FreshGrade

Technology is everywhere- it is a critical part of our culture. It can be an effective tool that drives student learning if utilized appropriately in the classroom. Although there is an abundance of amazing classroom technology out there, one in particular that I wanted to share is FreshGrade. I have yet to implement it in my classroom, but while I was in Vancouver, my sister’s teacher was using it as an assessment tool. Here and there, I would log in to the parent account and explore the app and see how it was being used. Even as a first time user, it was so simple, efficient and a great way to share student learning. I was so impressed with the app how the teacher was using it in a timely manner that I had since looked forward to learning more about it. What exactly is FreshGrade you ask?

FreshGrade is an online portfolio where teachers, students and parents all interact to capture and comment on the student’s school work. The program also allows teachers to create and grade custom assignments, which are then tracked in the tool.

The most powerful use of FreshGrade is the inclusion of teachers, parents, and students. As a collective, these stakeholders are given the opportunity to share, reflect, and enhance learning. They each have their own account but each individual will have their own account and access to different information and data. 

Teachers create a digital class by uploading their class list, or can integrate a class list using Clever. This process creates an individual portfolio pages for each student in the class. The teacher can then use the FreshGrade app to upload materials – documents, pictures, videos, audio or comments – to individual student pages or to the whole class page. Using the browser-based version of FreshGrade, teachers can also create, assign and grade activities. These activities can be aligned to specific standards and include attached documents. They can be assigned to an individual student, a group, or the whole class. 

When students use the FreshGrade student app, they are able to view only their own portfolio page. Students can comment on the work in their portfolio, or upload their own materials using the app. The app sends a notification to teachers when there is new activity in the student’s account, and to students when the teacher uploads a new class-wide document. FreshGrade encourages student reflection and goal setting through the use of comments. Moreover, it allows students to track their progress and self-reflect on their work. 

Parents use FreshGrade to view their child’s portfolio and to comment on the items it contains. Parents also receive notifications when there is new activity in the portfolio. Teachers can use this app as a communication tool to get in touch with parents more efficiently and get quicker responses. Further, parents can track their child’s progress and give them more visibility on how their child is doing at school.

Although I haven’t gotten the opportunity to use FreshGrade for my classroom because the school I was working at had their own preferred school wide website (ClassDojo) , it is definitely a tool I will use in my future practice. What better way to use one tool to empower students, save time, and engage parents. If used appropriately, assessment for, as and of can be collected for all students and then recorded in the grade book provided by the website. I will take full advantage of this wonderful online portfolio, and make sure to use all of its features to get the most out of it. Since there is an app version, I will use my iPhone to quickly take pictures of student work during classroom time, or after school and instantly upload it onto the website so parents can see what their kids are learning at school. This app will motivate me to be up to date with my marking, and assessment because both students and parents will be eagerly waiting. I can also use it for school reminders such as homework, field trips or other important events happening at school.

“When we invest time up front to build the vision [of what students are to be learning], we gain it back later in increased student motivation and the resulting higher‐quality work.” (Chappuis, 2009)

Creating a learning goal that aligns with the curriculum objectives of your grade and co-constructing a success criteria with your students that will portray the necessary steps to achieve the learning goal are crucial in creating strong independent learners. Although it may seem like an arduous task to create a learning goal for every new lesson or unit and a success criteria to meet that goal, it is definitely worth the effort when it results in higher engagement, enthusiasm, and better work habits. For this reason, I have chosen the quote above to link my learning to. From the past three modules, I have learned that there are many crucial measures  that are necessary in order to achieve a clear and concise vision for all learners.

Understanding the three types of assessment (For, As, Of) and differentiating between them as well as realizing how interconnected they are is key. Dr. Lorna Earl mentioned in her video that we are now in an environment where High Quality Education for all is the main purpose. Dr Lorna Earl emphasised on the importance of Assessment As Learning above the other types because she believes it is the means for self-monitoring, thinkers. Further, she adds that doing more assessment is not enough, it’s about doing the right kinds. This statement really stuck with me because if we educators don’t put forth our best efforts to create high quality assessments then we cannot expect high quality work from our learners!

