This summer the Bank Street Summer Camp will be using a text based application called Remind as one of their communication tools with families. It’s a free, safe and simple way for educators to instantly text-message parents and other educators on any device. Remind has multiple partnerships with the NYC DOE and CUNY Schools, and are now used by educators in over half of schools across the U.S., from higher education to pre-K.
Educators can also schedule messages to go out in advance, and attach photos, files, and voice clips to their messages. Remind also lets educators translate their messages into over 70 languages. Educators using Remind report significant improvements in student attendance, parent engagement, assignment completion, and student learning outcomes.
Remind’s Community Growth Manager, Taylor Chapman, leads the NYC Remind Team and he had this to say about his experience with the application.
Remind has grown explosively, reaching over 2 million teachers and over 35 million total teachers, parents and students across the US and worldwide in just a few years. It’s now in over 1000 of the 1800 NYC DOE schools. One of the things I’m most passionate about is Remind’s commitment to access, unlike some ed tech tools that require families to have a computer or smartphone, and to create a login and password, Remind is accessible to any family, including those using flip phones. I taught in a school where many families didn’t have regular internet access, and texting was the best way to keep in touch with those parents.
Here’s an overview of Remind, plus the new PD presentation and some handy quick-start guides and fact sheets. Here is a video of a principal talking about how he uses Remind.
Case Studies
Increasing Parental Engagement
Boosting Literacy in the Home
Reaching English Language Learners
Helping Students with Learning Differences