Adam's #EdTech Roundup #1: Why I Remind

Wednesday, June 3, 20158:30 PM



I like the idea of sharing the wealth and supporting some of the apps, sites, and people that offer great services and resources for teachers. I love getting recommendations for new tools from Tweeps and colleagues I trust, so I thought I'd start it off now and likely keep adding to the list moving forward.

Today's #EdTech Roundup focuses on Remind.




Remind is a safe and free way to send messages to students and parents. Users simply send a message from the website or app that students receive as a text message. I belong to so many classes I have the number saved in my phone. Without further ado, here are eight reasons why I Remind!

  1. It's so easy. I open the app, click the class, and type the message. There's no hassle, no work, and it's all so simple. It has a clear purpose and does it really, really well.
  2. I don't need students' phone numbers and they certainly don't need mine. But with Remind, I can participate in technology's interconnected world safely, responsibly, and securely.
  3. Students don't ignore their phones! My high schoolers may ignore my written comments and e-mails from time to time (or all they want), but they are so conditioned to have their cell phones in their hands that the Remind text is absolutely the most effective way to contact them.
  4. When I forget, I can still remind! Just last week, my students had an after school meeting about the AP Summer assignment, and I totally forgot to remind my students in person (Shh--don't tell Ms. Bayer!). I quickly sent out a Reminder and my students all showed up! It works! It really works. In fact, that's what inspired this post. 
  5. Plans change. In my school, my classes are cancelled if I'm absent. The best way to get students to buy into Remind was to cancel class through a text early this year. The ones who showed up wanted to class code first thing the next day. 
  6. Plan in advance by scheduling Reminders. I just learned that you can schedule your reminders in advance, so my students will be reminded and I don't have to stress about not forgetting to do it. Set all your reminders when you plan at the top of the week and you're good to know.
  7. Coach? Mentor? Advise? Direct? Then you need Remind. I know we can all relate to the last minute change to an after school, after-curricular, or weekend event. I don't want to have to call the kids, but I can Remind with just a click. I work in my school's drama program and love Remind to both remind the cast about important dates and to give updates. "Don't show up until 10:30" for a Saturday morning rehearsal makes Remind all worth it for them, too. 
  8. PD with Remind. Many of the Twitter chats I participate in use Remind--#gafechat, #podcastPD, and more. I love getting the reminder so I never miss anything. At #Ednado, Remind was even used for a scavenger hunt. Clues and tasks were sent to the class and I raced through the conference with a fervor for learning, fun, and winning. 
  9. UPDATE: Had to add #9: The People. The staff at Remind are awesome. They are great about giving teachers new ideas, support, and opportunities for growth. Thanks, Remind (and Clara!). 


I learned about Remind last school year and promoted it right away for this year. At back to school night, instead of sharing my syllabus, I shared Remind. And it worked. The app is simple, the purpose is clear, and it does its job really, really well.

That reminds, me--we have a Remind class for #EdTechCalNYNJ. If you want reminders about upcoming #edtech events in the area, sign up. Click here to join our Remind class and receive monthly updates about upcoming events. Or, text @edtechcaln to 81010. Sign up and motivate me to send out the first texts of the month!

Next time on Adam's #EdTech Roundup...



Have a suggestion for future apps and topics? Leave a comment below. 

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