6 Tips for Getting Started with Google Classroom [infographic]

10 Things to Start with in Google Classroom - Teacher Tech In a nut shell, Google Classroom is Google Drive Management. It allows you to assign assignments and collect work from students. If you are just starting off with Google Classroom here are some things you will want to try first: When you first login you will be asked if you are a student or a teacher. Click on the plus button in the upper right to create a class for your students to join. Entering the Google Classroom class takes you to the class stream. For your first announcement why not invite your students to say hello. Your next announcement can be a friendly reminder of what types of comments are helpful to everyone in the class and when comments should be made or not made. On the left-hand side of your Google Classroom class is a code to allow students to join the class. I highly recommend you number all of your Google Classroom assignments. Assignments, unlike announcements, have a header. Start with the assignment number and the assignment title.

Using Google Classroom to Differentiate Assignments - Teacher Tech Creative Commons License by Eric Rice via Flickr What is nice about a digital environment is the ability to differentiate. Google Classroom allows you to build a set of resources for a single assignment. This makes it possible to offer students choices as to how they access the information or how the student would like to address the assignment. Rather than focusing on the directions for an assignment, instead focus on what the learning outcomes are suppose to be. I always like to include a “choose your own adventure” option. Consider Your Learners As the teacher you have a good idea of the differing needs of the students in your class. When adding resources to the assignment in Google Classroom try to provide different types. Just Above Their Ability Level Games teach us that to motivate a player you want to give them a challenge that is just above their ability level but within their reach. Leveling The genius of Google Classroom is the student turn in process. Privacy A Conversation

Learn the Ins and Outs of Google Classroom from an Expert Educator and blogger Alice Keeler has written extensively on integrating Google Classroom with everyday school work. Spanning three posts on her blog Teacher Tech, Keeler has assembled 46 ways teachers can take advantage of Classroom, the latest in Google's Apps for Education lineup. Google’s cloud-based classroom organizer streamlines the flow of daily assignments and helps overcome teacher–student communication barriers. Earlier this month, Keeler was a guest on the TechEducator podcast, along with EdTech contributor Sam Patterson, and discussed how Google Classroom has aided her own instruction and how teachers can benefit from her experience. We won't steal all of Keeler's Classroom thunder, but here are five tips from her list: Create a lesson. Google has been adding new features to Classroom since its introduction in August. “I see this as just the beginning of where we’re going with Classroom,” Yeskel said.