A1 I am Jennifer from Palm Springs, CA! I teach first grade and it is currently 84 and sunny out right now so I’m doing this chat on my patio! #seesawchat
A1 Amanda from Louisa, VA. I am a Tech Coach at 2 K-5 Elementary schools. Most of my K-1 teachers are using #seesaw and they have class sets of iPads #seesawchat
My coworker and friend @nicola_levine is from NZ originally! Now she is teaching first grade in Southern California. Love how universal this app is. #seesawchat
Hi #SeesawChat! I'm Kara, a 7th grade math teacher in NC and formerly a 3-5th grade elementary teacher. Looking forward to learning from everyone tonight while Tropical Storm Michael blows through.
I love seeing middle school Ts using @Seesaw with their classes! If u r upper grade elementary or middle school you definitely want to folllw @MrsBremTweets for amazing ideas! #seesawchat
Hi #SeesawChat! I'm Kara, a 7th grade math teacher in NC and formerly a 3-5th grade elementary teacher. Looking forward to learning from everyone tonight while Tropical Storm Michael blows through.
Kris McClure-Coleman here. I am an instructional technology specialist now but taught Elem. PE for 18 years before that. My Ss used @Seesaw in the gym to document all the cool skill and fitness concepts they learned. #seesawchat
Absolutely love this! All specialist teachers can use @Seesaw to document learning. Shoutout to all the specialists using @Seesaw in their classrooms. #kidsdeserveit#seesawchat
Kris McClure-Coleman here. I am an instructional technology specialist now but taught Elem. PE for 18 years before that. My Ss used @Seesaw in the gym to document all the cool skill and fitness concepts they learned. #seesawchat
Hi! This is my first year back in a K classroom (by choice) because I was a first grade technology specials teacher using Seesaw so much I became an ambassador! #seesawchat
A2 I make an introduction to school/kinder before school starts, give parents their child’s login qr code in mail or at meet the teacher & when they scan it they get to see me giving them a tour of the class to help ease 1st day anxiety #seesawchat
Q2: My school uses a handout that goes along the parent QR code that explains some of the basics for them! This helps those new parents understand why & how they can make the most of the app! #seesawchat
A1 - Hi! I am Sarah from Hamilton, New Zealand. I teacher 7-8 year olds and am a @Seesaw ambassador at my school. I inspire other teachers in regards to ICT and Digital Technology! #seesawchat
#seesawchat A2: most of my teachers start my sending home the welcome letter after students have made their first post. Parents are usually hooked pretty quickly!!
A4:Already getting my 7thgr families engaged in @Seesaw before the 1stday! At our “meet the teacher” today I shared a video made in Seesaw about our classroom. It’s also posted on my website for anyone who didn’t get a chance to see it—& waiting in their Seesaw class! #SeesawChat
A2: At this point our teachers have been using the printable letter to invite parents and then following up at Back to School Night or PT Conferences #seesawchat I'd love to hear other ideas.
A2 - I talk to families about @Seesaw being a way to connect with their children and their learning in real time. The best way to understand is to experience - so signing up and connecting straight away is important! #seesawchat
A2 B2SN is before the first day. I have Ps take a family photo and upload to @Seesaw that night. Then I have them connect to their child’s journal. I explain that SS will be posting their work & showing their learning throughout the year + it’s how Ps communicate w/me #seesawchat
A2: I introduce Seesaw at our Meet the Teacher night. I showed past class experiences and posts. I also have their information letter ready to go home that night, with a video already loaded. I also inform my parents that Seesaw is my MAIN form of communication 😊😊#seesawchat
A2 I am brand speaking new to @seesaw. Set up my classes and assigned my first assignment just this week! I have no idea how i'm incorporating families yet. #seesawchat
I used Seesaw as my intro to families before school began. We met before the students first day and families picked up their invite and downloaded app then. I uploaded first day pictures of first day smiles when they came. I have 20 of my 24 families connected #seesawchat
🎉We are connected & posting to @Seesaw in #math7 & #math7plus! Over 200 posts to approve✅& about 110 family connection letters were sent home. Not bad for Day 2 of school.🤩Looking forward to capturing our learning & communicating with families w/ this powerful tool! #DriveFwd
This is so true. It is important that Ps understand why they need to connect to @seesaw and do it right away. Once they do they love it and the kids love to show off their work. Great point #SeesawChat
Q2 I start promoting via my Band FB page in the summer. Once school starts & I set up my 6th Gr. Ss' accounts (I do in advance to speed up), I send home the printable invites (after I have something in there for them). #seesawchat
This is a great way to do it! When Ps get to really see what it is all about they want to join. Having a meet the teacher time to do something like this is really a great way. Absolutely recommend it! #SeesawChat
A4:Already getting my 7thgr families engaged in @Seesaw before the 1stday! At our “meet the teacher” today I shared a video made in Seesaw about our classroom. It’s also posted on my website for anyone who didn’t get a chance to see it—& waiting in their Seesaw class! #SeesawChat
How long have you been using it this year? You definitely want to get those families connected. I can't wait to hear how you do it and how it goes :) #SeesawChat
A2 I had my students post their first work in their journal and then sent the sign in information home. My students were excited to show what they made and I had a lot of families sign up right away! #seesawchat
Q2 During summertime I send all my new 6th Grade Band Ss a welcome to Central/Welcome to Band Postcard. On the bottom I include my FB page, where they'll be access initial info about @Seesaw & to scroll through posts of what we're doing w/ Seesaw! #seesawchat
A2: Part 3--At our Back to School Night (about 2 weeks ago) I shared @Seesaw and showed the family connections! It was a great reinforcer/follow up! #seesawchat
It's definitely a great idea 2 wait until the kiddos actually post something. Ps might not understand if they see a blank journal. Love this idea and agree parents get hooked fast. Who doesn't want to see the amazing things their kids are doing and learning each day? #SeesawChat
Q2: My school uses a handout that goes along the parent QR code that explains some of the basics for them! This helps those new parents understand why & how they can make the most of the app! #seesawchat
A2: On the first day of school when parents linger behind to drop off their students, I invite them in the class for about 10 minutes to share the Seesaw App and pick up their preprinted log-in sheet. #seesawchat
I tell them it’s a terrific tool for the kids to share their musical experiences with them because their only other exposure is thru programs. #seesawchat
A3: There will be a first day of school post or picture, whole class photo and usually a little bit of information about how they can contact me. A first port of call for parents to go to if they need anything. The messages tool goes great with this #seesawchat
A3 the first thing they see is a family photo they took at B2SN. Then on the 1st day of school SS take their own selfie & use the caption tool to write a sentence or 2 about what they want to learn in 1st grade. Then they learn how to record reading their goals. #seesawchat
A3 the first thing my Ps see is a video of our classroom then they see their child smiling on the first day of school then they see a silly face from their child. On day 2, I begin showing off our math stations and student work #seesawchat
Before I invite my 6th Grade Band Ps, I always like to have a picture of their child in their journal waiting. I use the "sample posture pic." Ps love it! #seesawchat
Q3: I put a slide that had a welcome message and a list of things they will see on Seesaw in the future. That way they know what to keep coming to the app for. #seesawchat@Seesaw
A3: The first thing my #math7 and #math7plus families see is a video of me showing them around our classroom. https://t.co/0bsF5lVJMP This is before any students are connected. Once Ss are connected and have a few items in their journals, then I send home invites. #seesawchat
This is always something you want to make sure you do when you connect families to @Seesaw . Have something in their journal waiting for them so when Ps connect they see something. If it is from their child, even better :) #SeesawChat
Before I invite my 6th Grade Band Ps, I always like to have a picture of their child in their journal waiting. I use the "sample posture pic." Ps love it! #seesawchat
@Seesaw A2 I explain Seesaw to parents at Curriculum Night. I have students create several meaningful personal posts before I give families access. #seesawchat
A3 My first posts to Seesaw was our August calendar, a welcome to first grade and The What is Seesaw? Introduction for Families video by Seesaw #seesawchathttps://t.co/068n3Rr9wJ
A3 Ps don’t come to the room during Teddy Bear Tea as they are in a Welcome to Kinder mtg, so I upload a pic of their child exploring the class & making new friends-during that meeting they get their @Seesaw login & get to see their child’s pic #seesawchat
@Seesaw A3 My families see their child’s work for the first time. I usually include a heartfelt video about how our classroom is like a family. #seesawchat
A3: As a parent, I like my first moment memory. So, the first thing the parents see in their student's journal is the picture of the students on the first day of school. #seesawchat
Love how you talk about the perspective of a parent. This is very important to think about when we think what is the first thing we want Ps to see when they connect to their child's journal. Awesome! #SeesawChat
A4: My class do a digital newsletter each week and gets shared out on Seesaw. A great way of communicating our week with it integrating into the work we do! #seesawchat
A4 - lets be honest, the paper newsletter ends up at the bottom of Ss school bags and never looked at by majority of Ps. A notification straight to their device via @seesaw gets seen almost immediately by majority of Ps. Real-time and interactive. #seesawchat
A4 YES YES YES!!!! My newsletter is all digital now. I usually app smash with #puppetedu@Buncee#doodlebuddy@PicCollage to display activities pics and learning from the week. I’ve had such great feedback with it so far! #seesawchat
A4 It has helped me to no longer print off copies, pass them out, hope they get home & not always know if they were ever seen! Now I can send them digitally & see which Ps saw it. I don't have to worry about it getting lost. Plus I can do a video newsletter! #seesawchat
Q4 It has helped make announcements more of a conversation because parents can reply and ask questions. It has also allowed me to communicate to Ps who do not speak English. #seesawchat
A4: Our school sends home the Tuesday Newsday, so I use Seesaw just to send reminders and sometimes activities related to only first grade. #seesawchat
@Seesaw A4 Absolutely! Parents are far more informed now that I use Seesaw. They have a real window into our classroom everyday. I share photos, videos and exemplar work samples! #seesawchat
A4: I ditched the paper newsletters a few years ago when I started using @Seesaw in my 4th gr classroom. Here’s an audio message w/a word cloud I used to highlight our week! https://t.co/h1EyBTLd4X#seesawchat
A3: when parents first connect to my PE classes, Ps see a selfie of their child w/ a voice recording or caption of what they think being physically active means. Later, we do the same activity to show what knowledge growth they have made about Phys activity #SeesawChat
A4. I do a weekly wrap up in a message and love being able to see exactly which families read it. My goal is to crate a newsletter in slides with better visuals and share it the same way. I also have a folder for class photographs with detailed captions. #seesawchat
Yes and it was really easy to do. They picked their background, posed and posted. Then they had it there to connect and see. Plus they had to connect to see the picture #SeesawChat
A4 I LOVE being able to do concert reminders, trip payment info, or fundraiser stuff via the Family/Student Announcements. I don't have a newsletter, but I am always popping out quick bursts of reminders. #seesawchat
This right here is just amazing. Talk about building relationships. @seesaw is not only this amazing digital portfolio but it also enables to really build relationships between students, teachers and parents. #SeesawChat
Q4 It has helped make announcements more of a conversation because parents can reply and ask questions. It has also allowed me to communicate to Ps who do not speak English. #seesawchat
A4: I spoke with a principal last week about the amount of paper they are saving by sending newsletters and flyers through Seesaw. I’m talking thousands of paper copies! #seesawchat
I do a daily photo collection to my Ss portfolios. A quick voice text about lessons and topics we cover that day. It has really helped my families be able to open dialogue with their Ss about what they did during the day. Makes the newsletter short and sweet #seesawchat
So true. Kind of like those flyers of information that get put into our mailboxes as Ts or any super LOOOONNNNGGGG emails. @seesaw helps make communication effective and enjoyable. #SeesawChat
This needs to be my personal goal. SS doing the work for me by really showing their learning and taking away those key details from the week. #seesawchat
A5: Wow too many to list! Increase in connections, parent engagement, knowledge of what their child is learning, confidence in chn by sharing with their students, passion for what is going on in class, informed parents, great relationships #seesawchat
A5 - A lot of parents hardly ever come to school, or enter the classroom. @Seesaw allows them to be in our classroom and involved in their child's learning in real time #seesawchat
A5 Ps are a part of our classroom every single day, they see what we do and can communicate with us throughout the day. Helps keeps Ps informed & helps kids know there are many people invested in their educational journey! #seesawchat
Q4: My students create a weekly video using Apple Clips which we then share using Seesaw. The video highlights the important things we’ve done and learned throughout the week. #seesawchat
A5 I love that Ps know what my students are working on in math. I have students reflect on their learning and it is amazing to see Ps support their students in the comments and likes. #seesawchat
I use @Seesaw as my only reminder/announcement tool for my #math7 & #math7plus classes, too! Familieshave been very receptive—and I love that I can send to both students and families (or just students/ just families)!#SeesawChat
A5: Seesaw allows parents to be connected to their student’s learning, but also helps to develop relationships between the parents, students, and teacher. #seesawchat
A5 Higher quality work-SS know their work is being published & they want to show it off. I also personally learn a lot more about my SS progress. I can see their learning, find out what I need to work on w/them so our time together in small group is more beneficial. #SeesawChat
A5: I love seeing students’ faces light up when they see comments on their journal in real time. They complete work, get it approved, and parents like/comment. 😍 Also, from a parent perspective, I love that I can reinforce and talk about what was taught in class. #seesawchat
Definitely. Having a place to publish their work makes the students want to do a better job and work hard to do the best they can do. It changes that mindset of "finisher" to "learner". #SeesawChat
A5 The relationships with families and closing the language barrier when it comes to communication is priceless - @Seesaw has made that happen #seesawchat
A5 I like being able to show my Ps their child's progress like last week when we selfie videoed ourselves counting to 100 (or 29) and my kiddos are able to share our newsletter weekly video style #seesawchat
A5 Greater buy-in sometimes re: the curriculum of band. @Seesaw takes away the curtain. Band, what we do, what their child does daily, is no longer a mystery. We do more than play concerts. @Seesaw takes all of us to new levels of engagement & communication. #seesawchat
A5. We had our parent conferences last week& a lot of families commented on the amount of work they’re seeing& how it keeps them informed.Parents didn’t need to ask about their child’s progress, because they’re apart of the learning journey through @leen150771@Seesaw#seesawchat
Awesome! I know it helps me as a T too. I use @seesaw as a quick exit ticket 2 see my SS level of understanding after each math lesson/activity. It helps me know which SS mastered it, which are close & which need more support & how to support them! #SeesawChat
A6 - nothing like a bit of perseverance. Constantly sending home the QR code, catching parents at the school gate and setting them up there and then often works too. #seesawchat
So true! The kids love to see their parents responding and liking their work too. It motivates them to continue and also feel loved by all! #seesawchat
A6 - I also review the comments from Ps everyday with the Ss - that way, some of the Ss who do not have Ps connected go home and push for them to set it up. #seesawchat
A5 I've been working with several 1st grade classrooms to help teachers launch @seesaw and the students LOVE the idea of parents, grandparents, aunites, and more being able to see their posts! #SeesawChat
A4 oh yes! The newsletter is paperless and students use their speaking skills and we rehearse our language and ideas and then perform. Such a game changer! (Thanks, Angela for the idea!) #seesawchat
It’s helping us build connections too. When Ss are absent, we send them a @Seesaw video telling them we miss them, and then either the absent child or his/her Ps write/record a message back to us ❤️❤️ #seesawchat
A6 Stop worrying about getting 100% of families connected and work on making all student work accessible wether by blog or QR codes - understand that some parents may not be able to connect (no internet, no device ,no data plan)
#seesawchat
A6. I sent a message to parents saying that day to day communication would be sent via Seesaw and I stopped emailing individual parents. For the first few days I communicated using both platforms, but everyone is now signed up #seesawchat
A5 Something to answer the nightly question “what did you do in school today?” It provides discussion topics for the dinner table or bedtime. #SeesawChat
A6 I just bother them nonstop until they join. Might not be the best answer but I call them, walk their kids out to them, have a translator help me if needed, offer a time to meet before or after school to help and etc. I don't let them not connect. #SeesawChat
A5: as a PE teacher I have constantly had to advocate for my content. With @seesaw shows off the true learning going on. It has been the best thing for my program since wireless mics. #seesawchat
A6 I have 3 families not connected. Next week is P/T Conferences. I plan to show off student journals. When they see what they are missing they will connect. 🤞#seesawchat
A6: Introduce at beginning of year and then catch those last few at fall conferences! Great time to get them on board when they are invested in their child's success! #seesawchat
Q6 We have talked about finding mentors at school to connect so they can comment and like student's work. It doesn't help with communication but its a good connection for the students. #seesawchat Has anyone done this?
A5 I think the biggest benefit is allowing students a voice and a way to show their learning in new ways. Also, getting to share their work with families online lets me learn more about my students’ families through our interactions. #seesawchat
A6 One P didn't have access to phone or internet last year so I let them come in every 2 weeks and let their child show them their journal. It was the best I could do without having access. I wanted to make sure she could see her sons work. #seesawchat
Yes!! Ask your principal or librarian or coaches or specials Ts to become coteachers! Then they have access to your @Seesaw journal and can comment on all Ss work! The Ss ADORE it! Building connections! #seesawchat
A6: Having the students get excited about their journal! Connecting with parents during conferences. Sending home a printed copy of their journal entry with the parent invite page attached #seesawchat
A6 my last families come to see me for conferences and then I can find out if these families not read English or perhaps are just not paying attention #seesawchat
A6: Help th get set up at Back to School Night or Conference time. Have other Ps share how much they enjoy being connected with their students learning. #SeesawChat
A5: I have had parents contact me to say thank you for letting them walk in their child's shoes. Ss are excited to see feedback from their families & me! It is such a great tool linking our learning into homes in meaningful & impacting way! #SeesawChat@Seesaw
A6 Started w/paper invites. Sent emails to my 6th, 7th, 8th, w/o connected Ps. Those w/o email will be getting a letter. I will have it set up @ conferences next week. I also give PRIZES to my Ss when their Ps connect! Dollar store stuff, but the Ss are wanting it! #seesawchat
