Freshgrade is popular app amongst teachers, but I’ve never actually seen it’s interface until our presentation with Cliff Waldie, Vice Principal of College Heights Elementary. Cliff broke down some of the purposes of Freshgrade with examples, which included:
- Facilitate parent/teacher/student communication
-Inside access into what their children are learning and doing at school
Ex: Attach an assessment letting parent know where child is struggling
Ex: Share a project via video
Ex: Attach a video you are watching in class and share learning outcomes
Ex: Share and record reading evaluations
-Students become collaborators into their portfolio
-Students can respond back to things (ie this needs to be worked on)
- Enhance assessment
-Can create artifacts (photos, videos, audio, notes) to assess and document learning in real time
-Teacher gradebooks are transparent parents and students
Overall, I saw many benefits of Freshgrade which included removal of messy writing, differentiation opporutnities, ease of use, opportunity for artifact use, and easy assessment options. I think true test of the efficacy of the app will be when it is put into practice, so I’ll be sure to update my opinion on Freshgrade after I’ve put it to practice in my practicum!
Even though you appear somewhat unsure of how Freshgrade will play out in your classroom, I appreciate your eagerness to still implement it in your practicum and become more familiar with it. Again, in your blog you present well rounded thinking by seeing the positives of implementing Freshgrade. Many people, when feeling uncomfortable with implementing something they are unfamiliar with, may disregard it without a second thought. You take this as another learning opportunity to further enhance your learning practice.