Google Classroom & LLC

Google Classroom has been written about quite a bit in the past few months but I have a take on it from a Librarian perspective.  I really like the ease of the site and the integration with Google Drive.  It is much easier for my staff to understand the functionality of things like Doctopus and gClassfolders if they do not have to use them.  For the most part GC does everything they need it to do.  I quite like the ease of adding items to GC. There are many options from a uploaded (from computer) to a youtube video and from your drive of course.  GC also created a folder in your Google Drive so you can keep track of that information. It lacks many of the addon that Edmodo or Schoology, or Canvas, or Moodle and the list goes on.

As a librarian the items that frustrate me:

1. You cannot add a co-educator/administrator
   1. This is especially challenging when the teachers sometimes want me to show them how to do it the first time (ie: I do it the first time)
2. You must be in the same domain as your students (this is not always the case in GAFE schools and having two accounts is not ideal for most teachers)
3. No folders within GC.  It is a running conversation like Edmodo
   1. Putting resources in folders makes location of items easier for students
4. You cannot add outside your domain
5. Assignments do not show up in a student’s calendar
6. Gradebook is not robust to say the least

They have fixed:

1. Now you do not have to submit an attached item to complete an assignment
2. You can delete students comments (I can get rid of the Hi’s when they first begin)

Overall I do not GC but I think that we are at the beginning and it will get better with time.  I think we are looking at a product that is entering a well matured field of lots of LMS.  I would like to see innovation in the LMS and I look forward to see it.

Link to some other observations:

• 6 Things that are not in Google Classroom
• Google Classroom: From the Student’s Perspective
• Problems Google Classroom Solves Right Now
• Google Classroom: From the Teacher’s Perspective