I can't believe that my teaching career has gone on for 5 years without Google Classroom. If you are a GAFE (Google Apps for Education) district or if you just enjoy using Google's apps for educational purposes, then you must try Google Classroom if you have not already.
Go ahead... Click this link now... Ok now that it is a few days later and you now have stopped marveling at its awesomeness, let me talk about some of the cool features.
Sorry... have you signed-in to your gmail account and logged-in to Google Classroom as a teacher yet? Have you then created a class by clicking the plus button? If not do so now... I can wait... Ok?
Now as for the cool features, first, it is simple to get students logged in. Just send them to classroom.google.com on any web browser or have them download the app from any device, even from the Chrome Web Store for Chromebook users, and have them join as a student once they have logged in with their Gmail accounts. Then project/display your class code (or write it on that archaic device known as the whiteboard) and have the students join your class. Once they are logged in check out the 'Students' section to see a list of your students and click on the drop down at the top to change whether students can post or comment on the stream (picture below); for those highly efficient prankster students.
Go ahead... Click this link now... Ok now that it is a few days later and you now have stopped marveling at its awesomeness, let me talk about some of the cool features.
Sorry... have you signed-in to your gmail account and logged-in to Google Classroom as a teacher yet? Have you then created a class by clicking the plus button? If not do so now... I can wait... Ok?
Now as for the cool features, first, it is simple to get students logged in. Just send them to classroom.google.com on any web browser or have them download the app from any device, even from the Chrome Web Store for Chromebook users, and have them join as a student once they have logged in with their Gmail accounts. Then project/display your class code (or write it on that archaic device known as the whiteboard) and have the students join your class. Once they are logged in check out the 'Students' section to see a list of your students and click on the drop down at the top to change whether students can post or comment on the stream (picture below); for those highly efficient prankster students.
The three sections at the top are for your main class page called the "Stream," the "Student" section which contains the student list where students can be contacted, and the "About" section where teachers can describe their class and post resources in the form of files from your Google Drive, attachments from your computer, weblinks, and even Youtube videos!
Google Classroom is so important to everyday function in a 1:1 classroom and in any class that teaches 21st century skills. It is one place to assign work, have back channel class discussion, post fabulous (or mediocre, whatever works for you) student work, and add everything from the amazing interwebs!
I can not survive as a teacher without Classroom. I need to post links on a constant basis because my students use their Chromebooks for just about every lesson I teach; therefore Google Classroom gives me a place to post links for my students with instructions on completing their tasks. It helps my non-readers/writers follow links with efficiency during direct instruction. Google Classroom would be infinitely helpful with K-3 1:1 classrooms that may have more difficulty having students type in a link into the address bar.
Enjoy Classroom and everything it has to offer!