SeeSaw App
When I first was introduced to seesaw, I saw it only as a digital student portfolio. Honestly, I have never seen an app where students can keep track of their best work using so many neat tools all in one place. Having students keep track of their best work is a great motivator. AND IT IS FREE!
But after playing around with the app, I became more excited about the possibilities for classroom and homeschooling use (even PLC’s but more on that later). This app is excellent and encourages 21st century skills, digital citizenship all the while documenting growth and thinking.
It is so easy to set up. First download the app, sign up as a teacher and create your class. I am using it for homeschooling purposes so I named it, Dawani Homeschool, and then added both of my kids. You HAVE to add the student names before students can use the app. I would suggest using first name and last initial for students that share a name.
Students gain access to your class via code or QR code (no QR app needed, it is within seesaw) after they designate that they are a student. It is really easy!
The awesome thing is, that your students can upload photos, videos, drawings, from the camera roll, add notes or links to their journal. I am imaging all of the possibilities and I am absolutely blown away. You can even setup a class blog! If you do have a blog, they can share their work with the world – and approved blogs can comment.
Seesaw Connected Blogs, students can collaborate with students in other classes, leave comments and develop digital citizenship skills. Everything happens within the Seesaw app or website so it is simple, safe and teacher-moderated. –From Seesaw Help
Students create a collection of their work on the app but in order to organize it, you must designate folders. Click Manage Class, Manage Folders, to create subject folders. Quick and easy way to keep like items in one place.
Seesaw is compatible with so many apps. It is a good idea to be familiar with the compatible apps so that your lessons can really take off. Click here to take a look.
Keeping in Touch with Parents Just Got Easier
Once your students parents have access, you can start distributing your newsletters within the app. Just
make a folder called NEWSLETTERS, add a recording etc, of your newsletter add it to the folder choose everyone and voila. Share special events, news and requests easily this way.
Improve Parent Involvement
Besides an easy way to connect with parents, seesaw is also a great platform where parents can see their child’s work at school. Student learning can be captured in photos, videos, reflections, drawing. A great way to give them a glimpse into presentations etc. Parents will receive a notification on their mobile and see what is happening in class. Parents can give comments or feedback on their own child. What a great way for home-school connection!
Click to Download Seesaw Handout
Seesaw is so amazing, there are so many great ways to use this app! I am just starting so as soon as I get how I am going to use it set up and going, I will share with you the procedures and lessons I plan to have. In the mean time, I did do some brainstorming and here is a matrix I made of some of the ideas I have. I hope it helps you see the potential in this awesome app. Just download it and play around with it. It does NOT disappoint. Visit back soon because I will have a free introductory lesson for you :)
Thank you so much for this post! I have been searching for some specific tips on setting up Seesaw for homeschool – classes, students, folders, etc. – so that I wasn’t just reinventing the wheel. This is exactly what I was looking for!
There is a 100 activity limit on the free Seasaw account. Do you know if that includes students pictures and uploads to their journals or is it just assigned activities from the teacher? Have you had any problem with the limitation and have you found ways to work around it? For example, does archiving or deleting old activities frees up the 100 limitation?
Thank you for reaching out. This is what I could find for you:
1. Do you know if that includes students pictures and uploads to their journals or is it just assigned activities from the teacher?
I am pretty sure that only the assigned activities that you upload are counted towards the 100.
2. I am not using seesaw this year, but I believe that deleting any of the uploads that you are done using will free up the limitation. That is how I would go about it. When you are done with your activity and students have completed it – delete it. I think it would work out fine to do it this way.
I hope my answers helped.