April 14, 2022
A parent's guide to Google Classroom
Being a parent in the 21st century can be quite puzzling, especially when it comes to technology. Growing up their own parents were probably trying to get them outside as much as possible and limit their screen time. Now, the classroom of their children benefits from technology and it serves as a phenomenal pedagogical media. The Today application by Studyo, for instance, has created a virtual bridge between home and school.
Today helps students manage tasks and projects from multiple sources, including Google Classroom, prompting them to initiate work, plan their next steps and pace themselves to reach their goals. This digital student planner is easily integrated into the Google Classroom app to optimize organization. In this article we discuss more in-depth how technology has changed the education sector.
What is Google Classroom?
Google Classroom is a free web-based platform that saves time and paper, and facilitates putting together classes, distributing assignments, communication, and staying organized. Teachers can quickly provide feedback, see who completed their work, and grade on a single app.
What’s great about Google Classroom is the fact that you can add additional features created by the community to accentuate the learning experience of students. Some of them are free, while others have a paywall that is worth paying to get access to resources. Such is the case of Today, which is a digital student planner that improves student organization and lowers stress levels.
Google Classroom for teachers
Google Classroom does a lot for teachers:
- It streamlines how they manage classes
- It helps them communicate with students
- It allows them to provide timely feedback on assignments and assessments
- It allows them to digitally distribute, organize, collect assignments, and share course materials (PDF, video, etc.)
- It helps them share information with parents
What exactly is a learning management system?
Do parents need a code for Google Classroom?
Parents do not need a code for the Google Classroom app. There is only a join class code, which adds the person as a student. To access your children’s feed you need to ask the teacher to subscribe you to receive Guardian Summaries (this is done from the “People” tab in the teacher’s view):
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This page from the Help Center shares more information regarding Guardian Summaries and what you can expect of them.
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If your children’s teacher is having trouble giving you access to your Guardian Summaries, here’s a Help Center article to get them out of the wood.
How do you add parents to Google Classroom?
Considering the latest update of Google Classroom and Google Classroom tools, there is only one official way to be added as a parent. The teacher should add the student with the parent's email or an account they share with their children. The only way to join the class is by receiving a “join class code.”
After, your children will have access to their class assignments on a regular basis, and you will start receiving emails about the class activities. You can also set the notification settings for daily or weekly updates. Then, the Google Classroom app will send you notifications based on your desired settings.
There are different types of notifications that can receive about your children:
Notifications about missing work
If a teacher sets a deadline for an assignment on the Google Classroom app, and the student hasn't completed or submitted his homework, though the deadline is only one day away, you will receive a reminder email saying: "Your assignment is due tomorrow".
Weekly and daily updates
As discussed above, if the student's assignment is due the next day, you will receive an email about the due work. This happens when your email notification settings are set on daily updates. However, if your Google Classroom app is set to receive weekly updates, you will only be notified as you’ve requested.
Class activities
The Google Classroom app sends out emails about class activities too. If the teacher has made any important announcement, you will receive an email so that you don't miss out on important notifications that could impact your kid's grades. Y**ou will receive emails about class announcements, assignments, practice questions, course material, quizzes, etc.** This is all the information you can be notified about regarding your children's school progress.
What parents need to know about Google Classroom
Although the Google Classroom app is a phenomenal pedagogical tool, it remains that some parental control is required to keep students on task. It is easy to get distracted online so parental guidance is recommended to ease the transition to Google Classroom and the increased use of technology in daily life. Added features such as Today can make a big difference.
Between studying, socializing, maintaining a healthy sleep schedule, and keeping up with the daily grind, it can be hard to find time to study. With Today’s weekly planning, students can organize their study sessions by time and date to keep themselves accountable. The possibilities can be customized to what works best for your kid:
- Create daily study sessions to fit their schedule
- Pick the times of day when they’re most productive
- Track their progress
- Have them manage their time independently!
The beauty of Today is that it provides the right frame for students to develop their own work ethic. Regardless of the advancement in technology and where the world is going, time management and self-awareness remain true predictors of success.