Digital Tools, Real Voices: What Teacher Candidates Say About Seesaw in Early Childhood Contexts

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Saturday 11:45 am
  In Poster Session: Snapshots from the Field: Technology-Enhanced Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This study explores the integration of digital tools in teacher training, focusing on Seesaw—a widely used K-12 platform yet underexplored in teacher education programs. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research examines how 27 teacher candidates for early childhood education (K-2) engaged with Seesaw in a 16-week literacy methods course. Guided by integrated theoretical framework, including the SAMR model (Puentedura, 2014), TPACK (Christodoulou & Angeli, 2022), teacher agency (Vaughn, 2013), and critical digital pedagogy (Köseoğlu et al., 2023). This study evaluates Seesaw’s potential to transform traditional teaching methods while addressing its challenges.

Authors

• Gui Ying Annie Yang-Heim, Illinois State University

• Xi Lin, East Carolina University