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My school has just begun making use of the Google Suite for collaboration purposes among teachers, but only one classroom regularly uses the suite with the students.
The students and teacher alike love using all of the different tools the suite has to offer and because of this, many other teachers in the school are beginning to learn more about how to integrate at least some of the tools into their own classrooms.
As a para in a first grade classroom, I haven't had much experience with the Google Suite so I was really excited to research it this week. I hadn't realized how much you can do with these tools and I'm looking forward to using them in my own classroom. I found this resource to be a great jumping off point in thinking about how the Google Suite can be used in a classroom setting.

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Spread the loveIf all you've ever used Google for is email and web searches, there's a whole world in which you're missing out. That world is the Google Suite, consisting of a cloud computing compendium that puts all of your instructional tools in one easily accessed location.

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My school has been using Google Suite for the past five years.  We have one to one chrome books starting at the 6th grade thru High School.  I set up a Google classroom for each class that I teach.  Currently two classes of 6th graders,  two classes of 7th graders in Social Studies and one class of 8th graders in Tech Ed.  Each class gets its own classroom to work in.  Fortunately, though the assignments I put in one class can be put in other classes by just a click of a switch.  Testing can be set up on line.  We are currently about to do a lesson on Ancient Prehistory and I am able to share the document with each individual student, and they edit and answer on their own personal copy.
It is a great tool and can be accessed anywhere/anytime if you have access to a PC.

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Educator Resources & Technology Training - Google for Education

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Discover numerous educator resources including technology training for teachers, courses, certifications and professional development for educators.

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Hi everyone! First off I'm sorry for the tardy post, this is COMPLETELY new to me and I was having internet connection issues last night while trying to connect to my email.

This is such a cool tool! I didn't actually realize how much was on Google Suites and what could be done with it. I've been using my GMail account for a long time and have always found that as well as Google Docs incredibly easy to navigate and great tools. I've seen teachers use Google Docs for students to share work and comment as a team together. Other than those I haven't had a lot of experience with anything else. I feel as though Google Docs was a little more popular when I was in high school 5 years ago, but now its much bigger!

After doing a little research (and hopefully what I found is correct) it seems that there is a ton that can be done using Google Classroom. I've shared a link below with some ideas! Cant wait to check out what everyone else has found!

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60 Smarter Ways To Use Google Classroom
by Terry Heick

Google Classroom is quietly becoming the most powerful tool in education technology.

It may lack the visual appeal of iPads or the student credibility of a BYOD program. It may not be as forward-thinking as we'd like here at TeachThought, but Google Classroom excels in providing solutions for a broad swath of teachers who have a variety of expertise and comfort levels with education technology. It also uses Google's familiar template that many teachers have used for years. As such, it scratches the itch for many teachers in many classrooms right here, right now.

So below are (at least) 60 things you can do with Google Classroom. We'll be updating this list as new ideas come in, the platform changes, and we learn more about its subtleties on our own.
60 Smarter Ways To Use Google Classroom

1. When an assignment, lesson, or unit doesn't work, add your own comments-or have students add their own feedback), then tag it or save it to a different folder for revision.

2. Align curriculum with other teachers.

3. Share data with your professional learning community.

4. Keep samples of exemplar writing for planning.

5. Tag your curriculum.

6. Solicit daily, weekly, by-semester, or annual feedback from students and parents using Google Forms.

7. Share anonymous writing samples with students.

8. See what your assignments look like from the students' point-of-view.

9. Flip your classroom. The tools to publish videos and share assignments are core to Google Apps for Education.

10. Communicate assignment criteria with students.

11. Let students ask questions privately.

12. Let students create their own digital portfolios of their favorite work.

13. Create a list of approved research sources. You can also differentiate this by student, group, reading level, and more.

