Writing 2 -- Homework & Google Classroom

 Greetings!

A couple notes about handing homework, Google Classroom, and the Grades page on Classroom:

• Students DO NOT need to do an assignment both on paper and in Google Classroom.
• Most homework assignments can be handed in during class.  
• If a student hands an assignment in class, they DO NOT need to do anything with the Google Classroom assignment
• I will mark those assignments as done and return them with a score AFTER I've corrected the paper versions
• If a student does the assignment on Google Classroom, they DO NOT need to hand in a paper version
• Some assignments can ONLY be done on Google Classroom (e.g. quizzes, discussion questions)
• I will designate these assignments as (GC) and include a link to the assignment
• Some students have handed in homework using the Rocketbook app and uploading it to the Google Classroom assignment.  When they do that, they DO NOT need to hand it in again in class.
• When I grade some homework on Google Classroom, I use my Samsung tablet
• I can "write" on the document, and it saves as a pdf and attaches to the assignment, which students will see with their returned work.
• I'm experimenting to figure out the best way to correct rough drafts.  I've done it with pen and paper for years, but I'm going to do one set with my tablet, and then one set comments in Google Docs.  Students can give feedback about what works best for them.
• The gradebook for Google Classroom is not the greatest format for communicating with students their scores.  
• If students see a score but the comment "not turned in," it's because they turned the work in during class.  I have updated the score to match the one on paper.
• Some students don't like seeing the "Missing" when they know they have turned in their work.  They need to be patient for me to correct the material handed in during class.  
• PLEASE DON'T TURN IN A BLANK ASSIGNMENT to get rid of the "Missing" designation.  I will take care of that.
• The best place to check on grades is on your student's personal Gradesheets.  This document will be updated every other week.

I apologize for confusion or challenges with Google Classroom.  Learning new systems always takes a bit of time, and my hope is that over the course of the semester we will all find the benefit of having this online repository for all of our assignments and resources that enables us to not only stay on top of our work (i.e. not lose stuff) and to participate digitally if we can't be face to face.

If you need your link to your Google Gradesheets, please let me know.  

One other tip -- an idea that has been helpful for me:

Since I'm online so much these days, often with multiple tabs open every day, I've started bookmarking and organizing those bookmarks to be more efficient. Students should consider bookmarking their chatclasses.com email, Google Classroom, and their Gradesheets.  Here's a link for how to create bookmarks and how to create folders of bookmarks.  (I have a folder called CHAT Stuff, and when I right click on the folder, all of the tabs open.)

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Writing 2 -- Information about Google Classroom, CHAT emails, and the Rocketbook app

 Greetings,

Our discussion in class about chatclasses emails, Google Classroom, and the Rocketbook app took up a good part of our logistics discussion, so I thought it would be good to address some of the important points in a separate email.   

• Students must use their chatclasses email to join Google Classroom.  Most of the students have done this, but for those who haven't, they can follow this link to the Writing 2 Google Classroom. (One difficulty some students have had is that they are going to Google Classroom via another email account.  To avoid this, try closing your other email accounts so that the chatclasses account is the only one open.)  The class code for the Writing 2 Google Classroom is  *******.
• If a student joined Google Classroom from another account, I've removed that account.
• Some students are forwarding their chatclasses emails to another personal email account.  This is a personal preference issue.  I initially had mine forwarded, but then disabled that function because it was causing way too many emails in my personal account.  (Here is the link to the video that Mrs. Nelson did about forwarding emails.)
• All assignments will be posted on Google Classroom.  Students who are face to face can hand in assignments during class UNLESS I've designated an assignment as "GC" for Google Classroom.  (All Zoom students should hand in all of the assignments via Google Classroom.)  I recognize that this will be confusing until we settle into the flow of the classroom.  Google Classroom is meant to be both a repository of assignments AND a place that makes distance learning an option.  
• Here's a good video about Google Classroom:  Google Classroom for Students and Parents
• All worksheets have been formatted onto a Rocketbook template.  Again, if students are face to face and can hand in work in person, they won't need to think about the Rocketbook app.  However, those students attending via Zoom or who are absent for any reason will need to use  either the Rocketbook app, a flatbed scanner, or another scanning app. 
• Here's an article about Rocketbook and Google Classroom
• The Rocketbook app Instructions video (including IOS)
• A video about setting up destinations.
• One student mentioned the plethora of emails regarding Google Classroom assignments.  If students are careful to check for assignments on the Writing 2 classroom, they can disable the notifications.  To do this, go to the settings page (click the 3 horizontal lines in the upper left corner and scroll to the bottom of the list).   Students can choose to receive all notifications, some notifications, or no notifications.  
• Another helpful mobile app is the Google Classroom app.  
• Here's a video for how to install the app and get started (This video shows the step by step process with a music background, but some of the words on the screen are in Hindi.)
• Make sure you sign in using the chatclasses email
• The class code for Writing 1 is *******.

One of the greatest challenges last spring was getting homework in all shapes, sizes, and formats, so I'm narrowing down those options. As I said, most of the time face to face students will physically hand in homework during class, but some assignments will need to be done on Google Classroom and will be specifically designated.  For the first weeks of the semester, I'll require a number of "GC" assignments so that we can get used to using this format and can troubleshoot any problems.  It might be helpful for both student and parent to explore Google Classroom together so that everyone is familiar with the site.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  At some point all of the technology we use will become "old hat," but when it's new and unfamiliar we often wonder if it's more trouble than it's worth.

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard