Google: More than just a search engine! It's a CLASSROOM!

Google It!  We have all done it.  You see something, you want to know the ending of a book . . . did the character really just die?  What do you do?  Why Google it of course?  But Google has so much more to offer us than to just serve our whimsical needs for nuggets of truth or fiction.  Google has become a powerful force in the world of education with its push in the world of education through Google Apps for Education.  Google in all of its genius offers free services to educational institutions and we LOVE them for it.  We will talk more about the Google Apps for Education service in another post later but I am excited today about GOOGLE CLASSROOM!  This may be a little backwards but let's Google your classroom.

I was an Edmodo girl and I still love many of the features of Edmodo.  I love Edmodo's badges and many of the apps that you can link to Edmodo.  However, being a GAFE district, Google Classroom has won me over.  The interface works seamlessly with our GAFE accounts.  One login for students to remember . . . can I get an AMEN?!?  Classroom allows you to share assignments to all of your students through classroom, provide feedback to students and grade assignments - all within the classroom interface.  When sharing assignments, you have the option to provide each student their own copy, an editable template or an view-only copy.  I love the GC is ever changing and ever improving.  They continue to improve the classroom since its launch last school year.  The platform allows for co-teachers which is great for classes with multiple teachers.  Google Classroom also provides a resource area to share classroom resources.

The resource section is also a great place to post student work and allow students to provide peer feedback.  This great post by Alice Keeler explains the process in detail -

Alice Keeler - Student Exemplars & Peer Feedback in Google Classroom

If you are going to jump on into the Google Classroom world, you should follow Alice Keeler's blog or stalk her on Twitter.  It is worth your time.  She is the bees knees in the Google world.  Look for help tutorials and more Google goodness coming soon to the "In the Classroom" section of my blog.  

If you have been on the fence about exploring the idea of a learning management system in your classroom, check out Google Classroom.  If you really LOVE your Edmodo account but want to try out GC, do not fear.  You can run a dual platform by linking the features of Edmodo that you love within your classroom.  It is a little extra work but it can be done.