Using Google Classroom For Remote Learning – E001

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We are super excited to be able to share our first episode of the EduGals podcast with you! We are talking all about how you can leverage the power of Google Classroom for remote learning.

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Show Notes

In this episode, we discuss the use of Google Classroom for remote learning. We also introduce ourselves and tell you a bit about who we are as educators. It is our hope that this podcast can help you learn amazing and useful ways to bring technology into your classroom. We’ll be honest… we were pretty nervous about hitting the record button and putting ourselves out there! So if you have any feedback for us, we’d love to hear it.

Reasons why we love Google Classroom:

• Students know it and are comfortable with it
• For the most part, teachers are comfortable with the platform too
• It is easy to use and, while it may not be as robust as other online tools, it does a great job of creating a central online space for teachers to communicate and post materials for students.

Sections in Google Classroom:

4 different tabs or sections of a google  classroom – Stream, Classwork, People and Marks:

• Stream – Great for posting announcements, fun activities, discussions, etc., can turn off classwork notifications using the settings/cog wheel
• Classwork – section with the most helpful features/use during remote learning. Can create
  • assignments
  • materials (lessons – slide decks, handouts, websites, etc.)
  • quizzes
  • questions for students to answer
  • topics (sort by topic, unit, week)
• People – You can email all students, a group of students, or individual students; single guardian or all guardians; click on a student and it will pull up a page showing all of their assignments, contact info, etc.

Tips for remote learning with Google Classroom:

• Class settings – Here you can find guardian emails, notification settings and you can set up whether or not students can post or comment (or neither)
• Start fresh! Create a new classroom, and post this new code in your OLD classroom. This will help students as they are starting this new process of learning, and they won’t feel overwhelmed or be distracted by previous material posted during face to face instruction.
• Topics: Organize by week instead of unit!
  • When creating or posting new material, there is a section where it says “Topic” – default is no topic, but if you click on the arrow, you can create a new topic, or use another topic that exists – Create new, and label according to the week
• Stream – This is the first page/screen that students see when they enter their classroom
  • Change settings to get rid of classwork posts: Default will be a post every time that you create material or assignments, and this will really clutter up the Stream. So change the settings so that it doesn’t post every time you add a lesson, etc.
  • Consider allowing students to post/comment on the Stream. This can also be changed in the settings. It will allow for more interaction and a feeling of community, despite the lack of face to face interactions.
• Ask questions not related to the curriculum! Sometimes a simple question about what they are doing, their favourite activity while being at home right now, etc. will create a sense of community and belonging, and helps to engage some of the students that are quick to get lost in this type of learning.
• Make sure feedback is happening quickly using private comments – include voice notes and bitmojis whenever possible, as it helps the students feel like you are still there, and that they aren’t just interacting with a screen.
• Keep it simple, keep your expectations low, and really consider the length of your lessons!

Additional Resources

Here are some other resources that you might find helpful:

• Google Classroom Help Community
• Google Teach From Home Website
• Alice Keeler: Remote learning with Google Classroom
• TES: Coronavirus: 11 tips for using Google Classroom
• Google Classroom Resource Slides (as shown above)

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