This blog was written by Jenn S., a teacher who transitioned from Class Messenger to Bloomz and was excited to help other teachers make the transition. Jenn is a kindergarten teacher in Pennsylvania, and was kind enough to write her thoughts on why and how her school made the transition to Bloomz.
At the start of a school year, many teachers find themselves choosing an app for parent communication. At my school, we looked for something that would simplify the parent experience. We didn't want a parent to feel like they needed to check the app, the folder, the email, and carefully read each piece of information word for word and take notes. We spent time looking into options that would work best for our classes. At the time of selection, many of us went with Class Messenger by Scholastic. Only to find out about 2 weeks ago, that this app will no longer be available after December 23 (or maybe… or maybe not depending on the day). So again, quickly, we were back to choosing the right app for our needs.
Messenger offered options we liked: private communication, conference sign ups, volunteer sign ups, supply list requests, and the ability to message parents quickly and all at the same time. After downloading about 10 different apps, we settled upon researching Bloomz, Living Tree, and Remind. We found that Bloomz met our current expectation, but even better. It is more organized and user friendly. It has a social media-type feel that most parents are already familiar with, but also allows the teacher to accomplish all of the same things we want to be able to do with parents….. in one place! We can message (a number of ways), set up meetings or volunteers, ask for supplies, and even share information about behavior or photos, even compile student work if we want.
As inconvenient as it is to choose a new app (and now to get all of the parents back on board for a new app), this was a blessing in disguise because it gave me the opportunity to see what else was out there, and I found something better that would fit my needs in an organized manner and allow me to be better at communicating with my parents this year. I encourage you to download the app and explore it. You will most likely find this app will fit your needs across the board as well! Best of luck in your search for a new app, teachers!