Introduction to Seesaw
Seesaw is a comprehensive digital learning platform designed to enhance the educational experience for students, teachers, and families. It integrates a range of tools and features to facilitate high-quality instruction, student engagement, and seamless communication.
Key Features and Functionality
Multimodal Learning Tools
Seesaw empowers students to express their learning through various multimodal tools, including audio recording, video creation, drawing, typing, and more. This approach allows students to choose how they demonstrate their knowledge, promoting student agency and creativity.
The Learning Journal
Each student has a digital journal where they can document their learning and classwork. This journal serves as a portfolio that showcases their progress and growth over time, providing an authentic audience for their work, including teachers, peers, and family members.
Supplemental Curriculum and Activity Library
Seesaw offers a vast library of ready-to-teach lessons and activities that are aligned with educational standards. These resources help teachers reinforce their core curriculum and accelerate student skills through engaging and gradual practice. The Activity Library is constantly updated with grade-level and subject-specific activities created by teachers.
Progress Monitoring and Formative Assessments
The platform provides robust tools for progress monitoring, including formative assessment scores, activity completion, and proficiency ratings. Teachers can view student progress in real-time, analyze learning trends, and adapt their teaching strategies accordingly. Auto-graded formative assessments save time and allow for deeper insights into student learning.
Differentiation and Personalized Learning
Seesaw supports Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and allows teachers to create small groups for targeted practice activities. The platform meets WCAG standards, ensuring accessibility for all students. Features like Focus Mode and Flexcards help minimize distractions and offer customizable activities to meet the unique needs of each classroom.
Communication and Family Engagement
Seesaw facilitates strong communication between teachers, students, and families through flexible messaging tools and the Seesaw Family app. Families can view, comment on, and ‘like’ their children’s work, fostering a supportive and engaged learning community.
Instructional Tools and Resources
The platform includes tools for whole class, small group, and individual instruction. Features such as pre-recorded mini-lessons, guided demonstrations, and the Read-with-Me scaffolding tool support various instructional needs. The Reading Fluency Assessment Tool and Free Response Assessment Type further enhance the assessment capabilities.
Administrative and Analytical Tools
For instructional leaders, Seesaw offers an Admin Learning Insights Dashboard and an Admin Engagement Dashboard, providing deep learning insights and data-driven decision-making tools. The platform also allows schools and districts to localize their standards, making it easier to align activities with regional or state standards.
Benefits
- Enhanced Student Engagement: Seesaw encourages creativity, critical thinking, and student voice through multiple pathways for expressing learning.
- Improved Instruction: Teachers can deliver effective, high-quality instruction with tools for modeling, small group practice, and personalized interventions.
- Real-Time Feedback and Progress Monitoring: Immediate data on student responses and progress helps teachers adapt their strategies and provide responsive support.
- Family Involvement: Families are actively engaged in their children’s learning through real-time updates and the ability to comment on student work.
- Accessibility and Inclusivity: Seesaw meets accessibility standards, ensuring that all students can participate and benefit from the platform.
In summary, Seesaw is a powerful educational platform that integrates instructional tools, curriculum resources, and communication features to create a dynamic, inclusive, and effective learning environment.