more independent. This helps students hear what they sound like when they read and it can track their progress through their digital portfolio, as well as share with parents and teachers students’ strengths or areas of improvement in reading.
Students can also use SeeSaw for book reviews in the intermediate grade levels. After finding a book they love, they snap a picture of the cover and write a short excerpt suggesting why their friends should read it. Routman (2018) suggested teachers, “have book recommendations attached to the book or a QR code in the book that can be scanned for a video of a book review done by a student or a group of students” (p. 50). This is would work well with SeeSaw because the app has a QR code generator and I have seen teachers print these QR codes and hang them in their libraries for suggested reading from their peers. Book recommendations help students to become enthusiastic about their reading and encourages reading for enjoyment and interest! Routman also suggested, “older students can write recommendations for younger ones, which can be especially validating for those older students who struggle as readers and writers” (p. 180).
SeeSaw can also be a great connection between reading and writing because students can hear their pieces come to life and share with others their writing. Many teachers will have students record on SeeSaw their latest writing piece and display to QR code outside the classroom for others to scan and listen to exhibit their learning in a tech-savvy way.
I have found that across grade levels, even with the youngest students, SeeSaw can be a positive resource for teaching reading. SeeSaw can be a great use of technology across all content areas, but I believe it can be used as an effective formative assessment and tool for showcasing reading progress.
Reference
Routman, R. (2018). Literacy essentials: Engagement, excellence, and equity for all learners. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Meg Brady
Meg Brady is a Literacy Teaching Assistant in the Lindbergh School District. She is studying for her Masters in Literacy at Missouri State University.
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