At the end of last school year, I started trying to use Google Classroom with my students. It seemed to work well so I decided this fall I’d go ahead and use it as my main gateway for student learning. So far – I love it! It has incredibly reduced the amount of paper use in the classroom (including the need for photocopying), made it easier to travel back and forth to school without the need for lugging notebooks or duotangs – for my students and their teacher, but most importantly, I find it easier to connect with students invidually when they have questions, and for providing individual feedback.
I am able to be on my laptop, computer, or phone and check in on student work. I can easily provide individual feedback for students on work they’ve submitted without having to worry about a grade. I think best of all, Google Classroom has made the students focus more on receiving feedback and less on receiving a mark. Students are now asking for feedback; asking me to check their work and get back to them with a comment, with little to no mention of a mark.
Interested? Here’s a great source of info for anything Google in school from Alice Keeler.
Check out the other #peel21st Blog Hop participants:
| Amit Mehrotra | Melanie Mulcaster |
| Jim Cash | Heather Lye |
| Jason Richea | Erica Armstrong |
| Jason Wigmore | Tina Zita |
| Jonathan So | Shivonne Lewis-Young |
Hey Mr Fletcher 
Matt, love that the tool is working for you. It is so awesome to see how the tool and ongoing communication are having an affect on their understanding of assessment. Amazing how a tool and that modelling can shift perceptions. So happy to have you as a part of the blog hop tonight!
Google Classroom, and moving away from grades; 2 things I aspire to do. Going paperless would be awesome. I’m glad to hear it is going well. Alice is an amazing Google resource.
It is amazing how when you give students feedback instead of grades, they tend to learn more, try harder, go back and revisit their work. Where as a mark is an end.
Hi Matthew! Loved reading your post because you really highlighted the excitement I see time and time again when teachers start to use, and have success using, digital tools to support learning. Not only are time and money being saved, but also I think that students are getting to participate and connect in way that new and modern and crucial to their education and future.
I love Google. I will gladly say this. Have you combined it with goobric and Doctopus? Probably the best scripts that have ever been written to help with work flow. Thanks for sharing and when I need you for a workshop at Google Camp hopefully you’ll be able to do it.
These online learning management systems have really shifted the way learning happens and the dynamics of the classroom. I actually struggle to think what my classroom was like without this link. I’m glad Google Classroom is generating such positive results for you.