Setting Seesaw Expectations: Raising the Bar for In-Person and e-Learning

We are now in our second year using Seesaw as our as our Learning Management System (LMS) for grade PreK-3 students. We use Schoology as our Learning LMS for grade 4-12 students, and until moving to Seesaw, had used Schoology for grades PreK-3, too. In September 2019 when we introduced Seesaw, adoption took off quickly. I am so thankful we made the change when we did, as just seven months later in March 2020 we were in a great place to more fully utilize Seesaw when all students shifted to e-Learning. The pandemic was a catalyst for technology integration in education, and our use of Seesaw exponentially increased as seen in the stats comparison below from this past fall and a year previous for one of our elementary schools. 

Fall 2020 Seesaw Stats for Items Posted Clear Springs Elementary

Fall 2019 Seesaw Stats for Items Posted Clear Springs Elementary

This past fall as school resumed, K-3 students were either in hybrid learning pods at 50% capacity five days a week or at home in 100% e-Learning. In both cases, Seesaw was heavily used. Prior to students returning in the fall in August 2020, we created and introduced Seesaw Expectations for teachers to help bring consistency between classes. We want students (and parents) to easily find content and communication regardless of the teacher. So to do this, we identified the subject color for tags/folders and naming conventions to provide further clarity in structure. We set the expectation for the frequency of announcements. We also encouraged active student engagement and minimum student use of Seesaw as well as set a teacher expectation for providing student feedback.

Setting the bar, so to speak, on Seesaw by identifying these expectations of use helps drive both consistency as well and increase the level of use across the board. It provides administrators and our technology coaches with a guide to follow and goal to encourage teachers. We have found this true as well with our Schoology Expectations introduced five years ago. The expectations are altered as more features in each tool are introduced and teachers, students (and parents) gain more experience using the platform. Other districts have created Seesaw Expectations as well, and we built off of their ideas when creating ours for Minnetonka.

(Open Seesaw Expectations in separate window)

Related posts:

• Seesaw Starting in K-3 Minnetonka Classrooms
• 12 Examples of Seesaw Use Taking Off in Minnetonka E-3 Classrooms
• Preparing for the (Second) Shift to e-Learning Checklist
• Modifying School in Minnetonka During a Pandemic
• A Pandemic as a Catalyst for Technology Integration in Education
• Excellent Pandemic Parent Digital Well-Being Guidelines from The Center for Humane Technology
• Make the Most of Extra Pandemic Screen Time: Keep Entertainment In Check!
• Six Years with Schoology: Setting Expectations for the Future
• 7 Years & 7 Lessons for Success with Schoology
• Tip #3 for a Successful 1:1 Implementation: Use Schoology as the Classroom Hub
• Home Sick? Absent Minnetonka Students Caught Up Before They Return

Preparing for the (Second) Shift to e-Learning Checklist

As we monitored state and community COVID numbers during the first months of the 2020-21 school, we anticipated that we might not be able to keep K-8 students at school in person in our full time and hybrid models. After the first ten weeks of offering hybrid learning for our students K-8 in classrooms at 50% capacity (detailed more here in an earlier post), we had to shift to full time e-Learning. Thankfully we were able to use the time beforehand to prepare for this get our hybrid staff, students and their families ready. 

Fortunately this wasn't our first rodeo: back in March when school was shut down for the first time by the Minnesota Governor, we had shift to e-Learning, too, so we had a lot of experience on which to build. As I wrote back then, the pandemic has been a huge catalyst for technology integration. An added advantage with this second shift to e-Learning was that we were able to prepare the checklist below for our teachers to get ready for this change based on what we knew would need to happen. Another advantage this time around was the time we had to practice with our students in person and prepare them.

Because students in our Grade K-3 hybrid model came to school daily this fall, their teachers were less likely to be posting assignments in Seesaw, our K-3 learning management system, so we felt that these students needed the most practice. Our checklist included setting up expectations for both setting up Seesaw and practicing using it. Earlier this year we also had created Seesaw Expectations, similar to the Schoology Expectations for Grade 4-12 we have had for years. Our grade 4-5 students were e-Learning each Wednesday this fall, so the checklist included Schoology setup and practice with the upper elementary students, but many teachers had already taken care of this. Students in grades 6-8 were in person two days per week and online the other three, so they were already experiencing e-Learning regularly.