14. Post an announcement for students, or students and parents.

15. Design more mobile learning experiences for your students-in higher ed, for example.

16. Have students chart their own growth over time using Google Sheets.

17. Share due dates with mentors outside the classroom with a public calendar.

18. Email students individually, or as groups. Better yet, watch as they communicate with one another.

19. Create a test that grades itself using Google Forms.

20. Control file rights (view, edit, copy, download) on a file-by-file basis.

21. Have students curate project-based learning artifacts.

22. As a teacher, you can collaborate with other teachers (same grade by team, same content across grade level).

23. Encourage digital citizenship via peer-to-peer interaction that is documented.

24. Use Google Calendar for due dates, events outside the classroom, and other important "'chronological data.'

25. Communicate digitally with students who may be hesitant to 'talk' with you in person.

26. Streamline cross-curricular projects with other teachers.

27. Aggregate and publish commonly-accessed websites to make sure everyone has the same access, same documents, same links, and same information.

28. Vertically-align student learning by curating and sharing 'landmark' student assignments that reflect mastery of specific standards.

29. Encourage a common language by unpacking standards and share district-wide.

30. Encourage students to use their smartphones for formal learning. By accessing documents, YouTube channels, group communication, digital portfolio pieces and more on a BYOD device, students will have a chance to see their phone as something other than a purely for-entertainment device.

31. Create and publish 'power standards' (with students, other teachers, and other schools) for transparency and collaboration.

32. Promote peer-to-peer and/or school-to-school interactions-students with other students, students with other teachers, and teachers with other teachers.

33. Create 'by-need' groups as classes-based on reading level, for example.

34. Check which students have accessed which assignments.

35. Provide student with feedback.

36. Add voice comments to student writing (this requires a third-party app to do so).

37. Help students create content-specific YouTube channels.

38. 'Closed-circuit publish' annotated research papers according to specific styles (MLA, APA, etc.) or other otherwise 'confusing' work.

39. Share presentations.

40. Create a digital parking lot"' for questions.

41. Administer digital exit slips.

42. Instead of homework, assign voluntary 'lesson extensions' for students. When questions arise about mastery or grades, refer to who accessed and completed what, when.

43. Create folders of miscellaneous lesson materials. digital versions of texts, etc.

44. Enjoy smarter conferencing with students and parents with easy-to-access work, data, writing, feedback, access data, and so on.

45. Save pdfs or other snapshots of digital resources in universally accessed folders.

46. Create a data wall but with spreadsheets and color-coding.

47. Make substitute teacher work or make-up work easy to access.

48. Collect data. This can happen in a variety of ways, from using Google Forms, extraction to Google Sheets, or your own in-house method.

49. Give prompt feedback for learning.

50. See who's completed what-and when-at-a-glance.

51. Track when students turn in work.

52. Since access is tracked, look for patterns in student habits-those that access assignments immediately, those that consistently return to work, and so on-and communicate those trends (anonymously) to students as a way of communicating 'best practices in learning' for students who may not otherwise think

53. Differentiate instruction through tiering, grouping, or Bloom's spiraling.

54. Create groups based on readiness, interest, reading level, or other factors for teaching and learning.

55. Use Google Forms to poll students, create reader interest surveys, and more.

56. Model a 'works cited' page.

57. Create reference sheets.

58. Design digital team-building activities.

59. Create a paperless classroom.

60. Share universal and frequently-accessed assignments-project guidelines, year-long due dates, math formulas, content-area facts, historical timelines, etc.

60 Smarter Ways To Use Google Classroom

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60 Smarter Ways To Use Google Classroom by Terry Heick Google Classroom is quietly becoming the most powerful tool in education technology. It may lack the visual appeal of iPads or the student credibility of a BYOD program.

