The Power of Seesaw for Modern Teachers in Post-Covid Schools

Transcript

Kris (00:00)

Welcome everyone to the Learning Loop Podcast, your best source for educational insights and trends. I’m Kris, your host. Today’s special guest is Stevie. She is a technology integration specialist in Indiana and a former fourth slash fifth grade teacher. Stevie is a champion for educational equity, ensuring that all students have a home in their classroom. Stevie, welcome to the show!

Stevie Frank (00:30)

Thank you so much for having me on, Kris. This is such an exciting experience. I love Seesaw, so I was just so excited to see this email pop through my inbox.

Kris (00:39)

Yeah, woohoo, and we’re so excited that you’re here too. We’re gonna start with just a baseline question here. Describe the role that Seesaw plays in your schools, either that’s facilitating teaching and learning, engaging in classrooms. Can you just describe how Seesaw’s made a home in your schools?

Stevie Frank (00:55)

Gosh, such a great question. So I oversee three schools in my district, one of them being the middle school and then I oversee two elementary schools. And I am one of three. So we have three amazing digital innovators, digital coaches, I should say, that oversee our district. And then we have digital innovators. So one in every single school and we kind of oversee that program. We learn alongside them and we try things and break things with them too. So they’re great and along for the ride with us. So a lot of what we do is just kind of peek into classrooms to see what we’re doing and what’s going well. And one of our digital innovators, her name is Annie Barth. She is a phenomenal teacher. She was actually teaching third grade at the time when she started to introduce me to Seesaw. So I had heard about it, but being like a middle school teacher myself, I didn’t really use it a whole lot. And once I started to see the power that it had and how transformative it was for students and how easy.

It was for students. That’s when I really was like, OK, this is amazing. Then one of my principals was like, you know what, Stevie, if you could help to oversee Seesaw for us, that would be great. And then I just kind of took that rollover and just started learning about seesaw and then eventually training teachers on seesaw. And here we are. So we are inching towards getting district licenses for all of our elementary schools just because it was definitely something that we heard.

from a lot of teachers where they, if they had the free account, they were like, well, it kind of has its limitations and they really wanted to be able to use the robust features that’s offered with those premium accounts. And so that is our journey and what it looks like here in Zionsville.

Kris (02:40)

Absolutely, I love it. And I love how that started so organically around a teacher sharing what’s working in their classroom, how to use it, how they’re finding success, and then how that slowly has built up to discovering the power at the district level, one that you can really use to impact so many more students than individual pockets of teachers here and there. I love hearing that story.

Stevie Frank (03:01)

Yay, I love telling it.

Kris (03:04)

Absolutely. Can you walk us through some key features inside of Seesaw that really have helped you to find this place? Find this place where there’s so much power, whether it’s differentiating instruction, providing personalized feedback, or creating an engaging learning experience for your students. Can you just share some of the features that really have helped you to find Seesaw as your powerful tool?

Stevie Frank (03:27)

So I’m going to go with this last one that you said. Having that powerful and transformative tool was something that really sets Seesaw apart for me from other tools. So a lot of times I can see tools instead of using a worksheet. It’s like, you just do it online, or you just do it on the computer. And I’m sure we have some amazing listeners out there. So when I say the Sammer model,

That’s just a substitution form of technology, right? We’re not really moving into that augmentation piece or moving a little bit further. When I started seeing students utilizing Seesaw into the classroom, I started seeing such a higher level usage of technology that I thought was phenomenal and curriculum based. And a lot of the work that I saw students doing was based on the learning objective and not on can I figure the tool out.

because the easier the tool is, that makes it so much more transformative in students’ hands so they don’t have to have the guesswork, right? And when you have young learners, especially using a tool, using a tech tool, you’re like, it better be easy, and it better be robust and good. So what I really like to see too is the ability for teachers to have that immediate academic feedback.

So as soon as the student would complete the assignment, they would push it along to the student and say, hey, can you look at this part? Can you rework up this assignment? And then they would return to the student. And then the student could then look through the feedback and then return it back to the teacher for some more growth opportunities. And so those were some of the features that.

