Texting App from Athena’s Workshop Accepted Into Edmodo App Store
Reston, VA (PRWEB) November 04, 2013 -- Athena’s Workshop, Inc. which has built a secure, phone numberless texting platform for the education space has been accepted into the Edmodo app store. Edmodo has more than 26 million teachers, parents, students and administrators as users. The texting app allows a teacher to send out both group messages to students and parents as well as reply to individual questions. Parents can request to receive messages in English or Spanish and can reply in either language and they will be translated for the teacher. Many schools systems across the US are exploring ways to reach and engage parents using cell phones.
Helen Levy-Myers, CEO and Founder, had the idea for Athena’s Workshop when she became the parent who found out about missing homework two minutes before bedtime. The vision was to create a simple way of informing all parents about upcoming tests and homework that did not require going to look for it; it would come to her when she needed to know it. In order to reach as many parents as possible with the most universally available technology it was decided to build a cell phone texting platform with Spanish translation that could be used by both smart phones and basic feature phones. About 97 percent of text messages are opened ; on the other hand, education related email open rates range from 7.5 to 46.10 percent making texting a more effective way to communicate and engage with parents and students.
Andrew Maslar, Chief Technologist, has built the texting platform so that teachers never reveal their cell phone number nor do students or parents give their cell phone number to the teacher. Feedback from many teachers has informed key features. Athena’s Workshop includes virtual office hours so that teachers can specify which hours they want to receive text messages at their phone, all the time, some of the time or never and only sent to the message log. The message log has both date and name sorting features so that messages can easily be reviewed for an intervention meeting.
Teachers can create an account using the free 30 day trial at the company website, https://www.athenasworkshop.com or through the Edmodo app store. When they use the Edmodo app they will be able to access Athena’s Workshop directly from their Edmodo class site, eliminating extra steps and making it easier for teachers. Using the texting app will make it easier for students to remember to take a test within the Edmodo site. Parents that sign up will also know about upcoming tests and will be encouraged to spend time in the teacher’s Edmodo website.
Edmodo teachers now have a way to remind students and parents about upcoming tests and homework due with the Athena’s Workshop texting app available at the Edmodo app store. A free 30 day trial is available. The paid app for 30 students is $29 and $49 for the version that includes Spanish translation.
Helen Levy-Myers, Athena's Workshop, Inc., http://www.athenasworkshop.com, +1 7036154429, [email protected]
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