Okay, so now that you have your Classes set, you want to start creating Announcements and Assignments.

Create Announcement

Once you are in the Class in which you would like to create an Announcement, make sure that you are viewing the Class Stream. The default is set to create Announcements, but you’ll want to make sure by looking for the downward notch is above ‘Assignment’. You can post your announcement solo or attach a file, something from Google Drive, a YouTube video, and/or a link. Select the blue ‘Post’ button, and you’re done.

Note: Students will have ‘View Only’ rights to any attachment found in your Google Drive.

Edit/Delete Announcement

Once you have created your Announcement, you can either edit or delete it by choosing the three (3) dots at the upper right corner of the Announcement.

Creating an Assignment

The process for creating an Assignment is very similar to that of creating an Announcement. You have the additional options to set a Due Date and Time.

Note: You determine how items from your Google Drive are shared – view only, all students can edit the document, or make a copy for each student.

Same Assignment and/or Announcement: Several Classes

One nice feature is that you can share the same Announcement or Assignment in several Classes without having to post in each class. By choosing the drop down arrow at the lower right corner, you can select which Classes you would like it to appear.

Turned In Assignments

After you have posted your Assignment, you can easily see how many students have turned in the Assignment.

Edit/Delete Assignment

As with Announcements, you can Edit or Delete the Assignment by selecting the three (3) dots in the upper right corner of the Assignment.

What is Google Classroom?

In June, Google started sending out invitations to Beta testers for Google Classroom. Google Classroom is a management tool for your GAfE account. It allows users to create classrooms in which you can assign work – YouTube videos, links, anything from Google Drive, or other files you may have stored elsewhere. In addition, you can also create announcements where students can interact with you and each other.

Currently Google is gathering feedback from all users. I am sure in the true Google ‘Spirit’, they will continue to modify and iterate (they are the masters of iteration) their latest tool.

Getting Set Up

So here is a BASIC overview from the teacher’s viewpoint. When you first open Google Classroom, a folder (Classroom) is automatically created for you in your Google Drive. Once open, you will be taken to the ‘Home’ screen. Here I have a current class set up and have highlighted some of the features available. If it is your first time, you can easily set up a class by choosing the plus sign (+) next to your user information at the top right corner.

Creating a Class

Looking at how to ‘Create a Class’: A pop-out will appear, and you will be guided on how to create a class. You can then create classes for each class or period needed.

Inside a Class

Once your class is created you will be taken to the class ‘Stream’. This is where you can add students, create announcements and assignments. You will also be given the option to ‘Take a Tour’.

Change Picture

So you’re not fond of the purple bubbles? Not a problem. When your cursor hovers over the header, the option to ‘Change Picture’ appears in the lower right corner of the header. Once you choose that other options will appear.

Manually Assigning Students

As I am in an elementary self-contained classroom, I find it easier to sign my students up myself. However, if you are dealing with multiple classes, it might be easier to have them sign up via the ‘Class Code’.

Adding your own students only takes a few simple clicks. Start by switching your current view from ‘Stream’ to ‘Students’.

To manually add students choose the blue ‘ADD’ button. I can then either checkmark students from my contact list or select an entire ‘group’.

Join With a Class Code

When students go to their ‘Classroom’ for the fist time, they should choose the plus sign (+) at the top right corner next to their user information. This gives them the option to ‘Join a Class’ using the class code.