Posting documents on Google Classroom that don't need to be submitted

[UPDATE: Google Classroom has fixed this problem with the addition of the Post Material option, so this post is moot.][Does Google ever run their updates by actual teachers?! ]

I have a particular problem with the new Google Classroom - you can't assign a topic to an announcement.

So if I want student to be able to go back and locate a worksheet or a text document to study for a quiz or test, I have to post it as an assignment, so the posts are organized by topic.

But if I am sending out a graphic organizer on Google Docs, I want the students to have their own copy, and I don't want them to have to submit the document back to me - it's there for them to use, and to train them to take notes.

I tried to do it as I did last year, but it didn't work.

Unfortunately, as teachers we cannot see what the student gets when we post something. Luckily I have a fake student account, and recently I went back and forth through 4 different attempts until I got what I needed.

To wit:
1. Send out as an Assignment so that it can be grouped with the other worksheets and easily retrieved later.
2. Force each student to make a copy of the original document so that each student is working on his/her own copy
3. Not require them to return the document to me, but just to click the MARK AS DONE button.

The Process

Step One: Create your document on Google Docs.

Step Two: Change the Sharing settings from Anyone with the link can edit to Force everyone to make a copy.

You can do that manually (see directions here) or you can use the Sir Links-a-Lot Chrome extension (see post here).
Make sure the new link is saved to your clipboard.

Step Three: Open Google Classroom and Create an Assignment.

Name the assignment, change the Points Value to "Ungraded," do not assign a Due Date, and assign a Topic.

Do NOT use the Add Link feature! Paste the force-copy link on the Instructions line, and click ASSIGN.

This is what the student sees:

Student clicks on the link and it opens another window and forces them to make a copy. Student can then just click MARK AS DONE and clear the "assignment."

Sir Links-a-Lot Chrome extension

Here's a handy extension that can change your Google Doc's sharing setting from "Anyone with a link can edit / view" to forcing anyone with the link to make a copy.

Why would you want to do that?

I use it all the time to send out a Google Doc when I want every student to have his/her own copy to edit, highlight, take notes on, etc. but not as a class.

It can be found in the Chrome store here.

When installed, it looks like this when you click it while you have a Google Doc open.

Click Force copy and it with change the "edit" in the link to "copy.

Then share this new link with your class.

There are other functions available; I have found this one to be the most useful.

You can also do this manually, without the extension. Directions here.

The fastest way to collect data - Google Classroom Questions

I finally got my textbooks! 😊

I had to distribute them to my classes, but I did not have a class roster on which to write down all the book numbers.🙁

Solution: Google Classroom | Classwork | + Create button | Question:

Question: What are the last 4 digits of your bookplate number?

Points: Ungraded

Due Date: No due date

Topic: Question

And voila. Instant data collection. I just copied the Turned in work and pasted it into Notepad, which strips out the formatting and saved the list.

Save a file in 2 different folders in Google Drive

For Capstone research I have Google folders with material for over 70 topics which I happily share with students if they need some help.

Not surprisingly, there's a great deal of overlap, and some articles are appropriate for several different topics.

If you'd like to share the files among several folders without having to make multiple copies, here's how to do it.

Navigate to the file you wish to share in Google Drive; highlight it and click Shift + Z

Click on the arrow at the end of My Drive.

Navigate to the folder in which you also wish to save the file.

Click Add.

Done!

Google Docs does Columns! Finally!

It finally happened - Google Docs can now format columns.

Just highlight the text you want to format, click on Format > Columns and choose 2 or 3 columns.

And as you can see, it perfectly formats the text into columns.

AND - it handles Right-to-Left text beautifully as well, as you can see from the opening of the מסילת ישרים.

If we could just get Rashi font, I might be persuaded to give up Microsoft Word entirely. :-)

Training for Google Apps

Don't walk, RUN! Run to the Chrome store and install the extension for Training for Google Apps.

Have you ever been stymied, wondering how to do something in Gmail, or Google Classroom, or Docs, or Slides, or Sheets or Forms, to name a few? Did you know you can have a built-in tutorial that doesn't even require you to leave the browser window in which you are working?

Whenever you go into various Google Apps for Education, you will see this little symbol in the right-hand corner:

Click on it and a searchable menu will pop up.

There are lots of items to choose from, or you can search for help on a specific topic. When you choose an item, either a video window will overlay on the screen with a tutorial, or you will get actual prompts (like CLICK HERE) that walk you through the steps.

I've already learned how to do several things that I never thought possible in Google Docs! Give it a try today!