Help - creating an online community for class parents?

[Deleted]

Ok, so I'm one of two room mom's for C's Kinder class.

The other room mom and I want to set up an online forums for all the parents to be a part of so that we can all communicate/share stuff.

We don't want to use Facebook, Google or Yahoo because they require you to have accounts with them (ie. would require them to get a fb account or gmail address, etc.)  ETA:  It needs to be behind a login page, I just don't want to host it on a social media or email platform.  Ex - with Pinterest, you can sign up via FB OR create your own login via any email address you have.  In other words, looking for something more like Pinterest, less like FB.

Any recommendations for a Facebook like website...that isn't Facebook?

Help.

[ijack]

all the classes I know use shutterfly

[snipsnsnails]

I think you're going to be hard-pressed to have parents create an account somewhere-most people our age are at the point where they are starting to try to streamline our social media accounts. The exception being if the school itself hosts the forum, but you moderate.

I'd still think about Facebook.

(And I realize I did not answer you at all! How obnoxious! But I mean it!)

[snipsnsnails]

Does tumblr offer private tumblrs? Probably, yeah?

[Deleted]

Aug 27, 2014 13:53:08 GMT -5 ijack said:

all the classes I know use shutterfly

  isn't this a photo sharing site?

we aren't looking to share photos - it's against school policy to post pics of kids other than your own on social media sites.

[ginger]

Proboards? I think you van make non-googleable boards and everything.

Eta: Patrick

[ijack]

Aug 27, 2014 13:55:42 GMT -5 fields said:

Aug 27, 2014 13:53:08 GMT -5 ijack said:

all the classes I know use shutterfly

  isn't this a photo sharing site?

we aren't looking to share photos - it's against school policy to post pics of kids other than your own on social media sites.

They don't use it to share photos necessarily - they have classroom sites where you can set up calendars, have discussions on stuff, etc. Seriously, every teacher DD has had (5?) uses it.

[snipsnsnails]

ProBoards needs a login, peeps! You're posting on yours.

[Deleted]

we want to be able to share information, collaborate, post when we need to switch days as classroom helpers, etc.

if there is seriously nothing out there designed for this purpose i'm going to freaking go hire a coder and build it myself.

i was hoping there was something along the lines of how Nextdoor.com is set up for neighbors to talk to each other.

[Deleted]

Aug 27, 2014 13:58:58 GMT -5 snipsnsnails said:

ProBoards needs a login, peeps! You're posting on yours.

I'm not concerned they will need to create account just for the purpose of participating in our community - but i don't want to set it up on a social media or email platform.

[snipsnsnails]

You can set up a micronetwork on Path, but it honestly functions just like Facebook and you need a log in.

If you don't want accounts, I'm not sure what's out there beyond a blogging platform.

[snipsnsnails]

Dang, Shutterfly needed to diversify their revenue! That's sharp!

[roxysoxy]

I don't know that there is a site like you are describing. There really needs to be!

For all my kids classes we have always used email.  

We have used Shutterfly share sites for sports and other programs my kids are in.  Nobody uses it for actual picture sharing. It's usually used for calendars, snack sign ups, reminders, etc.  

[Deleted]

Aug 27, 2014 13:58:12 GMT -5 ijack said:

Aug 27, 2014 13:55:42 GMT -5 fields said:

  isn't this a photo sharing site?

we aren't looking to share photos - it's against school policy to post pics of kids other than your own on social media sites.

They don't use it to share photos necessarily - they have classroom sites where you can set up calendars, have discussions on stuff, etc. Seriously, every teacher DD has had (5?) uses it.

Ooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  Ok, I'm totally looking into this - and it sounds like a lot of others have had their classrooms use this.

Thank you everyone!

[nannersp]

Aug 27, 2014 14:08:00 GMT -5 oceanspray said:

This is a sample Shutterfly Classroom site. Is that what you were picturing?

classroomsamplesite.shutterfly.com/

Yup, that's what our kindergarten class uses. Used the same one last year, and it's great. 

[Patrick]

This sounds exactly like what ProBoards is for. You can require users to login, it's not linked to your social media, etc. It's free, too.

www.proboards.com