Introduction

“Oh, I’ve used Google Classroom for years…”

It’s important to remember that you have to approach educational technology with a flexible, open mind, that is continually willing to adjust to alternative approaches to organization, set-up, and usage.  We have to keep looking for ways to hone our skills and knowledge if we want to stay relevant and aware of the new changes and updates to the programs and apps we depend on.  Fortunately, these days, most educators have an “open-source” philosophy and are willing to happily share their knowledge, experiences and best practice tips on using digital tools.  

With the Covid-19 school closure and the sudden shift to using Google Classroom exclusively for distance learning, many teachers are now using a lot more of Classroom’s features and options to manage their classes.  But if you’re like me, when I used Classroom with my students, there may still be many details about how Classroom actually works that may be confusing or unclear (i.e. grading, folders, file permissions, calendar, etc.).  As the year is wrapping up, it’s time to reflect on how you have used Google Classroom and what you still may have to learn about using it more effectively to teach your content.