As you can see on the list below, our checklist encouraged teachers to practice using other tools beyond our LMS with students such as Google Meet, too:

Instructional Model Shift: K-5 e-Learning

Due to the uncertainty of the current times, below is a checklist that will prepare you, your students, and their families for a shift to e- Learning should this occur by classroom, school or as a whole district.  If you need help, please contact your tech coach.

By the end of the quarter, each of your K - 3 students should be able to...

• use Folders and Calendar to filter Activities in Seesaw

• complete a Seesaw Activity

• participate in a Google Meet using a nickname

• complete an assigned task in other programs (ex. SSO login, IXL, Pear Deck)

• K-3 Homeroom Teachers Only: Reach out by phone to families who are not connected/have not accepted previous Seesaw invitations
  
  

By the end of the quarter, each of your 4-5 students should be able to...

• use folders and calendar to navigate Schoology courses (review Schoology Expectations)

• complete and submit a Schoology Assignment, Test/Quiz, Discussion Board

• find assignment feedback/grades in Schoology

• complete an assigned task in other programs (ex. SSO login, IXL, EdPuzzle, Classkick, Pear Deck, Padlet)

Other items to prepare for a possible transition to all eLearning:

• Self Assess: Reflect on the tools and procedures your students would need to know for full-time eLearning

• What instructional strategies work best for online teaching and learning?

• What skills do you need to reinforce in order for students to learn online?

• What routines, procedures, and/or norms need to be introduced if completely online?

• Practice an e-Learning day while at school (this may be coordinated by school-wide):

• Review how to access the learning plan and assignments for the day

• Practice and clarify expectations for synchronous and asynchronous learning time

• Practice using Google Meet (login with student Google account, mute mic, use headphones/turn down iPad volume,)

• Practice solving common technology issues (turn off/on iPad, install/reinstall an app from Self Service, update iOS) and how to get help if they need it

• Identify resources and materials students will need at home

• Practice streaming live instruction with Google Meet

• Practice recording and posting asynchronous lessons (recording Google Meets, Seesaw or Screencasting tools)

• Think through teaching with tools in addition to SMART Notebook.

• Consider saving files to your Google Drive in case you want/need to access remotely.
  

Related posts:

• Modifying School in Minnetonka During a Pandemic
• A Pandemic as a Catalyst for Technology Integration in Education
• Excellent Pandemic Parent Digital Well-Being Guidelines from The Center for Humane Technology
• Make the Most of Extra Pandemic Screen Time: Keep Entertainment In Check!

A Pandemic as a Catalyst for Technology Integration in Education

The past few months have been a whirlwind. Preparing and implementing an e-learning meant tremendous growth in the use of educational technology. I have to say: COVID-19 is the biggest catalysts for technology integration — ever! Most of us in instructional technology could never have imagined so many teachers learning and adopting new technologies so quickly! 

Years ago I wrote an ISTE article about the Interactive Whiteboard as Springboard for Technology Integration. There have been a variety of educational technology tools besides  SMARTBoards that have changed teaching and learning, such as the internet and the iPad. But we know it has always been a challenge to help teachers understand the benefits and CHOOSE to adopt new technologies. Of course, there are the go-getters—the innovators—who are willing to try just about any new technology tool. In any change/adoption cycle, there are those who follow the innovators—the early adopters, upon whose success an entire roll-out depends. But it’s those reluctant users, the hard to convince, with whom we often spend our time.

The pandemic and resulting quick transition to e-learning created an urgency that no amount of persuasion has ever done in the past. In a matter of a few days, every teacher needed to use our online learning management system, Schoology (Grades 4-12) and Seesaw (PreK-3), assign and collect homework electronically, record and post videos of instruction,  assess students (formative and summative), participate in and lead synchronous Google Meets, and much more. Administrators, paras, and other support staff needed to learn to use these tools as well.

Staff worked above and beyond the call of duty to help all teachers, students, and parents gain comfort using our technology tools. We spent countless hours--including some days late into the night and weekends--setting up systems, researching tools, documenting, troubleshooting, and training staff. The amount of professional development provided over the past couple of months far exceeds the amount of training that normally happened over a whole school year. We even held an EdCamp a week prior to e-learning. Teacher leaders clocked almost 1,400 hours of staff training—and counting.

