seesaw

HOT: Millennial parents are loving this school communication app


Connected parents of a first-grader break down the benefits of parent-teacher communication app via smartphone.

We are parents of a 1st-grader and are used to communicating with friends and colleagues instantly and often. Today, almost 90 percent of parents own a smartphone and technology plays an important role in our daily lives. Although we both try to leave work at work, we still check our email accounts several times a day. We regularly read articles, check our social media accounts, text, scroll through Pinterest, or even play Candy Crush Saga. Thanks to social communication apps like Facebook, we are able to easily connect with family and friends by sharing pictures, posting on their wall, or sending a message, all without having to dial a number or sit down and write a letter.

And now, this digital communication style has migrated into our school system, too.

Communication App for Easing the Minds of First-time Parents

Last year, we sent our sweet little boy to kindergarten. For us as parents, it was a bittersweet sign that our baby was growing up, but also a realization that he would spend a majority of his time away from mom and dad. His teacher, Laura Briggs, was familiar with the “nervous first-time parent” syndrome, and informed us that her communication style is completely paperless, and she uses the Bloomz communication app to interact with parents. We were so excited to have the ability to instantly connect with our son’s teacher, get updates on what he was doing throughout the day, and stay informed about school activities.

Ms. Briggs used her own phone during school to share photos or video, resources, and personal messages with all the parents through the communication app—all without sharing her phone number or email address.

Much like Facebook’s newsfeed, Bloomz has a scrollable feed that showed us photos of classroom activities, a description of what was happening each day, and ideas for enrichment at home. She also sent school flyers and announcements and scheduled school and classroom events using the calendar feature, so we never missed an important date.

(Next page: Speedy responses; collaboration)

Communication App with Speedy Responses

When there was something new to see on our Bloomz feed, we would get a notification on our phones so we were able to provide a response quickly. On the flipside, his teacher always answered our questions promptly, helping us to prepare our child for his school day.

The app made it easy to ask quick questions such as a missing folder, if he should bring hot or cold lunch, or when the next project was due. We could always count on her to provide us a quick response to any question we asked through the app.

Communication App for Parent-teacher Collaboration

From an education standpoint, a direct line to the teacher is extremely helpful when identifying a child’s needs. For example, if there is a concern, the teacher would be able to communicate with the parents and they would be able to start implementing a plan right away (as opposed to waiting for report cards or parent-teacher conferences).

It is a completely new way for parents to be involved in a child’s education and growth.

It’s important for children to know that their teachers and parents work together so they can be successful in school. Bloomz let us access up-to-date information about what was happening in our child’s day so when he got home, we could have informed conversations based on what we saw him doing in school that day. It was a great icebreaker to talk about what he learned, and it showed him that we cared and wanted to be part of his development.

Our involvement made our son even more enthusiastic about learning and being engaged through the school day. Students would use “Center Time” to upload their work and projects into their Bloomz timelines, which allowed the teacher more instructional time.

Using classroom devices, our son would take snapshots of his screen or create short videos to add to his individual student timeline, which he knows we look at daily.

Using a parent-teacher communication app gave us a way to be part of our son’s development. The rich and immediate communication has helped us feel more connected to our son, his school, and school activities.

In an age where we are constantly connected with work, home, friends, and family members, we have now successfully bridged the digital gap between home and school.

Sign up for our K-12 newsletter

Newsletter: Innovations in K12 Education
By submitting your information, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Want to share a great resource? Let us know at submissions@eschoolmedia.com.

New AI Resource Center
Get the latest updates and insights on AI in education to keep you and your students current.
Get Free Access Today!

"*" indicates required fields

Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Email Newsletters:

By submitting your information, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

eSchool News uses cookies to improve your experience. Visit our Privacy Policy for more information.