In these times, maintaining strong lines of communication with parents and students is more important than ever. There are many great reasons for using an app for parent communication. Apps allow you to get your messages out quickly and easily, maintain your privacy, and connect with parents (and even students) the way they want to be reached. There are also A LOT of communication apps out there. Below, we look at two of the most popular, Bloomz vs. Remind, to see how they stack up.
What Teachers Are Saying About Remind
Weāve heard from a number of teachers who say that they like Remind because it is simple. Getting students and parents signed up takes very little time, and some teachers even make the sign-up process part of their class routine in the first week to ensure that all of their students are on board.
With Remind, you can send one reminder to an entire group and then see who viewed the announcement. Remindās messaging system has proven especially useful in reaching students who are savvy with texting. You can use it to send photos and videos as well. Keep in mind, however, that you do have a character limit with Remindāso youāll need to keep your messages pithy and to the point.Ā
Remind has set limits on its free teacher accounts. You are now limited to 150 students per class, with up to 10 classes. Beyond that, you will need to purchase a subscription.
Hereās what students see when they receive a text on Remind. The phone number at the top belongs to Remind, so the students and parents never have access to your personal number. You donāt have access to student numbers either.
What Teachers Are Saying About Ā BloomzĀ Ā
Overall, Ā BloomzĀ is a more comprehensive communication app. Similar to Remind, you can set up student accounts for middle and high school students for direct communication. But in addition to sending messages to parents and students, you can assign and review student work right in the app. You can also create classroom calendars, build online sign-up sheets, and maintain student portfolios.
Teachers report liking the ability to do almost everything in a single app, which can eliminate confusion and friction with families. (āIām supposed to check homework assignments in that portal and class updates in another?ā You know the drill.) However, you do have the ability to start with basic messaging and add components until youāre ready to have all communications in one place. The new search feature and clean layout make it super user friendly.
Unlike Remind, Bloomz features unlimited message length. But the best part may be that all communication and coordination features are free for teachers to get started, with optional subscriptions for both teachers and schools available too.
Check out the Facebook-like interface. Images are featured prominently and thereās room for parents to like and comment on your posts.
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Remind vs. Bloomz: Comparing the Features
Both apps keep student, teacher, and family information secure and both apps allow teachers to deliver a variety of updates, including images and documents. The difference is that Remind is largely focused on messaging, while Bloomz is more multi-faceted. This chart from teacher Jessica Meacham provides a helpful overview of the differences between not only Bloomz and Remind, but some of the other major communication apps on the market.
Plus, hereās an at-a-glance view of the main differences between Bloomz and Remind.
Bottom Line
Either app is going to save you time and make communication with parents and students so much easier. There are just a few things that set the two apps apart.
Remind is best for:
- Short, basic communication.
- Sending quick reminders.
Bloomz is best for:
- A comprehensive, all-in-one approach to parent and student communication.
- Managing calendars, assignments, sign-up sheets, and conferences.
Interested in checking out Bloomz, the more comprehensive choice for communication, scheduling, assignments, and more?Ā
