Are you using Seesaw in your music room, or are you wanting to learn more? In this blog post, I'll detail the what and why of Seesaw, and describe three Seesaw activities that could work well with Kindergarten.
What is Seesaw?
Seesaw is a wonderful tech tool that allows students to record themselves with audio and/or video, draw on the screen, drag icons, watch videos, and more! You can deliver an entire asynchronous lesson in Seesaw, or have students complete a Seesaw activity during centers or small group work. It can also be used as a digital portfolio and parent communication tool.
Why Use Seesaw?
If you are virtual, Seesaw can be a great tool for hearing students sing, having students respond to a lesson, and assessing! If you are in person, it can be a wonderful way to have students show you what they know, and then share that with parents. Instead of sending home worksheets, you can simply click a button to share with parents, and they can see right on their phone, ipad, or computer! To find out more, click here.
If your classroom teachers already use Seesaw, it can be really seamless to start using in the music room, because students are already comfortable with it. This was my situation this year with Kindergarten.
Here are three examples of Seesaw activities for Kindergarten, to help you brainstorm different ways to use Seesaw. If you want to add them to your library, sign up at the end of this post to receive the links!
Thank you to Krista Wallden, Whimsy Clips, and Paula Kim Studio for the clip art in the images below!
#1: Fast/ Slow
If you are looking to practice fast/slow with students, this Seesaw activity has students listening to a fast/slow song by Laurie Berkner, listening to five different audio clips and choosing whether they are fast or slow, then recording themselves speaking “Engine Engine” fast or slow. Here are a few images from the file:
To add audio to a Seesaw activity, like in the Seesaw above, check out this video:
#2: Steady Beat
Wanting to practice steady beat with your students? This Seesaw activity has students recording themselves speaking “Bee Bee” and “Engine Engine,” and singing “Apple Tree,” then recording themselves tracking the steady beat as they speak or sing, using the drawing tool and the microphone! Here are images from the activity:
The activity also includes an instructional video, so students can see exactly what they will need to do. Click the instructions to watch.
#3: Four Voices
In this Seesaw activity, students can echo singing, speaking, calling, and quiet voices, then identify which voice they hear, then record themselves using a voice, then watch a video of “Milkshake,” in which they use calling and whisper voices. Here are a few images from the activity:
And here is the “Milkshake” video:
Would you like these three activities for your Seesaw activity? Sign up below to receive the links and add them to your library:
Looking for more help with Seesaw? Check out the Seesaw for music teachers Facebook group. Happy creating, and happy teaching!
