Seesaw
App: Seesaw: The Learning Journal
Company: Seeaw Learning Inc.
Cost: Free
Device: Apple or Android tablets or smart phones, computer website
SAMR Model: Redefinition
App Map Score: Here
Participatory Literacies Score: Here
Description
Seesaw is a digital learning journal that allows students to create content, collaborate with peers or the teacher, share their learning, self assess, and and build many skills. Students can engage in teacher uploaded content. This may include interactive PDFs, skills practice, answering prompts, or completing assessments. Seesaw allows students to demonstrate their knowledge in many different ways that are not possible with paper or traditional print media. Students may reflect on their learning or self assess by viewing their creations. They can listen to their reading fluency by recording themselves reading a text and self assess and work on their skills as they see fit. Students can record retells of a text or draw their favorite character or scene from a story. This app allows students to upload pictures, websites, or PDFs. The possibilities are pretty much endless with Seesaw.
Student creations are also shared with the teacher and a student's family or guardians. People who are connected to the student's profile can leave comments which are to be approved by a teacher. There are two different settings, where a student can only see what they have created, or they can view a timeline of other's creations as well. Students can learn from other students in this function, discuss their work, or leave comments, again, to be approved by the teacher.
Seesaw is easily accessible by students. They can open the app or website. If using the app, students can log in simply by scanning a class specific QR code. Seesaw also includes a communication portion where teachers can send messages to the whole class, the class families, and receive replies to the message from families.
Differentiation
Seesaw allows for differentiation because teachers can upload activities or content that are directed at students' needs. Students can demonstrate their understanding or knowledge in a way that is appropriate for their current levels. If students are not yet at the stage where they can write sentences to demonstrate what they know, they could create an audio recording or a drawing to meet the activity's standard.
This resource meets the needs for many different students, allowing for practice, self assessment, assessments, reflection, and many other learning opportunities. Students who are English Language Learners can work on their reading, speaking, and listening skills with Seesaw.
Students who have a reading disability can access a Seesaw document that the teacher creates with words they need to practice. The teacher could have them manipulate the letters, draw pictures to match the word, and record themselves reading student-appropriate words and sentences.
Students who may benefit from social stories could use Seesaw to create their own or access social stories when needed. These students may deepen their understanding of a social skill by drawing pictures or recording what they may do in response to problem solving prompts.
Comprehension
Seesaw helps build comprehension skills in many ways. Teachers can have students record their comprehension through the various functions Seesaw offers. Students can also answer prompts that the teacher loads. Students could listen to a teacher created resource and then answer prompts that way. Students could create a video that is based off of a text or extends past the story and explain what may happen once the story ends, or tell a story through another character's perspective. A teacher may assign assessments through Seesaw that the student can respond to, allowing a teacher to make instructional decisions based off of student performance.
Possible Downfalls
Some of Seesaw's functions require multistep choices. Students may need to click a checkmark two times prior to it being posted. Students may have a hard time making a copy of a resource so that they can manipulate it and add it to their own portfolio. Seesaw may take some time for students to get used to but this can be addressed through guided practice, written directions, or picture directions. Students in the past have really enjoyed using Seesaw and families love being able to see their student's creations.
This is a Seesaw activity I created as part of a feelings lesson. In this activity, students would be given the prompt, "How do you feel?" Students would then draw a picture of how they feel, write the word to the best of their ability, then record a sentence explaining how and why they feel that way.
Seesaw Learning Inc. (2017a). Seesaw photographs. Licensed on https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/seesaw-the-learning-journal/id930565184?mt=8
Seesaw Learning, Inc. (2017b). Seesaw: The learning journal (5.0.1) [Web application software]. Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/seesaw-the-learning-journal/id930565184?mt=8
Seesaw Learning, Inc. (n.d.). Seesaw [Website]. Retrieved from https://web.seesaw.me/