App Show & Tell: Remind 101

     One our projects for our Internet for Educators class is to share an app that we use regularly or that we've just found. The app that I've chosen to highlight is one of my favourites, Remind 101. I've actually blogged about this app previously but since that was many months before this class began, I thought that my peers may have missed out on this information. With this in mind, I thought that I would "re-share" this app as I am a big fan and definitely plan on using it again during student teaching :)

     We don't have to be out in the classroom long before we begin hearing comments like:

"I forgot that at work."

"I was so busy last night by the time I got home I forgot."

"I can't remember that!"

 "That was due?!"

"Oh right, we're doing that today.... I don't have it."

     I get it, our students are very busy and most of them have after school sports, work one (or more jobs), care for younger siblings while their parents work evening shifts, etc. The Remind101 app, however, allows teachers to assist their students in remembering important classroom information without consistently nagging them or threatening consequences.

     Remind101 is an automated communication service that allows for teachers to text reminder messages to their students in the evening after school or in the morning before school. This site is SO EASY to use and in literally 5 minutes (probably less) I had set up an account for my class. Here is what I like best about Remind101.

1 ) Its FREE

- I don't have the money to pay for lots of resources while I am student teaching

2 ) I NEVER see my students personal cell phone numbers

- They sign up by texting a pre-assigned code and all I see is the name they

  sign up with

3 ) I don't have to use MY personal cell phone number!

4 ) Sign up is SUPER EASY for myself and for students

- They provide a specific screen to show to your students when they are 

  getting setup

- I also included the signup screen image in our course outline itself

5 ) You don't need a SMART PHONE to utilize the service

- There are a lot of different apps out there that allow teachers to

   communicate with their students, share homework, and answer

   questions but what do you do for your students who don't have a smart

   phone?

- I love that this app is more accessible for students

     Once students are signed up, I can see my list online of who is all using the service (remember, I don't see they cell phone numbers, just their names). I can then send out messages to be texted out (ex. Chapter 3 questions, #1-5, are due at the beginning of class tomorrow). I can even schedule messages beforehand so if I think of something while I am lesson planning, I can schedule an appropriate text to send out at the right time!

     I am pretty excited about this because I feel that cell phones are the easiest way to reach students at the high school level! During my last student teaching placement I used Remind101 with both my Grade 11 Canadian History class and my Grade 11/12 Global Issues class and heard positive comments from both classes :)