Create Your Own Classroom Digital Toolbox

Be sure to connect the assignment to student-friendly learning goals, so students understand the “why.” Helping students make the connection between their task and their learning is very critical.

With parents helping at home, this will also help them better understand the purpose and context of the task.

There should never be any surprises for students. Be sure they understand exactly what you expect and how it will be assessed. If you have a rubric, all the better! Attach or link to the rubric to make the expectations crystal clear! If no rubric, be sure to explain in the directions how they will be assessed.

Will students be given class time to complete the assignment? If so, how long? Are they expected to complete the assignment outside of class? Again, be as specific as possible, so there are no surprises like, “I thought we were working on it in class today.”

With remote and blended learning, teachers should still be clear about time expectations at home, collaboration with other students, or independent work requirements.

The due date should always be in your assignment bundle. Be sure to not only include the date but the time. Due at the beginning of class or at the end of class should be explicit in your assignment bundle.

With secondary students, they should be able to take responsibility for their time and when assignments are due. With the younger students, be sure to explain this to parents as well. If you are using Google Classroom, it will automagically add the due date to the student’s calendar. (BONUS: Guardian emails in Google Classroom will also allow parents to see due dates! Learn more about guardian emails here.)

Collaboration doesn’t magically happen just by saying you can work with a partner or a group. If students are collaborating with partners, groups, or outside of their class, be very specific about the guidelines and expectations. Who is responsible for turning in the work? Name a group leader and other roles as necessary. Also, explaining how they will be assessed individually will be very important in collaborative activities.

Remote and home learning may or may not be conducive to virtual collaboration. Consider access, devices, learning styles and needs, and the purpose of the collaboration before assigning to students working in a virtual environment.

Depending on what digital tools and learning management system you use, this will vary. Be as explicit as possible, like don’t forget to click the “Mark as Done,” button in Google Classroom, or email the assignment to…, or move it into the folder on the device, etc. Don’t leave anything up to question! Use screenshots and links to how-to documents when necessary. This is especially important with a new system or at the beginning of the year when students are learning your processes.

For remote learning purposes, consider creating a topic in Google Classroom with how-to tutorials, Google Classroom Cheat Sheets, links to the Google Support Center, and other resources for students and parents.