Google Classroom Hack #4: Send Out Reminders in a Flash!

Three more Mondays in the school year after today, and I am excited! I’m also losing focus. I find myself wanting to hit snooze just one (or five) more times. Game of Thrones is whispering my name in dulcet tones when I should be grading papers. It is still light at 7:30 P.M., making that novel on the back porch irresistible.

The point is–here at the end of the school year, I’m struggling to stay focused.

If I feel this way, imagine how my students feel.

The number of “not done” tasks in Google Classroom let me know this–those guys are done.

So in an effort to keep us all motivated right up until the end, I’m blogging about Google Classroom Hacks right up until the end. You know, those easy tricks that serve the dual purpose of making our lives easier while reminding our students (and us) that we are still accountable.

So far, I’ve written about grading faster with color and keeping track of student work in real time. This week I want to share a quick way to either reward students who are on track or to remind students who still owe you work to get back on track. So now it’s time for:

Google Classroom Hack #4: Send Out Reminders in a Flash!

Many of us already know that we can email students through Google Classroom by clicking on “Students” and selecting who we want to email (no more generating lengthy email lists for this purpose–thank you, Google).

Google Classroom provides an easy way to remind students to finish their assignments. You can target students who are "done" and "not done," and you can send emails to those particular groups. Remind them that their assignment is due, ask if they need clarification--whatever you need to tell them, it can be done in a flash!

But did you know that you can click on an assignment in Google Classroom and select entire groups of students to email? Either those in the “Done” category or the “Not Done” category (does the terminology there bother any other ELA teachers?).

Send all of the “Not Done” students a reminder to finish. Perhaps even ask if they need additional help or clarification.

You can even offer all of the “Done” students a reward occasionally. It could be something as simple as a few points extra credit or ten minutes of game, puzzle, or reading time (depending on what they enjoy). It will most often be a “Great Job–You Rock” email. I have no problem giving them an extra bathroom pass or a homework pass very occasionally.

It’s important to let them know that you appreciate their hard work as well as that they are still accountable right up to the bitter end.

Google Classroom provides an easy way to remind students to finish their assignments. You can target students who are "done" and "not done," and you can send emails to those particular groups. Remind them that their assignment is due, ask if they need clarification--whatever you need to tell them, it can be done in a flash!

Google Classroom provides an easy way to remind students to finish their assignments. You can target students who are "done" and "not done," and you can send emails to those particular groups. Remind them that their assignment is due, ask if they need clarification--whatever you need to tell them, it can be done in a flash!

Give this a try, and let me know how this works for you. Or maybe you already do this and can offer more ideas. Either way, leave a comment below, and be sure to check back in next Monday for Google Classroom Hack #3.

Read more about: Classroom Technology

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