If you’re still largely using paper for materials and assignments, then Google Classroom offers an easy-to-use, entry-level step into making your class more digital. Like many of its products, Google makes every attempt to provide a self-intuitive and user-friendly experience. Luckily, using Google Classroom to enhance student learning can increase student engagement.
Student Engagement
It’s been proven time and time again that students are engaged by technology. Using Google Classroom can enhance student learning and stay engaged in the learning process.
For example, just last week my students were using Google Maps to zoom into the Himalayas after labeling the physical features of China on a satellite digital topographical map. This activity replaced the less engaging textbook atlas to label-the-feature-on-the-blank-map assignment.
Also, Google Classroom is a great way to open up a class discussion. Teachers can ask critical thinking questions in the Classroom thread and have students comment to answer. Students can even comment on other comments of their peers to deepen understanding.
Google Classroom Organization
Not only does it help with student organization by putting all assignments and work in one safe place, but it also helps teachers too. Creating, copying, assigning, supervising, collecting, grading, recording, and returning work to students is a process requiring a great deal of time and steps. Google Classroom simplifies these tasks by combining, eliminating, or organizing them. Google Classroom undoubtedly saves time and trouble for teachers grading student work.
On a personal note, I love the fact that I virtually never hear that students have lost an assignment in disorganized binders. Additionally, Google Classroom is designed for teachers and students to share ideas and resources with one another. Teachers and students can participate in online Classroom discussions, and everyone can post links to informative resources within discussions or other sharing mechanisms.
While Classroom exists on a website platform, students can seamlessly pull in their work from other Google apps such as Google Slides, Forms and Docs. Students that don’t have computers can even use their phones!
Digital Lessons
Instructomania has a vast selection Google-ready lessons plans including a US history unit with a fun, student-centered, inquiry-based Google Geography Exploration and Scavenger Hunt! This comprehensive Google United States Geography lesson has been both student and teacher approved with an overwhelming thumbs-up! It embodies all of the cool geography capabilities of Google Maps and Google Earth in a digital US geography interactive notebook format complete with a Google forms physical geography assessment at the end.
Also, there are complete lesson plans for Google Classroom. Specifically, there are ready-to-go digital activities for Ancient History, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient India, Ancient China, Rome, and Ancient Greece.
Our Medieval History complete lesson plan units are for Feudal Europe, Japan, China, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, Africa, Islam and the Scientific Revolution. All units are complete with informational texts in PDF and digital reading formats, games, Google Forms quizzes and tests and fun, engaging activities.Â
This quick video demonstrates how simple it is to set up!
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