FreshGrade
- Alfonso
- Aug 4, 2015
- 2 min read
Fresh Grade is an online portfolio platform that allows teachers to capture, document and communicate learning to students and parents. It allows for instant documentation of student achievement and growth through a user friendly teacher app.
With one click you can document via picture, video, audio and text. Teachers can access students portfolios and add notes about each child.
This app is accessible via mobile and tablet devices and allows for teachers to utilize picture, video, audio and notes as a platform for documenting student progress. By using Fresh Grade teachers are now able to involve students and parents in the assessment process instantly.
By entering a class code and student code, students and parents can access their personal learning portfolio anywhere. Students and parents can add comments about their work and ask questions that can be addressed by the teacher immediately.
Useful teacher applications of Fresh Grade
K-3 ,
TPACK considerations
Fresh Grade has the potential to shift the way we approach education. It is a useful and applicable online and app based platform that will allow teachers and students to document instantly. It is not an overly difficult tool to use. A teacher's and student's digital literacy does not need to be high in order to utilize the most basic tools of Fresh Grade. However, this tool is not content specific and falls under the TPK framework of TPACK construct. Fresh Grade enables teachers to shift their practice to be more inclusive and transparent in their grading and documentation. Moreover, parents can now be part of the learning process of their children in what Fresh Grade hopes to be a more meaningful approach. This technology is also accessible in mobile form which enables for content to be documented instantly outside of the classroom. Therefore, students can continue to add to their online portfolio throughout the day and display their on-going learning.
Portfolio assessment is not a new phenomenon. However, in science, it is rarely applied. Fresh Grade enables teachers in science to show student growth but also visually and digitally note improvements that may need to be made. Moreover, visual and audio documentation of labs and inquiry that take multiple steps can be done by students and teachers. This allows for check-ins without having to disrupt student progress. This can be best done by adding digital documentation in the lab or inquiry instructions.
Caution
As mentioned before this platform is user-friendly. However, to implement online portfolios there must be a reliable wifi network. Students and teachers can use this tool using there cellphone network however, it is data intensive and can limit uploads to the portfolio.
Fresh Grade has a very impressive grade book and student portfolios. Allowing parent and student access to portfolios is a tedious task and can take a lot of time. It requires the teacher to give permission to a student and parent and providing an individualized code to each the student and parent.
Not so Caution
Fresh Grade is a Kelowna based company therefore all BC privacy concerns are met. Data is stored in the province and will not be subject to US privacy laws.
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