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Saturday 4 October 2014

Google Classroom - Month One.

This September, I have been using Google Classroom. The story so far...

Google Classroom is very easy to use. It was relatively straightforward to invite students or get themselves to join the classroom and as they become used to the technology the process will become natural and simple.

I currently am a strong advocate of mymaths. It provides a comprehensive package for all school aged students. The user interface becomes more complicated post-16 and I use it less with A-level groups. However, for the majority of students it provides an efficient and straight forward method of completing homework. Firstly, you cannot lose it. Secondly, if you are stuck (including parents) it provides useful online lessons. Next, it marks work and provides instant feedback. Then crucially, it allows students to have further attempts (modifying the homework in the process). As a teacher, it provides me with spreadsheets which allow me to see how individual students/classes are performing on particular topics and links this with the old level descriptors and GCSE grades (soon to be old). This data can be easily used for report writing and for discussing with students and parents.

So why the need for Google Classroom. Currently, I am mostly using Google Classroom as a noticeboard. I use it to keep students up to date with current homework tasks and I use it to extend their current understanding and deepen their knowledge of mathematics by posting videos such as this from Dr James Grime:


I am currently experimenting with creating a questionnaire and then posting this on Google Classroom. I created a questionnaire to find out more information about the food students ate. Forms does not directly link to Classroom (yet). Although the Form, told me who had completed it, this was not then updated to the assignment on Google Classroom. I'm waiting for all the results to be in and looking forward to analysing the results. Update findings in next review of Google Classroom.


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