UA-59956679-1

Seesaw vs Flipgrid

Published by Laura Sexton on

I sometimes wonder if I even need Flipgrid. Honestly, I feel like Seesaw can do everything Flipgrid can do better. Almost.

Spontaneous responses

Sure I can set up a written, visual, or audio visual response on Flipgrid for students to record a quick response to. But you know what’s NOT quick? Kids figuring out a way to hide their hair or blemish or, you know, their entire BEING while they answer.

I have been known to use Adobe Spark to allow students to upload videos with relevant, pre-cited visuals, but that is NOT a speedy process. I will say that the new filter options on Flipgrid do promise to set their adolescent insecurities at ease. But just posting to a prompt and letting students post audio comments is still even quicker.

Audio feedback

You know what’s sadder than teenagers trying to casually cover up a zit with just the right casual hand position? Teachers pushing 40 trying to do the same thing. (I hope my colleagues are more graceful about blemishes than I; intellectually I know my blemishes only matter to me.) I love being able to do a quick audio comment to recommend reconsidering pronunciations before presentation/recording day. I like being able to do a whole bunch of them just bam-bam-bam in a quick little list, rather than creating videos for each…when I can’t remember all of the things I want to say at once.

Sharing ideas

Yeah, the classmate thumbnails on Flipgrid are enticing and make kids want to click and listen. For one, I’m not sure I really WANT kids picking classmates to listen to based on their selfies, but for two, I really love the ability to tag classmates who collaborate on a submission on Seesaw. The “Edit people” option lets me give everyone who participated credit without elaborate Google Drive sharing protocols or group-naming formulas: just click, tag, tag, tag. It’s good for grading, and it’s good for group collaboration.

Sorting

OK, Seesaw “Activities” are my new side chick. Like, I can whip one up in like 5 minutes when I don’t want to get out of bed, with instructions, examples, templates, everything from my phone. I mean, yeah, I can do grids and topics from my phone, too, but I feel like there are so many working parts. PLUS I just figured out that I can ALSO put activities in FOLDERS on Seesaw. So, like, all of my Coro Snaps can live together from week to week! But the activities are still just in the chronological flow of the Seesaw class, instead of in exile in their own folder/grid!

Evaluating

I like the quick skill star option on Seesaw for giving feedback. I can add any of my skills to any of my activities at any time.

I messed up Flipgrid rubrics a bunch. I mean, it’s not rocket science to pick the skills you have added to your own personal bank…but not being a rocket scientists, I did take a while figuring out when I had actually added them. Whereas with Seesaw, I just kind of add them as I go. Granted, part of the issue is I have more freedom with my rubrics back in my old district, so it might just be old war wounds prejudicing me here, too.

Collaboration beyond class

Now I WILL say that it is virtually impossible to get anyone you don’t see on a daily basis into your Seesaw class. The QR codes and invites are supposed to streamline things and keep things safe…but naw. If I want my friends in Peru or Iowa to send me some responses, it’s a safer bet setting up an open Flipgrid–or even a Flipgrid with just our two schools’ email suffixes–and sending them a link. In fact, my kids are sending Abuela some Flipgrid video questions this week, in hopes that I can get her to reply to some while she’s here for certain grandsons’ 12th birthday festivities. I mean, I plan to just have her poke and reply on my phone, so technically I COULD just have her add some voice comments…but sometimes faces are necessary to make connections REAL, you know?