Google Classroom Tips for Parents

In the midst of our rapidly changing society as a result of the pandemic COVID-19 showing up in the United States and Canada, one thing that is exciting to see is the quickness that so many have risen to the occasion to fill the needs for others. Whether it may be picking up groceries for an elderly neighbor, singing a concert on YouTube, or doing live demonstrations for children on social media. All around, I feel like we have a lot of people who desire to contribute something positive to this whole experience we are facing. One area in particular is the world of Education. People have been gathering and sharing resources like wildfire, and every time I log into social media, I see more people sharing online resources that will help in the continuing of education among our nation’s children. Teachers and school administrators are gearing up to transfer schooling to online learning or distance learning, and making plans to get the information needed to their students, even if there are mountains to climb in the process. I am in awe….and amazed! So now you may be faced with a new facet in your child’s education…helping them navigate home schooling through an online platform such as Google Classroom, Canvas, Blackboard, or Moodle. What we hope to do here at KAB is provide you with tools to help you along in this journey as a parent or guardian by sharing resources to use these different platforms from a parent perspective.  Did your child recently begin to have coursework assigned in Google Classroom? Google Classroom is an online learning platform that is used by teachers and students to interact academically with each other. You will see announcements, conversations, assignments, and feedback taking place on a Classroom page. This is a great free resource for instructors to share information with their students.  Fortunately, Google Classroom is one of the easier platforms to navigate. And here is a fabulous Google Slide file to help you get started: Check out this presentation for some great information  or you can watch a video of a teacher going through the presentation below:  Here is another guide I found online that is another video from YouTube.  https://youtu.be/LWkPCi6noCI Here are a few tips for when you are helping your child with online coursework? 

1. Google Classroom can be accessed on a web browser on a computer, or via app on a smart phone or tablet. 
2. Your view of Google Classroom will mostly show the assignments your child might be missing or the grades that have been issued. 
3. If you want a view of more things that are posted on the online class, have your child log in to their account on a computer, tablet, etc, and have them go through the online course with you. (Or you can view the course from their perspective.) 
4. Do not hesitate to email the teacher if you are struggling to understand some instructions for your child’s class. This might be their first time hosting an online platform, so it’s possible it will take a little time to get into the swing of things. Together, you all will get through this!
5. Check the Google Calendar if you are having difficulty telling when assignments are due. 
6. Try to relax! This is all very new uncharted territory for many people, and many teachers are also trying to teach their own children so they understand the idea of working full time from home and watching over their own children. Most schools are understanding if it takes some time getting used to new resources and new routines. 

While it is a time of uncertainly, we will get through this together, and hopefully we will see a light at the end of the tunnel before we know it.