Google Classroom is boring. It is a field. You dump stuff within the field. The phrase Google doesn’t make a field of stuff partaking. It requires intentional design and planning for the way college students can be engaged. Consider how you’ll setup Google Classroom for engagement.

Student Engagement

As my pal Heather Lyon says, engagement will not be a unicorn, it’s a narwhal. In different phrases, it’s not simple. Student engagement is elusive. The holy grail of engagement is college students being so within the process they don’t discover when class is over! Google Classroom will in all probability not be the magic bullet to get college students right into a state of move, however there are positively issues you possibly can strive.

Do Not Copy a Prior Class

The first step in partaking college students is to be intentional. This years college students should not final years college students. Things ought to change and be tailored for the scholars you’re instructing now. I’ve a weblog put up with some strategies on this.

Stream is for Student Interactions

The Stream is sort of a social media feed. However, you need to create norms and design for interactions for this to work correctly.

Stream Settings

Click on the settings cog within the higher proper.

In the Google Classroom Stream settings I take advantage of “Students can post and comment.” and “Show attachments and details.”

I promise children will act like children and put up some goofy issues.

First, this can be a nice solution to train them the right way to behave in an internet atmosphere. It is safer to make poor decisions in your class than posting issues on social media and doubtlessly dropping a scholarship or worse. Google Classroom Stream or not college students want assist in the right way to behave at school.

I had a number of of my seventh graders put up what appeared to me to be an extended string of random letters. Some “waz up” kind feedback. What might need been a poem a couple of hippopotamus… Use the three dots on the put up to delete the put up if it doesn’t contribute to the constructive atmosphere of the classroom. On Monday we can be chatting concerning the objective of the Stream. Allowing college students to debate what would and wouldn’t be useful to their classmates.

Kids put up goofy issues, I’m going speak to them about it. I delete the put up.

Use Canva

Canva for Education is FREE! I might need a Canva habit. You should confirm your college account right here.

Always add a Canva graphic to your Stream bulletins.

I search for “Facebook post” on Canva to design photographs so as to add to my Stream bulletins. Graphics make your bulletins considerably extra partaking. Same for social media. If you’re on twiX (What I’m selecting to name Twitter + X) or it’s alternative I extremely encourage you so as to add a picture to your put up! Posts with a picture get 30% extra engagement.

Morning Warm-up

If you wish to have interaction college students in a digital dialogue, strive utilizing the Stream on Google Classroom for a dialogue. Create a Canva graphic and ask college students to answer to your announcement put up to get the day began.

Include the Link to the Classwork Page

Google Classroom is designed to be organized by matters on the Classwork web page. The problem is getting the scholars to truly go to the Classwork web page.

If you’re looking on the Classwork web page, you possibly can copy the hyperlink to the Classwork web page. (Try Control L, Control C). This is the hyperlink I share with college students. This is the QR code that put up; to take them to the Classwork web page. I additionally bookmark the Classwork web page so I can go instantly there rapidly.

Create a Canva picture that tells college students what actions they’re doing for the day. They will discover it organized on the Classwork web page. I hyperlink to the Classwork web page.

Setup Google Classroom for Engagement

Create matters on the Classwork web page. Include emojis within the matter titles. Think about how college students will be capable to simply find their work. How will they work together with the project? How will they work together with one another? How will they’ve decisions?

Number Your Assignments

My greatest Google Classroom tip is to quantity your assignments with a 3 digit quantity and a hashtag. This makes it simpler to be clear about what college students are purported to be engaged on, or what they’re lacking. “Go to #006” is much less irritating than “Find today’s warmup.”

Writing on PDF’s is Not Engaging

One of the benefits to utilizing a instrument like Google Classroom is with the ability to hyperlink college students to actions which can be artistic or have gamification. Using Book Creator or Canva has the potential of partaking college students by permitting them to have artistic, multi-media, expression of their studying. I really like utilizing Quizizz. The gamification is nice and it has wonderful Google Classroom integration.

Collaboration and Interactions

I really like utilizing Padlet with my college students. This permits college students to share their concepts in a “post it” model. However, it goes manner past Jamboard. Students can “like” posts. They can reply to one another. They can add photographs and video. Engage college students in discussions by posting a Padlet hyperlink to Google Classroom.

Try Microsoft Flip, it’s FREE!

Post the Learning Objective

Rarely is the educational goal “poster making.” For most studying aims there are one million methods for a scholar to reveal that they’ve met the educational goal.

What is cool about Google Classroom is college students can submit something. They can add any file or a screenshot or image of something they did. If you ask for a Google Doc they will alternatively add a video.

How to make use of Badge Game

Fast Feedback

Do not let Google Classroom turn into a black gap the place college students put assignments and so they by no means see the sunshine of day. The velocity of suggestions issues. This is one factor I really like about utilizing Google Classroom. I’ve entry to scholar paperwork whereas they’re engaged on them. This permits me so as to add suggestions earlier than they even submit.

The Private Comments in Google Classroom are my favourite since they will act as a dialog and never only a touch upon the aspect of the paper.

Create a Topic on the prime of the Google Classroom Classwork web page titled “Feedback.”

After giving suggestions on an project, drag the project into this matter to alert college students that you simply left them suggestions.

Feedback Loops

Make the project extra about studying than incomes factors by creating suggestions loops. I embody in my rubric “responds to teacher feedback.” After college students submit, I present suggestions within the Private Comments (or in doc), and RETURN WITHOUT A SCORE! In the return remark I point out that they want to answer my suggestions and resubmit.

After responding to my suggestions, the scholars will resubmit the project.

Today Topic

My first matter on the Classwork web page is “Today.” Then there isn’t a query on what we’re doing at present. I drag assignments and sources out and in of the matters to the Today matter.