Digital this, digital that, “digital” has been the buzzword of the year! Thanks COVID! Let’s be real for a second. 2020 has been a crazy and life-changing year for everyone- especially teachers. We had to shut down our classrooms on a moment’s notice and begin teaching remotely with very little to no experience. Luckily, we live in a day in age where it was actually possible to do so with the technology we have in front of us. Even if you hated every second of it, you struggled, or you killed it and loved it- YOU DID IT! The educator community was tasked to teach students in ways that were unknown and we rose to the occasion. And it seems we still have so much up in the air about going back to school but one thing is for sure- “digital” will most likely still be the buzzword of the year. Whether you are going back 5 days a week with “social distancing”, starting off the year with remote learning, or trying to navigate through a hybrid model, one thing we know is true… we need to be prepared for a digital classroom.
In this post, I hope to provide an overview of some really great digital platforms that will absolutely begin to be a huge part of our primary classrooms. Boom, Seesaw, and Google Classroom are all amazing, user-friendly platforms that can house awesome resources for student learning and engagement. I must admit that I am a little bias towards Seesaw since I’ve used it in my classroom for over 3 years. Again, this is just a tiny crumb of all the ins and outs but stay tuned for a deeper dive into each of these platforms in future blogs!
The Ins and Outs of Boom Learning
This is a super engaging and interactive platform to help students practice a skill and in a fun and engaging way. If you know me, you know I am all about hands on learning and engaging our little learners! Boom has ALL that!
The Log On Process:
You can set up a free account. You are also able to have all student data housed on Boom to see how students performed with a certain deck.
Basic Tools and Features:
Boom is basically a digital deck of educational “cards”. Think interactive digital task cards. There are drag-and-drop features, multiple choice type questions, open ended activities where students can type, and you can even add voice overs for instructions and so much more! The best part is that these cards can easily be assigned through Google Classroom or Seesaw.
What it Can Look Like in the Classroom:
These can be used for fun practice of skills taught. They are so much fun and you can find decks on almost any skill you are teaching. I have been trying to combine my two passions for hands on learning and Social Emotional Learning and so I tested my hand with Boom to SEL Boom Cards. Check out my first deck for teaching students how to be a good friend here! (As previewed in the video above)
The Ins and Outs of Seesaw
I love using Seesaw as a tool for young learners. Seesaw has so amazing features and wonderful tools included that fits well with primary students.
The Log On Process:
This is absolutely a thing. If you had a dollar for every time one of your students had a logging in issue, I’m sure you’d be rich. Logging into Seesaw is SUPER easy and convenient for little people. Once students download the app, students will use your generated classroom QR Code to log in. They only have to do this once, because they then choose an emoji with their name to log in. Each time they open Seesaw, the emoji goes straight to their account so there’s no need for a login and password sign in every time. That makes it very simple for littles and less instructional time lost! If they somehow get logged out, which of course happens sometimes, you can easily pull back up the QR Code and quickly log them back in.
Basic Tools and Features:
Because what makes a cool and functional app if not the tools and features right?! Students are able to draw, write, record, take pictures, videos, and then upload things they create. As a teacher, you also have these same tools available to you. You can create activities, drawings, write notes, record videos, and insert links to everything a student will need to complete that activity. This is great for distance learning because its ALL- you guessed it- DIGITAL! Students have super easy access to watch a lesson, complete an activity, and turn it in, all in one place. The teacher is also able to see who has and hasn’t turned in the activity!
What it Can Look Like in the Classroom:
One way I have taken advantage of Seesaw is to teach students a skill and allow them to show their learning in a way that works best for them. With the tools Seesaw has to offer, it allows students so much freedom and choice to express their learning in a way that works best for them. I have watched student engagement and creativity go through the ROOF! Check out this post for how that has looked in my classroom.
Connectedness:
This app is a great tool to connect students to content while also being able to involving their families at home! Parents and guardians can gain access to Seesaw to see and comment on their child’s work. Teachers can easily send messages or announcements to families as well!
The Ins and Outs of Google Classroom
Google Classroom has some very similar features to Seesaw. I have typically seen Google Classroom work beautifully in older grades. But does that mean primary students cannot use Google Classroom? Absolutely not!
The Log On Process:
Depending on your district, students will usually have a generic log in being something tied to a student number with a password usually being tied to their birthday. Students have to type in this information EVERY SINGLE TIME. I have found this to be tricky for younger students. It takes A LOT of time at the beginning of the year to get them trained to remember, learn to type with no typos and without frustration. Practice is key but I also like to print out this information and make sure students have access to it in a handy place in case they forget.
Basic Tools and Features:
In Google, you can create one classroom or different classes depending on your needs. There are so many great tools you can use on Google, such as Forms, Slides, and Meet. Google Forms is a great tool for collecting feedback or creating SELF GRADED assessments. You can create interactive activities for students on Google Slides, or find many premade resources and templates on Teachers Pay Teachers. For those students who need more assistance, you are able to have a Google Meet session right in your classroom.
What it Can Look Like in the Classroom:
Just like with Seesaw, you can create assignments with everything students need to complete it and schedule it! You can combine Forms and Slides to create engaging lessons and assessments or transport students into a digital escape room to prove their learning by cracking codes to escape. Check out this one for practicing Addition and Subtraction within 20!
Connectedness:
You can share just about anything on Google with anyone who has a Google account, which is free for anyone. Parents can create an account and gain access to anything the teacher or student wishes to share with them. In that, parents can communicate and give feedback as well.
So Let’s Social Distance and Get On These Digital Assistants!
Obviously you have to determine what works best for you, your classroom and your students. I know for me I am still learning and will continue to learn more and more about these platforms. Am I an expert? Not by any means. But I know the importance of becoming fluent with these new digital assistants that will no doubt be integral in our classrooms this year. I will soon be creating digital learning paths that will have everything a student needs to learn and master a new skill. This path will use Google, Seesaw, and Boom to help engage, assess, and teach students! Look for those coming soon, and if there is any skill you would love to have a learning path for, please let me know!
Stay tuned for more in depth blog posts on each of these platforms. Also, drop by the comment section to share anything helpful I may have missed to help guide teachers! You can also let me know anything you would like to see in upcoming blog posts about both Seesaw and Google.
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