# data[].attributes.body
Apps for Teacher-Parent Communication:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This content was commissioned by SchoolCircle, an app designed for smarter parent-teacher communication. SchoolCircle is doing a $5000 school giveaway-find more info here.
Teacher-parent communication is, ideally, a two-way street.

It is best thought of in terms of purpose:

Why do teachers and parents need to talk?

How can learning experiences be designed that require that interaction?

What systems can be put in place to respond when the communication-for whatever reason-doesn't happen?

Apps and technology are secondary in terms of design, but once that curriculum-and those learning models-are in place to really benefit from close parent-teacher communication, then apps like the following can come in handy.

5 Adjustments To Make When Communicating With Parents Online

Communicating with parents online-through apps, social media, text, etc.-requires a few adjustments on your part, including:

1. Be careful use of tone-nothing that can be misinterpreted, especially snark and sarcasm.

2. Use clear and concise language.

3. Positive communication should be more frequent than other.

4. Consider more diverse function-celebration of learning, communication of needs, and so on.

5. Know your audience. Watch what is shared when, and with whom. This is probably obvious enough, but don't share student info X with parent Y.

See Ten Tips To Connect With Parents Via Social Media for further reading.

1. Remind: Safe Classroom Communication

Remind (formerly Remind101) offers teachers a free, safe and simple way to instantly text students and parents. Teachers can send or schedule reminders, assignments, homework, assessments, or motivational messages directly to students' and parents' phones. Interactions are safe because phone numbers are always kept private, and messages are sent with no open replies. Teachers, students and parents can see messages from all their classes in one place.

For students and parents, Remind provides an easier way to stay informed outside of the classroom. Students and parents can download the app and opt-in to receive messages faster with push notifications, so they never miss a beat!

Use Remind to send free text messages to save time, engage students and involve parents with your class. Try it today! And if you love it, share it with your colleagues or write a review!

BUZZFEED: 25 Clever Classroom Tips for Elementary School Teachers
"Use the Remind (formerly Remind101) app to communicate with kids and their parents without having to exchange phone numbers"

POWER TO TEACH: "With students carrying smartphones everywhere they go, using Remind as a tool to communicate with them just makes sense, especially when it is free and the privacy of everyone involved in protected."

PARENTING: According to a study conducted by Harvard University, on average, teacher-family communication increased the odds a student completed their homework by 42 percent and decreased instances in which teachers had to redirect students' attention to the task at hand by 25 percent. Parent-teacher communication is clearly key to a student's success, and Remind can help.

Note: Remind is only available in English. Stay tuned for more languages!

2. Communication for Groups - teams, work projects, class lists, sport clubs, organizations and more

Quick & easy setup of any size groups with voice, text and email communication with any or all group members, even those without a smartphone!. Ringya - Real Groups, Real Communications, Real Easy!

Use Ringya to:
◆ Easily create any size groups; just snap a picture or email a file and you're done!
◆ Call, text, email and chat with individuals, groups and subgroups
◆ Group chat that everyone gets even if they don't have Ringya
◆ Know who's call you and how they fit into your world (e.g. Dan, Mike's dad, Grade 2)
◆ Search by title or role to find people even if you don't remember their name
◆ Great for work teams, parents, teachers, communities, clubs and more

Ringya is the first communication solution especially created for groups like work teams, class lists parents, sports clubs, community organizations, and other institutions. This comprehensive solution supports individual and group communication including one-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-many group communication from mobile to desktop including voice calls, text messaging, live chat and email.

Ringya is great for parents. With Ringya, parents can get in-touch with other school class or kindergarten parents to:
* Reach a new friend's parent to schedule a playdate without searching for that fridge list
* Find a parent to help with pick-up when you're stuck in a traffic jam
* Let team members know a game venue has moved due to weather conditions
* Invite / remind of your kids birthday party via text or email in just one click
* Share entire contact lists with others - e.g. Babysitters, Cleaners
* Chat with other parents

Be the office Hero! Project managers, office admins and team members can:
* Create a mobile office directory or company directory
* Update about project or team meeting
* Make sure everyone has all the team or project contact info handy
* Chat with colleagues and team members

Communities and religious groups such as a church or a temple can:
* Increase the sense of community by allowing community members to interact with each other
* Announce community events and make sure everyone gets such announcements even if they don't have Ringya or a smartphone at all

Coaches and sport teams can:
* Easily send messages and announcements to all team members
* Coordinate last minute schedule changes using the built-in message board
* Allow players and team members to easily call, text, email and chat with each other
* For younger children (e.g. little league) update parents about team achievements and activities

3. SchoolCircle | Parent-teacher communication made easy

SchoolCircle streamlines teacher-parent communication so teachers can do away with the administrative "busywork" that takes up so much of their time.

