Home Learning
Seesaw
Seesaw is an online versatile digital portfolio, encouraging creativity, expression, and feedback that makes pupils excited to learn. We believe when pupils are truly engaged in learning, they find what lights them up, conquer the tough stuff, and open new doors. Now more than ever, remote learning solutions are essential. Seesaw enables meaningful learning from anywhere, for all of our pupils.
At Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children, we have been using Seesaw to record and document what our children are learning in school, engaging with extra curricula activities and liaising with parents. Our pupils can show their families what they have learnt in the classroom using photos, videos, drawings and text.
Seesaw creates a powerful learning loop between pupils, teachers, and families. This is how we use Seesaw at Frank Barnes School:
Pupils
• Pupils use built-in annotation tools to capture what they know in Seesaw’s digital portfolio.
• Pupils explore a variety of powerful and intuitive tools (like draw + record, collage, video, and more!) to show what they know in the way that works best for them.
• Portfolios make it easy to give pupils choices. Empower reflection on learning over time and help pupils create something they’re proud to share with others.
• Pupils have their own iPads and will take these back & forth from school to home daily to access their portfolio including homework, tasks, spellings.
• Pupils are encouraged to practice their spellings daily at home using their Spellings folder on Seesaw.
• In our Seesaw announcements, pupils watch our twice weekly BSL News update videos, our FBS:TV programme weekly and our BSL Stories all of which provides language development in BSL and English.
• Pupils are expected to use Seesaw daily.
• Teachers gain insight into their class children’s learning and skills.
• Teachers deeply understand student thinking and progress — enabling them to adjust their planning and teaching.
• Understand strengths and areas for growth in real time so teachers can differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all of our pupils.
• See family engagement, usage trends and centrally manage data.
• Support school culture with multimedia schoolwide announcements.
• Excellent method of evidence recording for all subjects.
• Marking and feedback provided on pupils’ uploaded work.
• Set homework for pupils to complete at home using Seesaw tools.
• Provide weekly Spelling Lists for each pupil to practise.
• Provide differentiated work for each class using pupil selections so pupils are set tasks to meet their learning needs.
• Teachers and Teaching Assistants collaborate by having full access to their class and work in partnership monitoring all children’s learning and progress.
• Collaborate with professionals and specialists in each class including the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, Team Leader, Deaf Instructors, SENCO and Speech and Language Therapists who can all see every child’s work, liaise with pupils and parents/families.
Families
• Families connect with us at Frank Barnes School via Seesaw.
• The Seesaw app is safe and secure, families can only access their child’s portfolio.
• Families see their child’s work, leave comments and encouragements.
• Families gain a window into their student’s learning and engage with school happenings.
• Families see their child’s learning and celebrate progress. Up to ten family members can stay in the loop using the Parent and Family App (iOS, Android) or using the Seesaw website by logging in.
• Families can save copies of their child’s photos and work on their phones, iPads or computers at home for their own record.
• Pupils’ work is synced from year-to-year and class-to-class in a single, streamlined portfolio. Families remain connected automatically after signing up once.
• Families have direct contact with their child’s class teacher, teaching assistants and other professionals working with their child via Seesaw messaging.
• Families using British Sign Language (BSL) can send video messages to teaching staff, all liaison between parents can be in BSL.
• Schoolwide and Class announcements and messages are delivered in BSL and English for all families and pupils to access.
• Families using different spoken languages are able to translate English into their home language using the Seesaw translate tool.