5 Things to Know About the New Google Classroom
I just saw in the Shake Up Learning blog Kasey Bell shared some updates to Google Classroom. Click Here to see all the details.
I will share a quick overview here of Kasey's comments but check out the actual blog for images and full descriptions of the updated features.
1. New Tabs and OrganizationThe first thing you will notice is the three tabs you are used to seeing, Stream, Students, and About, are now Stream, Classwork, and People.
Stream
3. Better Use of TopicsThe new look and feel of the Classwork section is focused on dividing the page by topics. They appear bold and big so things are easier to locate.
If you haven’t been really making use of the topics feature, now is the time. The new organization is really going work best when you have your posts divided by topics. I would start adding topics now if you aren’t already so that when you transition to this update, you are ready to go!
Now, go back to my comments above concerning the loss of the About tab, my suggestion is to use topics in lieu of your About tab resources. You could name this something generic like Class Resources, or get more specific with the types of resources like Syllabus or Class Rules.
The other thing you will notice is the ability to reorder the Classwork page by topic. Just click on the three dots to move up or down in the list. You can also copy a link to the topic, which I think will come in handy!
4. Done/Not Done Only Visible on Assignment PageI think teachers are going to miss this! In the current version of Google Classroom, teachers can view in the stream how many students have “Done,” or “Not Done,” an assignment.
In the beta version, the new Classwork page is cleaner and more organized, but it looks like we sacrificed for the sake of convenience. You have to click on the assignment to see how many students are “Done,” or “Not Done,” with an assignment.
5. New Class Settings PageLast, but not least, we have a new Class Settings page. Here you can edit your Class name, add a description, section, time, etc. You can also access the class code (click the drop-down for display options), set post restrictions for students, and your preference for showing deleted items.
I will share a quick overview here of Kasey's comments but check out the actual blog for images and full descriptions of the updated features.
1. New Tabs and OrganizationThe first thing you will notice is the three tabs you are used to seeing, Stream, Students, and About, are now Stream, Classwork, and People.
Stream
- The stream is now focused on announcements and posts (if you allow students to post and comment in Classroom). As a teacher, when you click on the “+” in the bottom-right, you have the option to create an announcement or re-use a post. You will also see notifications in the Stream if something has been added to classwork, like when you create a new assignment.
- Majority of your time will now be spent in the Classwork tab. This is where teachers can create assignments, add questions, create topics, and reuse posts. The Classwork section is divided by topic so it is now easier to find assignments. In my screenshot above, I have created three topics as an example, daily work, classroom resources, and Unit 1: Theme. You can create topics to organize your class any way you like.
- Seeing this section named, People, sort of annoyed me a bit because I think this will be confusing for first-time users. Instead of just seeing your student roster in the Student tab, you can now manage all of the “people” that may be in your class, including co-teachers.
3. Better Use of TopicsThe new look and feel of the Classwork section is focused on dividing the page by topics. They appear bold and big so things are easier to locate.
If you haven’t been really making use of the topics feature, now is the time. The new organization is really going work best when you have your posts divided by topics. I would start adding topics now if you aren’t already so that when you transition to this update, you are ready to go!
Now, go back to my comments above concerning the loss of the About tab, my suggestion is to use topics in lieu of your About tab resources. You could name this something generic like Class Resources, or get more specific with the types of resources like Syllabus or Class Rules.
The other thing you will notice is the ability to reorder the Classwork page by topic. Just click on the three dots to move up or down in the list. You can also copy a link to the topic, which I think will come in handy!
4. Done/Not Done Only Visible on Assignment PageI think teachers are going to miss this! In the current version of Google Classroom, teachers can view in the stream how many students have “Done,” or “Not Done,” an assignment.
In the beta version, the new Classwork page is cleaner and more organized, but it looks like we sacrificed for the sake of convenience. You have to click on the assignment to see how many students are “Done,” or “Not Done,” with an assignment.
5. New Class Settings PageLast, but not least, we have a new Class Settings page. Here you can edit your Class name, add a description, section, time, etc. You can also access the class code (click the drop-down for display options), set post restrictions for students, and your preference for showing deleted items.
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