Communicating with Families by Liliana Mendoza

Seesaw

lmendoza8092 — 2025-05-17 23:46:41 UTC

Seesaw is a student engagement platform that allows teachers to share student work, updates, and messages with families in real-time. It also offers features for parents to view and comment on student progress. https://web.seesaw.me/

Benefits

User-friendly interface for both teachers and families
Facilitates ongoing, informal communication
Supports multimedia sharing (photos, videos, audio)

Disadvantages:

Limited free features; some functionalities require a subscription
Privacy concerns if not properly managed

Classroom Use:

I would use Seesaw to regularly share student projects, highlight achievements, and send updates about classroom activities, fostering strong home-school connections.

Class Dojo

lmendoza8092 — 2025-05-17 23:47:57 UTC

ClassDojo is a communication platform that enables teachers to share updates, photos, and videos with families, as well as send direct messages. It also includes behavior tracking features.https://www.classdojo.com/

Benefits:

Easy to use and accessible on multiple devices
Promotes positive behavior and communication
Free to use

Disadvantages:

Overemphasis on behavior tracking may be misused
Limited formal assessment sharing capabilitie

Classroom Use:

I would use ClassDojo to send quick updates, celebrate student successes, and maintain ongoing communication with families about classroom life.

Brightwheel

lmendoza8092 — 2025-05-17 23:50:52 UTC

Brightwheel is an all-in-one platform for early childhood programs that manages daily reports, attendance, and parent communication. It allows teachers to send photos, daily reports, and assessment updates.https://www.mybrightwheel.com/

Benefits:

Centralizes communication and documentation
Facilitates sharing of assessment data and daily activities
Easy to use for both teachers and parents

Disadvantages:

Subscription-based; may be costly for some programs
Some features are limited in the free version

Classroom Use:

I would utilize Brightwheel to send daily/weekly updates on student progress, including assessment data, along with photos and notes to keep parents informed and engaged.

Google Classroom

lmendoza8092 — 2025-05-18 01:35:30 UTC

Google Classroom is an educational platform that allows teachers to post assignments, share resources, and communicate with students and families via comments and email integration.

https://classroom.google.com/

Benefits:

Seamless integration with Google Drive and other Google apps
Supports sharing of assessment data through assignments and grades
Free and widely accessible

Disadvantages:

Requires Google account setup
Less suited for real-time messaging compared to dedicated communication apps

Classroom Use:

I would use Google Classroom to share assessment results, provide feedback, and communicate assignment expectations with families.

Remind

lmendoza8092 — 2025-05-18 01:37:09 UTC

Remind is a messaging platform designed for safe, direct communication between teachers and families via text messages or app notifications. It supports group messages and individual communication.

https://www.remind.com/

Benefits:

Protects privacy by not sharing personal phone numbers
Easy to use and quick for sending reminders
Supports multimedia messages

Disadvantages:

Limited in-depth communication capabilities
Free version has some restrictions

Classroom Use:

I would use Remind to send timely reminders about upcoming events, deadlines, or assessments, ensuring parents stay informed and engaged.