Implementing Google Classroom
One frequent question asked by teachers is, “How can I effectively implement technology into my classroom?” Whether it is a homeroom, an elective, or an after school program, all teachers can benefit from using Google Classroom. As a Technology teacher, I am required to introduce new and upcoming trends in technology. I teach almost 600 students and it is extremely – difficult to keep up with messy papers and grade books. Google Classroom has been such an amazing tool for me as an educator and I want to share how you can use it successfully in your classroom as well. Whether it is creating assignments for student collaboration, going paperless, creating a class discussion, or even organizing office hours and extra help.
Collaboration is KEY!
In my classroom, I try to teach my students the value of collaboration. Google Classroom is a great tool for just that. Because it allows students to create slides, docs, forms, and sheets, all of these tools are able to be shared with me or other students. Once they are shared, I am able to see every edit that is made on the document as well as who made changes or who did most of the work! Group projects will never be one person completing all of the work in the group again! Google Classroom has changed my classroom in so many ways, but this is definitely one of the best features. All of the students’ work being shared with me allows me to post comments right on the document. It is brilliant!
Less Paper, More Fun
If you ask students if they want to use paper and pencils or use a computer, the answer will most likely be: computers please. Many schools around the country are going paperless! According to Scholastic, “Creating a paperless classroom also allows the teacher to introduce new technologies to students. Businesses are looking for employees that have 21st century skills.” Not only does this help students, it can help protect our environment.. Google Classroom eliminates excess papers, grade books, and other unnecessary papers that go to waste. All student work is saved in their Google Drive which can simply be uploaded into Google Classroom. This allows for students to never touch a pencil and paper if they don’t need to.
Reuse, Reuse, Reuse!
Let’s face it, as teachers, we are likely to reuse certain assignments from year to year. Making hundreds of copies of the same assignment is timely and a pain! Google Classroom has a simple way for teachers to reuse assignments from past years, classes, or subjects. Because I teach K-6 technology, I am able to reuse specific lessons for different grade levels. Using a few differentiation skills, I am able to have an amazing lesson for my students with the same content! It is a lifesaver. It keeps your classroom assignments organized and saved in any of your Google Classroom sections you would like.