Remind101

Today's nifty, free little tool is Remind101.  This allows you to text students without revealing your personal number.  You simply provide your name, email, and create a password.  You give your "class" (or library) a name and the site gives you a number and a code to give your students. 

Some cool features:

• you can create multiple classes
• you can remove the classes (i.e. at the end of the semester)
• you can determine what name appears for you on the text
• provides embedding codes so you can add it to your blog or webpage
• students can't text back
• there is an app in the App Store and Google Play to manage the system on the go
• you can add attachments
• you can schedule texts to be sent at a later date so you can schedule reminders when events are scheduled so you don't have to remember to send a reminder, Remind101 will do it for you!
• the site provides you with a PDF handout for students about signing-up
• you can request an email of the "message history" to see what has been sent and when
• students can receive the massages as e-mails if they don't have texting

You aren't limited to the number of students who can receive the texts so this is a great way to remind students of events happening in the library.  You can also use it with groups such as book clubs or to send information to co-workers or work studies.  If you are working with classes you can remind them about what you will be doing or what they will need for class.

A few things to keep in mind:

• you can only text 140 characters
• it is tailored to K-12 teachers so it will not allow you to message individual students
• it will warn you if you are trying to text Monday-Friday 8PM-7AM or Sat.-Sun. 8PM-9AM, you can click past the warning and send it anyway if you would like

This service has a great many possibilities. I'm sure you have a million ideas as to how to use this, please share those with us in the comments below.  Enjoy!