Are you looking to start the year off by introducing a fully immersive Digital Classroom? In this episode of the TeacherCast Podcast, we welcome Lee Wilson from FreshGrade onto the program to discuss several things that teachers should have set up this year in their Digital Classroom.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why should teachers really embrace the concept of a Digital Classroom?
• What are the components of a Digital Classroom? (Learning Network)
• What is an End-to-End Learning Workflow
• How should we be training teachers to create a Digital Classroom?
• How do you use Technology to teach a skill in a way that you couldn’t do with traditional paper-based activities?
• Digital PortfoliosWhat are they?
• How to create them?
• Different types of PortfoliosDraft Portfolios
• Assessment Portfolios
• Capstone Portfolios
• Receiving Feedback fromTeachers
• Peer Students
• Parents
• Parent CommunicationHaving real-time communication between student work and parent
• Analog vs Digital ProjectsHow to digitize them for archiving and sharing
• FreshGrade Company History + Overview – Evolving from digital portfolios to learning networks 
• Meeting the Needs of Educators – Problems with app fatigue. It's the age of instant access and schools are behind. The need for personalized learning. The balance between incorporating technology that strengthens ties between people versus isolation with screens. 
• The Shift to Learning Networks – the benefits of an integrated toolset like FreshGrade Next. 

About Lee Wilson

Lee Wilson has worked in the EdTech and publishing space since 1988. His perspective is shaped by 30 years of experience on the business side of the K12 market.

He currently serves as President at FreshGrade Education and previously served as CEO at Filament Games and PCI Education. Wilson has also held executive positions at Apple, Pearson, Harcourt, Common Sense Media, and Chancery Software. Through his consultancy, Headway Strategies, he has worked with over 50 companies across the industry on strategy and go-to-market programs.

Formerly he served on the AEP Board, the SIIA Board, and was involved in the start of SIF and LRMI.

Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s in business administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

About FreshGrade

FreshGrade Next gives administrators, teachers, students and families access to a communication system that simplifies interaction and emphasizes engagement. Using the same technology as consumer social media, FreshGrade Next is a learning network that combines elements of lesson planners, portfolios, communication systems and grade books into a seamless experience.

FreshGrade’s education-specific approach to networking equips school leaders with the ability to connect student work and school-wide priorities while supporting a variety of teaching practices. FreshGrade Next simplifies instruction while driving engagement.

Links of Interest

• Twitter (@FreshGrade): https://twitter.com/FreshGrade  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshGrade 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freshgrade  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/FreshGradeVideo  

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Explore these Resources

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

• https://www.freshgrade.com/
• https://www.freshgrade.com/community/blog/
• https://learning.freshgrade.com/

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Check Out More TeacherCast Programming

• TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp)
• Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today)
• The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com)
• Ask The Tech Coach (http://www.AskTheTechCoach.com)

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