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Get monthly email sharing tips, updates, and more!

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TalkingPoints - Improving student outcomes through meaningful school-family partnerships.

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Subscribe from Newsletter - TalkingPoints

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Check out how to use Chat and Spaces to communicate & collaborate with colleagues!

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May Special Days - Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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May Special Days - Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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Check out resources in May Special Days!

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Mental Health Awareness - Seesaw Library (12 PK activities - 5 in Spanish)

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Mental Health Awareness - Seesaw Library (12 PK activities - 5 in Spanish)

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Search Seesaw Library for ready to go activities that support our learners social emotional health!

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Our pictures can easily be exported and used in other programs such as word, powerpoint, e-mail, and smart notebook. Then you can manipulate the pictures to design the layouts you need, beyond our templates. You can use Lessonpix symbols in 2 ways.

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Export a Picture

Our pictures can easily be exported and used in other programs such as word, powerpoint, e-mail, and smart notebook. Then you can manipulate the pictures to design the layouts you need, beyond our templates. You can use Lessonpix symbols in 2 ways.

First: Click on individual picture for the image page.Then....

1. Export the picture (look under the image) into jpg, png, pdf, or svg and save to your computer.

2. Or, Right click and "copy" and then paste into a word document, powerpoint, or smart notebook file.

It's that easy. As a LessonPix member, you can use the images. (Just remember you cannot distribute the images - see sharing policy)

LessonPix is about using tangible materials for learning and interacting in an inclusive environment. We want our members to create hands-on materials and be able to use the same pictures in other applications to correspond. For example, a teacher can insert the pictures in notebook software lesson for a full group activity and have the same pictures in front of individuals or for practice in a center.

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It is very easy to export a picture to use in other applications.

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Mental Health Awareness Month:10 Tips for Supporting Student Mental Heath Needs 

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Mental Health Awareness Month:10 Tips for Supporting Student Mental Heath Needs 

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Checkout some specific strategies and visuals to support mental health wellness for students

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10 Tips for Supporting Student Mental Heath Needs

A positive mental health leads to success in life. Mental health, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act."

Many students today are struggling with mental health challenges that impact their participation in learning. Unfortunately, when those children with social, emotional, and behavior challenges lack effective support, they often experience reactive and/or exclusionary discipline (ie: suspensions and expulsions) leading to greater mental health concerns, reduced access to learning, and even limited future opportunities.

To increase mental health support and improve outcomes for students, we must prioritize mental wellness. Schools should improve mental health literacy, reduce stigmas and barriers to access support, and implement evidence-based practices. Teachers can model an understanding and appreciation for mental health challenges, and all school staff needs to be trained to recognize and respond to mental health challenges.

For more information, check out The Department of Education "Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Needs."

Here are some specific strategies and visuals to support mental health wellness for students.

1. Habits of Connections

Teachers can interact and deepen connections with students and staff across the day. Build these habits of positive and proactive practices so each student knows they are valued members of the class community.

When the teacher greets each student, they make a daily connection to start the day. (Learn more about greetings)

Teachers may also set up a routine to greet peers. Classroom jobs gives students opportunities to help the classroom routine. One job may be the morning greeter. Or, explicitly teach students ways to interact with peers during other jobs such as passing out materials or holding the door.

2. Fostering a Welcoming and Safe Environment

A positive classroom environment invites students in to access their learning and social experiences. Decor should consist of age-appropriate and culturally relevant displays without being over-stimulating. Clearly defined areas with labels relieve anxiety and confusion regarding routines and expectations.

Use a door hanger or sign to show what to expect upon entry. Is it time to be quiet? What are the expectations?

3. Wellness Check-ins

Create opportunites for emotional check-ins and build emotional safety. Invest time to explicitly teach ways to self-monitor mood, health, and overall well-being.

Students should not only monitor, but also have a way to adjust. These may include a break area, stretching zone, available fidgets, snacks, bathroom pass, alternate seating options, etc. Leah Kuypers' "Zones of Regulations" is an amazing resource to teach color-coded strategy for self-monitoring and offers strategies for each zone.

