“Seesaw” and THINK Shape Lower Schoolers’ Learning
“What did you do in school today?” It’s the question most parents ask their kids and rarely feel is adequately answered. But this month, Lower School parents have more insights with the launch of “Seesaw,” a digital portfolio of students’ work that parents can like and even comment on. But Seesaw was launched to do more than connect parents to their students’ class experiences, though it’s a major perk!
Seesaw is a tool that teachers can use to determine whether their students comprehend a new concept. For instance, if students have just learned about acute and obtuse angles, a teacher may ask a student to create a drawing, video, or write image captions to show their understanding. Not only are students showing what they understand, they’re also building their technology skills.
Teachers who are learning how to use Seesaw in their classroom are in the capable hands of our new Technology Coach, Dr. Alexandra Baird. Alexandra notes, “Sometimes pencil and paper truly is the better way for teachers to assess their students’ understanding, so my job is to help them determine when Seesaw is appropriate. I believe in balance.”
Seesaw is one of the reasons why Alexandra was drawn to St. Andrew’s. She remembers visiting classrooms last year during her application process, and seeing students playing with Seesaw as a pilot program. She remarks, “It was exciting to me that St. Andrew’s was on the forefront of implementing new educational tools.”
Alexandra’s 23 years as a teacher herself−and a doctorate in instructional technology−will inform her approach to coaching and giving lessons of her own. Most recently, she gave a lesson on digital citizenship and the responsibilities associated with access to an iPad and internet at school. Beyond basic care of iPads, Alexandra emphasized the impact of a student’s digital footprint.
“I give them the example of toothpaste. Once you squeeze toothpaste out of the tube, you can’t put it back in. That’s how they need to view what they put online. Some things can’t be undone, and nothing is ever truly deleted or gone.” With that in mind, Alexandra offers the THINK acronym, “Before posting something, they should consider: Is it True, Helpful, Inspirational, Necessary, and Kind?”
She concludes, “This will be an ongoing discussion throughout the year, it needs to be a concept that is continually reinforced.”