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The district that I work in, and that my children attend school, uses Google Suite.  The students start to really delve into google classroom and all of it's collaborative benefits starting in 4th grade.  Eventually, come their middle school years, google Suite is a key form of communication between teacher and the class.  As a paraeducator, I had limited interaction with google suite.  Prior to my reintroduction to college at Granite State, the brunt of my Google Suite exposure was through monitoring and assisting my middle school son with school work.  GSC has exposed me to many Google tools and I absolutely love the professional ePortfolio that we maintain.  Upon further research, I found  a Google Classroom tutorial with new features for 2017 and found it helpful for when I become a teacher.  Personally, I see it's collaborative abilities as being the highlight.
Cheers!
Tracy
Google Classroom for Everyone

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Google Classroom for Everyone its finally here! NEW 2017 Features

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From my experiences with google suite, is somewhat in depth. the school that I work at uses google suite for everything, google classroom, docs for papers, sheets for math and basic computer assignments. Its amazing for students to have access to this, as this allows students to look at a computer screen, with a paper free book to do and complete homework from home. what they don't realize is, is that most jobs are from home now in the IT world. Which is a HUGE industry today. Google suite is HUGE for students to complete work as well, as anything on google can be graded at any time and you can receive feedback from google docs from your teachers. which amplifies the quality of students work.

one of my biggest supports with google suite is how it supports studetns with special needs. having technology is not only stimulating the students to do their work, it also is a powerful tool they can have access to for their work. whether it be for supplemental classes, or mainstream classes.

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Learn how one educator uses G Suite for Education to help students overcome their negative self-images and embrace learning.

One of the biggest problems I encounter as a resource room teacher is the self-esteem of the students in my classes. After years of disappointing academic experiences, their confidence is low and their motivation has declined. Combine those points with the peer pressure, bullying, and stresses of middle school, and the students do not have a positive outlook on their education.
Use Google Classroom for Choice and Personalized Learning
In my classroom, technology is a tool for empowerment-it creates a collaborative and innovative space for all students. Along with over 50 million educators and students, I am primarily using Google's G Suite for Education. The suite is a bundle of Google's key products, such as Drive, Docs, Slides, and Forms, along with new tools like Google Classroom. While I used these applications in a middle school classroom, the following strategies are appropriate for any age from upper elementary students to high school seniors.

My special education students typically miss out on taking courses of personal interest. Electives are often replaced with supplemental math or reading classes to bring the students up to grade-level expectations. So I decided to bring student interests into my resource rooms. While we still have to follow the curriculum and I have to modify it based on individual needs, I wanted to implement more choice and personalized learning in my instruction.
© Kathryn Nieves
I typically share a choice board or a HyperDoc to Google Classroom in order to provide my students with their own avenues for learning. A choice board is a graphic organizer that offers students options of tasks to complete. A HyperDoc is a digital lesson plan that also incorporates choice in student learning. I provide students with tasks they are required to complete and a variety of tasks they can choose from and can complete at their own pace. This individual pacing helps to increase student ownership and accountability for their learning-traits that all students need, especially students with special needs.
Create "20 Percent Time" for Passion Projects
Sometimes the HyperDoc is as simple as a multimedia text set from which students choose what they would like to read and view. For some assignments, students use YouTube to view a video I've created about the topic. Then they have their choice of an article to read based on their own individual interests. Students can choose to use Google Slides, their own YouTube video creation, a Google Form to survey others, or other technology tools to show what they've learned before sharing with their peers via Google Classroom. Students are given the freedom to demonstrate their knowledge in their own way and tend to feel more invested in learning because of the choices they are given.

Based on Google's philosophy of having employees devote part of their work time to projects of personal interest, I have my students choose an area of passion that is not in the curriculum. They develop a step-by-step plan to help them reach their goal and set timeframes to measure their progress. For some students, organization is a challenge. Since they have to keep track of all of their materials and work, as well as plan their project step by step, the project gives them the tools they need to practice organization. This project is a long-term assignment, so I give my students about half of the school year to complete their work.

The students excel at these projects. I had a student draft an entire graphic novel on paper, scan it to her Google Drive, and then use the PDF annotation extension Kami to add text to the thought and speech bubbles. Technology enabled her to create a professional-looking manuscript that she can add to her portfolio as she pursues art in high school. Other students completed their experience by sharing their projects with their peers through Google Slides, video recordings, and other presentation software.
Use Tools to Aid Discussion and Collaboration
Though there were challenges, my students enjoyed the opportunity to work on these passion projects and were able to use problem-solving skills to overcome obstacles. The concept of problem solving is tough for special education students to grasp, but having them work on their own choice of project helps unlock their ability to work through challenges.

