Seesaw: An Awesome Learning Journal App!

I wanted to do my first post about something that I am really excited to try out next year when my Kindergarten students get 1:1 iPads. It is an app called "Seesaw" and it is a super easy way for students to share their work and "show what they know" in an online learning journal using different tools and learning modes. I learned about it from another teacher in my school district who uses it in her 1:1 first-grade classroom. Fellow teachers are always the best source of information!

Seesaw is extremely easy for students to use, even Kindergarteners. First, to enter their class account on Seesaw, students use their iPad to simply scan a QR code. (No passwords required. Nice and easy for the little ones!) Then, students have six options to document their learning: take a photo, capture a video, do a drawing, choose a photo from the camera roll, write a note, or add a link. Students can further document their learning by adding a caption, recording their voice, and/or drawing on top of their creation. Lastly, students simply click their name in the class roster and click submit!

Teachers can view students' submissions on a running class feed, that lists the students' names and dates next to each item. Teachers can also choose to view students' work in a calendar view or in individual folders where each student's work is assembled. Teachers can even create project folders to organize work. A bonus feature for teachers: student submissions must be approved by the teacher before they are publicly added to the class feed for other students to see. No scandalous or inappropriate posts allowed!

This app may seem simple, but that is the beauty of it! In my Kindergarten classroom, students need simplicity. Too many choices for students leads to indecision and wasted time. Seesaw will provide my students with a quick and straightforward way to capture their learning. The big buttons and clear icons will make it easy for Kindergarteners to navigate the app even if they cannot read. I have so many ideas of how I want to use this app in my class -- I cannot wait until next year! Students can take pictures of the results of a Math game, practice their French using the voice recording tool, label pictures during Science, or record a video of their friend presenting a Writing piece. Seesaw will transcend subject areas, learning styles, and ability levels! Here is a science video that my class created together using only 1 iPad... imagine what they can do next year when we have 1:1 technology!

Oh! And I forgot to tell you the best part! Seesaw has created a "Seesaw Parent" app where parents can sign up to view their own child's work. Seesaw sends parents real-time notifications as students post work, increasing communication and giving parents a glimpse of what their child is learning at school right that moment. The Seesaw Parent app bridges the school-home divide by inviting parents to engage in their child's learning and encouraging them to further learning and discussions at home. And unlike a classroom Facebook page where the teacher is snapping all the pictures and doing all the work, the kids do all their own posts and communication! Yahoo!

If you want to see the app in action, here is a video featured on the Seesaw website that gives a great brief overview of the app's capabilities in the elementary classroom.

All the information from this blog post was derived either from me playing around with my Seesaw app or from the Seesaw website. Visit their website at http://web.seesaw.me/ to learn more!