posted by Susan Tompkins on Oct 11
Okay, in today’s Web 2.0 world, something like the telephone probably takes a backseat. Think again. About 18 months ago, I read a blog about an internet telephony device that helps communicate with lots of people in very little time. It is called Phonevite and I have been telling everyone of its virtues!
The beautful thing about Phonevite, other than its fantastic time-saving, is that it has a free package. They love educators and have made Phonevite readily available to us! Although the free package allows up to 25 calls in one session, I am able to call all of my 130 students within a matter of minutes. I have categorized them by class, so the limit does not really affect the performance!
Phonevite is such a useful tool that last year our principal purchased an Education package that is used to call absentees every day to notify parents of a student’s absence. Without a doubt, the calling ability of this system is phenomenal. In three steps, you record, select the numbers to call, and send voice messages to everyone.
It is so easy to use, a freshman student running for class president set up an account and used it to call his “constituents” before the election! It truly came to my rescue when during hurricane Gustav, we were surprised with school closings. I used the system to record my Assistant Principal’s message and sent out phone calls to every teacher, support, custodial, and cafeteria staff member of our school. It saved immeasurable time and was a huge blessing!
For educators, it is a great idea to use to remind students of projects and assignments as well as keeping parents informed of class events. The feedback from parents is always positive. So check it out and use this service that is a wonderful marriage between telephones and telephony!