I think I’m a typical busy mom, one who wishes she had more time to be engaged in and aware of what her kids are learning and experiencing on a daily basis at school.
Back when I was a stay-at-home mom and when I worked part time, I made the effort to volunteer in my children’s classrooms. I helped drive the kids to field trips and became pretty active in the elementary school Parents Advisory Committee (PAC).
I’d like to say I got involved because I was just an awesome, helpful, giving person, but the truth is that I did it because I didn’t want to be left out of the loop! I didn’t want to be unaware of what my kids were doing and what they were learning during those six hours a day I left them in the care of someone else.
Fast forward several years and now I’ve got a 12-year-old daughter (Kaitlyn) and an eight-year-old son (Ryder), I work full days and some evenings, I can’t make any PAC meetings, and it’s been quite some time since I’ve volunteered to even bake cupcakes for a school function.
I don’t have the time or ability to physically be there, in the school, so what can I do to stay in the loop, to stay involved and engaged in their learning?
Enter FreshGrade, a busy mom’s dream tool! I may be giving the online app a little more praise than it deserves but it’s really made a huge difference in my understanding and my ability to support my son Ryder’s learning.
FreshGrade is an online interactive portfolio of student work that connects parents, teachers and students and offers a new way to view learning that happens in the classroom.
School District No. 46 (SD46) has recently been awarded a K-12 Partnership grant to pilot FreshGrade in five local schools next year, but my son’s teacher was intrigued by the app and decided to try it out this year, to my delight.
FreshGrade is the solution to my inability to be in the classroom. It takes me there virtually. Since this school year has started, Ryder’s teacher has posted over 100 photos, videos and write-ups on FreshGrade about his day-to-day learning in class.
I was able to see his trip to Porpoise Bay Provincial Park to learn about salmon spawning, his first book in progress, the results of his spelling tests, his art projects, neighbourhood walks, presentations, skating trips, gym games and fun times with friends, to list just some of the highlights.
FreshGrade has become an online tool that connects me to the classroom and the teacher and helps me feel more a part of what’s going on in Ryder’s life when he’s not with me.
It’s hard to entrust someone else with the education of your child, which ultimately influences who they become as adults, so being able to peer inside that world has been incredibly helpful for me.
I hope the pilot of FreshGrade on the Coast goes well and that soon all schools in SD46 implement the online tool, because making it easy for parents to get involved in their children’s learning will ultimately benefit students, educators and parents alike.
