Hey, Google Classroom - I've Got a Blank Space, Baby, and I'll Write Your Name

     Google Classroom, are you my new Romeo? And if I embrace you, will that mean I am cheating on my teacher website? Are you going to make my classroom blog feel like a frivolous fling?  Or - alas - will next week's class assignment introduce me to some other young, hot tech teaching tool that will make me feel like our new-found love was but a momentary infatuation?

Not sure where we're headed, Google Classroom, but I've got a crush on you, for sure. oxo

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An Ode to Google Classroom

How do I love you? Let me count the ways.

You keep track of which dear students have turned in their work on time. 

You monitor which students might, perhaps, possibly be slacking.

You organize all student work in one easily-accessible location.

You do not make me guess what student submitted an assignment  which he randomly named "JOOOOYYYYYNNNNER."

... my teacher website does not show me all that love.

You have a clean format. (although truth be told, I  would not be averse to more font choices)

You allow me to easily attach sample exemplars via Google docs.

You can transform my classroom into a more student-centered learning environment by allowing me to differentiate work for individual students through the audience feature.

You allow me to easily modify assignments per classroom period.

You streamline organization with a one-stop learning spot for students (and parents) (and the inevitable "My family is taking a week off in the middle of the year to go to Cancun" students)

You promise increased student engagement and opportunities for online collaboration. See this case study.

You eliminate minutes of instructional time lost in class in the giving and repeating of directions.  

You provide a quick way for me to check for student understanding by creating a question.

You provide opportunities for a flipped classroom by giving students questions to research and to ponder as individuals or in collaboration 

You have a calendar.

You allow me to host a discussion with my students.

You (allegedly) give me THE POWER to read student comments, even deleted ones. (that seems a little creepy and Big Brother, though.  C'mon, Google.)

You let me grade essays anytime and anywhere.  (Okay, so I might secretly hate this about you Google Classroom (and Google Docs).  Sometimes a girl just wants to "forget" a stack of essays on her desk for the weekend. )

You promise to afford even more advantages to my students if I buy this book: 50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom.  Which still seems funny to me that the book is an actual book.  Made of paper.

Oh, Google Classroom.  Are you too good to be true?

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