Featured Chrome App: Seesaw--The Personal Learning Journal

I love it when teachers start a conversation about instructional technology that begins with "I wish there was a way my students could..." Much of the time, there IS a way that some kind of instructional technology tool can meet their needs. More often than not, Seesaw is one of those tools.

Seesaw empowers students to document their own learning by putting a variety of versatile content-creation tools at their fingertips, provides families with a window into their child's school day and a medium to communicate with teachers, and helps teachers assess student work and foster 21st-century skill development in a safe environment.

With Seesaw, students can "show what they know" using photos, videos, audio recordings, drawings, text notes, files uploads, and links. Teachers can also create activities to assess student work.

View the video tutorials below to learn how you can leverage Seesaw in your classroom:

Seesaw 01: Getting Started
Seesaw 02: Adding Students
Seesaw 03: Journaling and Inviting Families
Seesaw 04: Journaling Cont'd and Organizing Content
Seesaw 05: Journaling Cont'd 
Seesaw 06: Creating Activities

Further, Seesaw has an OUTSTANDING support page that offers step-by-step directions on how to get started as well as ideas for your classroom.

Beyond the Basics: Chrome Extensions and Apps

Every technology company has its own branded vocabulary for the products and services it offers. Google is no exception. Most of us are familiar with Google Apps like Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms. These tools help us be productive on the Web without having to buy and install software. Many of us are less familiar with Chrome Apps and Extensions and are confused about what they are and how they work.

Chrome Apps are simply applications that can run inside the Chrome browser--think of them as shortcuts to Web sites that easily integrate with Google (i.e. you can use your Google username and password to sign-up and log-in to the service). Some of my favorite Chrome Apps include  WeVideo,  PowToon, Canva, Seesaw, and EDpuzzle. Each of these apps is available in the Chrome Web Store and puts content creation in the hands of students. If you are reading this blog on your laptop, look at the top left corner of your browser on the bookmarks bar. You should see a colorful "waffle" icon. If you click it, you will see what Chrome Apps you have installed on your account. (If you are on a Chromebook, the apps launcher is on the bottom left of the "Shelf" and looks like an open circle).

Chrome Extensions are utilities that also run inside the Chrome browser, but unlike Apps, there is very little user interface like you would expect on a Website. Tools like Awesome Screenshot, Screencastify, Read&Write for Google Chrome, Share to Classroom, and Grammarly for Chrome are extensions I use regularly to be more productive on the Web.

Check out the video below for a brief tour of the Chrome Web Store. In the coming weeks, I'll be taking a deeper dive into some of the aforementioned Apps and Extensions to help you and your students get the most out of the Chrome browser.

Note: At the elementary level, the district has disabled the students' ability to install apps and extensions. However, we can create a custom page on the Chrome Web Store to make pre-selected Apps and Extensions available. Please contact Barb Ritch or me if you have a request to install an App or Extension.

(re)Thinking Professional Development

Traditionally, teacher professional development has consisted of "sit and get" workshops in the summer, before and after school, and on Superintendent's Conference Days. Research indicates, however, that short, one-shot workshops often don’t change teacher practice and have no effect on student achievement (Gulamhussein, 2013). Nonetheless, teachers are expected to continuously learn new pedagogy, address new standards, and embrace the latest technology trends. There never seems to be enough time for meaningful professional development.

Effective professional development should be on-going, authentic, and job-embedded. Fortunately, 21st-century technologies can help us re-think how we deliver and contribute to our own professional learning. See below for some innovative professional development options at West Genesee Schools.

• Online Professional Development offers teachers an opportunity to grow professionally with the availability of 24/7 access to practical learning experiences. Teachers can learn a new skill as they prepare authentic lessons for their students. They can also participate in an active learning community that provides a collaborative space to reflect on their practice with the support and inspiration of their peers. 
• Click here for more
• Screencasts provide "just in time" access to instructional video tutorials to help build capacity.  Support materials are available when they are needed and teachers can learn new skills at their own pace. 
• Click here for more
• Coaching provides job-embedded expertise to help transform practice in real-time. In collaboration with teachers, instructional coaches can help plan meaningful lessons, observe teachers and offer constructive feedback, and model lessons to demonstrate effective practice.
• Contact Rob
• Contact Barb

References

Gulamhussein, A. (2013, September). Teaching the teachers: Effective professional development in 

     an era of high stakes accountability. Center for Public Education. Retrieved October 12, 2016, 

     from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Staffingstudents/Teaching-the-

     Teachers-Effective-Professional-Development-in-an-Era-of-High-Stakes Accountability/Teaching-

     the-Teachers-Full-Report.pdf

Ross, J. D. (2011). Online professional development: Design, deliver, succeed! Thousand Oaks, CA: 

     Corwin.