Just a few weeks ago, both Google Classroom and Flipgrid released new updates to their respective app. You may have workflow questions about Google Classroom and Flipgrid, so I recorded this video with the hopes to help my students and fellow educators. I also wrote out the directions and captured screenshots.

About Tab Missing

The About tab is gone. No need to panic, though, About is now a link on the header. When you click on the word, you can view a description of the class and the class code. However, teachers can no longer post resources.

 

Replace About Resources with a Google Site

No fear! A better idea replaces the resource section. Create a Google Site that is shared with only students in your district. Then add all the resources you need. In the end, a Google Site is less work and more valuable.

Instead of wasting time adding resources to each and every Classroom, I can spend time exploring new ideas such as a YouTube Class Playlist. Students submit music via a Google Form. Their songs must be school appropriate. Approved songs are added to the playlist. Last week we started with 3 songs and now we have 17. Not all songs were approved.

One student suggested a song that did not sound right. I googled the lyrics, which I really did not like. Then I googled the song to read reactions to it. That song was denied with an explanation and link to the Chicago Tribune article.

New Classwork Tab

Students will live in the Classwork tab. If the assignment is colored (in this case blue), the assignment still needs to be completed. If the icon is grayed out, the assignment has been turned in.

How to Turn in Whole Class Can Edit Assignment

This idea comes straight from Alice Keeler. Last spring, I purchased a year subscription to her Go Slow Workshops, which allows me to absorb her incredible ideas. 1) Collaborative assignments are awesome because students can learn from each other!!! The teacher is not the sole instructor. 2) To submit a slide from a collaborative assignment, grab the link to your slide and submit as a Private comment.

Let me go slower – A student turns in his/her work by selecting the address to the slide. Each slide has a unique address. The student clicks on the address and copies it.

The student then returns to the Google Classroom assignment and pastes the address in the Private comment section.

As always, students click Mark as done.

What About Turning in a Flipgrid?

In June, Microsoft announced that it had purchased the student video platform. The updates to Flipgrid are super nice! I have yet to figure out how to share a Flipgrid directly to Google Classroom, so I came up with this solution for the time being.

Just like Google Slides, the address in the Omnibox is unique. Copy that address

and paste it into the assignment as a Private comment. Yes, I could Add -> Link, but consistency is important with students.

Don’t forget to remind students to click Mark as done. Hey, Flipgrid, if you can point me to the directions for submitting videos to Google Classroom, I would greatly appreciate it.

Conclusion

I am super happy with the Google Classroom and Flipgrid updates. It will take some time to get used to, but I am confident that the new versions of these apps will make class workflow easier.

Until next time . . .