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Education Trends, Equity Resources, Sponsors & Supporters   |   Mar 29, 2017

LivingTree: A free private social network for communication with school stakeholders in 100+ languages

By Angela Watson

Founder and Writer

LivingTree: A free private social network for communication with school stakeholders in 100+ languages

By Angela Watson

If you’re tired of having to login to one platform to receive district communications, another for intra-school communication, and still more platforms to communicate with students and their parents…LivingTree can greatly simply things and make it easier for everyone to stay in the loop.

LivingTree: A free private social network for communication with school stakeholders in 100+ languages

LivingTree is a mobile online education communication platform. It was created by parents while working closely with leading school districts, innovative schools, and savvy teachers from all over the country. LivingTree’s ultimate goal is to truly unite educators and families by facilitating more organic conversations.

What sets it apart from platforms currently in the market is its Tiered Social Network which follows a hierarchical model that encourages a more natural flow of conversations on each tier.

For example, districts can look into and communicate with all its schools and vice versa. Then on the next level down, these schools can share information and communicate with every grade level within their respective schools. Further down the line, teachers of each grade level can exchange information, and send messages to their students and families.

This way, only the relevant content is shared with each tier and communication is kept private, but all information is securely held in ONE platform. 

Check out this quick overview video to learn how it works: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ter08cl49b8

LivingTree gives parents a front row seat to the classroom by allowing them to see their children’s progress through the information the teacher shares. Parents can also share media and announcements, and can access directory listings and volunteer for school activities as needed.

The platform also has a messaging feature that allows parents and teachers to communicate with each other directly. This same messaging feature allows teachers to send messages to students even when they are outside the classroom.

Other functionalities specifically designed to help teachers include:

Announcements – Emails and mobile notifications are sent to your class when you share important messages, files, photos, and other media shared to the classroom.

Group Calendaring – You can create shared calendars within your class where both students and parents can contribute. On the same page, you can add the signup forms, RSVP, and event information. Notifications are sent by the system every time changes are made to the shared calendars, making collaborating on and planning events easier.

Secure network – All messages exchanged and shared calendars created are kept secure within your private network. No one from outside your network can search for you and your class information.  Teachers are given full control through the ability to create specific groups…

…and by getting to choose who to share information with.

LivingTree also addresses the hurdles that have continued to impede the success of parent-teacher communication platforms–namely, language barrier issues and limited access to the technology.

LivingTree is available in 100+ languages, making it much easier for teachers to deliver updates and communicate with parents and students. Participation and engagement rates generally climb with LivingTree because parents receive information in the language they are most comfortable with and can converse back in that same language.

The LivingTree app is available on ALL devices. It’s completely free and can be downloaded as an Android or iOS app, and can be accessed as a web-based app on any computer. This allows parents, students, and teachers to access LivingTree from anywhere, regardless of the device they are using.

Want to check it out for yourself? Click here to sign up for free. You can also learn more about LivingTree and stay up-to-date through their Facebook page, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Disclosure: I have been compensated through Syndicate Ads for helping to spread the word about LivingTree’s awesome tools for school communication. I only recommend resources that I have personally used or would recommend that others use. 

Angela Watson

Founder and Writer

Angela created the first version of this site in 2003, when she was a classroom teacher herself. With 11 years of teaching experience and more than a decade of experience as an instructional coach, Angela oversees and contributes regularly to...
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