4. My Space, My Place, Within Our Class Community.

Students spend more than a fourth of their day in school. Not only should they feel welcome, but also know they are a part of the learning environment. This starts with a place, even a temporary space, to put their belongings. Younger students may have a cubby labeled with their name.

Create a sign in area. Sign in may be a dry-erase board, moving an icon/photo, an interactive whiteboard, or a specific notebook. (This is a great strategies for young children learning to write their name.) In the beginning of the year, you may use name cards or tags.

Place a student name (and a schedule, expectations, or high interest symbols) using the trifold table tent. This can show where a child's place is (ie during group work, independent work stations, group therapies, etc.)

Speaking of names - students, especially young students, love thier name. They own it and it is uniquely theirs. Include students names around the room, on bulletin boards and class charts. Create class activites that include student names such as board games, bingo, go fish, or class trading cards.

5. Consistent and Predictable Routines

A predictable environment alleviates anxiety and promotes mental wellness. In a calm and predicatble, yet engaing environment, students are better prepared for learning opportunities. Teachers may post a class schedule. Some students may require individual schedules, especially when their schedule differs (ie: speech therapy, gifted, or virtual classes).

If the schedule seems too overwhelming, break into smaller chunks of time. Add reinforcers at the end of a series of tasks to help motivate.

6. Dedicated Wellness Time

Include social time, self-care, and calming strategies in routines. Look at the schedule and check for a balance of active and passive activities. If elementary students have 4 hours of sitting followed by lunch, recess, and PE - consider revising the schedule for a more balanced day. Include music and movement activities.

Include brain breaks to help get the body moving.

Add daily or weekly yoga or mindfulness activities.

7. Explicitly Teach Positive Expectations

Invest time in explicit instruction on wellness - body and mind. It can be as simple as embedding an open-ended question related to a character in a story. Consider specific mental well-being activities referring to health science curriculum or stop and teach a daily or weekly social of a wellness practice.

Embed lessons that teach about feelings. Depending on the needs and levels of your students, look to delve further into more subtle feeling and mixed emotions beyond just labeling.

Plan for Small Group Social Skills Lessons (ie: MTSS Tier 2 intervention strategies) Read a social narrative that targets specific behaviors. Or, make it a game!

When a student is elevated, even a small problem can be insurmountable. During calm times, review different types of problems, identify them as big or small, and consider solutions. During stressful situations, provide support to tackle the small problems first.

8. Deliver Effective, Engaging, and Culturally Relevant Instruction

Review teaching practices. Set up a camera for personal use and look for ways to improve instructional practices. Break up lessons into smaller chunks and prioritze multiple reponse modalities. Some students may enjoy time to write adn reflect while others perfer a more social outlet to discuss and expand on lesson content. Make it a game; games make learning fun and social!

Make sure images represent students and their culture and interests. LessonPix offers recolor tool to convert symbols to match individual needs.

Look for positive role models and stories that inspire.

9. Develop Individualized Instruction Supported by Ongoing Data

Some students require more support to manage strong feelings and behaviors. As part of a Reponse to Intervention process (RTI), a team consisting of the family, student (if appropriate), and school- based professional work together to develop a positive behavior intervention plan (MTSS Tier 3). This plan looks at data related to target behaviors of concern.

Materials may be developed to help the student and/or the team achieve success. These materials are truly individualized for their specific purpose. The team may choose to add student interest images for motivation (dinosaur tokens, mermaid schedule, etc.)

One example of a materials for individual support is a token board. A Token Board contains a page that a student can fill with "tokens". Once a desired number of tokens are earned, the student may receive a rewarard or privledge.

Other materials may be a tally sheet for self-monitoring, a visual schedule, and or a daily report home.

10. Celebrate Wellness Practices

Make wellness a priority in both body and mind within the day for both stdents and adults. When you actively insert a variety wellness practices, you provide tools to help students manage their own lives and achieve success. Say it explicitly what and why you do the activity. (ie: We do a walk and talk for 10 minutes every day to get the blood moving, muscles contracting, and spend time with our friends.) Here are several activities you can add to your day .

