Call me crazy but I share all my contact info with staff and families.  There are many reasons to do this, but mainly, I want people to be able to get a hold of me whenever they need to.  I think this not only saves a lot of time, but also let’s families and staff know that you care and are there for them.

With this in mind I dusted off my Google Voice number and reset it and started using it again.  Google Voice isn’t the tool or the answer, what it does is what makes it valuable.  I don’t really care on tools…. I care what they can do….  with that said, I use Google Voice.

I’m sharing the Google Voice number more so that if I change cell phone numbers I don’t have to worry about changing my info and business cards.  For some though this service does keep your actual numbers private.  I’m using Google Voice to forward my calls and text messages to my current phone.

I also added this as my tag line to emails:
–

Sean Martinson
Principal – Cohasset Elementary School

Dad to Three Amazing Kids
M.S. Educational Leadership
Licensed K-12 Principal
Education, Leadership, and Technology Consultant

www.SeanMartinson.org

In this image one of our classroom teachers uses the iPevo Point2View to show student work.

Sometimes I think we way over think technology!  We love these and have one in every classroom:

http://www.ipevo.com/prods/Point-2-View-USB-Camera

Sometimes you have to update a file for Windows based machines, and depending on the software that ships, you are often better off downloading the updated software from the website (works either way though).

I outfitted my entire building for the cost of one of the higher end Doc Cams.  I had one teacher that had an iPevo and a Lumens Ladibug similar to this one:
http://www.myladibug.com/productDetails.php?m=2cyc28u5b1

She had both for a while and turned the Ladibug back in.  She preferred the iPevo.  It meets our needs, down the road we may have some staff that need a higher end model but for now these have been great and I can actually afford to purchase them.

Principal – Cohasset Elementary School
218.209.2573

Dad to Three Amazing Kids
M.S. Educational Leadership
Licensed K-12 Principal
Education, Leadership, and Technology Consultant

Our school system uses Honeywell Instant Alert for district and building communication.  One issue we run into however is the updating of phone numbers and other contact information this often and ever changing.  My Building uses other tools such as our website, Principal’s Pad (Blog), our Facebook Group, our Twitter Account, an Email list, …. all of which rely on the user, our families, to connect or update their information.  Recently I ran across a website called Remind101.  This site allows the ability for families to sign up and provide their contact info (email and/or cell phone number) to receive updates from our school.  We will roll this out over Christmas vacation.  We’ll still continue some of our other communication tools, but the piece I appreciate is the text message.  I can send a message from the site to all of our classes or certain classes.  Short, quick, to the point bursts of information.

• www.isd318.org/cohasset
• www.cohassetprincipal.org
• www.twitter.com/cohassetcougars
• www.remind101.com