Item: HEARD Review
Rating: 5
Author: Jessica

Have you heard of HEARD? I admit, I had not. So when I had the opportunity to work on a HEARD review, and learn about a new product, I was ecstatic. I love new homeschooling products, don’t you?!

Just FYI – here are some basics about HEARD:

HEARD is a communication tool for homeschooling families.
It’s a private, online hub.
HEARD is kind of a hybrid – part social media/part planner.
HEARD facilitates two-way parent-to-group and parent-to-parent communication and collaboration.
HEARD is a private, invitation-only platform, and for adults only. No children are allowed on the platform.
It’s a good/great match for your homeschool co-op, homeschool support group, or for any organization you belong to (church, sport leagues, scouts, etc.) – HEARD helps organizations communicate with their members and build strong communities.
HEARD integrates communication between multiple groups within an organization (different classes/grades in a co-op, etc.), as well as between multiple organizations (your co-op, support group, and scouts, for instance). Think about it – used correctly, this can put an end to zillions (slight exaggeration) of fliers,e-mails, etc.
HEARD was created by two moms – Deena Minwalla and Michelle Magat. They both volunteered to help a new school figure out the best way for 100 families to connect, communicate, and engage – and soon, HEARD was born.

So, I bet you’re wondering, “If I’m already on Facebook, why do I need something like this?” Or maybe you don’t like social media at all. In that case, you’re probably asking yourself, “Why would HEARD appeal to me?”

My answer? You can streamline (I’m a fan of streamlining!) all of your activities onto one platform – making scheduling a breeze; and more importantly, your children’s privacy (I’m an even bigger fan of privacy!) – you can keep communications about your kids’ activities separate from Facebook.

(BTW- more of my reasons for liking HEARD are listed below the graphics).

MORE of my reasons for liking HEARD and why I was excited to share this HEARD review:

It’s intuitive, in that it works like other social networking sites – but better.
It’s a combo social/planner platform. You can integrate your co-op’s calendar to HEARD. Whether it’s a potluck, field trip, meeting, etc., you can use HEARD to create an event, enlist volunteers, and manage RSVPs. I have my homeschool, my homeschool support group, scouts, and my Church calendars included – and I haven’t missed a thing yet!
You can view and access all included organizations from one place – so no more bopping between Facebook pages, different email accounts, etc. It’s convenient/easy having everything in one spot.
Your co-op/support group can create custom groups for classrooms, grades, committees, and more. Also, each member has the ability to create additional groups based on what they need to organize (i.e., clubs, sports team, book clubs, car pools) or their own personal connections.
The site is attractive – with a modern, simple design (again, think streamline). I appreciate clean and simple design.
It’s secure – you can control the information you provide. Adding contact and other personal information is optional, and the site uses standard HTTPS protocol for secure communication.
Set up takes minutes. Once your co-op/support group is on board, everyone joins via a special invite link or member emails can be added like a traditional mailing list. I hate when set up/joining is a chore – and this was a breeze.
You can select your preferred language from 100 choices. All your messages (private chat or posts) will automatically be translated to other members’ preferred languages. This is pretty cool. So far, everyone I communicate with speaks English as their primary language – but I still think this is a great service.
The search bar is really good – you can search names, dates, events, a topic or key word.
Communication is easy – you can adjust the frequency of email alerts for each of your groups. And with every post you send, you can see who received it, read it, or failed to get it—ensuring no one is left out. Wow – that’s nice!
You can access HEARD on mobile, tablet and desktop via your web browser, iOS, email, and push notifications.
All content on HEARD is archived indefinitely. And every member has access to the archive.
There are no ads on HEARD.
I like sharing info about companies started by women – as well as supporting these companies when I can. Don’t women have GREAT ideas?!

As mentioned, I’m using HEARD for a number of my homeschool and personal groups/obligations – and it’s working out well. Even if I liked visiting social media sites on a daily (or more frequent) basis – and I DON’T – I’d appreciate the ease of HEARD. Ease is always good – especially when homeschooling!

If your interest is piqued you can try HEARD for FREE!

Resources and step-by-step instructions make it easy to get started.

And the HEARD iOS app is available for download at

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/heard-now/id1254407905?mt=8.