3 Small Steps to Help Students and Parents in Google Classroom

 

Guardian Email Summaries in Google Classroom

For many of us Google Classroom is our go-to base for assignments and resources for our students.

Without their students' login information, parents cannot see what assignments are coming up nor resources you have posted.

Under the "People" section in Classroom you have the option to "invite" guardians.  Some of your students may already have guardians listed.   To invite them all you need to do is add in their email address.  Open House / Parent Teacher conferences are a good time to get those addresses.  Otherwise they are in eSD.

How to get parent email addresses in eSD

Check to See if Summaries are Enabled!

At times by default they are turned off....  be sure to turn them on for your courses!

Note: A student only has to be added to 1 class.  Therefore if all homerooms, or advisory periods created a classroom, and added the guardian email addresses, all students would be covered, and it would carry over from year to year.

Once the email address is added the guardian will be offered the option to receive periodic summary emails for their student's Google Classrooms.  Parents will not have full access to your classroom, they simply will get an update on Missing Assignments, Upcoming Assignments & Announcements.  

Check out this video to see how a parent signs up.

Examples of Summaries: 

Remind #reversethefee

Great News! 

On January 25th Remind announced that Verizon customers will still receive text messages as they did before.  Read the update here: remind.com/resources/verizon-fee

*Earlier this year Verizon was going to impose a fee on Remind for its text message service to its customers.   A wide-spread social media campaign, #reversethefee , caused the mobile service provider to reconsider providing this service.

Updating Your Teacher Websites

If you haven't looked at your teacher web pages lately or you never created a page, now is a great time to update it so that it is ready for next year!

• Log on to the appropriate website to access your school.
• High School - https://smasd-hs.edlioadmin.com
• Middle School - https://smasd-ms.edlioadmin.com
• South - https://smasd-south.edlioadmin.com
• Fox - https://smasd-fox.edlioadmin.com
• BV -  https://smasd-bv.edlioadmin.com

• Log in using your normal computer username and password.

• Update and create information including posts, pages, calendars and more.

• Below are some video tutorials from the tech department to add and update your website.

Creating a Web Page

Creating Calendar Items

Creating a Post

Creating Classes and Assignments

SeeSaw in Action

Last May we introduced you to SeeSaw-an online portfolio tool teachers and students can use to document learning. This week guest blogger Diane Bobik, first grade teacher at Fox Twp., gives us a glimpse into how she's been using SeeSaw in her classroom.

Welcome to the 21st Century….wait we’ve been here for 18 years!  This was important message that I learned at PETE&C this year in Hershey.   Are you still sending home paper newsletters, notes, and updates? I was guilty of keeping things the same even though times are changing.  There are so many digital tools out there to track behavior, send messages and newsletters to parents, practice skills after lessons, and gather electronic portfolios...but who has time for all of these apps? I know that I certainly don’t have the time or to be honest, the patience to learn all of these programs.

SeeSaw offers all of these tools in one simple app.  And the best part, it’s FREE! Setting up a class is easy.  There are templated letters to send home to parents so they can sign up.  Parents can keep one account for several children. This was a win for my class since I have siblings together this year.  Once you have your account ready, the kids can start using the app. So far, we have taken pictures of our vocabulary words and then recorded ourselves reading them.  We have recorded videos explaining how we solved our math problems. We have done videos of our oral reading of stories. I can also use the app to send newsletters, reminders, and behavior updates.  Parents are then able to respond directly to me, or send praise to their children on their posts. Parents and students cannot make their posts live until they are approved by me. This is especially helpful if you have a student who wants to put silly things onto our page.

Here are some examples of what we have done with this amazing app:

Students log in with a QR code.

Student is taking a picture of his vocabulary words.

Students are recording themselves reading their vocabulary words.

Thanks to Mrs. Bobik for showing us how this 21st century tool has impacted her classroom! If you have any questions about getting started or if you already use SeeSaw in your classroom, be sure to let us know and check out the Badging Center under "Other Badges" to get your badge and let others know you're ready to share your expertise!

Remind(.com) me again what is due tomorrow?

Remind(.com) me again what is due tomorrow?

We can post it, they can put it in their planner, handouts can be given and we can tell them when the assignment is due until we are blue in the face...

However, there is only one way we can be sure that they (or their parents) get the message.... 
.. if you put it on their phone.

Remind.com has been used by several teachers and coaches in our district with much success.

My top reasons for using remind.com:

6. The students/parents register themselves.  No time wasted creating accounts...
5. You can include several classes or A single student/parent in a message.
4. You can do it from your computer, No phone necessary!  (the option is there though)
3. You can schedule it in advance.
2. NO phone numbers are exchanged (you don't know theirs, they don't know yours).
1. They cannot text back.*

Here is what our teachers are saying about Remind.com: 

"Remind.com is one of the most convenient and easy ways to stay in contact with students and parents. I love that I can schedule reminders to let students and parents know about upcoming essay due dates or exams. I also use it for my extracurricular groups to remind them of fundraisers or to let parents know when we are returning from competitions. I HIGHLY recommend it!"  ~ Ann Defilippi

"I like how the Remind app commits to high security and privacy to keep texting safe and stress-free.  The one-way text and schedule features allow me to efficiently send out reminders, announcements, and emergency texts to both students and parents.  I use it every week for marching band and field trips." ~ Adam Brooks

See the links below for video tutorials - or just go to the site to get started, it's that easy!
Remind.com

Remind Video Tutorials

Here is a snapshot of some of my classes.

*there is now a chat option that you can allow for polling and such, this I have yet to explore

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS !


Now text away, text away, text away ALL! 

Your TechCoaches