Being a busy teacher and group leader, we need all the help that we can get when it comes to communicating with our groups. There are so many tools available to help us get the word out to travelers in the weeks and months prior to tour. Here are a few of my favorites...
Social Media
It seems that everyone has a social media account or two (or three or four...) these days! I love to use social media to recruit new travelers, share information with my enrolled travelers, and post pictures and updates while on tour.
I created a Facebook "page" for my travel program called Raider World Traveler, where I post announcements about upcoming tours, reminders to enrolled travelers and LOTS of pictures while on tour. Facebook is a great place to interact with parents about all tour happenings. Check out my Facebook page!
According to my students, Facebook is for "old people." So, to reach my students, I use twitter. I share all the same information on both Twitter and Facebook. In fact-- you can write one post and share it to both platforms to save time! To reach the students, I have to go to where the students are...and you can always find them on social media (just not Facebook!). :)
G Suite
Are you a googlephile? According to Urban Dictionary, a googlephile is someone with an overwhelmingly obscene fascination to use google. I love Google tools and products and put the Google Suite to work for me when planning for my tour.
Google Drive. I use google drive to store ALL my files for recruitment meetings, pre-departure meeting, group lists, pictures from previous tours, etc.
Google Sheets. Google sheets works just like Microsoft Excel, and I use it to record my group members passport and contact information.
Google Forms. I love using a Google Form to collect important information from my group members before departure. Click here to check out the Traveler Info Form I use to find out some very important information from my travelers after they enroll. Feel free to steal it, and edit to fit your needs (just remember to make a copy first).
Google Calendar. Make sure that your travelers never miss a pre-departure meeting by sending them calendar appointments using Google Calendar. You can set up reminders and notifications that help them remember your important events.
Google Drive. I use google drive to store ALL my files for recruitment meetings, pre-departure meeting, group lists, pictures from previous tours, etc.
Google Sheets. Google sheets works just like Microsoft Excel, and I use it to record my group members passport and contact information.
Google Forms. I love using a Google Form to collect important information from my group members before departure. Click here to check out the Traveler Info Form I use to find out some very important information from my travelers after they enroll. Feel free to steal it, and edit to fit your needs (just remember to make a copy first).
Google Calendar. Make sure that your travelers never miss a pre-departure meeting by sending them calendar appointments using Google Calendar. You can set up reminders and notifications that help them remember your important events.
Flipgrid
If you've never used Flipgrid, I would encourage you to check it out--I promise you won't be disappointed! What is Flipgrid? According to the creators, "grids are the meeting place for your classroom, your school, your department or any learning community to discuss your topics. "
Using Flipgrid my travelers create a 30 second video introducing themselves, and explaining what they are most excited about seeing/doing on our upcoming tour. I share the link to our "grid" and all travelers can begin to put a name to face, and get to know each other before our tour departs.
For me, one of the best features of Flipgrid is that the travelers don't have to create an account, they just click on the link that you share an record from their device. It is so quick and easy! Click here to check out Flipgrid, and create your first "grid" today!
Using Flipgrid my travelers create a 30 second video introducing themselves, and explaining what they are most excited about seeing/doing on our upcoming tour. I share the link to our "grid" and all travelers can begin to put a name to face, and get to know each other before our tour departs.
For me, one of the best features of Flipgrid is that the travelers don't have to create an account, they just click on the link that you share an record from their device. It is so quick and easy! Click here to check out Flipgrid, and create your first "grid" today!
Canva
Canva is a simplified graphic design tool uses a drag and drop format to create beautiful fliers, posters, social media post, and so much more, with just the click of your mouse. I love to use Canva to create announcements about my upcoming meetings, and beautiful Instagram post and stories. Canva has a ton of free stock photos and fonts to make all of your creations eye catching! Here are a few of the things that I have created with Canva and posted to social media pages for my tours.
Remind
As a teacher, you probably use Remind for your classes and/or extracurricular activities, but have thought about using it for your tour? When new travelers enroll, I email them and ask them to join the Remind class for our tour (check out Remind.com to create an account and set up a "class" for your tour). In the months leading up to the tour, I send out text reminders about upcoming pre-departure meetings, fundraising events, and any other information that I need to share quickly with the whole group. I even send out a Remind message when our plan has safely landed on tour, to put the parents at ease.
What is Remind? Remind is a free(!) web based text messaging service that allows your student to sign up to receive text messages from you. When you set up a "class" in Remind, students opt into receiving text messages by using a code provided by Remind.com. They cannot see your phone number, and you cannot see theirs. It is a safe and reliable way to communicate with your travelers, by using a method that we all know they will see instantaneously--text message.
What is Remind? Remind is a free(!) web based text messaging service that allows your student to sign up to receive text messages from you. When you set up a "class" in Remind, students opt into receiving text messages by using a code provided by Remind.com. They cannot see your phone number, and you cannot see theirs. It is a safe and reliable way to communicate with your travelers, by using a method that we all know they will see instantaneously--text message.
What tech tools do you use and LOVE? Tell me all about them in the comments below!
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