Seesaw launches home learning codes, with good privacy settings

In response to the worldwide coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic resulting in school systems across the world forced into remote learning programs, Seesaw have added a special “home learning codes” function but it’s the way it works which is very well thought out.

How do I use Seesaw home learning codes? – Seesaw support article

These codes allow students to sign in to Seesaw at home using only the code, no username or password. Therefore, teachers should be careful when sharing these codes.

It was quite smart of Seesaw to override the class settings which can allow teachers to enable students to see each other’s posts. It might be ok when students are only accessing it at school but outside the classroom it’s important that every student’s privacy is protected.

When signed in using a home learning code, students can view their journal, upload posts, complete activities set by the teacher and receive class announcements. But the most important feature of home learning codes is the fact that students are only able to see items posted by the teacher and their own posts, not their classmates.

Why is it good that they cannot see their classmates posts?

Think about it. With students logging in from home, parents will quite rightly take a look at their child’s Seesaw account. If they can see posts from other students, they would be able to look through those.

Would you like other parents in your child’s class looking through every post your child has made? Imagine a student with reading difficulties, maybe they’re an EAL student. Their posts with videos of themselves reading, displaying a growing confidence, are suddenly on show for other parents to look through. That was never their awareness or intention when they made the post earlier in the school year.

It was quite smart of Seesaw to override the class settings which can allow teachers to enable students to see each other’s posts. It might be ok when students are only accessing it at school but outside the classroom it’s important that student’s privacy is protected.

Normally parents are only accessing Seesaw with the parent app, which only shows posts from their child and the teacher. With students working at home, their accounts are now right in front of their parents which opens the opportunity for all posts of every child to be seen by all parents. The home learning codes eliminate that.

So not only are the home learning codes a much easier way to send home instructions for logging in to Seesaw from home but they provide much needed privacy for all students.

Well done to Seesaw on this fine addition to support schools in this tricky time.