Google Classroom

This week Google Classroom came out for everyone. I have had a log in for a while now but no time to go experimenting.

Here are my Google Classroom Resources- tutorials and refections.

This week I made a point of it. The thing I liked most about it was how simple it was to put in to action.

• You log in with your Google Apps log in. As a teacher be careful to state that you are a teacher, not a student, or you won't be able to create classes and I have no idea how to undo that sort of mistake!
• Look for the + to create a class from your contacts.
• For me my students weren't in my contacts so I had to add them. I'm not sure why they weren't showing up. Maybe it was something to do with our Google Apps admin set up. I am not an admin of our school domain as lots of teachers will not be.
• After setting up a class I made them look pretty and identifiable by changing the header.
• Each class generated a join up code so if you didn't want children to respond to an email I presume that they could enter the code to gain access to your class.

• Once the classes were set up I made a Google Doc task sheet that I wanted to fire out to everyone. This was an 'assignment'. As I sent it out I could decide whether I wanted it to be view only or edit.
• As it turns up to the student Classroom had named the doc and made a copy for every one.
• The students then do the 'assignment' and turns it in for 'marking'.
• Until they do that I can't see what they are doing which I find a bit annoying.
• Once the the children 'turn in the assignment' they can't edit it until I have 'marked' it.
• Once I have they can see my comments and mark that I gave it.

I liked it how Classroom automatically made the needed folders in my Google Drive so I could see what everyone had done for further reference.

I also sent everyone out an 'Announcement' - a bit like a group email to everyone. In this instance it was a link to a You Tube video that I thought they would like.

That is as far as we got this week. Classroom is a work in progress and I am sure Google will add more features the more feedback they receive from users.

Give it go.