FreshGrade has been mentioned several throughout the program so far. We have had a few demonstrations on how it is being used, but no demonstration of how to use it. Until this point, it has seemed a very effective way to connect the teacher with a student’s home life. Further, it seems to capture a richness of a holistic learning, combining several different kinds of evidence of learning together. As always, my reluctance with technology has left me with the mentality that I probably won’t be using it. I was fine with that… until I found out (after a Google search) that my practicum teaching mentor is an avid user of FreshGrade.
In all seriousness, I am grateful for the inevitable constant push I feel to get out of my comfort zone. I am not able to default to what I am already able to do. As a future educator, I must educate myself on this journey. I realize that if my mentor teacher is knowledgeable and skillful with FreshGrade, that I will do well to observe and ask a lot of questions – and I will! However, I should also fill my mind with the basics.
As far as I can tell, FreshGrade…
- is a program used for and by teachers, families, and students alike
- can be used in class, remotely, or both
- guides and connects students to curriculum
- is an effective and efficient use of time
- is FREE!
- is very secure
- aids in professional development
- provides a platform for engagement and conversation
- ensures students have an understanding of their learning
- includes portfolios and grade books that are grounded in evidence
- includes formative, summative and interim assessment
- allows for student learning to be captured with multimedia (photos, videos, audio, links, drives)
- is student-centred and personalized
- has a digital portfolio for each student
- has no storage limits
- is compatible with other education apps
- can be used to plan lessons
- can be used to attach rubrics and criteria to assignments
- encourages organization by having everything in one place
- makes learning visible
- provides a space for students, teachers and families to upload and comment
At this point you may, like me, be wondering what FreshGrade can’t do!
I am impressed. All the more so after going to the Professional Learning page, off of resources. Here, you can find an incredible myriad of FREE courses. To name a few:
“Digital Portfolios: Teaching Students to Own Their Progress”
“I’m Proud of Me! Mental Health and Self-Esteem through Digital Portfolios”
“Authentic Assessment in the Digital Age”
“Make Learning Visible In Your Classroom”
“Assessment Strategies That Promote Learning Instead of Labelling”
“Creating Feedback Loops with Your Students”
“Developing a Growth Mindset through Digital Portfolios”
AND SO MANY MORE that it’s almost scary.
There is also a FreshGrade Youtube Channel that I am sure I will make great use of.
My brief research has shifted my view of FreshGrade. I am no longer only afraid…I am also eager and excited to learn through, and with these tools. Most importantly, I am looking forward to using FreshGrade to empower and ensure rich and meaningful learning by way of my future students.
Photo by Goutham Krishna on Unsplash
teslamayenburg
March 31, 2021 — 3:14 pm
Thanks for really breaking this down Bella.
“As a future educator, I must educate myself on this journey.” You said it! During this process my boundaries of what education looks like have been pushed more than I ever thought. I’ve always loved the saying, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Meaning there are things out there that could potentially aid and change our teaching practices forever, we just haven’t heard of them yet!