I love all of the ways that you can use the Seesaw app to have students show their learning. Today we tried something new. We have been studying the continents as well as learning where our state and city are located and also knowing the cardinal directions. I wanted to assess my students' knowledge of these areas but didn't want to do a traditional worksheet or take the time to do a cut and paste activity. After a lot of pondering on what would be most manageable for both my students and myself I came up with the idea of sharing two different maps with my students on Seesaw. I simply had students touch the "Copy and Edit" button to make a new copy for themselves.
After each student had their map copied I gave them specific directions such as find Antarctica and put a 1 on it, Find Australia and mark it with a 2, etc. After we marked the continents, I asked students to use the recording feature to tell which continent we lived on and to put a star on it.
On the United States map, students were to label the cardinal directions, locate and circle the state that we live in and as a bonus, mark where we live in our state. They then recorded this information for moms and dads.
At then end of the day I was able to easily see and hear student's responses to my questions. Before sharing this assessment with parents, I put a comment under each students' map sharing with parents what the standard was that I was assessing and shared what number each continent was supposed to be. This ended up being a great way to keep parents informed of their child's progress and gave them a quick glance at what they could help their child with at home.
Are you anxiously awaiting...the May Epic Books / Padlet Collaborative Reading project?
Well wait no longer... the May boards are ready to go. You can access the May Google Doc by clicking here or on the picture below. If you need more information feel free to contact me or check out this post.
Brand new to the project? Here's what you need to know....
Decide how you want to use the project (with a guided reading group, as a whole class, or as an individual project- you decide what fits best for you and your learners)
Next, print off the doc for those students or post somewhere in your room for easy access.
The QR codes will take your students directly to the coordinating Padlet boards- no url's needed- always a plus with young learners! (Clickable url's are included on the doc for your convenience and for classes using Chromebooks, etc)
As your students begin to post on the Padlet boards, please don't be overly concerned about perfect spelling, this is meant to be a place where kiddos can read and respond to text authentically. I do check the boards every few days to double check content and if there is questionable phonetic spelling, I'll make a quick fix. I'm sure we can all think of a few words that students generally misspell that we ALWAYS double check- LOL
As for how students should respond, you decide what's best for your learners. Are you learning about text to self connections, retelling, summarizing, informational text, interesting vocabulary (juicy words/word choice)? Be creative, make the boards fit your curriculum and the rest of us will learn from you when reading your students' posts. Most of all, have fun with it! The Padlets are open ended for these very reasons so make it fit the needs of your class. I will at times put a question on the google doc or on the Padlet but these are simply springboards if needed and are not required. Feel free to have your students include images or screenshots of their favorite parts or exciting information.
If you have access to any of the books in another format- feel free to utilize them. Books do not have to be read on Epic although I will say my class is completely engaged when using Epic knowing that they have the ability to also earn badges for reading. Gamification has a strong pull in my classroom this year!
One last side note, feel free to do any or all of the books for the month. Books do not have to be in any particular order. Again, make this fit your schedule and your learners!
Have fun! I hope you'll join in the fun!
Feel free to pass this on- it's open to all!
If you've not used Epic Kids Books, it is free for educators- so run, don't walk, to check it out!! If you're interested in learning how to set up individual student accounts, click here to access some screen shots that will help you through the process.
I love all of the ways that you can use the Seesaw app to have students show their learning. Today we tried something new. We have been studying the continents as well as learning where our state and city are located and also knowing the cardinal directions. I wanted to assess my students' knowledge of these areas but didn't want to do a traditional worksheet or take the time to do a cut and paste activity. After a lot of pondering on what would be most manageable for both my students and myself I came up with the idea of sharing two different maps with my students on Seesaw. I simply had students touch the "Copy and Edit" button to make a new copy for themselves. 