Meditate for 5 minutes each morning. Set a timer.

Make a healthy smoothie together. (Special class treat?)

Walk and Talk around a field daily for 10 minutes.

Set up a weekly end of day fitness activity - such as yoga, line dancing, or zumba.

Move with Danny Go for his Brain Breaks for Kids

Start the day with class meetings to discuss topics important to students.

Allow for various seating options including large balls, wiggle cushions, sitting on the floor, and/or standing desks.

Create a break area with sensory items. Have a sign in sheet and timer to limit how much time is spent in the break area if needed.

Make time for journaling. Journals may be private or shared if students want to share.

End the week with a dance party to celebrate a week well done!

Celebrate the time invested in caring for our mental well-being and have fun learning and playing together!

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10 Tips for Supporting Student Mental Heath Needs

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Many students today are struggling with mental health challenges that impact their participation in learning. Here are some specific strategies and visuals to support mental health wellness for students.

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Did you know you could put any word or phrase in {curly brackets} in a TalkingPoints message to keep it from translating? Teachers use this with addresses, vocab, spelling lists, assignment names, and more! Learn more here.

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You can now drag and drop a file, copy & paste, or click the paper clip to add an attachment to a message.

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Using Present to Class in Seesaw lessons and activities

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Using Present to Class in Seesaw lessons and activities

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Present to Class allows teachers to present multimedia materials during whole class instruction and guided practice. This interactive whiteboard for whole class participation makes learning come to life through video, interactive texts, online artifacts, teacher modeling, and more!

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Present to Class allows teachers to present multimedia materials during whole class instruction and guided practice. This interactive whiteboard for whole class participation makes learning come to life through video, interactive texts, online artifacts, teacher modeling, and more!

Present to Class mode is available for all lessons and activities, including lessons in the Seesaw Library, Community Library, and activities teachers create themselves. Additionally, teachers can preview lessons and activities as a student using View as Student mode. One of the key differences between these modes is that work performed while Presenting to Class can be saved to the class journal. Work cannot be saved while Viewing as a Student.

From a lesson or activity

1. In the lesson or activity you would like to present in your classroom, tap the Present to Class button.

2. You will now be in "Present to Class" mode! From here, you can view the activity, use whiteboard tools to interact with the activity, and view all activity pages at a glance.

3. Work performed while Presenting to Class can be saved to the class journal.

From the Activities tab

1. Tap the Activities tab and view Activities either in the list view or calendar view.

2. To Present to Class, hover over an Activity thumbnail. Click on the thumbnail.

1. Hover over the thumbnail (where it says View as Student) and tap to preview.

2. You will now be able to advance through the activity to preview.

3. To exit the preview, tap Back to Lesson in the upper left corner.

4. Please note: work cannot be saved or deleted when in View as Student mode. To save work to the class journal, students must either be assigned an activity, or the teacher must be in Present to Class mode.

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Using Present to Class in Seesaw lessons and activities

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Seesaw Help Center: Getting started tips, tutorial videos, professional development, lesson plans, FAQ and more resources to help you use Seesaw for student driven digital portoflios and parent communication.

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Grades: Pre-K - K

Subjects: Early Literacy, English Language Arts

Language: English

Standards: Head Start Goal P-LIT 1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.A

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Seesaw creates a powerful learning loop between students, teachers, and families

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Celebrate the many special events in April like Poetry Month, Spring Break, Spring Holidays, Deaf History, and many more!

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Seesaw creates a powerful learning loop between students, teachers, and families

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Youtube songs for ABCs and every letter of the alphabet.

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Seesaw Learning presents an entire collection of alphabet songs written, performed and produced by the talented Madison Calhoun, Holden Foster, Jon Collins a...

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Why am I receiving messages out of order?

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Why am I receiving messages out of order?

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If messages are more than 600 characters long, they may be split and sent out of order.

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Why am I receiving messages out of order? | TalkingPoints

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Learn why some SMS messages arrive out of order on TalkingPoints.

