Creating a Class in Google Classroom Craig Baskerville ETAD 803 Assignment 1

Getting started Check that you are signed in to Google Chrome using your Google Apps for Education username and password. Go to https://classroom.google.com/ If this is your first time using Google Classroom, select “I am a Teacher..” If a school or division is utilizing Gmail as their email platform, they likely have Google Apps for Education access. If you are unsure if you have access to Google Apps for Education, check with your school division’s technology department. The username and password are the same. It is very important that teachers select “I am a Teacher” when logging in to Google Classroom for the first time. They will have very limited functionality if they select “I am a Student,” and will run into issues in the next few steps.

Join or create a class Click the ‘plus’ sign in the top right corner of the page. Join a class by entering a class code or you can create your own class. Select “Create a Class” Name the class (subject & section) ie: Science 7–A Customize the appearance of your Classroom page Select an existing theme, or Upload a photo If they are not given the option to create a class, it is because they selected “I am a Student” in the previous page. The teacher must contact their Google Apps Administrator to have this setting changed. Take the Tour On your first login to Google Classroom, you will be offered a tour. Take a moment to explore with this helpful guide.This is a good idea, even if you are going to review it all later. It gives beginners an opportunity to see what's coming up. Customizing the Classroom homepage adds a personal touch for your classroom. Don’t allow too much time for choosing a theme, with a large group this can become a distraction.

Add students to your class Select the “Students” tab near the top of the page. Add students to your new Google Classroom by selecting either: 1) Class Code (recommended) OR 2) Invite Class Code: Students can enter a class code on the Google Classroom welcome page and be immediately added to your class Invite: Teachers manually enter students’ names into their classroom Recommend signing up student using the Class Code feature, it is much faster than searching for students in the ”invite” section.

Add students with a class code Look for your randomly generated class code in the “Students” tab or on the left of the “Stream”. Direct your students to http://classroom.google.com Ensure that new students to Google Classroom select “I am a Student” if they are prompted. Prompt students click the ‘plus’ sign in the top right corner of the page Select “Join Class”. Enter the class code. This method of adding students is much more efficient for teachers and students alike. The class code is the same as the one on the teacher classroom page. Once students enter the class code, they will be granted access to your Google Classroom.

Add students with an invite Click the blue “Invite” button on the Students tab. A new “Select students to invite” window will appear. Select students from your existing contacts, OR Use the search box. Press “Invite Students” once all of your students have been selected. Invite from contacts If you’ve already added your students to a Gmail contact list, they will appear here and you only need to check the boxes next to the names of the students in this class. Search box Use the search box and search for your students by name (first or last) and you can easily find them. Check the box next to your students. Students will need to accept the invitation by logging in to their Gmail accounts before they can access the classroom; this, and the time it takes to search students by name, is why using the Class Code feature is much more efficient. Press “Invite Students” To save time, do not press this button until you have checked all of your students’ names.

Manage your class list Check the box next to one or more students’ names. Press the “Actions” dropdown menu. Three choices will appear: Remove Permanently remove a student from your class (they can be added back later but will lose access in the meantime). Email Send a Gmail message to one or more students right from Google Classroom. Mute Allows students to see posts and assignments, but prevents them from commenting in the class stream. Once your students have been added to you class, using either of the previous options, you can manage your class list from the students tab. The ”Mute” feature is a handy classroom management tool for students who do not respect the stream.

Student permissions Select the desired student permissions from the dropdown menu at the top of the page. Choose either: 1) Students can post and comment 2) Students can only comment 3) Only teacher can post or comment Another feature on the “Students” tab is the teacher’s ability to control student permissions in Google Classroom. Select which option is best for managing your classroom. Consider how interactive you would like this space to be and whether students will be accessing from home. Think carefully about the student permissions options. Too much freedom in the Google Classroom stream is not the best choice for all students, but too little can limit the true power of this tool.