ClassTag vs Seesaw- Which is better for supporting hybrid learning?

Reaching parents and keeping them engaged was already challenging, without the added burden of helping them support their child through hybrid learning. 

Whether that child is learning completely online or in a blended environment that combines online elements along with learning in a classroom, it’s important that you have the right platform and tools to easily communicate and share resources with parents. If we’re going to fight an ever-widening achievement gap that has been added to by the COVID crisis, we need to reach, engage and share learning resources with every parent in the class!

Comparing different platforms can be overwhelming, so we’ve pulled together a comparison of the parent engagement essentials, to help you make the right choice for your classroom community.

How is supporting hybrid learning on ClassTag different from Seesaw?

Which platform was designed for parent communication?

ClassTag is a free parent-teacher communication platform with everything you need to reach, engage and support every parent, no matter what back-to-school brings. We have been, and always will be about parent-teacher connections.

Seesaw’s mission and focus is on “students show[ing] learning” through a shared digital portfolio. The parent communication element is secondary.

Of course when choosing a platform, you probably want one that is designed with parent communication at its core!

Comparing features for reaching and engaging parents

Teachers are struggling to get in touch with parents while parents are stretched thin and don’t have time to learn new platforms. 

ClassTag is perfect for teachers looking for an all-in-one parent communication tool that supports parent participation and engagement in any scenario. Our users love that they can use ClassTag to reach every parent with messages, announcements, event-coordination, sharing student work and more. Add in all the tools that are integrated with Google and you have a one-stop solution for parent engagement that helps make teacher workflow more efficient. 

ClassTag has been extremely helpful, because it is such an easy and effective way for us to keep parents up to date and be able to check in with them during this difficult time.

Jennifer Lutz, Middle School Teacher

Which can help me minimize the achievement gap?

Parent engagement and participation is one of the top indicators of student achievement. Reaching every parent of a hybrid learning student can be even more difficult than in a traditional classroom setting and can put students at risk of slipping behind.

Which is more accessible for parents?

Parent access to technology can have a major impact on important communications. Communication between teachers and parents can only happen in the Seesaw app, whereas ClassTag can reach parents through email, SMS, paper, mobile or web app. 

Communicating with ELL parents during hybrid learning can also be challenging, but ClassTag removes the language barrier and automatically translates in over 100+ languages.  Seesaw offers translation into 55 languages currently.

ClassTag also gives teachers smart, actionable alerts and recommendations, ensuring they are able to connect with those harder to reach parents. With read receipts and parent-engagement stats, you can focus on the parents who are not receiving messages or participating and may need additional support and follow-up.

Which is better for Google Schools or Google Classroom educators?

Like Google Classroom and Google’s suite of tools, ClassTag is completely free for teachers and parents. We know how important it is for teachers to have access to a free stack of tools, and we’ve designed ClassTag to integrate with the full Google suite in a seamless way.

Google Integrations

ClassTag’s integration with Google Classroom and Google’s suite of tools keeps parents in the loop without any added frustration for you, the teacher.

Teachers can save time by only having to add parents and students once with roster-syncing! Additionally, teachers can direct message ClassTag parents with automatic translation in over 100+ languages, without ever leaving Google Classroom.

ClassTag helps streamline file sharing, scheduling and conferencing through integrations with Google Drive, Meet and Calendar. 

Additionally, teachers can direct message ClassTag parents with automatic translation in over 100+ languages, without ever leaving Google Classroom with our Chrome extension.

While SeeSaw’s announcements have integrations with Google Drive, it does not have integrations with Google Classroom, Google Calendar, or Google Meet. 

Need to hold events and conferences that ALL parents will attend? (Even online)

ClassTag makes scheduling in-person or remote conferences and events a breeze by allowing parents and teachers to pick times that work for their schedule. 

Events and conference times will automatically sync with Google Calendar and add a conferencing link through Google Meet. This helps parents keep track of important events and conference information, all in one place. 

SeeSaw does not have the ability to create or coordinate via events. To have the same benefits as ClassTag, teachers using Seesaw would have to use other platforms. Teachers and parents using Seesaw would need to learn a multitude of platforms to support all the benefits ClassTag offers parents and teachers with event coordination.

A teacher-parent communication app that saves teachers money

On average, teachers spend $750 of their own money on classroom supplies every year. While it’s incredibly noble, we understand the value of your hard-earned money and so, we have a solution.

You can finally get what you need in your classroom and keep your money where it belongs- in your wallet!

Through our Classroom Fund feature, you can compile and share a list of supplies you’d like to purchase through ClassTag’s vast catalog of class goods. As parents browse through it, they can contribute any amount they wish to go towards your supply purchases. It’s that easy!

What’s great is that setting up your ClassTag Classroom Fund is incredibly simple. Set it up and you’ll be well on your way to getting those much-needed supplies for your learners!

As for teachers who use Seesaw, they don’t enjoy the added benefit of supply funding assistance that you will find with ClassTag’s Classroom Fund. Having variety like this in your parent-teacher communication tool is an excellent feature.

How can I share student work with parents?

ClassTag and Seesaw both have a portfolio of student work. ClassTag’s virtual student backpacks house student work, but also provide a safe and secure area for important documents as ClassTag is FERPA and COPPA Certified by iKeepSafe (e.g. IEP or 504 copies).

ClassTag’s ability to let parents respond to stories with student work helps promote classroom community and collaboration.

The best fit for hybrid learning

When it comes to hybrid learning, ClassTag has features that will keep students and parents informed and engaged. The Google integrations create an easier workflow for teachers with the ability to sync events to Google Calendar and add a Google Meet to their scheduled events in ClassTag. Drive integration makes it so easy to share important documents with parents and students without leaving ClassTag. Let’s not forget roster sync, which is perfect for teachers with multiple classes.  Communication is the key to success when learning from home, which is why ClassTag is the perfect app for successful online learners.

Need a FREE parent-teacher communication app that just works?

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