GOOGLE Classroom
Need help trouble shooting: Try Google Support! https://support.google.com/edu/classroom
Getting started
Classroom: Creating a New Class .webm
Creating a Class
Go to classroom.google.com.
At the top of the Classes page, click Add Create class. If you do not have the ability to create a class, just to join one, please put in a ticket or email informationcentre@hdsb.ca
Fill in your Class's information (most fields are optional)
* Your class name must start with the class number and include your school's 3 letter short form. Virtual classrooms will use the school code of VSE (Virtual School Elementary).
e.g. 8-3-Pilgrim-JWS
Adding Students
At the top, click People Invite students
Enter the email address of a student or group.
As you enter text, an autocomplete list might appear under Search Results.
To invite more students continue to enter email addresses.
Click Invite.
Virtual Classes:
Administrators should be added as a "teacher” to the Classroom. This will support efforts to transition to other models of instruction should they be needed.
Physical Schools:
Administrators, at a minimum, should be added as a "student” to the Classroom. This will support efforts to transition to other models of instruction should they be needed. If there is a pivot to virtual learning, you should switch your administrators to a "teacher", so that they can add a supply teacher to your Classroom to cover an unexpected absence.
It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that their Google Classroom captures the key ideas from the in school instruction so that a learning gap does not occur and a student is able to make a seamless transition back to school following an absence. This does not mean posting all of the work done in the face to face environment.
During a period of virtual instruction, you would be posting collaborative slideshows, instructional videos, check-ins, etc. that support your regular programming. You might consider posting a slide deck that reflects the flow of the day, with embedded links to the various activities in which you will engage throughout the day. So, that students aren't constantly flipping back and forth to the Classroom. In Classroom, click the 3 dots to the right of an assignment and select "Copy link", and insert that link to your slide deck.
Exploring The settings
Classroom: Adjusting Settings.webmAdjusting the Default Settings
Changing the Stream's display image.
Getting into the Settings Menu:
Customizing what the Stream displays and what students have permission to do
Enabling Guardian notifications
***This video needs needs to be updated for Google Meet links (see below).
IMPORTANT UPDATE BELOW about Google Meet!
Please note: If you are an ESL teacher, LRT, SERT, etc. and are withdrawing students from several classes at one time, you will still need to create your Meet link in Google Calendar and post it on the "Classwork" section of Classroom for those students.
Creating & Posting a Google Meet in Google Classroom
The Meet link that is auto-generated within Classroom is now secure and allows for multiple hosts. This means that all people added as a "teacher" can be a co-host on the Meet. So, there is no need to have a Meet link for every subject/rotary teacher or DECE.
From January 1, 2022, please turn ON the Google Meet that displays in your Classroom by clicking on the Settings cog and adjust the slider after adding any new educators to the Classroom.
Invite, all of the teachers to join you in the Meet link which you can start by clicking the Meet link icon at the top of Google Classroom's "classwork" section. If the host control symbol does not show up for each teacher when they join the Meet, you may need to reset the link by asking them to first leave the Meet, reset the link through under Settings, and then have them re-enter the Meet.
The host control feature usually shows up after this reset, but if not, just try again. Whenever a new teacher is added, you will need to reset the link.
Classroom Checklist
Classroom name starts with the class code and includes the teacher name followed by the school code (e.g., JSW, BTR, VSN)
Virtual school administrators have been added to the Classroom as a “teacher” and in person school administrators added as a “student” unless the class/school has pivoted to a virtual format
Co-teachers of the class have been added to the Classroom as a “teacher” (one Classroom per student including FI teachers, ESL teachers, EAs, SETs, etc.)
The Google Meet code should be turned on and shown in the banner on the Stream page
Additional Google Meet codes for specialized support or an Occasional Teacher are shown under a “topic” located near the top of the Classwork page (e.g., for an LRT, etc.)
Google Guardian summaries are turned on
“Topics” are used to help organize the work for the students
Educators are curating the posts in “Classwork” so only relevant work is at the top of the Classwork (e.g., use a “topic” to create an “archive” or equivalent)
It is recommended to post by Week and not Subject to make it easier for students to find the current work in all subject areas
Classroom: Settings for email and links created by Classroom.webmReviewing Notifications, Drive Folder and Google Calendar
Classroom allows you to customize the notifications that you receive in your email. You can select to receive notifications about all activity, selected activities, or mute all email connected to classroom.
When you create a classroom, it also creates a Google Calendar and a Google Drive folder for you to use.
In addition to the students, homeroom teachers are to invite other educators who instruct or support the class as a teacher. Students should only be a member of one Google Classroom.
Archiving your classroom
Educators may choose to leave their virtual learning environments active for families to visit over the summer. This will enable families and students to revisit the learning, access resources and activities provided during the closure over the summer at their leisure. However, you may choose to "archive" your Classroom. In this case, remove the students after returning their work and then either:
select the 3 lines in the top left corner of the Classroom screen and scroll down to Archive; or
from the Classroom dashboard where you see all the Classrooms that you are associated with, click the 3 dots in the upper right corner of the Classroom