Digital Resources: Google Classroom

In my first year of teaching, I joked with my students that as an English teacher I would probably be responsible for using a whole tree's worth of paper in a school year. While it was a bit of an exaggeration, I did hate to think about all of the resources printing uses. It's not just about paper - every time I wanted to change something I'd have to take the time to print a whole new set of handouts/assignments/whatevers, if students lost something or wanted to re-do something, I'd have to reprint or find someone else to run copies or watch my class, and collaboration could only happen in the classroom or when students were face-to-face. 

When our school became a Google Apps for Education school, I was most excited about the potential of Google Classroom. Although we had had the ability to digitially save and share materials through other means, the systems felt cumbersome for both the students and for me. Google Classroom is familiar and designed to look like the social media platforms kids and adults are already familiar with. 

This is the "landing page" of one of my Google Classrooms. Each assignment or announcement would have its own white box and attachments would be listed underneath, as seen above.

This is the student view of a turn-in page. Students add their materials then click
the blue "Turn In" button. It also lets teachers assign due dates and alerts
students that their submission is considered late once it's past the due date.

With Google Classroom, I would create my materials, set the sharing permission to "view only" and post it to my classroom as an assignment. When I post something from my own Drive, Classroom gives me the option to allow students to view the file, edit the file, or I can opt to make a copy for each student (which will then appear in their Drive). I found it easiest to post it as something students could view and then have the students go to the Edit menu and make their own copy. Once students had completed the assignment, they would go back to my classroom, click the title of the assignment, and turn it in for grading. I could post their grades in the same space. It made the entire process very efficient. 

This is the teacher view of an assignment page. Here teachers can
change the point value of an assignment and enter student grades.
Students are alerted when their assignment is graded and returned.

Google Classroom isn't as sophisticated as a full-blown LMS like Blackboard or Moodle, but for teachers interested in going paperless in an onground classroom or for doing some flipped instruction, it's a great (free!) option. Classrooms don't have to be limited just to formal or traditional "classes" either. I use a Classroom to communicate with my Student Council members and with the students in my mini research courses. 

Where: classroom.google.com

Cost: Free (note: this is only available to schools with Google Apps for Education suite)

What: Digital materials management, organization and distribution app

Students! Try Google Classroom if you...

Are responsible for a student organization

Need a way to distribute materials to a group

Teachers! Try Google Classroom if you...

Want to experiment with a paperless classroom

Need an easy way to share digital materials with absent students

Are sick of standing at the copier but still need to supply your students with handouts or assignments

Want to try grading assignments digitally