Because of the nature of some of their disabilities, my students struggle with communication. Group work is difficult, and discussions are often one-sided. I knew my quiet students had insightful comments to share but were reluctant to speak up in class, and my outgoing students needed to take more time to craft their responses. Again, technology helped all these students work through their challenges.

I use the Google Slides Q&A feature during class presentations. The students access a question-based page associated with the presentation and can post questions, which the presenter can refer back to at the end of the presentation. My quieter students felt more empowered from behind a keyboard, and they actively shared ideas and asked questions. For my students anxious about speaking in front of others, the anonymity made them feel relaxed during discussions. My eager speakers were also aided by technology. Because they had to take the time to type an answer, as opposed to just saying whatever popped into their heads, they paused and reflected before typing. They began to think about their words carefully as a result of the digital discussions.

Verso is another way I've encouraged collaboration and discussion. Through this Chrome app, I can post questions for my students. They cannot see each other's responses until they post something themselves. Since responses are anonymous, my students with anxiety feel at ease about their contributions.

Technology has eased the disappointment and frustration that my students feel when faced with academics. It has helped me reach out to my students, rekindled their passion for learning, and empowered them to not only find success but also feel confident in the classroom.

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Using Technology to Empower Students With Special Needs

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Learn how one educator uses G Suite for Education to help students overcome their negative self-images and embrace learning. One of the biggest problems I encounter as a resource room teacher is the self-esteem of the students in my classes. After years of disappointing academic experiences, their confidence is low and their motivation has declined.

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I had no idea that so much could be done in Google until I started GSC courses. Every bit of information I get from sites, blogs, etc. goes into bookmarks, files, Evernote and more. Once I teach, even student teach, I find a useful tool and use it. That always leads to more options but I can only take so much in! The two blogs of Alice & Matt are fabulous as is the one I'm posting. Especially for the Social Studies content. Enjoy!

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Professional Development With Richard Byrne

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My school does not use Google.  The only experience I have with Google Suite tools is through my GSC courses.  I can, however, see the benefits of using G Suite in a classroom.  It reminds me of sitting in a circle, working directly with others.  I came across this website while exploring the topic.  It really gives me a better idea of all the things you can do in a classroom using G Suite.

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Around the U.S., teachers are gearing up for back to school-gathering ideas, planning lessons, and getting their classrooms (and virtual classrooms) ready for learning.

Google tools can help you kick off the school year, get organized, and have some fun.

So I thought now was a great time to share a few "back to school" online activities with my favorite Google tools.

No matter what grade level or subject area you teach, there are always a few ways that Google tools can help you and your students save time and get creative-even during remote learning!

This episode kicks off our 3-part Back to School series! Don't miss part 2 and part 3!

Below are a variety of ideas to help get to know your students, build relationships, do some goal setting, create, and play some games.

Be sure to share your favorite ways to use G Suite for back to school in the comments!

Here are six ideas for going Back to School with G Suite.
Listen to this article.
. ..

Shoutout

I'd like to send a huge shoutout to @edtechcoachchristy (Christy Haskins) on Instagram for sharing the G Suite for School Leaders webinar. Thanks, Christy!

Follow @ShakeUpLearning on Instagram.

Quick Tip of the Week (How to Create a Template Link)

I love little URL hacks that make Google even better! This is a quick way to create a template link to share online and with other teachers. (Note: you don't need this link for students if you use Google Classroom.)

I've written about this tip in-depth here, but here's the quick tip version.

CLICK HERE to watch a 2-minute video.

1. Student Survey with Google Forms

One of the most important things teachers can do during the first few weeks of school is to build relationships with their students. We want to know what they like, what they don't like, where they struggle, and their learning style.