When creating assessments for our students, we need to know who they are and how best to assess them according to their needs. This is especially imperative for special needs and ELL students. As stated in the Growing Success Document, before instruction begins, we educators must delve into the student’s history and create a diagnostic assessment based on report cards, IEP’s, previous teachers, parents, and other professionals that have worked with the student. These assessments will help us make vital accommodations or modifications in our classroom and teaching practice. Furthermore, assessing students interests and funds of knowledge, and behavioural patterns using classroom observations and pretests, are also critical and ultimately leads to more effective goal planning and lesson planning. Above I have mentioned the Diagnostic Assessment portion of Assessment for Learning but equally as important is the Formative Assessment portion. Formative Assessment occurs frequently and on going during the year, to “monitor progress, provide feedback and differentiate instruction and assessment” (Learning for All, pg. 29). This type of assessment allows teachers to adjust their instruction and for students to modify their learning strategies and setting different goals while still learning the required content.

Just like we need to teach with a purpose, students need a purpose for learning. If there is a reason, a meaning for learning, the connections that students make and the level of retention of that information grows. If we don’t share the purpose for why they need to learn the skills and concepts we are teaching, then their own reasoning, motivation and interest drop. This is when learning goals and success criteria come in to play.

It is important to explicitly tell the students WHAT they will be learning (Where am I Going?) and HOW they will be successful in mastering that skill (How am I Going?). These combined not only help ensure success in each student’s learning, they help students to take ownership over their learning.

Learning Goals tells students exactly what skills and concepts they will be learning in each and every lesson. By providing your students with learning goals, you are giving them the first step in knowing their purpose for the many activities you will be completing during the lesson. It gives them a chance to process what they will be learning before the learning even begins. Students can start to take ownership over their learning when they:

• Put the learning goal in their own words
• Self-assess where they are in relation to meeting the goal
• Come up with next steps that they could take to meet the goal (if they are not already meeting it)

Success criteria summarize the key steps or ingredients the student needs in order to fulfill the learning goal – the main things to do, include or focus on. They can help your students take ownership over their learning as they can:

• Use it as a reference when they are working independently if they get stuck
• Come up with the success criteria themselves
• Track their progress in using the success criteria to meet their learning targets

Watching the 3 segments on success criteria on the edugains website has helped me realize the significance of co-constructing the success criteria with my students. This is definitely on my priority list when it comes to updating my current assessment practice. I will be using the 4 step model: Brainstorm, organize, write down, and revise, edit and refine. First, I will write our learning goal on the board or on chart paper. Next, I will use a different chart paper with the heading success criteria. Then, I will hand out the assignment, and ask students what are some things we can look for that will show that we did the assignment successfully. Alternatively, I may give them a well done piece versus a poorly done piece and ask what made things helped make it successful. Together, we will brainstorm the criteria, and I will organize it and make it more concise. Next, I will rewrite it on a chart paper and we can take a look at it again to see if we want to change anything or add anything to it.

Moreover, I will make sure to provide more consistent and timely feedback. Although I do provide feedback for my students, I intend to make a weekly schedule where I meet students in groups or one-to-one to discuss their progress, or provide feedback for specific assignments. This way I listen actively to their responses and concerns and give them my full attention. At the same time, students can truly benefit from our conversations and feedback. Creating a feedback log to keep track of my feedback and student responses is also a new tool I would like to implement in my future practice. Sometimes you lose track of which students responded to your feedback and which didn’t, therefore, having a feedback log can really save time and keep things more organized for myself and my students.

                                                       “Who are my students?” -Kristen

THIS is the central question that we strive to build our assessment around to improve student learning. Not only should teachers know about their students as learners but also as people! What are their interests in school but also out of school? What is their ethnic background, their first language, their SES status, their hobbies, their favourite song and movie, their favourite subject and so on? Although we have been provided with an ample number of strategies we can carry out, I will provide three prime practices that I strive to achieve in my classroom.

1) Creating a Socially and Emotionally Safe Environment.

            As Maslow proposed in his hierarchy of human needs, basic wants must be met before students can turn their attention to learning. After securing food, water, shelter, and safety from harm, people seek as their next most important needs affection, belonging, and esteem. In the process of coming to know students, a caring and interested teacher can develop rapport and trust not just between teacher and student but among students. This trust and acceptance creates a psychologically safe atmosphere in the classroom, which provides the security students need to adjust their minds to new experiences, and deep learning. A sense of belonging and being valued maximizes the chances that students will take such risks. Simple gestures such as learning proper pronunciation of each students’ names, greeting students in the morning, noticing small changes in their hair or outfit, conducting morning meetings as well as making an effort to celebrate the diversity that exists in your students, supporting all language learners, and accommodating to meet students learning, social and emotional needs are great ways to foster a safe place. Another crucial step as an educator in adopting a safe space for students is becoming culturally competent.

2) Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Culturally competent teachers assure that the curriculum will be taught, that the curriculum will be delivered in a way that is responsive to the collective norms and experiences of the student population which in turn will enhance the class environment through the diversity and uniqueness that each student exhibits. Culturally responsive learning goes beyond a student’s culture and language but considers their self-esteem, sense of efficacy, cultural norms, social status within the class or group, life experiences, dispositions and attitudes, habits of mind, and their families. As educators, it is our duty to appreciate and celebrate all our learners including Indigenous Peoples, the minority class, the majority class, the ELL students, and the low SES students. When we know our students deeply, we are able to determine individual readiness for learning with greater accuracy and then pitch instruction more precisely. It can become overwhelming to keep track of all your students information collectively or individually. Therefore, my final practice is a solution to gathering all that data and information and monitoring and adjusting it throughout the year.

3) Developing Student and Class Profiles

This was a significant takeaway from Module 5 because I have yet to implement a class profile in my teaching practice. To help meet the challenge of coming to know your students, Chapter 4 of Learning for All-A Guide to Effective Assessment and Instruction for All students, Kindergarten to Grade 12 recommends developing class and student learning profiles to capture five important dimensions of learning identity: biological traits, cultural and societal factors, emotional and social influences, academic performance, and learning preferences. You won’t acquire all of this information at one time, but as you continue to collect and compile student data, a meaningful and useful learning profile should emerge.

Malcolm X once said “We cannot teach what we do not know and we cannot lead where we will not go.”

             Going forward, not only will I be altering aspects of my teaching but also aspects of myself on a professional and personal level. Continuous professional development workshops and taking advantage of other opportunities to deepen my knowledge will be a small step I can take to enrich my teaching practice and stay up to date with the curriculum. In addition, I will strive to improve my understanding of all cultures in my class especially Indigenous culture and ELL students. Some ways I can incorporate culturally practices are using the talking stick (used in Indigenous culture) in my morning meetings after students understand the significance of it, rotating between different languages to greet students in the morning, displaying and reading aloud dual language books, using technology as a resource to skype elders of certain cultures whom we can all benefit from and celebrating cultural practices/events as they present themselves throughout the year. I will provide more differentiated learning opportunities for my students to allow them to expand their creativity when expressing their learning. For example, in the past I would assess students based on one type of project such as having them create poster boards. Presently, I would offer, expose and encourage them to utilize various techniques and methods to share their learning such as using technology (PowerPoint, brochures, Video clips, Show your learning apps, make a movie) oral presentation, booklets, sketch notes, and the list goes on (or methods the students come up with themselves). Most importantly, I will create digital class and individual profiles to deeply understand and collect important data on all characteristics of my students and fully appreciate them and meet their social, emotional, psychological and academic needs to the best of my ability.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/LearningforAll2013.pdf

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/CBS_ResponsivePedagogy.pdf

A quote that stuck with me from one of my Professor’s was: The purpose of assessment is not to measure but to enrich and enhance learning.

A guiding question that I will be connecting back to throughout this course is how can students play a role in the development of assessment or the assessment process? If students help create the assessment and have a deeper understanding of what is expected of them, will they take appropriate measures to ensure better achievement? In my professional opinion, students will have a better understanding of what teachers expect them to know, understand or be able to do which will consequently allow them to take greater accountability for their learning.

Coming August will be the third year that I have moved to Ontario and I have yet to grasp all of which the curriculum has to offer as well as recognized assessment tools, frameworks and strategies that are being utilized. I would like to delve more deeply into the implementation of technology as an effective assessment tool in the classroom. How can technology assist in understanding the minds of the children? We are currently living in a society where students know what technology is before they even begin school, therefore, can technology provide another way to assess what students are learning and understanding? My goal is to deepen my knowledge of assessment and proficiently incorporate it into my teaching to meet the needs of all learners.

At the end of the day, we are striving to build hearts not just minds in our students so that they can function and work collectively to create a better society. My understanding is that every student is unique and special in their own way. Every child learns differently, communicates differently and portrays their understanding differently therefore it’s important to adapt your assessments to fit the needs of all your students. This may seem impossible at first, but it gets easier once positive relationships are built and we know more about each student. I have high expectations from my students but that’s only because I have high expectations for myself. As an advocate for executing Social and Emotional Learning in my classroom, I strongly believe that students cannot flourish academically if they are not supported socially and emotionally.