What’s up with Whatsapp?

In an age where students seem to be attached to tech, why not take that as an educational opportunity? With WhatsApp being such a popular messaging app, there is a good chance students already have it. With the free app’s numerous features, it’s a natural choice for communication and more between teachers, students, and even parents. Meanwhile, Edulastic provides an easy way to create formative assessments and analyze data. In his recent edWebinar, Shannon Holden, assistant principal at Republic Middle School in Missouri, described how teachers can use WhatsApp and Edulastic for educational purposes.

Teachers are bombarded regularly with new digital tools for their classrooms. They may already be using an app to keep up with parents, an online tool to have students record and send in answers to questions, or a learning management system to have students turn in assignments. WhatsApp can be used for many of these things combined. Holden suggested getting started by having students (or parents) send the teacher a message on WhatsApp, and then creating groups—perhaps by class—and adding individuals to each group.

It may be a communication tool, but teachers can use it for more. Here are some of Holden’s tips for teachers who want to start using WhatsApp in their classroom:…Read More