There are lots of ways to get to know your students, but Google Forms is a great way to gather some basic information and keep it organized in a spreadsheet.

The answers to some of these types of questions may not be something students are comfortable sharing with the entire class, so a Google Form is a great way to give students a safe space to share.

Depending on what age you teach, these questions will vary. Below are some ideas to get you started.

What do you want me to call you in class? (preferred first name)

What is your favorite color?

What is your favorite food?

What are you passionate about?

If you could learn anything at school, what would you choose to learn?

Do you like to be recognized for your accomplishments in front of the class?

What characteristics do you like in a teacher?

Is there anything that you struggle with in class?

What do you do if you don't know how to answer a question or problem?

What do you do if you don't know how to complete your online assignment?

How do you learn best?

What do you want me to know or understand about you?

Do you prefer to work in groups or on your own?

Do you like to read aloud?

What are your favorite books?

Do you enjoy reading?

Do you like online learning? Why or why not?

2. Google Slides Weekly Planners and Checklists

Have you seen Slides Mania? This site is quickly becoming one of my favorite resources for Google Slides templates. They have released many fun templates to help teachers create and organize lessons.

I love this Weekly Planner for Online Lessons! This planner gives you an interactive way to share the week's lessons with your students, and it's super cute!

This isn't one specific activity for students, but a way to organize and distribute all the activities.

Click on a number to go directly to that lesson. The template even gives you space to add an instructional video, directions, and images.
CLICK HERE to get the Slides Mania template.
Google Classroom tip! Grab the link to the assignment in Google Classroom and add it to your planner or checklist, so students aren't searching for it. Here's a quick video tutorial!

The beginning of the school year or semester is the perfect time to build a growth mindset and set some goals with students.

Visualization is one of the most powerful exercises for the mind and for reaching your goals.

A vision board is a collection of images and words that represent the things you want in life-the things you want to do, the things you want to learn, the things you want to be.

Vision boards also support Dynamic Learning and the ISTE Standards for Students! This is just one small way we can empower learners in our classrooms this year.

Through my book, Shake Up Learning, and the Dynamic Learning Model and Framework, I shared some ways to go BEYOND, including a mindset to take learning BEYOND the BELL. One strategy to go BEYOND the BELL is to have students set their own learning goals.

As the teacher, you can help students write their own learning goals, both goals aligned to what they are learning in class, and also BEYOND. What problems would they like to solve? What's something they've always wanted to learn?

Remember to revisit the vision boards on a regular basis so students can see how far they've come and where they still want to go.

Google Slides is the perfect medium for creating digital vision boards, and you can get all the details in this previous blog post. (P.S. Vision boards are also great for teachers and professional learning goals!)

See also: Student-Created Vision Boards with Google Slides

One topic we always seem to discuss the first couple weeks of school revolves around what students did over the summer break. I've got a fun way to get kids creating and sharing their summer through the Summer Magnetic Poetry activity.

Summer was a bit different for all of us this year, but it's fun to share and get to know your students.

You know...those fun little magnets that challenge you to create a poem with just a small word bank (usually on the refrigerator)?

You can use magnetic poetry with a theme, like, "What did you do over the summer?" Or try the Halloween or Winter versions later in the year.

Even if you don't teach poetry, this template can be used as a quick game or challenge.

In addition to giving you this FREE template, I'm also giving you a FREE mini-course tutorial to show you exactly how I created this activity using Google Slides and Google Drawings.

Now, you can create whatever kind of magnetic poetry you want and use whatever vocabulary works with your curriculum.

This template is easy to use and revise to make it your own. It contains a lot of essential words and some fun, summer words. The word bank is on the second slide so students can easily copy and paste from the word bank onto the background slide. (Great for practicing copy and paste skills!)

Click here to view the template. | Click here to make a copy.

5. Fake Instagram with Google Slides

In January, Carly Black shared a guest post and Fake Instagram template in Slides inspired by Lisa Johnson.

