Ed. note: App of the Week picks are now being curated by the editors of Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. Click here to read the full app review.
Google Classroom
What’s It Like?
Google Classroom is an excellent tool for any classroom that uses G Suite products like Google Docs, Slides, or Sheets. Google Classroom creates folders for each classroom teachers add, and folders within those for each assignment — automatically. Want to use the same assignment with a different class or the following year? It’s a simple process to find it and assign it again. A teacher can also create an assignment and select a date and time in the future for it to be posted. This level of organization is a huge time-saver. Teachers can also give assignments that don’t have any attachments. For example, they might give students directions in text or a video to participate in a math warm-up on the board. Once a student has completed the task, they can mark it as done.
Price: Free
Grades: 2-12
Rating: 4/5
Pros: Easy-to-learn interface, integrates with lots of apps and websites, able to seamlessly collect and share G Suite documents.
Cons: Parent access is limited, there’s no true gradebook, and document ownership can be confusing.
Bottom line: Google Classroom is a great way to manage and organize learning, though teachers who need more features may need to look elsewhere.
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