No more confusing email threads, lost paper flyers, and unnoticed sign-up sheets - SchoolCircle organizes all teacher communication in a convenient online hub, while parents get daily and weekly email reminders for everything they need. Everyone stays in the loop, and teachers have more time to focus on their students.

Features
- Powerful Sharing - Easily share documents, tasks, events and photos at once with all parents in your classroom
- Uncomplicated Volunteering - Set up one-click, automated volunteer signups without the usual hassle
- Ideal For Room Parents - Give room parents the power to coordinate your school communication while you oversee parent involvement
- Happy Partnership - SchoolCircle lets parents and teachers act as a coordinated team so everyone is confident that they're doing their part

SchoolCircle is, and always will be, a free app. It's an ideal tool for busy teachers that love involving parents in the classroom, but need a simpler way to get volunteers, donations, and classroom support.

4. ClassDojo

ClassDojo helps teachers improve behavior in their classrooms quickly and easily. It captures and generates data on behavior that teachers can share with parents and administrators.

Teachers can use this app to give their students positive behavior feedback and manage their classes, while parents can check on their child's progress at school. Beautiful reports and easy classroom management are all built in - and everything syncs across all of your devices!

Better learning behaviors, smoother lessons, and hassle-free data - and it's free for teachers!

5. Edmodo

Edmodo makes a teacher's daily life easier by providing a safe and easy way for teachers and students to engage and collaborate for free, anytime, anywhere.

Use Edmodo for:

* Secure classroom discussions * Posting assignments * Gradebook tracking * File sharing and uploading

Key Features:

* Classroom activity feed * Student progress tracker * Educational resource library * Professional learning networks

With over 38 million users, Edmodo is the largest, fastest growing social platform for education. Awarded the 2013 EdTech Digest Award for Best Product, Edmodo makes the idea of a paperless classroom a reality.

Questions? Contact our award-winning Edmodo support team anytime at support@edmodo.com, with 'iOS' in the subject line.

For more information, visit www.edmodo.com.

6. Schoology

Get the award-winning app that extends Schoology's powerful learning management solution to your iOS device. Manage your classroom, create and submit assignments, participate in interactive discussions, perform assessments, collaborate with your peers, and much more!

With Schoology's iOS mobile app, you can have rich and engaging academic experiences anytime, anywhere. Start by registering for a free Schoology account today.

*A Schoology account is required to use this app.
You can register for your free account at http://www.schoology.com/register

7. Google+

Create a closed Google+ community to share classroom info, message with parents, curate student work, and more.

8. WordPress

A simple blogging platform to share classroom announcements and data. A weakness is that blogging is primarily a "one-way" communication tool., but for long-term announcements that don't require dialogue, it can be useful.

9. GroupMe

Set a group for school, each class, with select families that require detailed communication, and more.

10. One Call Now Mobile

This new iPhone App makes it even easier for One Call Now clients to communicate with members of their school, church, sports or business organizations. Quickly record and send messages to all members of your group or organization, or to one or more Subgroups. Type-in and send messages using our Text-to-Speech engine. All messages are stored for re-use as needed. View your message reports on your iPhone no matter where you are. You can also use the One Call Now App on your iPod Touch, which requires a Wi-Fi connection and microphone. This app requires purchase of a One Call Now service plan. Please visit the links below for more information or to sign up for the service.

11. Skype for iPad

Say "hello" to friends and family with an instant message, voice or video call on Skype for free. There's so much you can do, right from the palm of your hand.

Features:
Join over 300 million people every month using Skype
- Get started with Skype on your iPad and find your friends in an instant.

Call friends on Skype
- Enjoy free voice and video calls to anyone else who is on Skype and make HD quality video calls from your iPad 4.

Message friends and send photos in an instant
- Instant message your friends in a flash, add emoticons and even photos.

Video messaging
- Stay in touch with friends and family even when they're busy or offline with unlimited, free video messages.

Call mobiles and landlines
- Add a little Skype Credit to send low-cost SMS messages or call friends on their mobile or landline.

No WiFi? No problem.
- Skype works on 3G* and WiFi - so you can stay in touch, even if you're out and about.

Chat with anyone, anywhere
- Skype's available on smartphones, tablets, PCs, Macs and even TVs. Whatever device your friend or family uses, Skype just works. Simple.

- Via TeachThought
This article appeared on TeachThought on September 29 2014 and was written by the TeachThought staff and posted by Terry Heick.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 Apps For Smarter Teacher-Parent Communication

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This content was commissioned by SchoolCircle, an app designed for smarter parent-teacher communication. SchoolCircle is doing a $5000 school giveaway-find more info here. Teacher-parent communication is, ideally, a two-way street. It is best thought of in terms of purpose: Why do teachers and parents need to talk?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Do you like apps? Do you use them in the classroom? Not every district, school, or parent has the ability to support apps in the day-to-day learning environment, but for those that can, there are some fun, effective, tried-and-true apps that can make a tremendous difference in the lives of diverse learners.

Many states now require incorporating technology into standardized testing, so the number of systems with the ability and willingness to support apps and software is also increasing. Many teachers and parents enjoy apps just as much as students. Naturally, the apps that are optimal for student learning are those so engaging that students forget or never know that these things were designed as educational tools. In addition to classroom use, apps are a terrific and effective way to encourage continued exploration and engagement over evenings, weekends, or summer break. There are tons of apps to explore, but here are a few favorites that may benefit your diverse learners!

Staying on Track

EpicWin is an organizational or executive function tool that is great for keeping students on task, keeping them from procrastinating, and using gaming to incentivize their tasks. Homework, projects, and chores become a lot more fun with this gamified role-playing app. The more of your everyday life tasks that you complete, the more your characters grow and develop within the game, leading to better scores and adventure. It's a great work/life balance game that is fun for teachers, parents, and students. Simply set up an avatar, enter tasks to complete, assign "epicness" or priority, finish the task, fight a battle, and earn rewards based on the task's epicness.

Picking Up on Social Cues

Sōsh helps students develop social skills and cope with stress or anxiety. It's ideal for students on the autism spectrum, especially those with Asperger's, but it can benefit any student who struggles socially or with anxiety. Sōsh is a fun interactive coaching app that offers a variety of features geared toward socialization and regulating behaviors. The app focuses on the 5 R's to help users:

Students can browse the emotions gallery, set priorities, shred their emotions in the shredder, or pump up the balloon to express their stress level. Sōsh Lite is the free version. While the paid version is pricey, it offers several additional features for enhancing social skills.

Prioritizing Time

Parents, teachers, and older students will appreciate RescueTime's approach to time management. This app is especially effective for older teens, or for anyone who has trouble regulating time. Whether the issue is time spent gaming, on the phone, or on social media, RescueTime helps optimize technology use by identifying wasted time. Students might discover that the time they spend on their choice of digital entertainment borders on addictive. Some may be surprised to learn that they're spending too much time on their phone. RescueTime reveals personal peak times that might be better spent on homework (or grading papers), and it provides visual data of the big picture. There's also a terrific RescueTime blog that shares how other users maximize their time with video commentary. Download the app, set preferences, goals, and alerts, and you're on your way to developing healthier habits and optimizing your time.

Strengthening Math

Todo will send younger elementary students on fun-filled, multi-leveled missions as they advance or as they show deficiency. It's entertaining and provides reinforcement that doesn't feel like reinforcement -- or even like work. Choose the mode of play, set the practice time for up to 15 minutes per session, and solve math quizzes or play along free style. There are multiple levels, and the content has been aligned to meet math standards. Todo has an educational charm that is appealing to diverse learners and abilities. (You can find a demonstration video on Todo Math's homepage.)

Sharpening Language

DuoLingo remains one of the best apps for teaching languages and is equally usable for English-language learners. The app teaches 16 languages and has earned the App of the Year designation from Apple. The best feature of this app is the cost: absolutely free! Getting started on DuoLingo is straightforward -- download, choose the language you want to learn, and you're ready to practice. They have a pictorial guide that can answer most of your questions. The app offers several methods of learning that will meet diverse learner preferences. You can even set timers to remind you to practice at bedtime or in the car.

When parents, teachers, and students partner to use apps for reinforcement, they can make a world of difference in the everyday lives of diverse learners. Mutual understanding of the apps' purposes and features, as well as consistently using them at home and at school, can be incredibly effective. And for most apps, the big plus is that they're free. If there is a cost involved, check with the creators or developers to see if educator or school district discounts are available. In many cases, they are!

What are your favorite apps for diverse learners? Please tell us about them in the comments below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Apps to Support Diverse Learners in the Classroom | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do you like apps? Do you use them in the classroom? Not every district, school, or parent has the ability to support apps in the day-to-day learning environment, but for those that can, there are some fun, effective, tried-and-true apps that can make a tremendous difference in the lives of diverse learners.

# data[].attributes.body
ISTE 3 Sample Artifacts found here:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NETS-T Standard 3 Model Digital Age Work and Learning

# data[].attributes.body
Core words provide communication support to students in need.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Assistive Technology for Learning and Cognition

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Carabiner as Low Tech Assistive Technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Low Tech Assistive Technology in Communication

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Uploaded by Technology and Learning on 2015-05-07.

