Google Classroom allows the teacher to post documents , have class discussions in a feed format ( like many social media services our students are accustomed to ), but most importantly , teachers can collect and track student assignments / progress . Google Classroom effectively eliminated my two most hated tasks : 1 . No more running to the photocopier in between classes … a simple upload and everyone has access to the information needed to learn . 2 . Data collection of student work and performance exams is no longer a nightmare .
Here is a current example of how Google Classroom works for me in Wind Ensemble :
Students log in and see the three tabs ( shown above ), “ Stream ”, “ Classmates ,” and “ About .” NOTE : I have “ Students ” rather than “ Classmates ” showing because I am in teacher mode . 1 . “ Stream ” allows students to see past posts of assignments , announcements , and / or reminders you have posted . They can also pose their own questions / thoughts to the class . ( thankfully , you as the teacher can mute this option if students become too “ chatty ”) 2 . Under “ Classmates ,” the students can see all the other people in their class and have an easy link to their e-mail to contact them about assignments or group work . 3 . Under the “ About ,” I usually include how to contact me as the instructor , the course syllabus , class expectations , and music calendar so they always have this information accessible .