Pro tip #4: Give students access to everything. All of it. Use @GoogleDrive

There are some great books out there on improving teaching practice, pedagogy, history of education, ed policy etc. But sometimes the day to day minutiae can detract from grand plans, and what you really need are tips and systems to improve efficiency:

The problem: Students are absent, miss work, and in general lose papers.

The pro-tip: Stop reprinting, stop removing the responsibility from the students - give them access to everything. Everything.

Steps:

1. Use GoogleDrive to sync your folders of worksheets / handouts / PowerPoints / lesson plans - whatever you use in class.
   (side note - you should be doing this anyway if you have a computer at school and home - stop lugging something home that can digitally sync via the cloud)
   
2. Go to drive.google.com and find the folder you want to share. Click anyone with link can view. Do not allow those with link to edit unless you want all of your handouts to "accidentally" disappear.
   (another side note, just put quizzes and tests in a separate folder and don't share that one with the students.)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
3. Using TinyUrl.com (or another URL shortener) copy and paste that long GoogleDrive link in. Choose a much shorter name.
   
   
   
4. Put that link on the board (or email it to your students using the addresses you collected from a GoogleForm)

Voilà - now students have access to all the class materials. This is made even easier if you use something like OpenClass because students can then click on the link directly from their home screen.

Now, no excuses if a student is out for a day sick, or if they lost a paper. Responsibility is on the student to make up work.

Caveat emptor - this is a part of an occasional series, these are all small ideas, none are earth shattering, but they have been helpful to me. Have other pro tips?Feel free to share in the comments.

TEDx Talk: Connecting communities and classrooms

A few weeks ago I gave a TEDx talk on the writing program we started at Pritzker with 826 Chicago to connect students digitally with writing tutors one on one through GoogleDocs.

Check it out below:



I am happy to answer as many questions as I can in the comments about our work or its impact.

If you are able to, please support the work of 826 Chi financially, or volunteer your time! They are a fantastic organization and have been instrumental in our students' collective success.