What is Google Classroom?
Google Classroom is an interactive collaboration app for educators and learners that can be used through the web or on a mobile device. It provides an online platform to make digital learning more organized and streamlined. It consists of four sections that each have distinctive features and purposes:
⦁ Google Classroom offers a live “Class Stream,” where educators can make important announcements and students can see what assignments have been posted. This is the go-to place for educators to post messages or share information in the form of a link, video, or document.
⦁ Under the section titled “Classwork“, educators can post assignments or quizzes, share educational material, or ask a question to the Class.
⦁ The “People” section will provide the name of the teachers and a list of all the students enrolled in the Class. This is where you would go to send an email to a student or guardian, as well as check to see what assignments a particular student has turned in by clicking on their name.
⦁ The “Grades” section, which is only for educator’s accounts, provides a quick and easy format to assign grades to students for each assignment you create.
The app also automatically develops Drive folders for each assignment, Class, and learner. This handy feature provides a central location for all of your Classroom files, including any digital materials you shared, each assignment that has been created, and completed student work. This helps to keep you organized and frees up your time so that you can concentrate on more important things.
Google Classroom’s time-saving elements contain:
⦁ One-click copies: Instead of having to recreate new documents for each learner, you can make a copy of a Google Doc for every learner in your Class with just one click of a button.
⦁ Assignment and grade management: With this app, you can assign due dates for each assignment and return grades quickly and efficiently. You also have the option to select no due date so that students can take their time without pressure. Once you have graded an assignment, you can return it to the student, which allows them to immediately view their grade as well as any written feedback you have provided.
⦁ Progress monitoring: Check which learners have completed an assignment at a glance by clicking on the assignment link. This will show you how many students turned it in, and who is missing their work. You can also go to the “People” section and click on an individual student’s name to see which assignments are assigned to them, and what work they have completed.
⦁ Instant feedback: Comment directly on shared documents and learner posts to provide timely feedback. There also is an option to leave a comment on any assignment that has been turned in so that you can provide positive praise for a job well done, or provide tips for necessary corrections.
Have G Suite for Education but cannot access Classroom? Ask your admin to enable it!