When I walked into a couple different classrooms of teachers that invited me in when I was like, hey, what’s the seesaw thing? Can I come and peek in the corner? Those were just some really great things that I saw with it that made it stand out for me.

Kris (05:21)

Yeah, for sure. I’ll put on my technology integration hat too from a while ago. What you said about the simplicity and making it easy for kids is so important because it goes beyond students kind of guessing and troubleshooting. It’s also, you’re starting to balance the weight of instructional minutes. Are we gonna take teaching time to learn about a technology tool?

Stevie Frank (05:39)

Yeah.

Kris (05:43)

Or is the technology tool going to be so easy, so intuitive that we don’t have to waste that time for kids? They know what they’re doing. They’re going to be successful regardless of how old they are. And so that for me is also extremely important. And one that you’ve said there too is we don’t, we want to hang on to those instructional minutes and make sure teachers have those to do what they do best. And that’s to teach all their students.

Stevie Frank (06:01)

Yes.

Stevie Frank (06:06)

Completely agree. Absolutely. Yes.

Kris (06:10)

We’ll jump into our next question here, and this one’s talking about how you’ve seen Seesaw really be used to cater to the diverse needs and preferences of students in classrooms. We know that Seesaw can be used a lot of different ways. So can you just share a couple ways that you have seen Seesaw be used to really support differentiated instruction in classrooms?

Stevie Frank (06:31)

absolutely. So accessibility is something in differentiation. It’s something that I hold very close to my heart because we have to make sure that we’re being good for all of our learners, not just some of our learners or the high fires. So what I’ve really enjoyed about Seesaw was the ability and the different.

modes that you can assess. So for example, like not all students are going to be able to type. So then they have the voice to text that happens within there. They also have the ability to record themselves. And so maybe they are like, I don’t really know how to explain this, but I can record a video of me giving some explanation so that my teacher can see, you know, do I know exactly what, what, you know, she’s asking me to do. I also like the ability to use the manipulative. So,

A lot of times in teachers’ classrooms, providing those materials for students is really difficult. If you’ve ever been into a kindergarten or first grade classroom and you see the passing out of the materials, you’re like, I don’t know how those are ever going to make it back and clean. And so what I really enjoyed about Seesaw was the ability to have students moving instead of just counting. They were moving. You can make the infinite objects. And so they’re moving and counting along.

as they’re going through. And so then they’re making meaning of what they’re working on. So those are different places that I’ve really enjoyed seeing Seesaw is the ability to have them utilizing different resources available to them and those accessibility features like voice to text and video recording and making their learning more meaningful through those hands -on experiences.

Kris (08:08)

for sure. You’re also, again, throwing me back into memory lane being a former kindergarten teacher. I know what it was like to pass out those materials and like 50% of them come back. And if they do come back, they’re dirty or they’re cut up or whatever. So I absolutely love that you’re finding power in using this to be something that’s going to save in materials, but not only like the…

Stevie Frank (08:19)

Hahaha!

Kris (08:31)

materials may be being destroyed while also being lost and disorganized and the cleanup that comes after that, it comes back to that same thing of we wanna keep those instructional minutes for teaching and if we’re doing things like cleaning up and fixing things that could potentially be done in a more streamlined way, that’s just kind of potentially wasting minutes as we go through our day. So, love it, love it.

Stevie Frank (08:34)

Yeah.

Kris (08:55)

We’re gonna jump into this longer term thought here about how Seesaw has really found its place as a growth portfolio in your schools. So can you explain how Seesaw has really enabled you to implement really authentic growth portfolios, whether that’s through assessments, whether that’s simply just through the journal, can you just explain how that has really come to fruition in your schools?

Stevie Frank (09:19)

So I love this question. Anytime I think we can talk about portfolios as forms of assessments other than just a worksheet or just a one stop shop, I think that is where you’re really showing a lot of growth. What I like seeing is the ability to create folders with students into their libraries, into their journals, and then that way they can track their thinking over time and their learning.

