How Technology Can Be Used to Improve Learning: Getting Started with Google Classroom

How Technology Can Be Used to Improve Learning
Getting Started with Google Classroom

Since quarantine began back in March, educators have had to come up with creative ways to reach their students safely and effectively. This involves adopting technology as a way to teach and a way for their students to learn. Starting with the basics, many educators have turned to digitized versions of their lesson worksheets, whether this is through scanned images of their workbooks that they can then email to their students, or eBook versions in PDF or ePub format. Let’s break this down further and look at the pros and cons of each option.

With all these options, the most widely-used way to distribute content to students is through email. However, it’s hard to keep students engaged and even harder to teach and answer questions. That’s why many teachers have been converting their in-class lessons to a virtual one. One way to do this is with Google Classroom.

What Teachers Should Know About Google Classroom

Google Classroom is a free web service developed by Google that aims to simplify distributing, tracking and grading content. The primary purpose of Google Classroom is to streamline the process of sharing files between teachers and students.

Teachers can create different classes and invite their students to join. From there, teachers can communicate directly with their students through their class dashboard by adding messages, tutorials, assignments, and reminders.

When creating assignments for your students, Google Classroom offers a variety of methods. You can create an open-ended assignment with instructions, attachments, due dates, and a points system. Other options include a Quiz using Google forms, a Question for students to respond to, and a Materials option that allows you to share digital copies of notes. It’s easy to implement your current materials, whether it be scanned images, PDFs or ePub files, into your Google Classroom unit.

For some great tutorials on how to get started with your Google Classroom account, as well as some great teacher tips, watch these videos found here.

Google Classroom is just one avenue teachers can navigate when integrating their classroom into a virtual world. There are plenty of subscription-based streaming services that give teachers access to hundreds of ready-made materials that allow them to communicate directly with their students, as well as track their progress and assign lessons. Our K12Content website does just that while giving teachers access to our entire library of interactive digital lesson plans. Try it out free for 15 days with our FREE TRIAL. And don't forget, you have unlimited access to our complete catalog of free worksheets from our FREE CONTENT page.