Google Classroom

I have had two favorite online tools for teaching this year. One of them being Google Classroom. While very few of my 160 kids have used this tool to turn in work, I believe it has been invaluable. I have posted Make-up tests, Re-tests, and missing assignments. Not a single one of my students has been able to say "I didn't know what to do" or "I didn't have it" since directions and copies have been on our Google Classroom. While the majority of my students prefer to have hard copies and turning work in the old fashioned way, a few of my students have taken advantage of repeating a test for a better grade.

Having Google Classroom has also been handy during our technology lessons. I can post the links, instructions, and documents in one easy to supervise spot. The turn in keeps my students from overloading my email with their projects. I use this ALL the time now. It's simple and easy way to get the kids on the right website.

I have also had my department head and principal use Google Classroom for administrative purposes. My principal created a classroom so that she wouldn't have to keep sending emails. Instead she just put announcements up on the classroom (this wasn't my favorite, since it was easy to forget to check, but it made it easy to double check important information since it was all in one place). She also used it to place links to important school documents (1/2 day schedules, surveys, forms, etc.). My department head had us upload our lesson plans to it. My team had access (there were three of us teaching the same lessons that we co-planned together) to everything we were doing. This was a big plus since we would split up the work.

Tips:
(from the perspective of a middle school teacher)

-Always use the capture email feature when possible. At some point you'll forget to ask them for their name on a quiz. *With google being open to everyone now (it started as only available to schools that purchased Google for Education Apps) be sure to have kids join using their school email. This way you won't have to try and figure out who bubblegum456@whatever.com is.

-Email parents friendly reminders towards the end of the quarter that students can complete makeup work on google classroom. Feel free to book your computer lab for after school (if possible) for a makeup work session. I have had a number of kids who I have given packet, after packet, after packet and nothing makes it home. With this method, my students had no excuses.

-Your kids will still ask for hard copies. Keep a few on hand.

-Scan worksheets/classroom copies and upload them as pictures/pdfs. Your students can print them off and turn in the work. Or better yet, allow the kids to take pictures/scans of their completed work and upload them.

*Update Nov. 2018. Good News! As of Summer 2018 Google Classroom announced it would be free to all with a google account. Set it up for class free of charge!