Lesson 3: Creating a Google Classroom

Learning Objective

The learner will identify valuable resources for help with Google Classroom and create their own Google Classroom.

Resources

There are many useful resources to help you become more familiar with Google Classroom. I have provided three sources I found to be the most beneficial to this mini-course.

• Connect with other educators here Google for Education has twelve trainers available to contact for any questions, training help, or directions for using their tools, including Google Classroom. This is a great resource to connect with other teachers who are trained on Google and have had plenty of experience working with the Google for Education tools.

• Google for Education Case Studies Read different case studies from schools around the world who have integrated Google for Education tools in to their schools and classrooms. These case studies not only describe the works done within Google Classroom, but also other tools such as Google Docs, Google Forms, and other Google apps.

• Google Classroom Tutorial 2016 This tutorial video serves as a step by step guide to help set up your own Google Classroom. Use this as a resource to refer back to or to supplement with the task instructions below. If you are a visual learner, then this method of instruction for creating your own Google Classroom will be most beneficial.

Tasks

Create Your Own Classroom

Now that you have learned what Google classroom is and have gained some knowledge on how it works, it is time to set up your very own Classroom. There are five steps listed below to guide you through the process.

1. View the following page for specific instructions on signing in to Google Classroom for the first time: Signing In

Remember, your school must have access to G Suite for Education. You must then obtain a password from your administrator to have your own access. You will need this information when signing in for the first time. If your school has yet to gain access to G Suite for Education, click here for further instructions.

2. Once you have successfully signed in, create your first class

1. You will click on the plus (+) sign in the upper right hand corner of the page and click Create Class.
2. Type in your Class Name and Section, then click Create. (Be specific so you can stay organized when it comes time to create more classes!)
3. Congratulations, your first class has been created! Enter the class so you are viewing the home page of your class.

If you are experiencing any difficulty during this stage, click here for support. You can also refer to the tutorial videoduring any of the set-up stages for assistance.

3. Post your first announcement and create your first class assignment

1. When you enter your class page, there is a text box right in the middle of the page that says "Share with your class...". Below that text box are the word "Announcement" and "Assignment" that you can click on. Click on Announcement.
2. Post an inviting announcement to your students welcoming them to your class
3. Go back to the same main text box and click on the Assignment tab below this time
4. Fill in the required fields: Assignment name, description (optional), due date, time (optional)
5. Attach the assignment document from your computer, share a document from your Google Drive, add a URL link, or upload a video.
6. Click "Assign." Your assignment will then be posted to all students and assigned directly to them.

4. Add your students

1. On the left hand side of your Classroom page there is a horizontal tool page. In that tool bar, find where it says "Class Code."
2. This code is what you will share with students so they can join the class. There are a few ways to do this.

• Post the class code on the board in your classroom for students to see and add during class
• E-mail the selected students your class code for them to ass
• Invite the selected students to accept the class invitation

If you have successfully completed all 4 steps continue to the next task below.

Personalize your Classroom

Now that you have successfully created your own class, feel free to browse the Google Classroom pages and become more familiar with all of it's useful features. Personalize your pages' design, edit the settings, add more classes, post an announcement to your class' page, or post another assignment to help you become more familiar and immersed in this digital environment.

Google Classroom Help Center If at any time you are experiencing difficulties or have questions about the the Classroom setup, this is another resource for help the provides great information.

Create a Classroom for this course

Now that you have become familiar with Google Classroom and set up your very first class, create a class specifically for this mini-course. This is an excellent way to verify that your procedures are correct and working, and also to share what you have created!

1. Follow steps 2 and 3 in the Create Your Own Classroom task.
2. When you get to step 4, instead of E-mailing or inviting individuals, you will share your class code in this Google Doc.
3. Post an announcement or a discussion page where people can leave you feedback or ask questions about your progress. This could be a useful tool to receive feedback from others working on Google Classroom during this mini-course.

Remember, you are creating a class specific only to this mini-course, so the class code should only be shared on this Google Doc for any other mini-course students to join. This will allow others and myself to see your progress and to recognize that you have successfully created your own Google Classroom.

Conclusion

By integrating Google Classroom technology in to your classroom, you will be utilizing one of the most well-known and used learning management systems for education. Using this tool will help you extended your class teaching time, make assigning work and grading assignments much easily and accessible, have all your materials organized and at your fingertips, and allow for a more productive and engaging learning environment with your students. The tasks within this course will help you create a digital classroom and provide you plenty of information for guidance or assistance. I hope that through the completion of this mini-course you will have the knowledge and skills to create your own Google Classroom and teach others how to do the same. I also hope that with the creation on your Google Classroom you gained knowledge as to why Google Classroom has so many benefits and features that can impact both the teacher and students to create a more productive classroom environment.

"Rapidly evolving technology has not only fundamentally changed the way in which we live, work and communicate, but also revolutionized the education system" (Lan, Worch, Zhou, & Aguiton, 2015, p.1).

Navigation

Home Page

Lesson 1: What is Google Classroom?

Lesson 2: The Impacts of Google Classroom

Lesson 3: Creating a Google Classroom

References

• Lan, L., Worch, E., Zhou, Y., & Aguiton, R. (2015). How and Why Digital Generation Teachers Use Technology in the Classroom: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study. International Journal For The Scholarship Of Teaching & Learning, 9(2), 1-9.