Keep Parents in the Loop with ClassTag

As I was browsing through Cult of Pedagogy, I came across this interesting blog about an easy, free way to get parents more involved in their child's learning. It is called ClassTag.

On ClassTag, teachers can share reminders, announcements, and fun learning moments with parents from the same platform. Because ClassTag is available on any device, parents and teachers can access the information from anywhere, and at any time. From the class page, parents can see a list of upcoming activities and sign up to help or donate items for these activities. They can also access a directory of other parents in the class. Any parent can elect to have their email address shared in this directory, making it easy for parents to contact each other.

ClassTag help teachers with scheduling conferences and volunteers. It's also an easy way to get to know parents better. Every parent has his or her own set of life experiences, talents, and interests that can be shared with your class. When parents are first added to a class, they have the opportunity to list things they are interested in, such as hobbies or sports.

ClassTag allows you to view which parents are engaged in using ClassTag. It shows you exactly who is viewing and responding to your emails and announcements, helping you see which items are getting parents’ attention and which ones need work.

This is definitely a tool I want to try to incorporate into my classroom!