Brand new to Google Classroom and don't know where to start? Here are some quick tutorials with instructions
Explore the app for yourself at classroom.google.com
You can also download it on your mobile device
Have you been using Classroom for a while and are looking beyond the basics? Visit the Advanced Classroom page here
Thanks to D.Piercey for sharing these tips!
Full Tutorial (18 minutes): Highly recommended for beginners
Navigate to classroom.google.com
Click the "+" in the top right hand corner
Give your class a title, course number, and subject area
Classrooms can contain up to 1000 students, and as many as 20 co-teachers
You can create a class for an entire year group, or even the whole school
To invite students directly, click the "People" tab at top
Click the "Add Person" symbol to the right of "Students"
Type in your student first name/last name to search for them in your school's directory. Or copy & paste a list of student email addresses
When the student visits http://classroom.google.com, they'll have a JOIN button they can click
[You can also add students by class code, but this won't work if they're at home!]
Add some flair to your Google Classroom by changing the class theme
Click "Select Theme" in the top right hand corner
Choose any of the pre-created Classroom headers.
You can also upload any photo you'd like!
Pro-tip: have the students design your Classroom header. Copy this file to get the right dimensions
Topics help students to find and view classroom resources and materials more easily
Navigate to the classwork page
Press "Create" then "Topic"
Topics can be subjects you teach in a self-contained classroom, different types of assignments (assessments, projects, etc), or different parts of your content
Pro-tip: have a section called "completed work" and drag any assignments that are completed there
Co-teachers can be anyone you want to give full access to your classroom: a special-ed teacher, para-educator, an administrator, or a student teacher
To add a co-teacher: Navigate to the "People" tab up the top
Next to where it says 'Teachers", click the "+" sign and type in the teacher's email address
Be careful not to accidentally add a student here by mistake!
Classroom "Materials" are anything you want students to have permanent access to throughout the year: a website, long range plans, class syllabus, scheme of work etc
I recommend first creating a "Topic" called "Materials" and putting each one underneath it
To add "Materials", navigate to "Classwork", click "Create" and then "Material"
Move it underneath the topic you'd like students to view
Google Classroom "Assignments" are for any type of work that you'd like your students to complete
Create an assignment template that you'd like your students to complete (a Google Doc, for example). Don't forget to leave space for your students to type!
Navigate to the "Classwork" tab, press "Create", and then "Assignment"
Give your assignment a Title, Topic, and Points
Attach your template and change it to "Make a Copy For Each Student" (so each student has their own). You can also attach any resources (videos, websites, etc) for them to complete the assignment
Click "Assign" and it'll appear in your "Stream" immediately
Students can open up and edit their copy of a Google Classroom attachment
Once it's finished, they can click the "Turn In" button on the assignment
Teachers can view edits in realtime while their students are working on any attachments
Once an assignment is submitted, students can no longer edit their work
Click on "Classwork", and click on the assignment you need to grade or give feedback for
Click on "View Assignment"
Click on the student's name you want to view, then click on their attachments
Give comments for feedback before giving a grade/returning work to students
Note: Students will not see their grade until you "Return" their work
"Questions" are used for quick formative assessments, entrance/exit slips, and quick polls
Click the "Classwork" button, then "Create", then "Question"
Give your question a short title, and type the actual question in the "Description"
Don't forget to attach any resources they'll need to answer the question
Open up the "Question" through the "Classwork" tab and click "View Question"
Click individual student responses to either reply to them publicly OR privately
If it's a graded question, students will not see their score until you "Return" it to them
By default, you'll receive an email for any and all comments, posts, and submissions in Google Classroom
You can turn these on and off by using the "Settings" button underneath the menu in the top left