Tech Tuesday-Seesaw Blogs

I am starting my third year in my position as a tech integration coach, and I love my job!  I get to work with all of our amazing K-5 teachers, and be a part of the awesome experiences they create for their student and families using technology.  However, there are times when I miss having my own group of kids to work with.  Watching our teachers and students participate in the Global Read Aloud this year has made me a little jealous of our classroom teachers!  There are so many great ways that we can connect our students to others using technology, but the one that has stuck out to me lately is Seesaw Connected Blogs.

Seesaw all by itself is kind of life changing.  If you are not using it in your classroom already, I highly recommend it!  It is the easiest way for students to share their work with an authentic audience (their classmates and families).  Not to mention you as the teacher can see and hear student thinking in ways that are impossible using a traditional paper journal. 

The blog feature in Seesaw takes this authentic audience to a whole new level.  From your teacher account you can connect your blog with other classroom blogs in your school or around the world.  Students can post their work to the blog, and get feedback from peers in their own class or other classes.  They can also see other students' work and make comments.  This whole process might seem trivial, but think of the message we are sending to our students when we do this:

1. Your thoughts are important and others want to hear what you have to say.  This can be so empowering for all learners, but especially those who may lack confidence in their ability.

2. Other people in other places share your thinking, or they have have a different perspective/option.  The can be a great teachable moment about culture and about how we all have similarities and differences, and that's what makes this world great. 

3. When posting online, it is important to think about your digital footprint.  This can be tricky to teach unless we give students a place to practice being safe and respectful online.  Check out this AWESOME presentation on teaching kids how to comment from @Mrssmithop220.

The best part of this is that it is EASY, safe and appropriate for our young students. Everything that goes to the blog is moderated, so all the work and comments come to you for approval.  If you are looking for a classroom to connect with, check out this shared document where teachers add their blog information.  You can also add yours so that others can find your class and connect with you!

It can be scary when you start to open up your classroom to the outside world, you want to keep your kids safe online, and you want to make sure that the tool you choose doesn't require hours and hours of maintenance on your part.   In my option, Seesaw Blogs are the best way to create connections outside of your classroom.  If you are looking for a tool for the Global Read Aloud or just looking to connect with other classes somewhere else in the world, you should definitely give Seesaw Blogs a try!

Check out the two videos below to get started, and as always feel free to comments below or contact me with questions.  

Getting Started With Seesaw Blogs

How to Connect to Other Blogs

Please note: this video is a little outdated.  The interface looks a little different, but all the features are still the same.