Google Classroom Do’s

Google Classroom Considerations

Google Classroom Don’ts

✅ Use Topics. Topics help teachers organize assignments in Google Classroom so the most recent or most important stay at the top. Consider having a topic for each day or each week. Click here for an example.

✅Post the newest assignments at the top of the Classwork page. Students and parents don’t want to wade through completed assignments to find the current assignments and materials.

✅ Add multiple attachments to one assignment

If your assignment requires a video, an article and a journal, don’t put them in as 3 separate assignments, or class materials followed by the assignment. Include them all in one assignment. EXCEPT FORMS!!!!!

✅ If sharing a Google Form, ALWAYS make it the only attachment. If any other attachments are included, the Import Grades option cannot be turned on.

✅ Number attachments in instructions and name of file. If adding several attachments to an assignment, number them in the order students should complete them. Example: 

1. Watch the video

2. Read the article

3. Complete the journal entry

✅ Include all necessary instructions for accessing non-Google resources with an assignment. For example: go to Classlink and click on Discovery Education before clicking on a video link; go to Classlink and click on Wixie to find the template named...

✅ Provide alternative ways students can submit evidence of work. Not all students have access to a printer. Some assignments can be completed on paper and a picture submitted, others would be best displayed with a video. Here is a resource on submitting a picture of an assignment.

✅ Return student work after it has been graded and/or reviewed. Students can not see their grades or comments on the document until the work has been returned to them.

💡 Provide a schedule. A daily or weekly schedule or calendar “snapshot” of what to expect this week is helpful. Here is a sample of an Agenda for ES students.

💡Use Lesson Packages to deliver lessons. Lesson packages include everything that a student needs to complete a lesson in one document or slide deck. Learn more about creating lesson packages here.

💡 Change Classwork on the Stream settings. Students can be overwhelmed when every assignment posts to both the Stream and the Classwork tab. Choose the Hide Notifications option. Here is a resource to help you change these settings.

💡  Use emojis to simplify and personalize. Emojis can be great for young learners to distinguish between math and reading, for example. Emojis also give you a chance to connect with students on a digital platform. Emojis can be added to topics and assignment titles. For ideas, click here (this article refers to Chromebooks, but the extensions will work in Chrome as well).

💡 Notify parents and students of Google’s mobile apps. These can be a great solution to the lack of notifications of Classwork assignments and comments, but also allow students to be productive on iOS and Android devices. Here is a list of Google apps for mobile devices. Here is a resource on the Amazing Mobile Features of Google Classroom.

🅧 Attach Microsoft documents like Word, PowerPoints or Excel to assignments for students to complete. They MUST be converted to the Google equivalents before attaching with “Make a copy for every student”. Watch this video on how to convert documents. Remember, just because a file opens in Google doesn’t mean it is a Google file!

🅧  Share PDFs if students need to work in the file.   Nothing in Google will make a pdf editable for students. If students need to work in a pdf, the content needs to appear in a Google file. Here is a resource on how to add an image of a pdf as a background in Slides. Here is a resource on options for taking a screenshot on different devices.

🅧 Attach answer keys or documents meant just for teachers. Preview documents in the before attaching them to an assignment. Remember that too many attachments are overwhelming for parents!

🅧 Post assignments to the Stream. Assignments should go on the Classwork tab. The Stream is for announcements and discussion or Q & A.

🅧 Delete assignments when they are over. If you organize by dates, the Topics will move them to the bottom of the Classwork page. If you organize in some other manner, create an Archive section for assignments.

🅧 Post questions that need to be responded to in instructions. Use the discussion question, a Google Form, or a provide an answer document.

🅧 Forget to give your students feedback on assignments. You may not be putting grades in Classroom, but students still want to know that you received an assignment, that you are looking at their work and how they did.