TalkingPoints
Overview:
The TalkingPoints platform connects families and schools through a free, easy-to-use platform that allows them to engage in instant two-way communication via text message with automatic translation into 150 languages.
RISD parents and guardians will automatically receive messages from your child’s teachers via SMS text. When you do, make sure to save the number in your phone for easy access!Download the TalkingPoints App
Families:
- Download from the App Store for iPhone
- Download from the Google Play for Android
- Search for Families TalkingPoints app and download it to your phone.
Teachers:
- Download from the App Store for iPhone
- Download from the Google Play for Android
- Search for Teachers TalkingPoints app and download it to your phone.
Administrators:
- Download from the App Store for iPhone
- Download from the Google Play for Android
- Search for Admins TalkingPoints app and download it to your phone.
TalkingPoints helps families and teachers talk to each other in many languages. If a family speaks a different language, they can still get messages from the school. The messages will be in the language they understand best.
Families can write back to the school in any language they want. TalkingPoints will change their message into English for the school to read. This makes it easy for everyone to understand each other.
If families don’t want to get text messages from TalkingPoints anymore, they can stop them. All they need to do is send a message that says “GOODBYE.” Then, they won’t get any more messages.
Parent Resources
Getting Started Guide For Families
- Select the language you would like to send and receive messages in.
- Type in your mobile phone number (required) and your email address (optional).
- Check your text messages for a 5-digit verification code from TalkingPoints. Enter the verification code to continue.
- Tap the ‘Settings’ tab.
- Tap ‘Personal info’ – the first option under Settings.
- Make your changes to any of the following:
- Profile photo: Tap ‘Add profile photo’ to add your photo. To update your profile photo, select ‘Change profile photo’ under your current photo. Then, you can either take a picture or select one from your gallery.
- Name: Tap on the name field and enter your name.
- Phone number: If your phone number ever changes, tap the ‘Update’ button. Enter your new phone number, then the 5-digit verification code to complete the change.
- Language: Tap on your current language, then select a new language.
- Tap Save.
Frequently Asked Questions
RISD is in the process of implementing the Student Messaging function in TalkingPoints that will allow for secure, direct text engagement between secondary (grades 7-12) students, teachers, and other campus staff like coaches or club sponsors. This feature is expected to be active in mid-September.
As a parent/guardian, you may opt your grade 7-12 student out from participating in TalkingPoints if you choose. To opt your student out, please complete this form.
If your student has not been opted out, at the beginning of each semester, a unique email invitation will be generated to RISD secondary (grades 7-12) students district google address with instructions to sign up for TalkingPoints, if they choose. Students who have been opted out by a parent or guardian will not receive the unique email invitation necessary to participate in TalkingPoints.
- Signing up to participate involves the student sharing their cell phone number with the Talking Points platform, not RISD.
- Students must be at least 13 years old and have a text-enabled cell phone to use the two-way texting service through TalkingPoints.
- RISD will not collect, store, nor have access to student cell phone numbers. Within the TalkingPoints platform, student cell phone numbers are anonymized and are not viewable nor accessible by anyone in RISD.
- A data privacy agreement is in place with TalkingPoints. This ensures that student (and parent) information remains confidential and is not shared with any entity not necessary to provide the TalkingPoints service. Anyone may opt out of receiving TalkingPoints messages at any time.
- As a safety and oversight feature, all TalkingPoints messages are securely archived, and viewable by RISD principals, Safety & Security staff, and central supervisors. Parents may ask their principal to see messages to or from their student to a teacher/staff member.
- As students choose to sign up, they may be assigned to groups that classroom teachers will access based on the student’s schedule.
- RISD secondary staff are reminded that TalkingPoints messages to students should not conflict with the district’s student cell phone policy, nor should teachers expect that students can access TalkingPoints messages during the school day.
For this exact reason, TalkingPoints has developed an optional, and free, Parent Mobile Application which they can use to receive messages, and bypass the texts. The Parent Mobile Application is available for download on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
If families have downloaded the Parent Mobile Application, they can change their own language preference in the app!
TalkingPoints participation is optional for students. Teachers/campus staff can communicate with students who do not have a cell phone, or who do not choose to sign up for TalkingPoints. through other means such as Schoology, Focus, and email. Teachers/campus staff should not rely on TalkingPoints as the sole way to communicate class or activity information, because not every student or parent may choose to opt in. Parents and guardians who do not opt out will continue to receive text messages from teachers about what’s going on in the student’s class.