We’ve all seen the “flatten-the-curve” graphs for COVID-19. Without social distancing we’d see exponential growth in COVID-19 cases. But think about the exponential growth in instructional technology adoption during this time. As I looked for a graph with an exponential growth curve combined with the diffusion of innovation model, I found the one pictured and am intrigued (source). Although it’s not an exponential curve, it’s perhaps a better graph to consider. The y-axis could represent the move to online teaching and learning, with rapid adoption of our e-learning technology tools. Perhaps a graph could also show the compressed time frame in which this has all occurred. If you know of other models, please share. 

For school districts like ours in which many have now mastered the basics of using technology tools for e-learning, what should be next? How do we move our teachers to higher levels on our Minnetonka Teaching & Learning Framework? We have been discussing this as a team, working on ways to enhance online instruction, make it more engaging for students, more effective and efficient for teachers, and more streamlined for parents helping from home. For example, now that teachers understand the basics of screen casting, what are the next skills and tools we want our teachers to learn? And now that many are using online formative assessment tools, what are the most effective questioning techniques? How can we make online discussion tools better and more meaningful for students?

Almost three years ago, I wrote: Accelerating Changes Needed in Education, a reflection on Thomas Friedman's claims that education was not keeping up with technology’s exponential, accelerating changes. He explained that we still had a chance to bridge the gap between the two growth curves of technology and human adaptability (shown in the graph). Mr. Friedman, over the last two months, I think we closed this gap considerably. 

I also realize that not all school districts are in the same place. The move to online learning has amplified the substantial disparities in educational equity communities face. In Minnesota, like other places around the world, we have a well-documented lack of broadband access.  So, some schools are “distance learning” without internet or device access. Hopefully the need to provide equitable access for all students will now get the attention and funding it needs.

It is, of course, still early to know what the next school year will be like. At this point, it seems that we will need to plan for four scenarios: 1) continued fully online school as we are now, 2) some sort of modified face-to-face school with social distancing and other new procedures being practiced, 3) a mix of #1 and #2, or 4) a return to February 2020 with our regular face to face schooling and past ways of doing things—but even that would be different.

Whenever we return, we will welcome back students and teachers who have new skills and experiences. So many teachers are experiencing for the first time what can be accomplished with technology. It seems that the traditional whole-class instruction format, without technology, will be a thing of the past. Why would we want to go back to pre-pandemic levels of instructional technology use? Now we can begin to focus on individualized and personalized instruction, self-directed and self-paced learning, frequent formative assessment, and things like flipped learning among other things. Return to normal? No, thanks. There is an exciting future ahead for students, teachers and learning.

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• Minnetonka Teaching and Learning Framework
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• Minnetonka Language Chinese and Spanish Immersion Program
• Students Identify Disinformation Using Stanford’s COR Method: Coronavirus, Fact Checking & Lateral Reading
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• Tonka Teacher Talks at ETT San Diego iPad Summit 2015
• Beyond SAMR Ladders & Pools: A Framework for Teaching & Learning
• Free iBook about Minnetonka's 1:1 iPad Apple Distinguished Program: Four+ Years Transforming Learning
• Grade 11 Students Create Amazing Graphic Novels with iPads, Book Creator & Notability
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• My Christmas Ed Tech Moonshot Wish: A Marriage Between Apple & Google
• Bigger, Better, Faster: New iPads Coming for Year Six in Minnetonka's 1:1 Program; First Devices Cost $0.38/school day 
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12 Examples of Seesaw Use Taking Off in Minnetonka E-3 Classrooms

Since starting in September, Seesaw use in Minnetonka E-3 classrooms continues to increase each week. Students are creating content documenting learning, teachers are posting activities for students and pushing announcements to parents, and parents are viewing and commenting with their child. An average of about 500 parents per week per school view Seesaw content and leave comments or "Likes" for their student. We have seen very few, if any, other educational technology programs take off so quickly and become so popular.

