and parents and students do not need a smartphone to use it."

Bottom Line

Either app is going to save you time and make communication with parents and students so much easier. There are just a few things that set the two apps apart.

REMIND is best for:

Communicating with students.

Sending quick reminders.

High school teachers.

BLOOMZ is best for:

Communicating with parents.

Managing calendars and sign-up sheets.

Preschool and elementary school teachers.

Have you used Bloomz or Remind? Let us know what you think!

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Bloomz vs. Remind: Which Parent Communication App is Better?

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Let us guess: You're pretty sure the answer to parent-teacher communication is handing out your cell phone number willy-nilly. Sure, sometimes you meet a mom or dad and think "Next year, when your kid is in the next grade, you and I are totally going to be besties." But others?