What is Google Classroom and Can it Be Used for Homeschool?

What is Google Classroom and Can it Be Used for Homeschool?

Google Classroom may be in the forefront of revolutionizing education in the years ahead.

What is Google Classroom?

Google Classroom was introduced as a feature of Google Apps for Education following its public release on August 12, 2014. It’s basically a simplified electronic (paperless) learning platform, which Google refers to as Mission Control, that brings together teachers with students for creating, distributing and grading assignments. Kids can ask questions from home and get responses from their teacher if they are unclear on a question, assignment or due date. And they can also turn in papers electronically, which reduces paper waste.

Classroom helps teachers create & organize assignments quickly, provide feedback efficiently & communicate with their classes with ease.

google-classroom

Google Classroom apps are available for iOS and Android devices. With the app, teachers can create classrooms, post to classroom feeds, communicate with students, and view assignments. Through the mobile app, users can snap a photo right from the assignment page in the mobile app and attach it to their assignment. Students can also easily attach images, PDFs and web pages from other apps to their assignments. Reading about all of this amazing technology and how it’s working it’s way into learning and the classroom is all so very surreal.  And the even better part? It’s free!


What will Google Classroom change for our traditional and homeschool education?  In a nutshell, it could change a lot. I believe this is going to pave the way for so many other “out of the box” education programs. Take for example, Flipped. 

Flipped classroom is an instructional strategy and a type of blended learning that reverses the traditional learning environment by delivering instructional content, often online, outside of the classroom. It moves activities, including those that may have traditionally been considered homework, into the classroom. In a flipped classroom, students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions, or carry out research at home and engage in concepts in the classroom with the guidance of a mentor. Currently the Google Classroom platform is used in many Flipped classrooms.

Is Google Classroom Available for Homeschool?

Currently Google Classroom is not available for Homeschooling. Individuals can’t use Classroom with their Google accounts, as it must be set up with a school that uses Google Apps for Education. However, I have read that Google Documents is great for Homeschooling.

For Homeschool online programs, you might want to check into Acreddited Schools Online.org

All of my siblings were homeschooled, but it was a little different back then. I can imagine the future of schooling with new technology will be staggering.

What I love about Google Classroom is introduces kids and adults to new ideas in learning, and it allows kids to work in a platform they really relate to. The learning curve may be with teachers, but I think more will get on board when they discover the efficiency that Google Classroom offers.

Kids are already on their computers and smartphones, so creating a tool they can utilize in a way that is responsive and the most natural for them is a win-win situation.

The Teacher’s Guide to Google Classroom ($9.99, Amazon.com):

Home Schooling 101 A Guide to Getting Started ($11, Amazon.com)