10 Free Online Tools for Parent Communication

Keeping parents up-to-date on what’s going on in the classroom can sometimes be difficult. Fortunately, there are many free tools on the web that can help teachers streamline the communication process and get parents the information they need. Here are 10 online tools that are free, helpful, and easy to use.

Edublogs – Created specifically for educators, Edublogs makes it easy for teachers to create free and fully customizable classroom blogs. Edublogs uses WordPress technology and provides technical support through their forums.

GroupTweet – GroupTweet is a unique Twitter application that can turn any Twitter account into a group communication hub that allows direct messages and group updates. Updates can be kept private with a protected profile.

Engrade – Used by 150,000+ teachers around the world, this useful suite of tools can keep parents up-to-date on assignments, grades, class events, and other important information. Engrade is private, free to use, and available to parents 24/7.

KeepandShare – KeepandShare is a free file sharing service that allows users to share files, slideshows, photos, online calendars, and other materials online. There is no software to install and all group members are automatically notified when a new file is added. KeepandShare also offers users complete control over who sees what within a group.

LearnCentral – This social network for education allows teachers to post learning content and host virtual meetings with two-way VoIP, multipoint video, an interactive whiteboard, application sharing, and other handy features.

Yugma – Yugma is a web conferencing and screen sharing service that works across multiple platforms. Teachers can use it to conduct free meetings with up to 20 attendees.

Phonevite – Phonevite is an award-winning web application that allows users to send free phone reminders and alerts in three easy steps. The app is a great for reminding parents about parent-teacher conferences and other special events.

Remember The Milk – Remember The Milk is a free, web-based task manager that works with Gmail, Google Calendar, Twitter, and other popular tools. Teachers can use it to share, send, and publish tasks, lists, and other information for parents.

Microsoft Office Online – Microsoft Office Online is a good place to find parent communication templates and forms. Some of the documents available for download include permission forms, progress reports, and parent message templates.

Education World – Education World also offers several useful templates for parent communication, including assignment notifications, conference reminders, permission slips, and progress reports. The templates can be edited, emailed, and printed.

This has been a guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about online degrees for OnlineDegreePrograms.org.  

Photo Credit: ChrisL – AK

January Web Roundup: Snow Days, Progress Reports and More

January is prime month for quality instruction. Yet it is also the time many of us have a hard time gearing up after the holidays. To help out, I’ve rounded up what I feel are the top tips from around the web as we launch into 2010. Read more

How To Work Around Paper and Copy Limits: Guest Post from Tom DeRosa

Teachers are used to working with limited resources, but few issues impact your daily instruction as much as limits on paper, the number of copies you can make, or both. Read more

Guest Post from Karen Schweitzer: 20 Professional Development Resources for Teachers

For most teachers, education doesn’t end when a degree is earned. The teaching profession demands continuing education, and in certain cases, advanced education. Fortunately, there are many online resources that can help teachers with professional development. Here are 20 resources for educators to explore:

NCATE – The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accredits schools, colleges and departments of education. The NCATE website is a good place to find lists of accredited institutions and scholarship resources.

 NEA – The National Education Association (NEA) is an advocate for teachers and students. Members can access classroom management and professional development resources as well as web and print tools.

 AFT – The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is a teacher’s union that offers many interesting resources on their website. Teachers can view salary surveys, education news, and publications and reports on a wide range of topics.

 ASCD – The ASCD is a non-profit organization with members in more than 100 countries. The organization offers an excellent professional development survey on their website as well as several other professional growth resources for teachers.

NBPTS – The National Board for Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is a non-profit organization that was formed to advance the quality of teaching in schools. NBPTS offers information about education standards on their website and provides numerous development tools for teachers.

RISE – RISE (Resources for Indispensible Schools and Educators) is a non-profit organization that dedicates itself to connecting teachers with low-income public schools. Teachers can use the RISE site to search and apply for jobs.

PBS TeacherLine – This PBS site is an online professional development resource for teachers. TeacherLine provides standards-based graduate-level courses for credit as well as a few free resources to encourage professional growth.

Thinkfinity – The National Verizon Thinkfinity Training Program provides many free training opportunities and resources for educators and after-school practitioners. Offerings include state-specific professional development, instructional videos, and free courses for graduate credit.

Learner.org – Learner.org offers many free professional development video courses to teachers. Courses cover a wide range of subjects and provide information on how to teach today’s standards-based curricula.

Teachers Network – The Teachers Network is an advocate for teacher leadership and student learning. The organization provides many free professional development resources for teachers, including articles, how-to’s, and lesson plans.

Teacher’s Domain – This online teacher library provides free digital media for the classroom and professional development. Teachers who register for a free account can store and share resources online.

TeachersFirst – TeachersFirst offers a series of free online education sessions for teachers. Known as OK2Ask, these sessions last approximately one hour and can be attended from any computer with an Internet connection.

The Teacher’s Podcast – The Teacher’s Podcast provides PD resources for teachers who are interested in integrating technology into the classroom.

We the Teachers – We the Teachers is a social network for teachers. It is a great place to meet other educators and discuss professional development opportunities.

The Apple – Created for current and future educators, this social network provides career advices, education resources, message boards, free job postings, and many other online resources.

Applebatch – This K-12 teacher community was created to help teachers advance their careers. Teachers can join groups in their profession, share resources, build their network, and apply for new jobs.

TeachAde – TeachAde is a social networking site for teachers and other education professionals. Members can network with other educators around the world, search for resources, and create resources of their own.

FolioSpaces – FolioSpaces is a unique social networking system that can be used to create free electronic portfolios.

Fund for Teachers – Fund for Teachers is a non-profit organization that provides teacher grants and other professional growth resources. New grants are awarded each year.

Scholarships and Grants for Teachers – This blog post provides information on a wide range of grants and scholarships for future and current teachers who are pursuing continuing education or degrees in education.

Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about online colleges for OnlineColleges.net.

Other articles from Karen:

Tuition-Free Education Courses for Teachers

25 Free Apps and Web Sites for Tech Loving Teachers

40 Places to Find Free Lesson Plans

Setting the Tone: Strategies to Start the Year Off Right

School Bus

 

We all know how we start the year with students directly impacts what is to come . . . and just how smoothly it will go. Following are a few ideas to get things flowing in the right direction. Read more