With this week’s update to Google Classroom, it seemed like the perfect time to talk about how to get the most out of this great learning management system.
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Managing Absent Work
Developing and consistently implementing a system for absent work is an essential classroom procedure. Google Classroom is a great place to post your daily agenda.
In the past, I posted an announcement in the Class Stream each month and update that announcement every day. Placing the most-recent work first increases efficiency. As much as possible, I attach class materials to the monthly agendas so students are always looking in this one place.
When students are absent, they know to check the Google Classroom agenda for the work they missed. Only after they check the Google Classroom should they come to me with questions. At the start of a new month, I create a new announcement and start again. I’ve been using this system for three years now, and it’s helped my students manage their homework and absent work. Making choices to empower students is an advantage of using Google Classroom.
I have recently switched to using these free and Very Basic Daily Agenda slides, which I also link in Google Drive. Click the link or image to get your own free copy.
Organizing Class Work
With the update to Google Classroom, teachers can now drag-and-drop to organize the Class Work tab. However, managing large projects or assignments that span the course of several class periods can still be a challenge to organize.
For this reason, when I post a major project, I use one post and continually update that post. For example, when my students were writing the literary analysis over The Great Gatsby, I posted one assignment and students added to that assignment every day, writing their paper piece by piece. This is also where I uploaded exemplar papers, rubrics, and due dates. With this system, students are able to focus on the assignment rather than focusing on where to find materials.
Emphasizing Revision
In the English classroom, the writing process is a major and continual subject. In particular, we work on visualizing and revising throughout the year. In addition to using a single assignment throughout the course of a paper, I also have specific expectations for my students during revision.
As I read through and comment on rough drafts, I specifically tie each comment to an aspect of the rubric. Additionally, as students revise their papers, they respond the comments to justify their choices. This helps them think through their work. It also helps me know exactly where I should re-read and re-grade the final copy.
In the most-recent update to Google Classroom, Google has also made it easier to comment on student work. The comment bank has been around since the start of this school year, but now you can more easily access your saved comments. I’ve been using this trick for about a week now, and it is so efficient!
What other tips and tricks should we know for getting the most out of Google Classroom? Let us know in the comments!
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