# data[].attributes.body
ISTE 3: Model digital age work and learning:

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.

a. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems

and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations

b. Collaborate with students, peers, parents,

and community members using digital tools

and resources to support student success and

innovation

c. Communicate relevant information and ideas

effectively to students, parents, and peers using

a variety of digital age media and formats

d. Model and facilitate effective use of current

and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze,

evaluate, and use information resources to

support research and learning

# data[].attributes.body
ISTE 3 Prezi:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Using Information Resources and Digital Tools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NETS-T3 Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NETS-T3 Model Digital-Age Work and Learning T3d Teachers model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning. *Basic knowledge of computer applications and concepts Example: Hardware vs.

# data[].attributes.body
Understand human, equity and developmental issues surrounding the use of assistive technology to enhance student learning performance and apply that understanding to practice.
1. Identify and analyze assistive technology resources that accommodate individual student learning needs.
2. Apply assistive technology to the instructional process and evaluate its impact on learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics and abilities.

# data[].attributes.body
Know the ISTE Teaching Standard 3:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There are a lot of good things about learning and teaching in the age of technology. We have more options for tools than ever - including a plethora of digital devices, programs and apps, websites and other resources - that enable both students and teachers to do things they have never been able to do before. Of course, this brave new world has also ushered in new challenges that previous generations never even imagined. Students need to learn how to effectively and appropriately use these digital tools, and it is the teacher's job to model what that looks like.

Modeling should be woven into our teaching as a general best practice. For example, modeling good digital citizenship is something teachers should be conscious of at all times. Students are watching to see how their teachers cite the work of others in presentations and how they interacts with others on the web.

Students are also looking for modeling of specific skills. If you wanted to know how to do something important, such as set your house alarm, you would probably want someone to show you what that looks like. Millions of students have discovered that video tutorials and screencasts on websites such as YouTube and Khan Academy give them an invaluable teaching tool: Watching others model how to complete tasks, such as drawing a self-portrait, solving a math problem or conducting a scientific experiment. These short clips can be especially helpful for homework help when the teacher is not available.

Standard 3 of the ISTE Standards for Teachers asks educators to model digital age work and learning for their students. What does this standard look like in practice? Take a look at the activities in the table below. In a grade 9-12 art class, teachers need to consider how to model for students the act of making artistic choices related to techniques, styles and production using the elements and principles of art and design. The main objective of all three activities is helping students recognize and create layering and overlay in their artwork. However, only Activity 3 aligns with Standard 3.

Activity 1 does not correspond with any of the indicators for Standard 3. The teacher uses no digital technologies. Although it is possible to replicate the skill of overlay with traditional materials, such as tracing paper to see through to the picture underneath, digital art programs are far more effective at demonstrating how students can accomplish this using the technologies they may encounter in their careers and lives. The teacher can also model how artists and other professionals use this skill to gain a high-quality final image. In this activity, students do have the opportunity for peer review when they post their images on the walls of the classroom, but they can receive feedback only verbally, which can be time consuming and intimidating for some students.

In Activity 2, the teacher does use some digital technologies. He starts the lesson by giving the students a digital presentation of artwork from Robert Rauschenberg. The focus is on how this artist used media to create layered imagery. The teacher can use digital tools to zoom in on various parts of the image to give the class a good view of the artwork. Next, the teacher goes on to model a good digital citizenship while searching the internet for appropriate images. The rest of the lesson, however, does not align with the standard. The teacher does not model how to create the layered image using a digital tool, and the peer review is again conducted by hanging posters on the walls of the classroom.

The teacher in Activity 3 addresses all the indicators of the standard. He begins with a digital presentation and demonstrates an effective and appropriately cited internet search. He then models how to create layered images using overlays in a digital art program. The students get to conduct their own internet searches to select images and cite sources. They then use the digital program to create their own images. Finally, they post their digital works of art to a web-based collaborative program, such as Edmodo, that allows other students peer review their work and offer written feedback.
Jared Boone and Julie Mallinson assisted with this article. Boone works as a visual arts teacher at Salem High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Mallinson is a teacher of art and textiles at Helsby High School in Cheshire, England. Helen Crompton is an assistant professor of instructional technology at Old Dominion University, Virginia. She is a researcher and educator in the field of instructional technology. She earned her Ph.D. in educational technology and mathematics education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Know the ISTE Standards*T 3: Model digital age learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To meet the third ISTE Standard for Teachers, educators must model digital age work and learning for their students, including the use of digital tools. Here's an example of how an art teacher might shape a lesson on layering to address the standard.

# data[].attributes.body
ISTE Teaching Standard 3:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This video was created to demonstrate and inform teachers about ISTE Standard 3 for Teachers. Created by Tiffany Daubert and Kathryn Baughman

# data[].attributes.body
How to help meet the ISTE 3 teaching standard: