Student Scribes

Application: Seesaw: Class

Knowledge: Seesaw is a platform where both students and teachers can share and demonstrate student learning through a digital portfolio.  Not only does Seesaw provide a digital space for students and teachers to organize student work, but it also provides tools to draw, photograph, videotape, link and upload documents, as well as share notes.  Seesaw provides a library of activities organized by grade for teachers to assign to their students.  Students can respond to the assignment in their own creative way through the application, at which point the teacher can use the app to organize their assessments, respond to the students work, and share the student work with parents.  Parents can also comment and respond to their child's work by downloading the Seesaw family app and linking to their child's class through a code provided by the teacher.  Seesaw inspires students to take ownership of their work and share it through a digital platform.  This application can be used with modification for a variety of age groups.

Teachers can add students to their classroom portfolio and connect with families.

Students have a variety of tools in which they can demonstrate their learning.

Students can assess student work and provide feedback to students.

Teachers can assign activities to students from a library of age appropriate activities.

Application:  While this app could be used independently by older students, in the Pre-K classroom it would primarily be used as a digital portfolio to store students work and allow for them to scribe within the app by drawing and voice recording.  Teachers or students can also photograph or record their student work or exploration in the classroom.  This app also allows for students to journal and document work that can be edited and re-worked as they gain new or more in depth knowledge.  In my current classroom, students often document over time through the use of a journal, observation form, or progress report forms such as self-portraits.  These documents are often sent home as they are completed and therefore the students lack the ability to go back and add or edit with additional in depth knowledge.  With the Seesaw app students would have a digital platform to return to their scribes throughout the year and see their progress.  While the app could initially be used as a way for teachers to create portfolios of student work, in time students could use the app to draw, record, photograph gained knowledge over time.

Self-portraits using the drawing tool.

As students develop in their skills they can scribe new documents and view their previous work.

Students can record the voice, allowing them to give a description of their work.

Teachers can view student work, comment on student work and send the document to the student's family.

Teachers can photograph students scribes for their portfolio.

Students can voice record their knowledge and add additional details as they deepen their knowledge.

Reflection: It was hard to fully explore this app without having students and families sign up for the app and submit their documents.  It seems as though this app is better suited for older students but can be adapted as a place for teachers to create a portfolio for students and share it with their parents.  It is also a great place for students to revisit their work and continue with their progress.