What this book covers
Chapter 1, Getting to Know Google Classroom, is an introduction to the layout and features of Google Classroom. It prepares classes for the subsequent chapters. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to create a class in Google Classroom, change its theme, and add files.
Chapter 2, Inviting Students to Their Virtual Classroom, introduces students to Google Classroom. It covers adding students to their classes and connecting their devices to Google Classroom. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to instruct students in joining a class, add students directly to a class, and access Google Classroom on desktop and mobile devices.
Chapter 3, Sending Your First Announcement, is your first foray into interacting with students within Google Classroom. It explores the class stream and the features of announcement posts. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to send announcements to students within Google Classroom.
Chapter 4, Starting an Online Discussion with Questions, explores the simplest assignment type—questions. It covers asking discussion questions and providing peer and teacher feedback to student answers. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to assign a question, provide feedback, and assign grades to students' answers.
Chapter 5, Handing Out and Taking In Assignments, will focus on attaching files to assignment posts and best practices when it comes to file types and distributing assignments within Google Classroom. It includes instructions for guiding students to submit completed assignments and setting a due date. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to add a file to an assignment, distribute it to students, and show students how to submit finished work.
Chapter 6, Grading Written Assignments in a Flash, covers the built-in grading features, such as the grading tool, rubrics, and originality reports. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to set up and grade written assignments with a rubric.
Chapter 7, Creating Multiple-Choice and Fill-in-the-Blank Quizzes Using Google Forms, continues from the previous chapter. It focuses on creating multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions using Google Forms and automatically grading with the Quiz feature. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to create an assignment in Google Forms, assign it in Google Classroom, and grade the answers.
Chapter 8, Keeping Parents in the Loop, addresses Google Classroom's inability to grant access to parents and others who do not have a Google G Suite for Education account. It explains how Google Classroom's assignments are connected to Google Calendar. It provides strategies in sharing Google Calendar so that parents can view assignment deadlines and other important information. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to share Google Calendar using a URL or a Google site.
Chapter 9, Customizing to Your Subject, provides subject-specific examples of third-party apps, add-ons, and extensions that diversify the types of online assignments available. The subjects covered in this chapter include the humanities, second languages, mathematics, and the sciences. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to add and remove apps and extensions from the Chrome store and add-ons in Google Docs.
Chapter 10, Hosting Classes Online Using Google Meet, explores teaching in an online classroom. It covers how students join a meeting, how to present content to students, and engagement features. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to facilitate online learning in Google Meet.
Chapter 11, Strategies for a Successful Online Class, discusses concepts and techniques beyond Google Classroom and Google Meet to improve the quality of online teaching. It includes audio and video recommendations and lessons learned from teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to improve the audio and video quality of your online teaching and will have a deeper understanding of setup, management, and assessment within a virtual classroom.