Professional Literature Summary Template 1

Article: ‘Seesaw’ Between School and Home

Topic: Building digital portfolios to report progress and build a connection between home and school.

Date Retrieved/Used: September 3rd, 2018

Bib. Information (APA Ray, A. (2017). ‘Seesaw’ between school and home. ASHA Leader, 22(6), 3.
Formatting):

Author(s) Affiliation: Anna Ray, MS, CCC-SLP

Type of Resource: Scholarly Article

(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)

Summary of essential
information:
Way in which this This article is directly related to how building a digital profile can help involve parents
source influences the and report progress.
field related to your
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)
 Seesaw helps educators bridge the gap between home and school and provides
parents a window into their child’s treatment.
 Allows educators to form a “class” and post items digitally, building digital
portfolios for each student.
 Features include: voice recordings, videos, photos, two-way feedback, text
capabilities, drawing tools, and the ability to communicate with various apps.
 Speech therapists can share their students: articulation, language, fluency, and
social skills.
 A single class can have 2 teachers (example: regular education teacher and
special education teacher).
 When items are posted, parents get a notification on their phone and are able to
post immediate feedback.
 Handouts give parents explicit instructions on how to access their child’s
journal through the app or the website.
 Parents can “like” and comment on items.
 Can fit up to 100 kids per class
 Translation feature can translate text in more than 50 languages.

Potential relevance to This article provided me with information on the features this app provides and how it
your research topic and can be utilized across settings.
study:
 Professional Literature Summary Template 2

Article: Cool Tools for School: Twenty- First-Century Tools for Student Engagement

Topic: Building digital portfolios to report progress and build a connection between home and school.

Date Retrieved/Used: September 3rd, 2018

Bib. Information (APA Johns, Kyoko ; Troncale, Jennifer ; Trucks, Christi ; Calhoun, Christie ; Alvidrez,
Formatting):
Michael. (2017). Cool tools for school: Twenty- first-century tools for student
engagement. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 84(1), 53-58.

Author(s) Affiliation: Kyoko Johns, Jennifer Troncale, Christi Trucks, Christie Calhoun, and Michael
Alvidrez

Type of Resource: Scholarly Article

(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)

Summary of essential  Apps discussed: Fakebook, Google Classroom, Educreations, and Seesaw are
information: free programs or apps that support students with various learning styles and
help keep them actively participating in the learning process.
 In twenty-first-century classrooms, teachers often struggle to compete with
handheld devices, gaming systems, social media, and other entertainment
distractions.
 After reading about Fakebook, Google Classroom, and Educreations, I found
that these tools are a bit too high for my students.
 Seesaw (https://web.seesaw.me/) is a student-driven digital portfolio that
provides a secure and private place to keep students’ assignments and projects
that can be shared with parents. Students can upload photos, videos, drawings,
text, PDFs, and links to show their learning.
 Teachers are able to adjust settings and decide who is able to
view/like/comment on student work (other teachers, peers, parents, etc.)
 Seesaw digital portfolio is an easy way to inform parents of classroom
activities and provide more opportunities to participate in their child’s
education.
 Incorporating twenty-first-century tools into daily classroom activities helps
teachers engage students and monitor their learning and behavior.
Way in which this This article is directly related to how building a digital profile can help involve parents
source influences the and report progress. It touches upon several apps including seesaw.
field related to your
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)
Potential relevance to This article provided me with information on the features this app provides and how it
your research topic and can be utilized across settings. It also allowed me to explore other means of sharing
study: progress through technology.

Professional Literature Summary Template 3

Article: Cloud Collaboration Tools: Now or Later

Topic: Building digital portfolios to report progress and build a connection between home and school.

Date Retrieved/Used: September 3rd, 2018

Bib. Information (APA Kapuler, D. (2015). Cloud collaboration tools: Now or later. Tech & Learning, 35(9),
Formatting):
26.

