Google Classroom is just awesome! Managing the flow of Docs and assignments has never been easier, thanks to this fabulous tool.
A vastly underused feature of Google Classroom, however, is the About section. When I first noticed the About section, my first thoughts were, “what is this?” and “what am I supposed to put here?” as well as “can my students see this?”
After toying around with this section … which is how I tend to figure out most things in the edtech world … I realized the enormous untapped potential the About section actually has. Here’s a quick rundown of how I use this section in my classroom.
It’s a GREAT place for frequently used Google Forms and Docs
Do you have a course syllabus? Stick it in the About section! Do you use Google Forms to collect student information? Stick it in the About section! Any resource your students need to access can be placed in the About section … and it’s easy for everyone to find.
Readings or PDF files
My students read substantial amounts of primary sources, especially in my dual credit classes, and placing them in the About section of Google Classroom seems to alleviate the “where do I find that reading” question I hear. Placing these files in the About section of Google Classroom also prevents them from becoming lost in the sea of Assignments, Announcements, and Questions that fill their Classroom stream.
Important links (review games, Padlet walls, etc)
Any links to Kahoot, Quizizz, or BrainRush review games that I share with my students are available in the About section of Classroom. Padlet walls that include requested review materials are also located in this section because students are able to find these resources quickly, without having to use “CTRL+F” quite as much 🙂
How do you use the About section of Google Classroom? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!
Thanks for reading 🙂
Hi, Bethany!
I know this post is from 2016, but I love the About section, too! I teach high school English. I use the About section to post my syllabus, pdfs, classroom terms, and tools my students use in writing.
The best thing I put in About is a Daily Agenda created in Slides. Once I upload the agenda to About, I can then post new uploads to the daily agenda, which automatically update in the About section. I use this so students who are absent can always know exactly what happened in class. It is fantastic documentation for parent-student meetings.
Hey! That’s a great idea! I think the About section is so underused.
Thanks for reading!
Hi, I love Google Classroom, too! Have you found a way to re-order the links in the About Section. I have 5 different categories with links, but I haven’t found how to put one category above another. Thanks!
Hey!
I haven’t found a way to reorder info shared in the About section … but that would be super-helpful. What do you include in the About section of Classroom? I include the daily objectives Slides presentation, Syllabus, and XP Leaderboards.
Thanks so much for reading!
Bethany
My google classroom page doesn’t have an about section. Why? How can I get it?
Hey!
The About section has been removed since this post 🙁 Instead of About, I share resources that aren’t assignments (syllabus, reading material, etc) as a Material which is an option from the “create” button on Classwork. Hope that helps!
Bethany