Google Voice

Have you tried Google Voice yet? Chances are you probably haven’t. Well I want you to know this is a great product to use for any teacher who wants to keep up with their students and vice versa. Signing up for a Google Voice number is easy. If you have a Google account you are half way there.  Just search the web for Google Voice and then sign up for a number. The numbers can be local numbers or any other number of your choice.

Once you have your Google Voice number you can set it up to ring any phone you want, the simple process of entering the code on your home phone or your cell phone. Once you do this you now have a number you can give out to your parents and students to call if they have any questions, without giving them your home or cell phone number.  

Some of the key features are call screening and the ability to set up a voicemail for different people that call you.  Another great feature Google Voice has is the ability to send out text messages. If you like to send out updates to your students via text messages you can do this. So if you want to remind your students of the test or that the end of the grading period is coming up, you can. Wondering about legal issues with sending text messages to your students? Google Voice lets you store all the incoming and outgoing text messages for that purpose. A benefit is you can send out mass texts to your student by just typing it on your keyboard without having to fiddle with the keypad on your cell phone.   

If you have an Android or an iPhone you can download the Google Voice app so you can keep up with all your text messages. You can also make calls with your Google Voice number from your smart phone with this app as well.   

Google Voice is something to consider if you are an educator, or just anyone who wants to stay connected.