Working with Google Classroom

Please Note: Due to GDPR and safeguarding requirements, Google classroom and G Suite must only be used with learners via official Middlesbrough College Google accounts. If you wish to have these accounts setup for both you and your learners, please email inspire@mbro.ac.uk .

Changing from a teacher in a classroom to an online teacher was not without its challenges, especially for those like me who are new to the experience. However, after researching possible online learning options, I chose to use Google Classroom as my online platform.

This platform has been perfect, especially for first-time users, as it has been easy to set up, allowing me to organise my lessons and resources in a logical sequence. My GCSE English students have engaged with the online classroom managing to easily submit work within the set deadlines. Using Google Classroom is also an effective and easy way to communicate with my students.

Google Classroom is a platform that acts as a digital organiser where I can store learning resources and materials to share with students. This education-friendly platform brings the benefits of delivering interactive lessons, sharing a range of resources, and creating collaborations. Google Classroom enables me to select the features I want to incorporate into the lessons, helping to make them more engaging for the students.

Through Google Classroom, I can streamline and manage classes easily, all it takes is one click, and you are in the class of your choice.

Once in the class, I can create course materials, student work, and then digitally organise them into a sequence that suits delivery.

Google Classroom allows me to distribute student work and collect their assignments, with the option to add deadlines so students can submit their work on time.

In Google Classroom, I can post the same resources and materials to multiple classes, modify and reuse assignments; helping to save time and work load.

In addition, I can also provide students’ timely feedback on their assignments and assessments, marking work online as soon as it is submitted.

There is also an option to incorporate Google Forms, which allows me to create and share quizzes; the big advantage of this is that they are automatically graded saving time on marking.

Google Classroom allows creative, collaboration-friendly ways for students to work together to solve problems and revolutionises communication with students, encouraging students to engage with the range of activities you have designed.

Google Classroom is the perfect way for me to communicate, regularly, with students about their classwork, I also find it easy to identify who has completed their work and who I need to contact. I can check in with individual students, and leave individualised 1:1 comments and feedback so that each student receives the formative feedback they need to make progress.

Student engagement has been impressive, and this is evidenced by the quality of work I receive and mark. I even have students sending me messages as soon as they have submitted their work, asking for feedback.

As an emerging user of Google Classroom, I am now starting to develop content and activities that are more engaging, and interactive for my students by developing the skills and online attributes that will inspire my students to continue to log in to all sessions. I have started to research what else is available. I am currently looking at Google Docs and Google Slides, and at sharing different types of media, and screencasts to, hopefully, encourage all students to engage in all tasks and activities.

Will keep you all posted on mine and my students’ progress.

Alison.