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Organize your caseload into groups for ease of sending messages. Families do not see SMS text message like a group message and their replies only come to you, so you can easily send a message to 5 families (or more) at one time. (Thank you Luisa Hernandez for this question).

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new group add existing student add group manual entry add students create a group add a group create and add

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Learn how to create and add students to a group.

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✅ Accessibility features

✅ Slideshow Features (3 dots while presenting)

✅ Collaboration tips

✅ Integrations

✅ Helpful features

✅ Templates

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Watch on Demand or Live

April 3:  Literacy for All with Elisa Wern, OTR/L

April 10: Active and meaningful participation for students with complex needs with Julie Marzano, OTR/L

April 17: Adaptive Books with Judith Schoonover, OTR/L

April 24: Transition and Community Based Instruction with Deborah Schwind, OTR/L

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"teaching materials" "speech pathology tools" soundfinder lessons

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Accessibility & Collaboration in Google Tools

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Accessibility & Collaboration in Google Tools

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Check out March's Google resource on ways to ensure our files are accessible, accessibility features built into Google tools, and reminders on how you can collaborate within Google.

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Navigate feelings and emotions alongside relatable characters. Lessons for all of CASEL's SEL standards. Search the seesaw library for "Feelings Every Day"

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Seesaw creates a powerful learning loop between students, teachers, and families

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March is Women's History Month. Utilize these activities to assist students in learning about some of the phenomenal women who changed history with their brilliant discoveries, bravery, and contributions

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Seesaw creates a powerful learning loop between students, teachers, and families

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Many students with low vision require materials presented in high contrast colors and with minimum detail in order to visually process them. LessonPix provides a tool that lets you customize any symbol to high contrast coloring with white outlines and colored backgrounds. This includes our library of Unity Symbols and symbols you upload!

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High Contrast Symbols

Many students with low vision require materials presented in high contrast colors and with minimum detail in order to visually process them. LessonPix provides a tool that lets you customize any symbol to high contrast coloring with white outlines and colored backgrounds. This includes our library of Unity Symbols and symbols you upload!

Check out our ready-to-use high contrast core vocabulary in the clip art library here.

For more information on how to convert images to high contrast and how to use with student who have CVI or other visual impairments, watch the video below.
Here how it works....

To convert a symbol to high contrast, you will first need to click on an image to go to the image page.

Click on "Re-Color & Customize"

In the coloring tool, you can now adjust the image to meet your specific needs. Here you can add background colors, rotate or flip, change colors in the image, add overlays, and convert to high contrast.

In this example below, I did the following...

1. Changed the hair color to red

2. Added a black background

3. Added high contrast filters

Don't forget! Click "Save Custom Symbol" . Now the symbol is designed to meet my student's individual needs and is ready to use in any material.

Typically I create picture cards. However, I can also use these symbols in our PowerPoint Add-in or export to use in the tools I know.
Sample Materials with High Contrast
Here are visuals for the story, "Brown Bear Brown Bear" by Bill Martin Jr. Download as PowerPoint for remote learning or print and use with the book.

In this activity, students match common objects with the symbol.

Place these common objects in a bag. Draw one item at a time to find on a bingo card. Fill the card and you win!

Here is a high constrast 12 symbol core board

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Many students with low vision require materials presented in high contrast colors and with minimum detail in order to visually process them. LessonPix provides a tool that lets you customize any symbol to high contrast coloring with white outlines and colored backgrounds. This includes our library of Unity Symbols and symbols you upload!

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Resources to support your families in getting the most out of TalkingPoints: Getting started, Account settings, Messaging, Translation Features, Photos and Videos.

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Speech-to-Text in TalkingPoints for Families

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Speech-to-Text in TalkingPoints for Families

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Share these steps with your families that use the app or may enjoy this feature and need intro to the app!

"If you prefer to speak instead of type, use our speech-to-text feature! This feature is exclusive to the TalkingPoints Families app.

Step 1: Select the teacher you want to message.

Step 2: Tap the microphone icon and speak into the phone.

