In 2016 British Columbia shifted to proficiency scale reporting alongside a redesigned curriculum. The new curriculum supports deeper learning through concept-based and competency-driven education. There is a greater integration of technology-enabled learning environments, inquiry-based questioning and weaving Indigenous perspectives and knowledge, such as the First Peoples Principles of Learning.
The proficiency scale is used to communicate student learning in all areas of learning, and descriptive feedback provides students with information about where they are at in their learning and strategies for how they can move forward in their learning. We've used rubrics in many areas but parents were largely unfamiliar with how they communicated student learning:
A pillar of our assessment strategy is providing continuous feedback to parents throughout the year. As a 1:1 device school we were in an advantageous position to provide continuous feedback throughout the year via Seesaw, our digital learning management system. Seesaw provides a student-friendly platform to “show what they know” using photos, videos, drawings, text, PDFs, and links. It works alongside our student information system from Blackbaud that compiles and distributes our official report cards.
Kindergarten to Grade 4 students have had 1:l access to iPads, empowering students and teachers to communicate learning in realtime. iPads allow instant access to sound and video recording, documentation, and teacher feedback in one simple platform.
We've been using Seesaw for seven years now and have noticed a tonal shift in parent connections. It's easy for parents to subscribe to notifications and be hyper-aware of everything that gets communicated through Seesaw. However, I like to suggest parents having weekly discussions with their child in front of their iPad as they scroll through the week together. The metrics over the years are astonishing to behold, not just the volume of content we're posting in just a few grades, but the number of parent engagements:
It's also interesting seeing the ebb and flow of engagement throughout a school year. In the charts below you can see how parent visits closely follows the timeline of when posts are published, with lulls during holidays and school breaks. Check out the first week of school too; we have nearly instantaneous parent signups as the year begins with a couple of weeks of troubleshooting as we get to around 98% family reach. Remember, we run Seesaw alongside our official school reporting system (Blackbaud) and does not replace any official forms of communication.
In essence, Seesaw (or any other LMS like Classdojo, Canvas, Moodle, Schoology, Freshgrade (RIP)) can make for a powerful parent engagement tool. When we strive to communicate student learning we want to do it consistently and continuously, not just three times a year. And if we're moving away from static percentages and grades to a proficiency rubric then presenting learning as an evolving, timely process can help students, teachers and parents understand the process in addition to the end result!
