A powerful tool like Seesaw can assist all students in learning, but it is particularly useful for multilingual students and English language learners. By creating interactive, engaging, and personalized learning experiences that can only be created through Seesaw. By providing digital language learning tools for multilingual classrooms, Seesaw transforms how educators teach languages.
Educators who use Seesaw in their classroom on a regular basis report significant benefits. Students can share their understanding of a topic in a low pressure environment by utilizing multimedia features such as audio and video recordings, or the multiple drawing tools. In order to foster a strong home to school connection, student work is shared with families and accompanied with powerful translation features that are built right into Seesaw messages.
Our mission at Seesaw is to create joyful learning experiences for all learners every day. In our journey to ensure that this is reality, we have created a comprehensive suite of lessons that are specifically designed for multilingual learners. Before we dive into what that looks like, read how Seesaw supports learners today.
Real-World Success Stories
Iris P., a 1st and 2nd grade Newcomer teacher, shares how Seesaw enhances her instruction
Iris found Seesaw helpful for differentiating instruction and tailoring learning to multilingual learners’ needs. With Seesaw’s visual and audio features, every student was supported in their development, but she had the option to go even deeper for students who needed it. For improving English speaking skills, she found recording opportunities to be particularly powerful.
Key Takeaway
Seesaw’s multimedia features allow Iris to differentiate instruction effectively, supporting English language acquisition through interactive technology.
Learn How to Differentiate Instruction Like Iris
Watch this video to see exactly how Seesaw supports multilingual learners
Julia T., a 5th grade Teacher, describes how Seesaw strengthens the home-school connection
In addition to capturing a deep understanding of content, Seesaw’s recording features made it easy for her to share with her family. The visual evidence of learning built a strong connection between home and school, enabling more powerful conversations to occur and supporting language learning for English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Additionally, the recordings served as a roadmap for how the family could continue Mohammad’s learning beyond the school gates.
Key Takeaway
Seesaw’s video feature not only captures student progress but also fosters stronger relationships between teachers and families through visual evidence of learning and a visual playbook for continued growth at home.
Learn How to Capture Progress and Voice Like Julia
Read how to use voice and creative tools inside Seesaw and how to connect families to the learning taking place in your Seesaw class
Katie C., a PreK-3rd grade English Teacher, explains how Seesaw engages students and impresses families
Katie discovered that students shared more of their understanding when using the video tool within Seesaw. With Seesaw, her students were able to share more than just the answers. They can articulate their thinking with the video tool. These videos then become a powerful learning archive providing a clear bridge between home and school. This approach is particularly effective for (ESL) students.
Key Takeaway
By enabling students to record and share their language progress, Seesaw increases engagement and creates meaningful connections between school and home, surprising and delighting families with their children’s progress in the target language.
Learn How To Share Progress Like Katie
Watch our recent webinar Critical Methodologies: Optimizing Achievement for Multilingual Learners to get practical ideas for how to bridge the home<>school gap in your classroom today!
Katherine M., a 2nd grade bilingual teacher, describes how Seesaw helps track language development
As Katherine tracked her students’ growth and progress over the course of the year, Seesaw’s digital portfolio for tracking language development clearly demonstrated that they were learning. In addition to supporting language acquisition, the visual representation of growth from the Seesaw class journal boosted students’ confidence.
Key Takeaway
Seesaw’s digital portfolio feature allows both teachers and students to visually track progress in English language acquisition, boosting student confidence as they witness their own growth over time.
Learn How to Use a Digital Portfolio Like Katherine
Tune in to this podcast episode where we talk about how Seesaw supports language development – Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Lisa R., a K-5 English Language (EL) teacher, highlights how Seesaw promotes inclusivity
Seesaw’s multimedia features provided Lisa and her families with easy-to-use tools focused on learning. Seesaw’s built in translation features allow families and students who spoke different languages at home to communicate seamlessly. By creating such an inclusive learning environment, students were able to participate more and gain a deeper understanding of the learning, making Seesaw an effective tool for differentiated instruction in multilingual classrooms.
Key Takeaway
Seesaw’s multimedia and translation features create an inclusive learning environment, breaking down language barriers and enabling easier communication between teachers, students, and families of diverse linguistic backgrounds.
Learn How to Engage Families Like Lisa
Read this article to learn how to translate text right inside Seesaw
Begin Your Success Story
Using Seesaw like the teachers above is a great start. If you are looking to go deeper, the Seesaw English Language Development (ELD) package provides K-5 English Language Learners with scaffolded opportunities to practice reading, writing. Listening, and speaking English in the context of over 480 ELA, math, science, and social studies lessons.
With Seesaw’s multimodal tools, English Language Learners have a safe space to learn, practice, and build confidence while honoring their strengths and experiences, providing personalized language learning experiences for diverse learners. Developmentally appropriate lessons can be flexibly taught in any classroom model. Embedded language supports make content accessible to English Language Learners to build proficiency with ease.
Try out the following lessons to support your students in language development:
