Why I Love Using Google Classroom in Fifth Grade

LMBLiteracyFebruary 2, 20200 Comment04k

Google Classroom has been a game-changer in fifth grade. I taught first grade for eight years and this is my fourth year in fifth. Having one to one chrome books and constant access to technology does come with its challenges. However, the rewards far outweigh them. If you aren’t familiar with Google Classroom, you need to speak to your administration and colleagues about integrating this amazing app into your daily instruction. Here is why I love google classroom.

I hate paper.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln used his tall hat to store important papers because he lost them all the time? Well, Honest Abe and I have a lot in common. I finally admitted this to myself after a long struggle of wondering whether or not it was ok to admit this as a teacher. I am TERRIBLE with papers. I take pictures of everything because I’m scared I will lose something the second it gets put on my desk. The weird thing is my desk is not at all messy and neither is my classroom. I just have a serious issue with keeping track of paper. With google classroom, I am able to track student work using their “turn in” feature. Students submit essays, stories, reports, etc. to me through the app and I can grade directly from the computer. Paper problem solved.

I can track student progress

I love that I can go into google classroom while students are typing and track their progress as well as watch them type. Google Classroom allows you to type directly into their document or add suggestions as they go. When students know I am able to view what they are doing, they are more likely to stay focused, and work hard. It’s a win, win!

I can track missed assignments

No longer is the day students tell me they can’t find their paper. I don’t need to spend hours counting to make sure I have everyone’s essays. I teach departmentalized writing in fifth grade so I have about 95 essays/stories/nonfiction reports at any given time. Having them organized by classroom on GoogleClassroom is a lifesaver. It also allows me to provide due dates and alerts me when students turn in assignments late.

I can ask quick survey questions

Need to know which lunches students need to order for a field trip? Want to know quickly if students understood a lesson you just taught? Google Classroom’s “Ask a Question” feature allows me to ask a quick question and receive multiple answers on one thread. I can even turn off the “reply to each other” or “students can see answers” so everything is private. I use this feature quite often throughout the year.

It’s Simply Made My Life Easier

I have zero reason to endorse google classroom other than to discuss how its made my life so much easier. Students are excellent with technology at young ages. They are able to do things on computers that many of us are probably just learning. While I don’t use Google Classroom for every assignment, I always use it for my graded writing tasks. It helps keeps me and my students organized and focused. If you teach upper elementary and haven’t given google classroom a try yet because you have been apprehensive, today is the day to jump in!

Happy Typing!