A Teacher's Thoughts on Google Classroom: Part 2

Google Classroom From a Special Area Perspective

What a dream it has been to be a part of the Google Classroom Pilot at MRS! This has been what I have been waiting for!  Google Classroom allows me to create a digital classroom space for each of the classes I teach.  As a homeroom teacher, you can create classes by subject.  As a special area teacher (like me), I can create separate Google classrooms for each of the class sections I teach.  

I love the ease of communication with students in Google Classroom.  After each of my lessons, I had been sending a ton of emails to all of the different classes with catch up items for absent students, or instructions for completing assignments, etc. With Google Classroom, I was able to cut down the time communicating these items with students by more than half.  When I want to post an announcement or an assignment, I can post it in one class and then add whatever other classes I would like it to go to.  This means that I can post once but have that assignment or announcement show up on the “classroom wall” of any or all of the other classes I want it to.

Having so many students to grade assignments for, I like that Google Classroom keeps track of who turned in their assignments on time.  If I can’t get to the grading of a few classes until a week after an item was due, I can easily see who completed on time and who did not.  Google Classroom makes it easy to pop a grade in and have it returned to the students so they can see their score.  

I also love Google Classroom for the management of assignments and announcements.  If I need to post an assignment or announcement with other items, I can add a YouTube video, a site link, a Google doc, spreadsheet, form, etc. This means that all the items that a student will need for that assignment or announcement will always be right there on their Google Classroom wall for reference or review. Two thumbs up for Google Classroom! I can’t wait to use it with all of my classes next year!

Written by Danica Taylor

MRS Computer Teacher