So a lot of what I’ve liked to see into classrooms is having students record themselves reading out loud at the beginning of the year, and then having them at the middle of the year, and then at the end of the year. So then it’s that explicit experience for the student to say, okay, here’s where I started, here’s where I went, and then here’s where I ended at my first grade year. And just for them to hear their growth through that, I feel like that is so, so powerful. And anytime…

you can have students track their thinking or track that progress. I think that is, you know, thinking into more of a 21st century type of question. So jumping ahead here was, you know, then the era of AI and the era of where, well, wow, a large language model can do a lot of that assignment. The important piece that we have to keep in education is that process, is that portfolio piece. So if we can get students to show their process of what they’re doing,

then you know really if their assessment was them or chat GPT down the road, right? And so if we’re tracking that and we’re starting at a young age into those primary grade levels to really press heavily on saying, well, it’s not necessarily your product that’s important, because we’re thinking chat GPT can do that. You’re going to learn about this one day. But if we can track that progress and you can show that progress and show that growth.

That’s where the learning comes from, really is in the process, not necessarily the product. And so I think that has been probably the coolest experience to see that ability to track over time that student growth and having students empowered to be able to add to their own journals within that part.

Kris (11:25)

And the growth of a first grader, or really of any student, is so, so huge. And sometimes, if you had things just paper -pencil, you could lose some of that magic of where they started to where they actually ended. And so I love that you’re finding power in being able to replay those moments, more or less, within Seesaw itself so that you can really relive that and see the true growth that’s there.

Stevie Frank (11:50)

absolutely and I have a first grader myself and so believe me I know firsthand the ability to lose the things and so I love the technology available to where I’m like okay well we don’t have to worry about you coming home with that paper it’s right here and so those availabilities are just that’s priceless for sure.

Kris (12:09)

Absolutely. We’re going to jump right into a question here about parents and about their connection too, because I know myself being a parent of students who use Seesaw, I get to see all of the things that they do and I get to keep that as my little like keepsake too. So can you also then describe…

Stevie Frank (12:14)

Okay.

Kris (12:27.446)

within your district, that connection within parents. Describe the impact that Seesaw is really having with this parent -teacher communication or the parent involvement in learning that’s just making that different than what it was before, now that you have Seesaw as a part of that process.

Stevie Frank (12:42)

I would love to. So I’m going to have to shout out an amazing educator that we have in Eagle Elementary. Her name’s Caitlin Slack. I didn’t ask if I could use her, but I’m sure she would be fine with that. So if you ever need another guest, you let me know. But she had actually one of her growth points that she wanted to do for her observations was actually track parent involvement with Seesaw. And so at the very end of the year, she sent a survey out to all of her parents, which she shared with me. And she just said, you know, like, hey, how was your experience? How was this transformative at home?

And like almost 100% of parents all came back and said the same thing of, you allowed me to have specific conversations with my student about what they were learning at school. Because, you know, again, as a mom of a first grader and well, now an incoming kindergartner is I will ask the questions of how school going and what’s this, you know, what did you learn? You know, were we nice to everybody today? Yeah.

I don’t remember, you know, I’m like, I don’t know what happens all day. Sure, you know, so having that communication and that bridge from school to home, that is so transformative and so, so important. And I think that’s such a missed component, especially whenever you have so much, you know, my kids are in two sports each, so all in one season we’re busy. But I really want to make sure that we take that time.

to focus on the curriculum and focus on what’s important. And when I can see that worksheet pop through and saying, well, here’s what he put down, here’s what he should have put down, or even just seeing what he worked on, instead of just saying, how was school, which is such a broad topic, it was more specific to, well, how was your writing about your young author’s project going? I noticed that you had this topic sentence. Maybe we can look at it a little bit closer. So I think.

That is really important. And so for those parents that in our community, we have a lot of parents that really are involved and we’re just very grateful to have those experiences. And so if we can start to really create that, you know, bridge a little bit more, I think we’re going to just see that much more growth.

Kris (14:48)

You’re solving for that age -old problem out there of, how was school? Fine. Good. The one -word response is better than the other.

Stevie Frank (14:54)

-huh. I’m like, I thought that was only in middle school, but no, it is definitely in those younger years as well.

Kris (15:01)

It sure is. It sure is. Yeah, I’m in the same way where I’ll pull up my phone in the car even if we’re in a drive -through or wherever and just say, hey, can you tell me about this? What’d you do here today? Tell me more about that. And it’s just such a powerful conversation starter.