To support the startup and continued growth of Seesaw, our elementary tech coaches offer monthly Seesaw training and sharing sessions. After an initial teacher training at each school in September they have followed up each month by facilitating a teacher sharing session of ideas and best practices. They communicate these ideas between all sites to spread the knowledge and speed up implementation of the best use of the platform, too. We also have set goals of topics and skills to introduce each month for the remainder of the school year. Technology coaches have attended trainings and presentations both online and in person at last month's state technology conference to learn more. Later this month Minnetonka is hosting a Twin Cities Metro Seesaw User Group meeting to network with other districts and build a community to share ideas. 

We have seen some great, creative and innovative uses of Seesaw by our teachers so far. Some of these include:

• Students labeling photos they take in science of their sunflower seeds or videos of their crayfish as pictured.
   
• Multiple photos of individual and classroom shots shared with families to help them understand more of what is happening at school.
   
• Students documenting learning, such as a photo of their writing journal pictured above, or recording reading aloud--audio or video--for parents and classmates. This is a great formative assessment for the teacher and gives students an authentic audience. Some teachers are using soft-sided cubes like the one pictured to block out extraneous noise. One teacher had all her students practice being "videographers" for their partner, learning recording tips.
   
• Posting a video explaining how to solve the math skill(s) currently being taught for students to review and to help parents understand how to reinforce and help with homework. Or posting instructions for parents on how to repeat any classroom activity, such as the retelling of the Three Little Pigs pictured.
   

• Teachers posting the "Star Student" of the week in Seesaw for everyone in the class to see and encourage further home discussion.
   
• Sending links and announcements home to parents such as the conference sign up form, book fair links, and other items normally sent home in a class newsletter.
   
• Teachers are working on building class community and helping students learn from mistakes; valuing the process, building understanding, learning how to support each other and handle mistakes.
   
• Posting videos for parent volunteers to watch prior to the day of helping out the class. The parent comes ready to start at a station and does not need to ask the teacher what to do and take time away from the students.
   
• Teachers recording a weekly video for parents rather than sending home a newsletter. Teachers love the fact that they can know through Seesaw when each family viewed something.
   
• Students using the screen recording feature to write Chinese characters so the teacher can see whether or not they are using the correct ink strokes.
   
• Teachers are using Seesaw to post things parents wouldn't typically see such as work in progress, a picture of a math notebook page, and recordings of reading own writing in immersion language.
   
• Reading poems Chatterpix and sharing their work with classmates and parents via Seesaw.

As our teachers continue to become more familiar with Seesaw, they are utilizing the Activity Library and sharing resources with one another across the district and beyond. Seesaw has proven to be an easy to use platform that students, teachers and parents love. It will be fun to see what the second half of the year brings!

Related Posts:

• Seesaw Starting in K-3 Minnetonka Classrooms
• 2nd Grade Book Creators Publish Their Learning
• Grade 11 Students Create Amazing Graphic Novels with iPads, Book Creator & Notability
• Book Creator(s) in Minnetonka Schools
• 14 Popular Tech Tools to Increase Student Learning & Engagement
• Amazing Creativity Shown by Student Animators
• Equity Maps Make Discussion Assessment Easier
• More Ways to Inform Parents of How Technology Changes Learning
• Even More Minnetonka iPad Integration: Examples from Middle School
• Minnebytes Year 2: 50 More Examples of High School iPad Integration
• Stop Motion Races to Visually Demonstrate High School Physics Concepts
• Minnetonka Teaching and Learning Framework
• Minnetonka Top 100+ Ideas for 1:1 Integration in 5th grade, English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Language
• An Easy Way to Weekly Inform Teachers & Parents of Great Technology Integration
• Immersive Technology Accelerates Learning in Science
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• Immersive Technology Accelerates Learning in World Language Classes
• 40+ Elementary iPad Integration Examples
• Harnessing the Power of Technology in Physical Education
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• Six Years with Schoology: Setting Expectations for the Future
• Tonka Teacher Talks at ETT San Diego iPad Summit 2015
• Beyond SAMR Ladders & Pools: A Framework for Teaching & Learning
• Free iBook about Minnetonka's 1:1 iPad Apple Distinguished Program: Four+ Years Transforming Learning
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• App Smashed Presidential Rock Bands as Alternative Assessments in US History
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• Minnetonka Students Create Green Screen Videos with Do Ink
• Math: An Overlooked Subject in Non-Tablet 1:1 Programs 
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• Technology Speed Dating Professional Development
• My Christmas Ed Tech Moonshot Wish: A Marriage Between Apple & Google
• Bigger, Better, Faster: New iPads Coming for Year Six in Minnetonka's 1:1 Program; First Devices Cost $0.38/school day 
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Seesaw Starting in K-3 Minnetonka Classrooms

