Using Google Classroom

As we prepare for the possibility of moving to some sort of 'online learning' for a week, or a couple weeks, or more... (who knows?)

I thought I would share a quick post on Using Google Classroom.  I know that we have a few staff members who already use Google Classroom (Mr. Mitchell is one that immediately comes to mind.

All Elkton Teaching Staff have a Google Account that comes with your K12 account that is provided to you from the K12 Data Center.  That Google Account gives you the opportunity to create and use a Google Classroom.

I have been using Google Classroom with my Computer Applications class for the last several years.  In fact, we use it to do ALL of our assignments.  I like it for a number of reasons, including:

1. It organizes all your assignments...they are right there.  There is no "losing" one, or searching through folders to find an assignment.  The Google Classroom automatically puts the submissions from each into a separate Google Drive folder.  You can access them directly from the Classroom itself...or you can go into your Google Classroom folders on Google Drive.
2. It is accessible online from anywhere.  You don't need to be at school to Grade assignments, you can do it from anywhere with an internet connection.  THIS is also a positive for the students, as they can turn in assignments from anywhere, at any time.
3. YOU can include all kinds of materials to your students via Google Classroom, including papers, notes, worksheets, etc.
4. You can include links to anything you would want the student to do.  You can even do your tests on Google Classroom using "Google Forms".
5. Although there isn't a "video" portion to record yourself... you can include links to videos, including Youtube, but you can also make a brief video of yourself using your computer webcam, and simply upload it to google drive, where you can include a link to it in a post.
6. Audio - you can do similar with Audio files.  Record yourself, either on your computer, or even on your phone, if you like... then upload the file into a Google Drive folder and share it...and anyone with the link can listen to it.

My last 4 Semesters of classes on Google Classroom

Over the past few years, I have had the students do all types of assignments and upload them to the Google Classroom... some of them have been online work, where they have to post the link.  Some of them have been work on Microsoft Office Products where they upload the actual file that they created, and some of them have been Google Products that they created right in the Google Classroom (there is an option that says 'create' when they look at the assignment)
-I even have the students upload Microsoft Publisher files into Google Classroom... there is no Google equivalent for 'Publisher' on the web, but the files are there, and I can access them by downloading them on my computer and opening them in Publisher. (they appear like BLANK files in Google Drive)

A Google Classroom is a very simple and effective way to get information and assignments to students, AND gives them the opportunity to submit things back to you.
-You DO need to have an internet connection to access Google Classroom.

If you have further questions regarding Google Classroom, or would like help setting one up, please let me know. 

Google Calendar: Scheduling the Mobile Labs

In the past few weeks, you may have gotten an e-mail from me inviting you to use Google Calendar (if you previously were not signed up for this service).

With our K12 credentials, the state has given us all Google Accounts, and we have talked before about some of the google products we can use, such as google Drive.

Google Calendar is simply another tool we can use.  It's simple, and it's easy, and we can all access Google Calendars from our own computers.

After discussing this with the Tech committee, we decided to move the Calendars for the Mobile Labs to an "Online" Calendar... so that way, we can find them, and sign up for them directly from your own computer.  No more sending someone down to the lab to see who signed up for it last.
(Also, no more having to go anywhere to sign up for it yourself...you can simply sign up for it from your own desk.)

The following screencast (which I recorded on Screenr) will walk you through the steps of how to log into your Google Calendar account, and how to schedule the mobile lab.  Several people are already doing this, and it seems to be working pretty well.



If you are having trouble
A. Signing into your google account
B. Scheduling the lab
C. or anything else (maybe the lab isn't 'shared' with you?)
Please let me know, and I will try to walk you through it, and help you in any way that I can.