Kris (15:18)

Amazing, we’re gonna do just two more quick questions here. This next one is our loopy question. This is just a silly question that we ask everybody who is on our podcast. What is your go -to method for decompressing from a stressful school day?

Stevie Frank (15:22)

Okay.

Stevie Frank (15:33)

so that’s a great question. So I am a former yoga teacher. Whenever I had my babies, I was like, OK, this is a lot, too much to keep up. But I still like to find time on my mat. So I would definitely have to say I really enjoy doing yoga. But I don’t always have time to do that with two little ones running around. So I have purchased myself a treadmill. And so I will run. And then I’ll finish up with a good quick yoga session afterward. And so fill your cup, you have to do the things in order to fill into others.

Kris (16:04)

Yeah, we just did a webinar about ensuring that the teacher well -being is at the forefront and that you are taking care of yourself. You’re filling your own cup before you’re filling your students cups because that’s so important, especially in this time of the year when we’re thinking about summer coming up and the end of the school year, let’s make sure that we’re thinking about ourselves a little bit more so that we can come back to school recharged in August.

Stevie Frank (16:28)

I love that. I love that. OK, I need to have that link to that webinar so I can watch it.

Kris (16:32)

For sure, for sure. Final question here, this is just a big broad question. We would love to hear if there are any educational challenges or limitations that Seesaw is helping you overcome in your district. Anything specifically that’s coming out, whether it’s parent engagement, whether it’s specific ground assessments, can you just share if there are any challenges that Seesaw is helping you to jump over that hurdle with?

Stevie Frank (17:00)

So great question. I would say we did an EdTech, I called it like an EdTech tour survey. So we went around to all of our schools and we just asked the questions of what kind of tools are you looking for? What do you want? You know, blue sky, what would be great? What are you looking for? And what I kept hearing was, is, you know, if I’m working with an individualized group of students on a specific skill or if I’m assessing them, especially in kindergarten, right? Do they have all their letters? Do they have all their sounds?

you know, when we’re starting to do that more individualized, which we know that one -on -one teacher is so impactful, what are the rest of my students doing? And is it meaningful? And so what I’ve really enjoyed and what really helped me to really push towards Seesaw was their curriculum ties. So, you know, a lot of times you get out there on the internet and you’re like, I don’t, I don’t know what’s going on out there, but this isn’t all, you know, officially created. So we have two curriculums in our district and both of those are supported.

with those supportive materials within Seesaw. So not only now do we have like our teachers, you know, sometimes when they go out there and they teach something that isn’t, you know, district driven, we don’t have to worry about that with Seesaw. You know, they have those lessons built right within that, you know, our district aligned, that our curriculum aligned. And I think that has been the most transformative piece. We haven’t been able to try it yet, right? Cause we’re still inching towards getting that district.

But I think that’s just been one of the biggest components for us is just taking a look at that curriculum alignment tool.

Kris (18:28)

So strong too. I think the closer that technology gets to what happens in the classroom, the better that things are for everybody, for the teacher, for the students, for the families, and you know, ultimately your purchase dollars are much more well spent too as that goes. So I think that’s a really powerful point to kind of bring up is that we want to make sure that we’re our curriculum at the core of everything that we’re aligning to all this as well and the choices we make at the district level align to that.

Stevie Frank (18:44)

Yeah.

Kris (18:58)

So, love it. Super, super, we are at time. I just want to say thank you so much for being here, Stevie. You have just provided some amazing insights for us, some great answers around how you are finding Seesaw and how much power you’re finding in that in your schools. We just want to say thank you so much for being here.

Stevie Frank (18:59)

Agreed.

Stevie Frank (19:07)

Thank you.

Stevie Frank (19:16)

Well, thank you so much for having me. It was truly a pleasure, and I always enjoy a good tool and a good tool that I think is going to be transformative and great for kids. So thank you for this opportunity.

Kris (19:27)

Absolutely. Thank you so much. Have a good afternoon. Bye.

Stevie Frank (19:29)

Thanks, you too.