A brief discussion of FreshGrade and its usefulness in the modern classroom (as presented in class on September 20)

In a Nutshell

• Functions similarly to a class-specific website, where students can Look for info on class content and assignments
• Allows communication between teacher and parents
• Allows parents, teachers, and students to comment on student’s work in one stream
• Teacher is able to have a class list which links to individual portfolios of their students
• Teachers are able to choose what kind of assessment is recorded through the app
• Students can only see their own portfolios and can upload content themselves, which sends an alert to the teacher
• Parents are also able to view their child’s portfolio and get alerts when new material is added

The Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Basic version is free
• Parents are able to share in their child’s scholastic activities, letting them feel more connected and spark conversations
• Improves parent-teacher relationships since they are more accessible to each other
• Provides real-time feedback on the student’s learning (unlike traditional report cards which go out after a unit is over)
• Allows photos and video clips to be uploaded, which is particularly helpful in art, music, or language classes
• With middle school/secondary students who are able to install the app on their own phones, it encourages interaction in an engaging way using tech they are familiar with

Cons:

• It is scathingly reviewed online: most report that the app is very glitchy, sometimes sending out unwanted notifications, problems uploading media, long comments disappearing as they are being typed, etc.
• Based out of California, so it appears any data uploaded is stored in the US, which is a definite privacy concern

Final thoughts

I was first introduced to this app by my son’s preschool teacher who used it as a way to communicate with parents. She would upload photos of what the class was doing that day, what they had for snack, videos of my son singing or participating in class activities. As a parent, I thoroughly enjoyed this app since it gave me a glimpse into what his day had been like, which was often difficult to ascertain when solely reliant on my 3-year-old’s own accounts and a 2 minute chat with the teacher at pick-up time.

When researching the app for the in-class presentation today, I learned that it is much more complex! I hope to explore its usefulness further with more of a focus on use within a secondary classroom.