Seesaw: Not just a childhood memory!

11/15/2018

By Shaunna Garner

If you’re like me, you are constantly trying to find new ways to use less paper in the classroom, and still be able to document student learning!  I have accepted that technology advances every day and my students will forever be within arm length of a mobile device.  I recently attended a session at our district’s Tech Camp, and discovered Seesaw, and it can be used at any K-12 level.

Seesaw is a great tool teachers can use to help empower parents and the community to stay in-tune with what students are doing in the classroom!  Depending on the level of use, Seesaw is a free resource.  Seesaw can be used online in the classroom, or as an app that can be downloaded to your phone for free!  Seesaw is used in many different ways, such as: a student online portfolio, project documentation and data compilation graphics, goal-setting, voice-recording of lab procedures and/or results discussion, exit ticket quick response, and many more! 

When creating your Seesaw teacher account, you can login using google or your email; I suggest using google so you have one less password to memorize.  If you have not attended a Seesaw workshop, once you create your Seesaw account, I recommend you go to the ‘Library’ and complete one of the Seesaw assignments that have already been created.  You can also choose from some of the pre-made assignments (that can also be narrowed down by grade level), and add them to a ‘class’ you have created.  If there is an assignment you like and pertains to the concept you are trying to get across, you may edit and fit it to your class needs. 

I have just known about Seesaw for two weeks, and have already created a couple of lessons to use next school year.  It is a very easy application to use and the students will love it because it allows for a lot of student choice when it comes to creating their own assignment, and/or completing an assignment playing with the multiple modes of utilization.

If you have any questions or want to share an assignment with TELA, please email me sgarne@neisd.net. 

Shaunna Garner, TELA Teacher Leader