Classroom in the Cloud, ch. 2

          I have chosen to explore the feature known as Remind, which can be found in pages 50-55 of Classroom in the Cloud.
          Remind is defined by the text as "...a text messaging system between teachers, students and parents," (50) but without having to share contact information such as phone numbers or email addresses. This tool is free to use. The ultimate goal of Remind is to create an environment of efficient communication. This tool can actually send out mass "text messages" without needing to have everyone's phone numbers, which is a useful feature. An access code, however, is required. With the exception of the Chat feature, Remind does not allow recipients of texts to respond. Remind can be used for teachers to keep parents in the loop on day-to-day classroom happenings and updates, or to send out an urgent message that will reach a large audience almost immediately. Remind is not just for parent-teacher communication, but is also available for student use as well. The privacy of all involved on a Remind message is heavily protected. Not only can Remind be accessed on mobile devices, but also on any web browser.
          The text lists and describes several special features that help make Remind an efficient tool. These features include photos, voice clips, documents and PDFs, presentations, stamps, and chat. Three of these special features that stood out to me were documents, stamps, and chat. It is important to have the document sending option on Remind so that as a teacher, you can be certain that all parents receive forms or other important papers. We all know that sometimes papers placed in the hands of students do not always make it to the hands of parents! Secondly, I thought that the stamps feature was a great way for students to add input into the conversation. Students have the options to send a check mark, star, question mark, or an X as a way of expressing his/her feelings about the conversation or information. This also gives the teacher a quick way to assess student needs and feelings. Lastly, I thought the chat feature was a great tool to have. Chat allows for one-on-one communication between the teacher and a parent, OR the teacher and a student. This communication system is a two-way setup, meaning that messages can be sent back and forth, much like a text message conversation.
          An additional feature that I discovered while reading through the chapter is the fact that all transcript history is available. All history that happens on Remind is forever saved, allowing teacher or parent to access that history at any time. This could come in handy if a parent could not remember exactly what the teacher said, or vice versa.
          As a teacher, I feel like Remind would be an awesome tool to have in my toolbox. Not only is it a completely free service, but it allows for more steady communication outside of the classroom. This communication is not just for teachers and parents, but is open to students as well, which I think is valuable. I am a very organized person who likes to have a plan, and having a tool like Remind would give me peace of mind that all my students and parents are on the same page with me! It would work well to send out quick homework reminders, field trip permission slips, or to use Chat and have a one-on-one conversation with a student or parent. I believe Remind is a service that I would be interested in using in my classroom.