Google Classroom is my home sweet home. After spending a few years in a serious relationship with Blackboard, then speed dating with Edmodo and Wikispaces, I have finally met a platform that I plan to stay with long-term. 
I’m a Google Classroom teacher for life…err…unless my school makes me switch to Schoology in the future. (Yes, it happened circa 2023.)
Although there is still room for improvement in Classroom (could we integrate a plagiarism checker? or multiple feeds for different purposes?), I love that they are open to feedback and working to make the experience better for users.
For example, the post scheduling and group creation tools were added as a result of user feedback, so be sure to let them know if you have a suggestion for improvement! (Update: The Google gods have heard and answered my prayers for a plagiarism checker and multiple feeds!)
I was initially skeptical about switching to yet another platform. However, my students were getting confused about where to go, lacking a central location for our classroom work, and it was time to make the switch like many of the other teachers in my building.
Why Google Classroom Saves Teachers Time
I love Classroom because it makes the drafting, feedback, revision, grading loop so much more fluid. I can create an assignment, upload the assignment sheet and rubric for students, instruct the computer gremlins to “make a copy for each student” and *voila* students click on the assignment, make a copy and I have instant access to their work-in-progress.
I appreciate being able to click into every student’s document during a work day to check on his or her progress, provide specific feedback on a skill, or respond to a comment left by that student. Google Classroom for teachers is ah-mazing because you still see the work even if students don’t officially turn it in. The amount of time I spend tracking down students for work completion has dwindled down to nothing.
Oh yeah, and every assignment you create in Classroom is automatically assigned a folder within your “Classroom” folder in Google Drive. This makes organization of student work simple.
I recently found out about a HUGE time-saving add-on script that pulls paragraphs from Classroom student work into a spreadsheet so that you have them all in one place for viewing and feedback. Until Classroom adds a scroll feature, this technology tool saves me a lot of time by not having to open each Google Doc individually.
Also, I love that students can work with Google Slides, Google Draw, and upload videos or images; Classroom is not just a platform that accepts documents. I can have students create TED talks and upload their talks. I can have students, as a ticket in the door, draw a mind map in Google Draw, submit, and then share student work with the class. I can post flipped classroom videos and have students respond via a Google Form to show their learning.
And what I can’t do…well, that’s sure to change as Google Classroom changes and grows.
P.S. Google Classroom for teachers can be used for professional development purposes and to streamline PLC sharing. You’re welcome! xoxo
Hey, if you loved this post, I want to be sure you’ve had the chance to grab a FREE copy of my guide to streamlined grading. I know how hard it is to do all the things as an English teacher, so I’m over the moon to be able to share with you some of my best strategies for reducing the grading overwhelm.
Purpose in Reading Makes a HUGE Impact