Thing 16: Digital Portfolios for Students

I started using Seesaw last year with a kindergarten tech class that I co-teach with kindergarten teachers.  Last year there was not too much in the library that you could use.  This year, there is so much to choose from it is overwhelming.  For example, last year there was a hodgepodge collection.  This year you can choose by grade level and topic. 

I did not get too fancy last year.  I used it for Valentine's Day, What did you do over vacation and sight words and practicing nursery rhymes that they were doing for music.  This year I expanded my use.  I had always wanted to participate in the Global Read Aloud.  There are SEESAW face book sites for connecting.  I found another librarian with five second grade classes in Madison, Indiana.  We read the books and blogged back and forth.  It was not as successful as I had hoped.  Part of the problem is I only see the kids once a week and half days and other things conflict so the project dragged on longer than I would have liked and the kids grew tired of it.  Also, there was not enough time to respond fully to the other school. I would have liked to have used an older grade for this project but it just wouldn't work out.  Second graders still have trouble signing in with their login and password which you have to do to use seesaw.   On the plus side, the books are already chosen, the kids learn about something they would not have and the lesson plans and activities are mostly done for you.

My other problem is that there are only 10 free accounts and I typically have 6 of each grade level so I have to rotate a level off before I can take another one on.  Hopefully, we will be purchasing SEESAW for our district and this problem will be resolved.  I see a great deal of potential for SEESAW.  I am waiting for someone to come up with demonstrable grade level competencies/assessments in writing and/or library and/or ELA assessments that could be used and saved as standardized portfolios. 

This year I did get a bit fancier using SEESAW and my kindergarten classes.  I looked at the library for ideas and found one I liked about Abe Lincoln's Hat and  Valentine's day.   I used other peoples activity templates.  Initially, I then paired up Lincoln's hat  with "Looking at Lincoln" but the first kindergarten class I used it with did not like the book.  So, I found another one "Do You Have a Hat."  I scanned it in using my copier, dropped it into slides, then screencastified it, downloaded and then uploaded it to SEESAW.  I think that there are probably copyright issues with this so I do not share my stuff with the SEESAW library.  I also did another one like this with "Guess How Much I Love You" and a valentine's card.  What prompted me to do it this way was I looked at youtube videos but I didn't like the quality of what is available in terms of read alouds.  Moreover, the kids get a kick out of knowing it is me reading the book to them.

Here is an  example:
https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_activity?share_token=1t0_gBUeTNu3m_jLHXy5QQ&prompt_id=prompt.93087c31-1cab-4964-9a8e-9f734a58a78b


I have the Lincoln one too.  I just can't seem to find it in my library although I did share it with my classes.  I'll have to figure out how I do that so I have it for next year. 

THING 2 Student Blogging and Writing

I like to use what I do for this class.  After looking at what I am going to do with my classes in March, I decided I would try a padlet for the purposes of showing students how to use SORA.   I also had run across a post from someone of my librarian face book feeds that PADLET was something that they could not live without. I already had a padlet account and I looked at some youtube videos on ideas on how to use it and just how to use it.  I ended up creating an instructional padlet that I added to our technology page that shows how to sign into SORA.  Here it is:


HOW TO USE

THING 26 Media Skills

I have been using video much more this year in my library classes.  My third and fourth graders have made use of the discussion feature of schoology where they can video tape themselves responding to prompts and comment on their classmates' entries.  I also use SEESAW with kindergarten and I used it for the Global Read Aloud with second graders.

I looked at the information in this entry and I have used CANVA before.  I know how to take screenshots.  I didn't really have any projects in mind for resources such as Pixlr.  It also wants you to sign up with a credit card that you cancel once the free time is up which I was not interested in doing that.

I have used word art before so I didn't really have an interest in that but I was intrigued with the Camscanner and after reading the tips from Joyce Valenza, I downloaded camscanner on my IPAD and my phone.   Last year my phone died so I ended up scanning things off of my phone that I didn't want to lose again and downloading them into my IPAD photos.  I could have done this with my camera but I was interested in seeing the quality of the scans.  They are quite good and I used the multiple scan feature too and was pleasantly surprised.  I will use this helpful too frequently in the future.  Thanks for the information.

Thing 25 Green Screen Fun

I read the information posted and decided I would try the idea described by Nicole Rosen with one difference, I would use teachers' faces superimposed on their favorite book.  So far I have about three done and hope to have more for Read Across America on March 2nd.  I have noticed that a teacher's book recommendation goes a long way.  I was hoping this activity would not only provide a laugh and be a community builder at our school but also inspire some reading.

I ended up going back and forth between by IPAD and google drawings on my laptop.  I didn't have much luck with the free green screen sites.  The two I tried wanted payment before you could download something.  Since I just had my bank card suspended for such a purchase, I didn't want to take that route. 

I ended up getting the background to blend in by using the format color option.  Here are my efforts so far:

Amelia Bedelia

I Really Like Slop

When Randolph(s) Turned Rotten