Step 3: When you are done with your message, press the arrow to send it. The message will be translated for the teacher, if necessary."

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talkingpoints family app message speech microphone talkingpoints families app speech-to-text micrrophone

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Speech-to-Text in TalkingPoints for Families

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Learn how to speak into the microphone and send transcribed messages to teachers.

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This free extension has a screen reader, voice to text, magnifer, color contrast and more! Provides accessibility and support for all. I use the screen reader when I need extra support focusing.

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Give your students access to the literacy support tools they need to succeed when working online or within Google files including Docs and Slides.

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What is Empathy? Explaining Empathy to Kids - Character Development from Seesaw Learning

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What is Empathy? Explaining Empathy to Kids - Character Development from Seesaw Learning

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What is empathy? Learn all about how to be an empathetic learner with this Seesaw Lessons video from the I Am a Learner collection in the Seesaw Library. ➡️ Grab your free classroom activities that go along with this video: https://bit.seesaw.me/3Qzoykq

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What is Empathy? Explaining Empathy to Kids - Character Development from Seesaw Learning

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Black History Month and Special Feburary Days

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Black History Month and Special Feburary Days

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Checkout Seesaw's Resource Library for Black History month and other special days in Feburary.

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Introducing Grid Books, a groundbreaking online tool revolutionizing the way we create books for communication and literacy. Grid Books provides a grid with tools to add LessonPix symbols. Manipulate the layout to design multiple pages for your custom needs. Click link to view video and more!

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Introducing Grid Books, a groundbreaking online tool revolutionizing the way we create books for communication and literacy. Grid Books provides a grid with tools to add LessonPix symbols. Manipulate the layout to design multiple pages for your custom needs. Check it out in this video:

This innovative platform improves the ability to create even more custom materials beyond the LessonPix templates. Whether you're a teacher seeking a versatile tool for inclusive education or a speech pathologist developing an AAC communication book, Grid Books opens a world of possibilities.

What Can I Make?

It all up to you! This tool gives you the power to create your own designs from interactive story books, to articulation books, to communication books! Check out a few examples:

How it Works

Grid Books can be found in the top gray menu bar and on the Your LessonPix page above the tray.

Create a new book or open one previously made.

Choose the name of the page and the size of the grid. Include top/bottom or sidebars as needed.

Search and drag over symbols. Replace symbols by dragging on top or drag a symbol to the scratch pad to remove it.

Add a second page by going to "Page" or the "+" in lower right corner.

You can save a layout under File > Save Layout. Open the file later as needed.

When you are finished, click "Create Book". Select the settings to customize the page styles and size.

This will generate the pdf. It will also save a copy under "Your Materials". Whether you find a book material from "Your LessonPix" or the Sharing Center, you can open the Grid Book by clicking on the "Open Book" icon under the preview.

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Coming Soon! Create your own materials in our all new Grid Books Tool!

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TalkingPoints is the leading two-way translated family engagement platform. Our proprietary translation solution is specifically designed for the K-12 education context, powered by human translators and machine learning. K-12 schools and districts trust TalkingPoints for the highestquality instant communication with all English and nonEnglish-speaking families.

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When looking at your class roster, you may notice that families who have removed themselves from text messages have an orange UNSUBSCRIBED tag next to their name. If they decide to rejoin, here's how to help them do so:

Step 1: From your class roster, identify the family member who wants to resubscribe.

Step 2: Hover your mouse over the UNSUBSCRIBED tag.

Step 3: Record the phone number that appears.

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member text rejoin phone number unsubscribed resubscribe add parent back new phone talkingpoints orange unsubscribed tag talkingpoints families hover resubscrive

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How to help a family member resubscribe to TalkingPoints

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If a family member wishes to resume receiving TalkingPoints messages after unsubscribing, follow these steps to help them opt back in.

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Google Chrome - First Friday Fast Fifteen 

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Google Chrome - First Friday Fast Fifteen 

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Tips for using Google Chrome Browser

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In October 2019, CyArk documented the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in collaboration with the National Park Service. CyArk employed LiDAR laser scanning and terrestrial photogrammetry to document the entire monument. The memorial is the fourth structure to be documented by CyArk on the National Mall and the resulting 3D model will be incorporated into a virtual educational experience that will teach science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) concepts.

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A wall of quotes spanning Dr. King's long civil rights career represents his ideals of peace, democracy, justice, and love. As much as the quotes acknowledge the history of the civil rights struggle in America, they can continue to serve as inspiration to others fighting for civil rights around the globe.

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial - Google Arts & Culture

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Support your English Learners with scaffolded English instruction in one of our newest collections, English Language Explorers: Newcomers! This collection invites students to journey through different communities in Seesaw as they explore common vocabulary and high-utility words all around them. For more info, check out the Teacher Implementation Guide!

Collection includes: classroom supplies, in the classroom, on the playground, and more.

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Seesaw creates a powerful learning loop between students, teachers, and families

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Seesaw

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Seesaw

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See how Seesaw follows the UDL Guidelines - Encourages student voice and choice, scaffolds for access to content and demonstrating learning, and engaging instruction.

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Universal Design for Learning Guidelines In Action with Seesaw

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Use as is or edit templates for your learners. Example themes: Bees, Apples, insects and more.

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Go to any Target store, especially in the dollar section, and you will see the most popular classroom decor themes, and right now succulents are quite popular! LessonPix has added Cactus themed templates for theme decor and curriculum units.

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Readability Flag (Dec 2023 posts in Blue)

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Readability Flag (Dec 2023 posts in Blue)

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The Readability Flag feature identifies educational lingo that may be difficult for families with varying literacy levels to understand. The feature highlights unfamiliar words and phrases, making the teacher aware of the complexity of the message.

Step 1: If you write a message or announcement that exceeds a 6th-grade reading level, an orange flag appears.

Step 2: Click the flag to see why the message was marked. You can also choose the option to not flag your messages again.

Step 3: Simplify the message and send it.

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You may have noticed that the 'Teacher Signature' field in your account settings has changed to 'Teacher Display Name'. This field still functions as the name families see for you on TalkingPoints and we added the customizable field [teacherDisplayName] so you can include it in announcements easily.

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Beginning in December, you’ll notice a change in the way some contacts are labeled. Any contacts currently labeled 'Student' will be shown as 'Learner' to simplify things. Any contacts currently labeled as 'Self' or anything other than our standard selections will be shown as 'Other'.

Going forward, for anyone who is manually adding students and their family contacts, 'Learner' will be available, while 'Self' and 'Student' will be removed.

Note: Remember that TalkingPoints Terms of Service and COPPA federal law prohibit the messaging of any children under the age of 13.

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Celebrate Native American Heritage Month 

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Celebrate Native American Heritage Month 

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Explore the histories, arts, and cultures of Indigenous communities across the Americas

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November is when the United States celebrates the cultures, accomplishments, and contributions the original peoples of this land and the attributes that make them unique within the fabric of a diverse American society.

How the Heritage Month began:

American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage (AIAN) Month has evolved from its inception, as a week-long celebration in 1986, when President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the week of November 23-30, 1986 as, "American Indian Week." Since 1995, every subsequent United States President has issued annual proclamations designating the month of November as the time to celebrate the cultures, accomplishments, and contributions of American Indian and Alaska Natives.

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990, "National American Indian Heritage Month." Similar proclamations, such as "National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month" and the present "Native American Heritage Month" have been issued each year since 1994.

Here's how to celebrate!

Native American Heritage Month allows us to spread awareness and to educate people about the diversity of Native Americans in the past and present. This year Google Arts and Culture in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), would like to feature 10 ways to celebrate Native American Heritage Month.

Authored by Dennis W. Zotigh (Kiowa/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo/Isante Dakota) is a member of the Kiowa Gourd Clan and San Juan Pueblo Winter Clan and a descendant of Sitting Bear and No Retreat, both principal war chiefs of the Kiowas. Dennis works as a writer and cultural specialist at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

Special thanks to Bethany Bentley and Danielle Lote at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

Stories from these collections

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10 Ways to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month - Google Arts & Culture

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Explore the histories, arts, and cultures of Indigenous communities across the Americas

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Quick video showing how to search for Free SEL activities in Seesaw like daily Feelings check-ins and Caring Community songs. Sign up for a Free 60 day access to Premium features and save them for later!

