Change in a digital environment

By Marsha Harris, Director of Curriculum

The year 2020 is the year of change. A change in workflow, pedagogy, instructional tools, classroom routines, and our relationships. Teachers, students, and entire school systems have had to shift to bring teachers and children together safely. Small, meaningful, intentional adjustments are necessary to sustain and create impactful learning experiences.

For eight years, My Learning, our digital portfolio system, has been a hallmark of the Trinity program. It has been used to record each student’s journey at the School, provide insight into learning experiences, and help students preserve and cherish their Trinity story. This year, members of our Sixth Grade Leadership Class will be able to look back at their Pre-K year to remember and reflect on their experiences at Trinity. “I love the ability to follow my child’s progress over time,” says the parent of a Trinity Early Learner and Second Grader. “Periodically, I go back and look at my child’s work as an Early Learner, and it is such a gift to have their voices and growth archived.” Seesaw, My Learning’s platform, was selected years ago because of the opportunity it provides teachers, students, and parents. It is a window into the classroom for families, a mirror for students to see themselves as learners, and a door to the whole child for teachers. This is still true today. We are grateful that this platform provided a seamless transition to distance learning, at-home learning, and homeschool communication. “The Seesaw platform makes it easy for students and teachers to enrich the classroom experience,” says a parent of a Trinity Second Grader and Fourth Grader. “I see how easy it is for our girls to make edits, to reveal what they are thinking, and to take ownership of their work. Seeing problem solving in action and hearing our girls share their thinking is one of the experiences I enjoy most about using the program. There is a powerful feedback loop that helps teachers and parents to identify where learning gaps occur and support students’ understanding of the material. The platform gives parents clarity about the practice that needs to continue and serves as a guide to encouraging good academic behaviors. As a parent, I appreciate the opportunity to make comments and have an impact while learning is taking place. Seesaw is a beautiful journal of learning.”

In the spring, education systems were forced to shift to distance learning in a matter of days. We needed to find a way to continue to deliver content, build relationships, and provide meaningful feedback in a virtual environment. Seesaw became our instant LMS (Learning Management System).

Seesaw offers a library of activities designed by our teachers and experts from across the globe. The interactive nature of these tasks provides a more engaging experience for students while working in a digital environment. Along with a robust library, Seesaw’s integrated tools allow teachers to provide feedback to students with text or voice, and students can record video, draw, manipulate objects, and share their understanding through various compatible multimedia extensions. Families have immediate access to their child’s learning and communication from the teacher or announcements from the School. Everyone is encouraged to be creative, curious, and empowered. “When I explain Seesaw to educators who don’t use it, they are so impressed by the incredible opportunity it provides for our students and their families,” says Kindergarten Lead Teacher Katherine Anderson, who served as a Pre-K Lead Teacher during the 2019–20 school year. “In Pre-K, Seesaw was a unique way to capture the work and memories of our youngest students in an interactive and authentic way. Now in Kindergarten, I see students using this technology to navigate a virtual learning platform while simultaneously documenting what they know and how they know it. I am truly grateful that Trinity has embraced this tool for us to use with our students and families.”

We are fortunate to have one-toone devices available for students. Preparing them to navigate these tools and routines at the beginning of the year empowers them to feel confident and capable when completing tasks online. Trinity Teachers are working diligently to navigate educating students in school and at home. Using Seesaw as a platform for our at-home learners provides a landing space for students to look to and engage in highquality learning.

My Learning is still here. Teachers and students continue to archive, collect, reflect, and celebrate their academic and personal goals. Seesaw has opened up the opportunity to widen the lens of what teaching and learning look like.

Third Grade Lead Teacher Caroline Dwight carries her computer around so that oncampus and at-home learners can interact during a study of lizards. All students utilize an interactive Seesaw app for the lesson.

Caroline says, “Seesaw has been the united, grounding force for me to target both athome and on-campus learners. I love how I can give targeted, specific feedback to each student that parents, teachers, and students can see. Students can respond efficiently to this feedback, and I really enjoy viewing the positive comments that parents post to encourage their learner. When all parties are part of the learning process, great success occurs.”