To make the best use of Google Classroom you need to know some hidden tricks and features. Here's what they are
Due to the Coronavirus emergency, schools and universities have been closed for over a month now. In order to continue with schedules, questions and other educational activities, many teachers have been relying on digital tools to work remotely.
One of the most widely used programs in this regard is Google Classroom, a cloud platform that helps teachers create and manage classes, assign class assignments, give grades and manage any communication with their students. For its part, Google has improved the service precisely to meet the needs of teachers during the Covid-19 crisis. Within the platform there are many tutorials that allow teachers to make the best use of the tools, acquire skills and offer their students a truly effective service. For those who are using Google Classroom for the first time, there are some tricks that make working in the classroom easier and more effective.
Use Google Classroom for any type of course
One of the first features of the platform is its versatility: it can meet the learning needs of any kind. In fact, it is not a system limited to schools but you can also use it to teach professional courses. The tool for schools is free of charge and is included in the G Suite for Education program.
Before lecturing, make students comfortable
Before starting the lesson, it is good to make students acclimatize and socialize them with this new way of lecturing. Also, it's crucial that everyone has the necessary accessories: perhaps you may need headphones and a microphone for questioning. Nothing should be left to chance. Each person has specific needs, so it might be useful to ask participants about any doubts and problems related to the platform. Remember that the needs of children are completely different from those of professionals, so use the tools offered by Google Classroom according to the needs of the class.
Enable Google Classroom offline tools
After choosing the type of lesson to be taught and selecting the tools that can be most useful, it's time to assign tasks. The recommended trick is to give students the opportunity to work offline. Not everyone has a home Internet network available. Therefore, materials can be downloaded directly to the smartphone using the gigs of their subscription. For example, the teacher could record a video and upload it to Google Classroom, instead of putting the link to Youtube. At the same time, you could upload a PDF document instead of a web page, and so on. In short, you need to encourage downloads so that documents are accessible even offline.
Make sure that assignments can be run on mobile device
Another trick to make the best use of Google Classroom is related to the ability to run assignments on Android, iPhone but also on laptops. For example, tasks performed on Google Docs or Sheets should generally be fine, because these systems are supported by both Android and iOS. It should be noted that the functionality of the three programs can vary depending on the operating system used, so before assigning a task the advice is to test the correct functioning on different devices.
Rely on social or online channels to inform yourself
In this period many online groups of teachers have been created, exchanging opinions on the best methods and tools to teach and deal with this moment without too many repercussions on teaching. The exchange of opinions is essential to find a common line to follow.