Google Classroom is boring. It’s 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 might be engaged. Think about how you’ll setup Google Classroom for engagement.

Pupil Engagement

As my buddy Heather Lyon says, engagement will not be a unicorn, it’s a narwhal. In different phrases, it’s not simple. Pupil engagement is elusive. The holy grail of engagement is college students being so within the activity they don’t discover when class is over! Google Classroom will most likely not be the magic bullet to get college students right into a state of stream, however there are undoubtedly issues you may attempt.

Do Not Copy a Prior Class

Step one in partaking college students is to be intentional. This years college students should not final years college students. Issues ought to change and be tailored for the scholars you might be educating now. I’ve a weblog submit with some ideas on this.

Stream is for Pupil Interactions

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

Stream Settings

Click on on the settings cog within the higher proper.

Within the Google Classroom Stream settings I take advantage of “College students can submit and remark.” and “Present attachments and particulars.”

I promise youngsters will act like youngsters and submit some goofy issues.

First, it is a nice option to educate them tips on how to behave in a web based setting. It’s safer to make poor selections in your class than posting issues on social media and doubtlessly dropping a scholarship or worse. Google Classroom Stream or not college students want help in tips on how to behave in school.

I had a number of of my seventh graders submit what appeared to me to be an extended string of random letters. Some “waz up” sort feedback. What may need been a poem a few hippopotamus… Use the three dots on the submit to delete the submit if it doesn’t contribute to the optimistic setting of the classroom. On Monday we might be chatting concerning the goal of the Stream. Permitting college students to debate what would and wouldn’t be useful to their classmates.

Children submit goofy issues, I’m going speak to them about it. I delete the submit.

Use Canva

Canva for Schooling is FREE! I may need a Canva habit. You need to confirm your faculty account right here.

At all times add a Canva graphic to your Stream bulletins.

I lookup “Fb submit” on Canva to design photographs so as to add to my Stream bulletins. Graphics make your bulletins considerably extra partaking. Similar for social media. In case 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 submit! Posts with a picture get 30% extra engagement.

Morning Heat-up

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

Embrace the Hyperlink to the Classwork Web page

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

If you’re wanting on the Classwork web page, you may copy the hyperlink to the Classwork web page. (Strive Management L, Management C). That is the hyperlink I share with college students. That is the QR code that submit; to take them to the Classwork web page. I additionally bookmark the Classwork web page so I can go straight there rapidly.

Create a Canva picture that tells college students what actions they’re doing for the day. They may 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. Embrace emojis within the matter titles. Take into consideration how college students will be capable of simply find their work. How will they work together with the project? How will they work together with one another? How will they’ve selections?

Quantity Your Assignments

My finest 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 presupposed to be engaged on, or what they’re lacking. “Go to #006” is much less irritating than “Discover in the present day’s warmup.”

Writing on PDF’s is Not Partaking

One of many benefits to utilizing a software like Google Classroom is having the ability to hyperlink college students to actions which can be inventive or have gamification. Utilizing E-book Creator or Canva has the potential of partaking college students by permitting them to have inventive, multi-media, expression of their studying. I like utilizing Quizizz. The gamification is nice and it has superb Google Classroom integration.

Collaboration and Interactions

I like utilizing Padlet with my college students. This enables college students to share their concepts in a “submit it” type. Nevertheless, it goes manner past Jamboard. College students can “like” posts. They’ll reply to one another. They’ll add photographs and video. Interact college students in discussions by posting a Padlet hyperlink to Google Classroom.

Strive Microsoft Flip, it’s FREE!

Put up the Studying Goal

Hardly ever is the educational goal “poster making.” For many studying aims there are 1,000,000 methods for a pupil to exhibit that they’ve met the educational goal.

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

How you can use Badge Sport

Quick Suggestions

Don’t let Google Classroom turn into a black gap the place college students put assignments they usually by no means see the sunshine of day. The pace of suggestions issues. That is one factor I like about utilizing Google Classroom. I’ve entry to pupil paperwork whereas they’re engaged on them. This enables me so as to add suggestions earlier than they even submit.

The Non-public Feedback 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 Subject on the high of the Google Classroom Classwork web page titled “Suggestions.”

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

Suggestions Loops

Make the project extra about studying than incomes factors by creating suggestions loops. I embrace in my rubric “responds to instructor suggestions.” After college students submit, I present suggestions within the Non-public Feedback (or in doc), and RETURN WITHOUT A SCORE! Within 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.

In the present day Subject

My first matter on the Classwork web page is “In the present day.” Then there is no such thing as a query on what we’re doing in the present day. I drag assignments and assets out and in of the matters to the In the present day matter.