Author(s) Affiliation: David Kapuler

Type of Resource: Scholarly Article

(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)

Summary of essential
information:
 Classdojo: Teachers can use ClassDojo to keep parents informed about
classroom activities and behavior by sending individual messages or group
reports with the built-in instant messaging feature
 Edmodo: Educators can use Edmodo to create an online community to share
and find resources and build a forum where they can post and answer
questions. They can also send assignments and projects to students and
collaborate in real time
 Otus: Otus allows educators to collaborate with parents and students in real
time. The ability to poll is a nice feature to assess student learning and
differentiate instruction.
 Tackk: Educators are using Tackk in a wide variety of ways in the classroom.
From daily announcements to creating digital portfolios, the possibilities are
endless. The ability to comment publically and privately allows for
collaboration between teachers, students, or even with other classes.

Way in which this This article is directly related to how building a digital profile can help involve parents
source influences the and report progress. It described different tools that can be used to enable online
field related to your collaboration among teachers, students and parents in real time.
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)

Potential relevance to This article provided me with several different platforms for collaborating and sharing
your research topic and with parents.
study:

Professional Literature Summary Template 4

Article: Using Digital Portfolios to Develop Non-Traditional Domains in Special Education Settings

Topic: Building digital portfolios to report progress and build a connection between home and school.

Date Retrieved/Used: September 19th, 2018

Bib. Information (APA Clancy, M., Gardner, J. (2017). Using digital portfolios to develop non-traditional
Formatting): domains in special education settings. International Journal of ePortfolio, 7(1), 93-
100.

Author(s) Affiliation: Mary Clancy and Jessica Gardner (Cooke Center Academy)

Type of Resource: Scholarly Article

(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)

Summary of essential
information:
 For students with severe disabilities, important goals in non-traditional
domains such as life skills (e.g., preparing a meal, traveling on public
transportation), speech and language development (e.g., initiating a
conversation), or social-emotional growth (e.g., maintaining peer relationships)
are often difficult to assess.
 According to Rabinowitz et al. (2008), checklists, portfolios, and performance
assessments can be tailored to the needs of students with significant cognitive
disabilities and provide substantively more opportunities to demonstrate
learning than do traditional multiple-choice assessments.
 There is currently a need for more research on effective instruments of
alternative assessment for special education.
 The purposes of portfolios can vary, dependent on teacher, student, or school
organizational goals. Schools most often use portfolios to document the
learning process in a growth or developmental portfolio or to show
samples of student’s best work in a showcase portfolio (Barrett, 2007;
Gronlund, 2006).
 These real-world, adaptive and functional skills based projects are often
referred to as “authentic tasks” that address daily living, and are often a critical
 component of portfolio assessments.
 As the availability and integration of technology increases within schools,
ePortfolios (or digital portfolios), defined as a “digitized collection of artifacts”
used for a variety of purposes, have entered the assessment conversation
 Goals of new program:

Offers extensive privacy controls; 
easy to use on the back-end; 
company

open to communication and 
incorporating school feedback into future
updates; 
allows students to take ownership of projects; 
allows students to
take work with them when 
they graduate; 
allows students to share work
outside of the 
school community; 
provides access to training and
professional 
development, as well as technical support.

 Outcome: Based on observations and interviews from administration,

staff and parents, and observation and evaluation of student work by staff
and administration, the digital portfolio pilot has been the most successful
in terms of increasing student reflection, increasing communication and
collaboration between staff and with parents, aligning unit projects to
student goals, and creating increased opportunities for project-based
learning. In addition to the benefits for project-based learning, digital
portfolios allowed for the capture of students skills and progress to be
used for assessment, especially in non-academic domains (e.g., life skills).
Prior to the digital portfolio pilot, evidence of related service work
samples (defined as speech and language therapy, counseling,
occupational therapy, adaptive skills, and vocational skills) were not
available, and the school had limited opportunities for students, teachers,
or parents to engage with student work in these domains.

Way in which this This article is directly related to how building a digital profile can help involve parents
source influences the and report progress. This study also showed that digital portfolios create tangible
field related to your evidence of non-academic skills.
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)

Potential relevance to This article focused a lot on the assessment of students through the use of digital
your research topic and portfolios but the outcome presented an increase in communication between staff and
study: with parents.
 Professional Literature Summary Template 5

Article: Electronic portfolios: Perspectives of students, teachers and parents

Topic: Building digital portfolios to report progress and build a connection between home and school.

