FreshGrade Tool

Using Freshgrade allowed students, who have had difficulty with certain concepts in my classroom, specifically math, to video the math lesson as it is being taught, and share it with parents in the home learning environment. This FreshGrade function provides parents with the ability to see the lesson plan being executed in the classroom setting and enhances the parents’ effectiveness as a resource for reinforcing the skill set being taught. The access provided to the classroom also provides the parent with the refresher course needed to actively engage with the student and diminishes the new math self-efficacy that can be a struggle for some parents. The FreshGrade application could be described as mimicking the functions of an “Instagram” clone for classroom use that permits parents to view and communicate with the student. After four years of experience using the app as a communication tool, parent consensus has been positive and generally encouraging. Parents, in my classroom, appear to enjoy the opportunity provided that allows for discussion with the student and the ability to ask questions in real time. Engagement with the child through use of the application can provide a much more realistic answer to the question, “what did you do in school today?” The success of the benefits witnessed from firsthand use of the applications on student and parental engagement reinforces the need for additional research.