Google Classroom Mobile Apps

Google Classroom has slowly started to gain traction in more and more classrooms.  Some of the recent updates may just push those considering using Classroom to give it a shot. Google announced some new improvements along with mobile apps for Android and iOS devices.

The “view assignments” feature now lets teachers keep track of all the work they assign across all of their classrooms. Teachers can quickly access an assignment, tracking which ones they have reviewed as well as getting information on how many students have completed the assignments.

Another feature that has been added for teachers is the ability to archive classes. Teachers no longer have to scroll through old classes to get to the ones they’re teaching now. The archive feature allows teachers to remove a class from the homepage, but still keep any valuable information for future use.

The mobile apps (Android and iOS) include some nice features for students as they can now use photos, share across apps, and take advantage of offline caching via Google:

• Snap a photo: Right from the assignment page in the mobile app, students can snap a photo and attach it to their assignment — whether it’s the experiment they just did for a science class, or a drawing they made of their family tree. And if they’ve forgotten their homework, they can ask someone at home to snap a photo, text it and then turn it in with the app. Of course, if the dog has actually eaten it, Classroom can’t help you.
• Share from other apps: Students can also easily attach images, PDFs and web pages from other apps to their assignments. For example, when you’re in a drawing app, you can create a graphic for an assignment. When you click “share” in that app, Classroom will come up as an option, and you can attach the graphic to an assignment.
• Offline caching: Even when Internet access isn’t available, students and teachers can get information about their assignments in the Classroom mobile app. Class streams and assignment information are automatically cached every time you open the app with an Internet connection, so that you can see them when you don’t have a connection.