Starting this month Minnetonka K-3 Teachers will be implementing Seesaw for Schools. Seesaw is a student-centered, student-led communications tool. It provides a variety of exciting features teachers can choose to use including individual student portfolios and journals, assessment tools and a class blog. It works great with shared iPads; students simply scan a QR code to log in. To learn more watch What is Seesaw? and read How does Seesaw work?

Each year on our annual parent survey elementary parents state their number one concern is not enough communication home. Communication home is a critical part of a child’s academic success as parents partner with us in their child’s learning. Seesaw will be a powerful tool in helping to build parent support and understanding of what is happening in the classroom.

Specialists working with K-3 students will each have a Seesaw course, too. Our Tech Department is creating teacher and student accounts. Later this month, parents will receive instructions to download the app. If parents choose not to use the app they can receive Seesaw updates via email. Our Elementary Tech Coaches will offer short before/after school Seesaw training opportunities beginning this week and help support teachers throughout the year. 

Additional iPads have were delivered to schools this summer for each third grade classrooms to support a 1:2 ratio, and additional iPads will arrive later in September for second grade, bringing the ratio to one iPad per two students as well. In K-1 classrooms, each classroom has six student iPads. 

Over the past few years I've had the opportunity to see Seesaw in use in other schools and how quickly it was adopted. I'm excited to see how our students, teachers, and parents in Minnetonka use Seesaw! 

Related Posts:

• 2nd Grade Book Creators Publish Their Learning
  
• Grade 11 Students Create Amazing Graphic Novels with iPads, Book Creator & Notability
• Book Creator(s) in Minnetonka Schools
• 14 Popular Tech Tools to Increase Student Learning & Engagement
• Amazing Creativity Shown by Student Animators
• Equity Maps Make Discussion Assessment Easier
• More Ways to Inform Parents of How Technology Changes Learning
• Even More Minnetonka iPad Integration: Examples from Middle School
• Minnebytes Year 2: 50 More Examples of High School iPad Integration
• Stop Motion Races to Visually Demonstrate High School Physics Concepts
• Minnetonka Teaching and Learning Framework
• Minnetonka Top 100+ Ideas for 1:1 Integration in 5th grade, English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Language
• An Easy Way to Weekly Inform Teachers & Parents of Great Technology Integration
• Immersive Technology Accelerates Learning in Science
• Pear Deck in Minnetonka Classrooms- Engaging, Interactive Lessons with Realtime Feedback
• Quizlet Live: Collaborative Team Quizzes Loved by Teachers & Students
• Immersive Technology Accelerates Learning in World Language Classes
• 40+ Elementary iPad Integration Examples
• Harnessing the Power of Technology in Physical Education
• A New Twist on a Band Playing Test: Solo Trios with GarageBand
• Six Years with Schoology: Setting Expectations for the Future
• Tonka Teacher Talks at ETT San Diego iPad Summit 2015
• Beyond SAMR Ladders & Pools: A Framework for Teaching & Learning
• Free iBook about Minnetonka's 1:1 iPad Apple Distinguished Program: Four+ Years Transforming Learning
• Students Explain Everything and Increase Test Scores
• Mt. Rushmore 2- Beyond Four Presidents
• App Smashed Presidential Rock Bands as Alternative Assessments in US History
• One Year Later, Green Screens Are Everywhere in Minnetonka Schools
• Minnetonka Students Create Green Screen Videos with Do Ink
• Math: An Overlooked Subject in Non-Tablet 1:1 Programs 
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• Technology Speed Dating Professional Development
• My Christmas Ed Tech Moonshot Wish: A Marriage Between Apple & Google
• Bigger, Better, Faster: New iPads Coming for Year Six in Minnetonka's 1:1 Program; First Devices Cost $0.38/school day 
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• More Than an Hour of Code: Tonka Coding & Computer Science Programs Now in Year Three
• Stop Motion Races to Visually Demonstrate High School Physics Concepts