During August 2015, I attended a Google Camp for Administrators. One of the sessions was led by an edtech expert in my region, David Ashdown. I've followed David's work for nearly 15 years. He's always been in the front of technology use and I've stolen many a neat idea from him.
He offered a session about Google Classroom and I attended thinking I needed to gather more ideas about this app for my teachers. However, in the session, David pushed our thinking in asking us to consider how we could use Google Classroom as administrators.
He shared an example of setting up classrooms for different work groups and committees. I loved his idea! Almost immediately, I set up classrooms for committees in my building. This kept all of the information collected for each group (SDM, PBIS, etc.) all in one folder on the back end of Drive. I also created a classroom for my building. This is where I would post my weekly messages. Under the about tab, I also collected resources teachers might need for the entire year.
What I hadn't anticipated was how much more organized my folders in Drive would be. Since the classroom automatically feeds to that particular folder, I can find files much more easily than I could before.
After creating Google Classrooms for the adults I work with, I began to think about the students. Could I use Google Classroom, as a principal, in a way to connect with students? YES! I created a classroom and asked students to sign up using the code. I simply hung a flyer outside my office with the code and distributed the same flyer to homerooms for posting.
He offered a session about Google Classroom and I attended thinking I needed to gather more ideas about this app for my teachers. However, in the session, David pushed our thinking in asking us to consider how we could use Google Classroom as administrators.
He shared an example of setting up classrooms for different work groups and committees. I loved his idea! Almost immediately, I set up classrooms for committees in my building. This kept all of the information collected for each group (SDM, PBIS, etc.) all in one folder on the back end of Drive. I also created a classroom for my building. This is where I would post my weekly messages. Under the about tab, I also collected resources teachers might need for the entire year.
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| About Tab..shows folder for classroom |
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| Scrolling down the About Tab and Resources for Year are available |
What I hadn't anticipated was how much more organized my folders in Drive would be. Since the classroom automatically feeds to that particular folder, I can find files much more easily than I could before.
After creating Google Classrooms for the adults I work with, I began to think about the students. Could I use Google Classroom, as a principal, in a way to connect with students? YES! I created a classroom and asked students to sign up using the code. I simply hung a flyer outside my office with the code and distributed the same flyer to homerooms for posting.
At first, I used The Principal's Office to post general announcements like you see in the screenshot above. But I quickly realized there was more I could do with this. I began to use it in different ways. We now post student surveys, student shout outs (by google form completion) and advertise for school jobs within the platform!
I haven't mandated becoming a "student" in the classroom. However, I have nearly 200 "students" signed up and about 280 students total in my building.
My hope is that this becomes one more way I can connect with students.
This post is in response to this weekend's #satchat and the tweet below. Cristy had suggested I blog about this project so I did! My thanks to her and others who responded to the idea and made me stop and think about the possibilities in sharing. Together, we are always better.
@LisaMeade23 #satchat Yes, you are! :-) Admin needs to make these connections bc kids need to see you guys as more than disciplinarians.
— Cristy Vogel (@msfrenchteach) December 19, 2015
Lisa: This is an excellent post and application of Google Classroom! Our district is heading in this direction and I was trying to get my head around this concept, you've done it well!!!! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLisa: That anonymous comment was me!
ReplyDeleteHey Friend! Thanks for the kind comment. I am enjoying Google classroom even more than Google Communities. (that's what I was using with staff before).
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