How Seesaw has Transformed my Classroom
- May 6, 2017
- 2 min read
One of my learning goals this year was to start using the app/website Seesaw.
For those of you who don't know, Seesaw is a digital portfolio where students share their work with their teachers, peers, and parents.
Things I use Seesaw for:
Posting Work: Students post stories, ideas, questions, videos and more for their peers to see.
Posting photos: I like to post photos of various things we are doing in class. Kids like looking back at things that happened and parents like to see what's going on in their kids lives.
Self-Reflection: I'm a big believer in reflection. I often have students show their work in video format while reflecting on what they did, challenges they had, and what they learned.
Posting calendars and reminders: Seesaw is an excellent way for parents to stay up to date on the happenings at school. Especially since they get notifications every time something is posted by me or their child.
Features I like:
Parent Communication: Parents that sign-up for Seesaw (right now about half do, hoping for more next year) can see anything their kid posts on Seesaw, as well as anything I post on the blog part of Seesaw. They get notifications on their phone anytime their child posts something new. Finally the best part is that they can "like" anything they see as well as give feedback to their child.
Peer-Feedback: When I first started using Seesaw I had to choose if I wanted posts to be private (student/teacher) or public (whole class). I am so glad I choose public. Students love seeing what their friends are doing. They "like" each other's work and add feedback. It almost feels like they are at home on social media. In fact, many kids do post comments and likes from home on their own time.
Authentic Audience: My favorite feature! If you have ever asked kids to share their work with a greater audience, you know what a big different it makes. Quality shoots up. I'm not sure why we often think that our learning should be private. I have not once had a student make fun of another about their work. Instead they are supportive and encouraging. It really builds community.
Comments