Date Retrieved/Used: September 20rd, 2018

Bib. Information (APA McLeod, J., Vasinda, S. (2009). Electronic portfolios: Perspectives of students,
Formatting): teachers and parents. Education & Information Technology, 14(29), 39-38.

Author(s) Affiliation: McLeod- Learning Technologies, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

Vasinda- Learning Technologies, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

Type of Resource: Scholarly Article

(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)

Summary of essential
information:
 This study explores the perspectives of students, teachers and parents to
evaluate the use of digital portfolios as an additional way to capture and
enhance the learning of elementary students in a public school setting and as
an opportunity to communicate this learning to parents.
 Digital portfolios were used as an additional way to capture and enhance the
learning of elementary students in a public school setting to provide those
students with both voice and choice in what they consider important artifacts
of their learning, and as an opportunity to communicate this learning to
parents.
 Study: During the 2006–2007 school year, two multiage classes of third and
fourth graders in a North Texas suburban public school compiled digital
portfolios of their work. Using pocket PCs, the children worked in pairs to
interview and record each other about their chosen artifact to justify its
inclusion in their portfolio, and reflect on their learning during the project.
 Parent findings: Parents indicated that the digital portfolios gave them a
glimpse, or window, into their child’s classroom. Each parent noted their
enjoyment of the digital aspect of hearing and/or seeing as part of their
perception of being included in the life of the classroom. Parents began to
perceive the portfolios as a means of communicating their child’s classroom
learning, connecting home and school more deeply.

Way in which this This article is directly related to how building a digital profile can help involve parents.
source influences the I think that my method of using video will give parents an even better picture of what
field related to your their child is doing in school.
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)

Potential relevance to This article focused on a slightly older age group and did not focus on special
your research topic and education but did give a glimpse on whether electronic portfolios could be used as a
study: method for enhanced school/home communications.

Professional Literature Summary Template 6

Article: The Changing Nature of Parent-Teacher Communication: Mode Selection in the Smartphone Era

Topic: Building digital portfolios to report progress and build a connection between home and school.

Date Retrieved/Used: September 25,2018

Bib. Information (APA Thompson, B. C., Mazer, J. P., & Grady, E.F. (2015). The changing nature of parent-
Formatting):
teacher communication: Mode selection in the smartphone era. Communication
Education, 64, 187-207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2015.1014382

Author(s) Affiliation: Blair Thompson (Ph.D., University of Nebraska – Lincoln, 2007) is an associate
professor in the Department of Communication at Western Kentucky University.
Joseph P. Mazer (Ph.D., Ohio University, 2010) is an assistant professor in the
Department of Communication Studies at Clemson University. Elizabeth Flood Grady
(MS, Illinois State University) is a doctoral student in the Department of
Communication Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Type of Resource: Scholarly Article

(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)

Summary of essential
information:
 Smartphone use can increase access to communication via social media and
expand the modes of parent–teacher communication.
 Researchers indicate that parents seek a form of communication that is
personal, asynchronous, and almost immediate.
 FTF or phone communication represented more appropriate modes for
communicating about complex topics
 The participants were 1,349 parents of students from a school district in the
Midwestern United States.
 parents’ preferred e-mail stemmed from the proliferation of smartphones,
providing ready access to teacher e-mails. Twenty-nine parents specifically
 referenced using their smartphone to access e-mail. One parent commented,
“being able to converse with [teachers] while I’m in the car (smartphone)
waiting for lessons, in the evening after work etc. is very important” and
another stated: “Easy, on my phone I can see it right away.” Parents typically
had their smartphones on them while interacting with their children, enabling
them to check their messages and immediately connect with the teacher.
Parents’ use of smartphones further strengthened their preference for e-mail as
they could view e-mails on these devices, making e-mail even more
convenient.
 Similar to Olmstead’s (2013) study, most parents did not have access to
teachers’ cell phone numbers, but many wished they did.