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Video and text instructions included. Translation is powered by Google Translate - slow use cautiously and double check with other tools like ChatGPT.

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Multi-Lingual materials made easily using our Translation Tool in LessonPix.

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Connect with Families with Videos and photos

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Connect with Families with Videos and photos

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Whether the photo/video is on your computer or mobile/iPad - you can keep families up to date and build relationships quickly! Videos get translated for families using the TP app (but won't get translated for SMS text).

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How do I send videos and photos? | TalkingPoints

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Learn how to add photos and videos to a message, and about our file size limits.

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Take a quick quiz and test your My Drive knowledge. Resources included.

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"To support the transition in your classroom, we’ve created classroom printable materials, resources, and an FAQ to answer questions. These will allow your students and families to get familiar with the new brand logo and icon. "

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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Seesaw?
Seesaw is the learning experience platform for elementary trusted by 25 million educators, students, and families worldwide. Seesaw offers a suite of award-winning tools, resources, and curriculum to help teachers deliver joyful, inclusive instruction. Through interactive lessons, digital portfolios, and two-way communication features, Seesaw keeps everyone in the learning loop by providing continuous visibility into the student's learning experience to support and celebrate their learning.
Why is Seesaw rebranding?
We began over a decade ago and our product has continued to grow based on the needs and feedback from our educator community. Our solution has evolved to become a Learning Experience Platform for elementary schools.

The Seesaw features you know and love will not change, but will only be enhanced. Seesaw will soon offer additional solutions with more inclusive features, admin insights, and new curricula to support a whole elementary learning experience. Our dedication to teachers, students, and families will remain the same.
Why did you make these changes?
Our goal is to bring all elementary students, teachers, administrators, and families into the learning loop, ensuring that everyone can easily participate, support and celebrate each child's learning experience.

We wanted our new brand to represent our core mission of providing an inclusive, connected, and joyful learning experience. And our new fonts, colors and marketing website are WCAG compliant to demonstrate our commitment to accessibility.
What is changing?
We have a new app icon and logo that integrates the learning loop imagery.

Seesaw will still be the same product you know and love, but inside you'll see refreshed colors including a new touch of purple that meets WCAG accessibility standards.

We are also launching our new marketing website to make it easier for teachers, administrators and families to find inspirational resources, printables, tutorials, and more. This new site will launch October 27, 2023.
Where can I find the Seesaw app?
Our app recently got an exciting updated look! On or after October 27th check for the icon that looks like the icon below in the App Store or Google Play Store.

How can I tell my families what's changed? Do you have any resources for them? Will the new branding impact functionality of the Seesaw platform?

We have a printable included on this webpage and we'll have a dedicated section on our website with a wide range of resources specifically designed for families. These resources will include printables, tutorials, and FAQs to help family members understand these changes, learn how to use Seesaw effectively, and stay engaged in their child's learning journey. We are committed to supporting your families in every way we can during this exciting transition.

The new design itself will not impact the functionality or performance of our app. It will still be the same Seesaw you know and love, just with a new look and feel.

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Seesaw is the learning experience platform for elementary.

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Access, speed and comfortability of texting

97% of Americans have cell phones (app or SMS)

Enhanced translation (11:00) - machine translation - AI built around educational terms - humans -

Scheduling

Templates - suggested (created by TP)  or saved (created by you)

Customizable fields [studentFirstName]

Family wants to switch from App to SMS - they need to fully log out and then uninstall app and then system will switch them over. If they just uninstall app - they still have active app account.

SMS to app? Just download app and log in

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TalkingPoints - Reach all your students’ families.

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TalkingPoints Office Hours LIVE - Time-saving Features

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Join us this afternoon to discuss how TalkingPoints can help you connect with families all while saving you time instead of adding more work. We’ll also have…

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Great tips and reminders

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Oct. 2023's First Friday Fast Fifteen. Includes Settings reminders, Availability, Alt text for images in emails, drafting emails in Docs and sending right from there, and more!

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Resource guide for all Sessions - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SjSz6VhLXSRkGKkEsE4JefkAtDIMFyxnCfK9karzuSw/edit#heading=h.y2yvg1qh5ak0 2023-24 GOOGLE SERIES FIRST FRIDAY FAST FIFTEEN GMAIL In Chat - please add your role and location

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Slide deck that includes pverview of LessonPix, How to use and add features like the Google Slides Add on, play tools, templates and clip art and how AI may support your use of LessonPix.

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Want to know what Templates LessonPix offers? This video looks at the different categories of templates and highlights a few of our favorites.

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Learn with the Expert: Pre-K and TK Everyday with Seesaw Lessons

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Learn with the Expert: Pre-K and TK Everyday with Seesaw Lessons

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Looking for fun and engaging lessons for your PreK and TK students? Seesaw experts from the Seesaw Curriculum Development Team share research-backed strategies and resources for building Kindergarten readiness. With Seesaw's PK/TK Everyday Lessons, Students can share, play, sing, dance, and make their wonderings and learnings visible. These hands-on activities help students practice early literacy, math, fine motor, gross motor, and language development skills through age-appropriate lessons.

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Free guided tutorials to learn about all of Google's Workspace apps

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Digital Lessons & Curriculum - Applied Digital Skills

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The Applied Digital Skills curriculum consists of free of charge resources that are designed to build digital literacy in education and for jobs. Explore our lessons today.

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7 Best Practices for Writing for Translation

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7 Best Practices for Writing for Translation

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7 Best Practices for Writing for Translation | TalkingPoints

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Determine 7 best practices for how to consciously write for comprehensible translations, and essentially support student success!

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TalkingPoints Resource: Introduce TalkingPoints to Families

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TalkingPoints Resource: Introduce TalkingPoints to Families

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Back to School Night, Curriculum Night or parent meetings are great opportunities to introduce TalkingPoints to your families. Our PowerPoint for Families presentation explains how TalkingPoints 2-way messaging with translation works and how you and your families can use it to engage in meaningful conversation about your students.

We also have the presentation translated into our top 6 languages! See the list below:

Spanish

Arabic

Chinese (Traditional)

Chinese (Simplified)

Vietnamese

Portuguese

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families presentation parent meeting curriculum night school night resources slideshow presentation powerpoint google slides

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Resource: Introduce TalkingPoints to Families

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View and download our introductory TalkingPoints presentation for families, also available in 6 other languages.

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Resources on making the most of Google Workspace. Links to NWRESD YouTube channel and more

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iPads are organized in 4 Categories:
1. CDL/Family
2. NWRESD Staff
3. Classroom
4. AAC

The category determines what apps are loaded, how they are checked out, and what filters are used. When submitting a tech help ticket, be sure to share what category your iPad falls in.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Tutorials, resource guides, iPad Resource Guide

Check out videos and EdPuzzle Interactive learnings to practice creating engaging Seesaw Activities

Self-paced Choice board to learn more about creating templates and virtual classrooms to use in Seesaw.

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Click on the left side Summary Icon to navigate between topics: Getting started, Links to resources, video tutorials, translation support, and caregiver experience

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LessonPix now provides interactive game tools such as Spinners, Dice, Timers and even Drawing Cards from a Hat!  Choose pictures from LessonPix, and then launch the sidebar to sit next to any platform you're using from Google Slides to a printed material. You can also access from

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The "Favorites" button is a helpful shortcut to access materials you need quickly and easily. These may include individual schedules, behavior visuals, or lunch choice board.

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Tips, tutorials and reminders

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Installing and Using the LessonPix Google Slides Add-On

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Installing and Using the LessonPix Google Slides Add-On

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Add LessonPix to your Google Slides - Images, symbols, Play tools like spinners, dice and timers!

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Installing and Using the LessonPix Google Slides Add-On