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Show HN: ClassPager lets teachers send reminders and run live Q&A over SMS.

classpager.com

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Re: Show HN: ClassPager lets teachers send reminders and run live Q&A over SMS.

#21

Post by mahipal »

joshmlewis wrote: post #17

I think this is really awesome and definitely headed in the right direction as far as getting teachers more involved with technology, however from my experience in several different schools, most have been really strict on cell phone use during school and teacher/student communication outside of school. It was quite a hassle really because teachers wanted to do more but were restricted by school policy. I hope school…

Yes, that's very true. It's going to take a while to convince schools to change all these entrenched behaviors and policies.

But, as you're getting at, it's also obvious that technology should be -- and will be -- an integral part of the classroom in the future. So we're hoping that, by making it as easy as possible to get on board, and by making the tech usable both inside and outside the classroom, we'll help teachers and classrooms move towards this future.

Re: Show HN: ClassPager lets teachers send reminders and run live Q&A over SMS.

#22

Post by mahipal »

ThomPete wrote: post #7

This is exactly how you sell this kind of services. No fancy web design, no over complex messagin, no geek speak. Just straight to the point communication. (I say this as a designer)

Thanks Thomas! I love your designs (and http://www.weekendhacker.net too :)

Re: Show HN: ClassPager lets teachers send reminders and run live Q&A over SMS.

#23

Post by mahipal »

timjahn wrote: post #9

I like the clear, easy to understand site. Sounds like a useful product. Are you marketing this to teachers or the schools?

We've been piloting with teachers, so we're starting by marketing to teachers directly. The goal is to have a product that's both useful at the free level and affordable at the premium level, given teachers' budgets.

We've started talking to schools, too, but I think it will be some time before we really target the marketing there.

Re: Show HN: ClassPager lets teachers send reminders and run live Q&A over SMS.

#24

Post by mahipal »

mattcrest wrote: post #11

My wife is a middle school teacher and created a system similar to this using a Gmail account. She creates groups for each class, then emails to their SMS address (phonenumber@att.net or similar). This looks so much nicer than jacking around with all the various carrier email addresses manually. I'll have her pass this along to her district. Best of luck!

Thanks!

If she or other teachers have any questions, they're welcome to email me: m [at] classpager.com.

Re: Show HN: ClassPager lets teachers send reminders and run live Q&A over SMS.

#26

Post by timjahn »

mahipal wrote: post #23
timjahn wrote: post #9

I like the clear, easy to understand site. Sounds like a useful product. Are you marketing this to teachers or the schools?

We've been piloting with teachers, so we're starting by marketing to teachers directly. The goal is to have a product that's both useful at the free level and affordable at the premium level, given teachers' budgets. We've started talking to schools, too, but I think it will be some time before we really target the marketing there.

I'd be interested to hear your success with teachers directly. My wife's a high school teacher, so I know that teachers pay out of pocket for almost everything.

Depends on how passionate the teacher is often.

Re: Show HN: ClassPager lets teachers send reminders and run live Q&A over SMS.

#28

Post by ccorcoran »

Really awesome application! I passed it along to a couple of my teacher/professor friends.

Hopefully this can replace a lot of those awful RF-based polling systems that come packaged a lot of college level textbooks. Physics II in college was really painful because of our 'clickers'.

Re: Show HN: ClassPager lets teachers send reminders and run live Q&A over SMS.

#29

Post by joshmlewis »

mahipal wrote: post #21
joshmlewis wrote: post #17

I think this is really awesome and definitely headed in the right direction as far as getting teachers more involved with technology, however from my experience in several different schools, most have been really strict on cell phone use during school and teacher/student communication outside of school. It was quite a hassle really because teachers wanted to do more but were restricted by school policy. I hope school…

Yes, that's very true. It's going to take a while to convince schools to change all these entrenched behaviors and policies. But, as you're getting at, it's also obvious that technology should be -- and will be -- an integral part of the classroom in the future. So we're hoping that, by making it as easy as possible to get on board, and by making the tech usable both inside and outside the classroom, we'll help teach…

Yeah, I totally agree with the idea. I think it's amazing. And the way teachers still do tests and things by hand in Word is pretty crazy too. There's a huge market with schools.

Re: Show HN: ClassPager lets teachers send reminders and run live Q&A over SMS.

#30

Post by mahipal »

ccorcoran wrote: post #28

Really awesome application! I passed it along to a couple of my teacher/professor friends. Hopefully this can replace a lot of those awful RF-based polling systems that come packaged a lot of college level textbooks. Physics II in college was really painful because of our 'clickers'.

Thanks! Yeah, we hate those clickers too.
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