One of the greatest advantages to being a 1:1 is the chance for increased communication between teachers and students as well as parents.  Through the use of websites, blogs, Infinite Campus and email we can keep everyone in the loop as to what is going on in the classroom.  You can even use Twitter to post updates to your class as reminders for what is going on, which is how I started using Twitter myself.  Sometimes these tools do not work well for those reminders that are sent the night before, especially depends on how often they check their email or website.  Remind 101 is a free tool that allows the teacher to send text messages to students and/or parents without having to give out their own cell phone number.  

The way this works is simple, parents and students can sign up for the service using directions sent out by the teacher.  The parents and/or students sign up into the sections set up by the teacher, the teacher can then use the app to send out text messages to anyone that wants it.  There is a good amount of security with this as the teacher can not see the numbers for parents or students and the parents and students can not see the actual number for the teacher.  Teachers across the country are using this tool as an extra means of communication simply due to the fact about how so many are connected to their cell phones during the day.  It is a way you can quickly send out reminders and communicate with others.

Go to the following links for more information:

• https://www.remind101.com/
• http://lauragilchrist.blogspot.com/2012/08/why-im-using-remind-101-this-year.html
• http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/06/remind-101-safely-text-parents-and.html
• http://blog.remind101.com/