Google Classroom: Mobile Notifications Explained

By Tom Driscoll, BWRSD Digital Learning Director (@Mr_Driscoll) A valuable feature of Google Classroom is it's mobile notification tools. This helps keep students informed of announcements, upcoming assignments, teacher feedback and more. Educators can also leverage these notification tools to streamline their workflow on when using mobile devices. Below is a slides presentation that provides …

6 EdTech Resources and Strategies to Gain a Deeper Understanding of Students

By Tom Driscoll (@Mr_Driscoll) A foundational piece of any learner-centered approach involves gaining a deeper understanding of our students. We know that learner variability exists, and research suggests it is growing in classrooms across the nation. It is therefore essential to personalize instruction based upon learner differences if we are going to ensure that all …

Green Screen by DoInk: Quick Guide and Resources

Thanks to Nicole Galipeau (@guiteraslibrary) and Kahley Gerrior for creating and compiling the resources below! BWRSD has recently purchased licenses to the Green Screen by DoInk app for all Elementary Library Media and K-2 Teacher iPads. What is Green Screen by Do Ink? You know what a "green screen" effect is, right? It's used in …

Can SEL Spark the Shift to Student Agency?

BY TOM DRISCOLL (@Mr_Driscoll – Digital Learning Director @BWRSD) As referenced in a prior post, emerging student-centered instructional models attempt to shift much of the ownership and control (agency) of the learning process over to students.  Whether it is an approach that customizes the student’s path and pace through the curriculum, or is an inquiry-based environment that has students …

Digital Learning Resource Updates: Adobe Spark, SeeSaw for Schools, “New” Google Sites

BY TOM DRISCOLL (@Mr_Driscoll – Digital Learning Director @BWRSD) Adobe Spark for Education Now Available Grades 3-12 Our district has recently upgraded all teachers and students (grades 3-12) to Adobe Spark for Education.  This product is offered free to school districts and provides educators and students with access to premium media content and added layers of protection regarding …

Learner Variability: The Why of Personalized Learning

BY TOM DRISCOLL (@Mr_Driscoll – Digital Learning Director @BWRSD) Over the past few years, in several different roles, I have researched and experimented with various frameworks and approaches to Personalized Learning.  Despite the vast amount of resources out there that describe what personalized learning is and how to implement it, it is often difficult to find quality research …

Framing the Personalized Learning Discussion

BY TOM DRISCOLL (@Mr_Driscoll - Digital Learning Director @BWRSD) Although Personalized Learning has gained considerable traction in education, there is still much confusion and, at times, heated debate regarding what this set of ideas actually means and looks like in practice.  Fortunately, there has been a relative convergence of key concepts and essential components of …

Reflecting on Writing Using Seesaw

By Renee MacDougall and Kelly Brum This year we started to feel like we, the teachers, were doing all the heavy lifting during our writing conferences with students. So when it was time to begin a new unit on opinion writing, we decided to try to shift more of the responsibility to our students. (making …

Personalizing Instruction in the K Classroom

By Kelly Servant (@servantk1) Using Seesaw in the classroom has helped students, their families and myself to easily look at students' growth over time.  Students are able to choose work that they are proud of (wow work) to put into their portfolio. As the year progresses, the students and their families are able see how …

Communicating with Colleagues – Seesaw Style

By Vanessa Cronan, Nicole Galipeau, Jessica O'Neill, Laura Berard & Sarah Thurber Problem:  How can we find an efficient way to communicate with our colleagues examples of students’ digital learning? From teachers sharing videos of student success, to students using technology to showcase and celebrate learning moments, technology within the classroom setting can take on …