Way in which this This study talked a lot about the different methods of communication between home
source influences the and school and which are most preferred by parents. I like that it specifically addressed
field related to your which methods were preferred for certain types of input (behavioral, academic, etc.)
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)

Potential relevance to This study will help me develop more useful questions on my post survey. Possibly
your research topic and about what types of communications are preferred for different types of information.
study:

Professional Literature Summary Template 7

Article: What’s the story?: Exploring Parent-Teacher Communication Through ePortfolios

Topic: Building digital portfolios to report progress and build a connection between home and school.

Date Retrieved/Used:

Bib. Information (APA Higgins, A., & Cherrington, S. (2017). What’s the story?: Exploring parent-teacher
Formatting):
communication through ePortfolios. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 42(4),
14-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.23965/AJEC.42.4.02

Author(s) Affiliation: Victoria University of Wellington

Type of Resource: Scholarly Article

(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)
Summary of essential  Communication—focused on learning stories and centre events recorded
information: within the ePortfolio—was more frequent and more positive than when hard-
copy portfolios alone were used
 Parents felt better informed about their child’s learning, and this led to
increased confidence in approaching teachers and talking about the stories.
 Parents reported that having information about their child’s activities at the
centre also led to more meaningful conversations with their child.
 Where teachers made children’s learning visible through ICTs (Information
and Communication Technology) such as photos and videos, families gained a
better understanding of their child’s learning and parents felt reassured that
their child was settled.
 Parents noted that commenting online built relationships with teachers more
quickly. One described how the ePortfolio had ‘broken the ice’ and led to more
face-to-face communication.

Way in which this Communication between home and school through an ePortfolio.
source influences the
field related to your
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)

Potential relevance to This article focused on the parent/teacher connection that is fostered when technology
your research topic and is used for communication and sharing.
study:

Professional Literature Summary Template 8

Article: Seesaw For Schools Efficacy Study

Topic: Building digital portfolios to report progress and build a connection between home and school.

Date Retrieved/Used:

Bib. Information (APA Seesaw Learning, Inc. (2017). Seesaw for Schools efficacy study. Retrieved from
Formatting):
https://help.seesaw.me/hc/en-us/articles/115005752703-Seesaw-For-Schools-Efficacy-
Study

Author(s) Affiliation:
Type of Resource: Online Article
(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)

Summary of essential This was accomplished by surveying 400 administrators using Seesaw
information: for Schools. We surveyed both public and private schools serving
students ranging from grades PreK-12, including schools both within
and outside of the United States. 60 administrators completed the
survey.

 97% of teachers agree that Seesaw for Schools helps us develop a better
relationship between our school and parent community.
 91% agree that they have seen an increase in parent involvement since using
Seesaw for Schools, and can use Seesaw data to track parent engagement.
 88% agree it is easier for teachers to communicate with parents using Seesaw
than other methods they’ve tried.

Way in which this This article focuses more on the view of the teacher/administrator
source influences the
field related to your
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)

Potential relevance to This article can be used the “teacher perspective” section of my findings.
your research topic and
study:

Professional Literature Summary Template 9

Article: Using Technology To Increase Parent Involvement In Schools

Topic: Building digital portfolios to report progress and build a connection between home and school.

Date Retrieved/Used:

Bib. Information (APA Olmstead, C. (2013). Using technology to increase parent involvement in schools.
Formatting):
TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 57(6), 28-37.


Author(s) Affiliation: Christine was awarded her Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from California State
University, Fullerton. Currently, Christine serves as the Administrator of Academic Content for
the Orange County Department of Education
Type of Resource: Scholarly Article
(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)

Summary of essential The importance of parent involvement in schools and its relationship to student
information: achievement have been widely studied. Nevertheless, many principals and teachers
report that lack of parent involvement continues to be an obstacle to increasing student
achievement at school.

The study revealed that parents and teachers both place a high value on proactive
parent involvement. Because proactive involvement does not require parents to be
physically at their children’s school, the question of how technology can be used to
keep parents involved in their children’s academic lives becomes important.

Parents want quick, direct access to teachers.

Parents and teachers both placed a high value on keeping parents informed about
student progress and saw the value in using technology as a means for keeping parents
involved.

Both parents and teachers perceived that technology is an effective tool to promote parent
involvement.

Way in which this Parent perspective on communication

source influences the
field related to your
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)

Potential relevance to I can use this in my findings section under the parent perspective
your research topic and
study: