Major Google Classroom Update - the Classwork Tab

The Classwork tab in Google Classroom was created based on feedback from teachers!  It is designed to help teachers and students find assignments easier with less visual clutter.   You will spend most of your time here!

Let's take a deep dive into how this works so you can make informed decisions for you and your students.

Creating an Assignment is easy!

Click the + sign (now located at the top of the page) to create an Assignment or Question.  Note you can reuse an assignment from another class, or create a new Topic.

Topics - Use Them!

The Good:

We have always had the option to designate a topic for assignments.  It was handy when looking for specific assignments as you could filter by topic.  If you have been on the fence about using Topics, now is the time to take the plunge!  Topics create a nice visual separation between each other, making seeing and finding assignments easier!  Newly created topics go to the bottom, but it is easy to re-order your topics by clicking on the three dots on the top right-hand side of the topic!  When you add an assignment to a Topic, the Topic is automatically moved to the top of the Classwork page!

Courtesy of The Keyword Google Blog

The Ugly:

When you add an assignment, it goes to the bottom of the topic you assign.  This seems counter-productive.... we want new assignments right at the top of the Classwork tab for students to easily find and use.    It is easy to re-arrange the assignment by clicking the three dots and moving the assignment to the top.

One of the great things about Google is they always give you multiple ways to access information.  Here are some options students (and you!) can use to access assignments other than using the Classwork Tab.

The Stream:

Every time you post an assignment, a post is automatically created in the Stream.  Students receive an email that you have posted in the Stream, just like they did in the past.  The most recent post appears at the top.  Students only need to click on the post in the Stream to be taken directly to the assignment!  Note that students also see and may access upcoming and missing assignments on the top left of the Stream!

The Class Card:

I often see students on the Main Google Classroom page looking at the Class Tiles or Cards. Conveniently located on the tile is a link to assignments that are due soon!  I have even had students come to me and ask how they can get something similar for the courses they are taking where Google Classroom isn't being utilized!

Other Options:

Alice Keeler (Teacher, Tech Blogger, and Google Classroom Guru) proposes using dates as Topics.  Click the link to read her solutions here.

Cricket has been doing some research and testing.  You can remove the ClassWork tab, leaving the Stream to function as it has in the past!

As always, click on the ? located at the bottom left of most Google products to request changes!

What About the About Tab?

If you used the About tab to post class resources that would be used year-round or over the course of a unit, you can create a Topic 'Class Resources' and post resources there.  (Google Doc with links, link to a website, link to a Folder).  You can even use this Topic to visually divide new assignments from older work!

I hope this gives you a good idea of how the new Classwork Tab works and provides you with options for configuring your Google Classroom to meet you and your students' needs!

Watch for the next blog post which will feature the new Comments Bank and the 'fewer clicks' grading workflow!