This template is great for creating profiles and telling stories. Consider using this as a "get to know you" activity with your students, or let them tell the story of their summer.

If you have never used templates in Google Classroom, here's a tutorial to help you understand how it works.

Get the Fake Instagram Template for Google Slides
CLICK HERE to learn how Carly used this activity with her students.
6. Building a Community with Hyperdocs!

I love the Hyperdocs gals, The Hyperdoc Handbook, and they have some great hyperdocs for back to school!

I also love the Building a Community Hyperdoc as a beginning of the year activity.

New to Hyperdocs? Here's what you need to know: "HyperDocs, a transformative, interactive Google Doc replacing the worksheet method of delivering instruction, is the ultimate change agent in the blended learning classroom. With strong educational philosophies built into each one, HyperDocs have the potential to shift the way you instruct with technology. They are created by teachers and given to students to engage, educate, and inspire learning. It's not about teaching technology, it's about using technology to TEACH."
Make a Copy
(Note: There are several links files in this Hyperdoc. You will need to make a copy of each one that you would like to use.)

Check out this curated Wakelet from Lisa Highfill.

Check out last year's Back to School with G Suite podcast:

Podcast Question of the Week

What are your favorite Back to School activities? Please share in the comments below.

Learn all about the new updates to Google Classroom and take your skills to the next level. This course will give you everything you need to get started using Google Classroom and best practices to help you make the most of this tool.

Perfect for the beginner to intermediate skill levels! Consider this your video guide to Google Classroom!

NEW Bonuses just added on Google Meet integration and Remote Learning tips!
Click here to learn more and to ENROLL TODAY!
Learn All About the Course

Who Should Join the Google Classroom Master Class?

Beginners can learn everything they need to get started.

Intermediate level users can focus on learning more advanced features, tips and tricks, and best practices.

Go at your own pace.

Let's dig in! This class is for all skill levels!

What's Included in the Google Classroom Master Class?

Self-paced

Video-based lessons

6 BONUS Lessons

PDF Downloads

Supporting Resources

Best Practices and Tips

6 hours of professional learning credit

Purchase orders are accepted

Bulk license discounts

Get your whole team, campus, or district on board

Click here to learn more and to ENROLL TODAY!
© Shake Up Learning 2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Back to School with G Suite: 6 Online Activities (Part 1)

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Around the U.S., teachers are gearing up for back to school-gathering ideas, planning lessons, and getting their classrooms (and virtual classrooms) ready for learning. Google tools can help you kick off the school year, get organized, and have some fun.

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The more I better understand the Google tools offered, the more I like all the opportunities that open up for educators. I did not have experience with Google tools until starting my teaching courses with GSC. When I first started to observe students is when I saw Google Drive and Google Slides. I personally love Google Drive the more I use it. It is an amazing tool for education simply because there is no more "lost work", or problems when computers stop working. I love how the teacher can live edit the document, and can access the work as the students complete it. Google Classrooms is new to me as well. I think it is a great tool for older students. They have the advantage like we do, to find resources and information at any time when classes aren't in session. Everything the student needs can be accessed from anywhere.  This article is helpful because it describes all the tools included, and how/why they are helpful for education. 

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The more I better understand the Google tools offered, the more I like all the opportunities that open up for educators. I did not have experience with Google tools until starting my teaching courses with GSC. When I first started to observe students is when I saw Google Drive and Google Slides. I personally love Google Drive the more I use it. It is an amazing tool for education simply because there is no more "lost work", or problems when computers stop working. I love how the teacher can live edit the document, and can access the work as the students complete it. Google Classrooms is new to me as well. I think it is a great tool for older students. They have the advantage like we do, to find resources and information at any time when classes aren't in session. Everything the student needs can be accessed from anywhere.  This article is helpful because it describes all the tools included, and how/why they are helpful for education. 

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Thomas, J. (2016, July 25). The Top 14 Google Tools for Teachers to Engage Students. Retrieved October 2, 2018, from http://www.fusionyearbooks.com/blog/google-tools-for-teachers/