As the summer holidays come to a close and the excitement of a new school year beckons, K-12 education administrators find themselves at a crucial crossroads. In the realm of digital education, Google Classroom serves as a cornerstone, and ensuring its seamless operation is more vital than ever.
This guide arms Google admins with the tools, insights, and strategies needed to conduct a comprehensive Google Classroom audit—a journey that not only enhances engagement but also bolsters the safety of online learning spaces.
K-12 Admins Ultimate Google Classroom Audit Checklist
1. Evaluating Google Classroom Usage
Initiate the audit process by assessing Google Classroom usage. Begin with basic usage reports from the admin console. Then leverage Classroom Insights to gain a comprehensive view of class states, user engagement, assignments, grades, and classwork. All are conveniently accessible from a single interface.
2. Monitoring Classroom Activity
In the digital landscape, vigilant oversight is paramount. Employing third-party classroom management tools becomes essential to tracking student interactions, identifying potential issues, and cultivating a focused online learning environment.
Here, the GAT Suite emerges as a beacon of control, offering an integrated solution that encompasses classroom management, web filtering, and cybersecurity within Google Workspace for Education. With these tools at their disposal, administrators wield unparalleled influence, equipped with insights and automation that empower both educators and students.
3. Real-time Student Screen Monitoring
The digital classroom is prone to distractions, but the remedy lies in real-time student screen monitoring.
Meet Teacher Assist, a cutting-edge monitoring tool. With its real-time capabilities, Teacher Assist empowers educators and administrators alike to actively manage students’ Chrome browser sessions, redirecting attention and optimizing the learning experience.
4. Auditing Google Classroom Meet Activity
Leverage Google Meet audit logs to scrutinize meeting activity, participant details, and meeting origins. Utilize the Meet Quality Tool to assess metrics and troubleshoot issues effectively.
You can also enable or disable Meet (independently of Chat) from the admin console based on your district’s requirements.
Consider third-party Google Workspace monitoring tools for deeper insights. GAT+ provides the most extensive Google Meet audits and analytics in the market today.
You can view all Meet activity, explore a timeline view of the internally organized meetings, and a graph view of the call.
5. Ensuring Google Classroom Safety:
Address safety concerns associated with Google Classroom usage. Implement content filtering, block inappropriate websites, and establish Google Drive Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies to safeguard against accidental data breaches.
GAT Shield offers robust security features, enabling administrators to monitor students’ online activity, create alerts for inappropriate language or content, and enforce security policies. Moreover, this tool enhances cybersecurity by tracking Chrome-based activity and taking proactive measures to mitigate potential threats.
6. Auditing Google Classroom Groups
Evaluate both teacher and course email groups in Google Classroom.
As a K-12 Admin, you may want to find these Google Classroom groups, check their details, and include them in your audit report.
7. Managing Orphaned Google Classrooms
Identify and rectify orphaned Google Classrooms where the teacher owner has been deleted. For instance, students can post inappropriate content there, share fake news, even have unchecked conversations, etc.
That’s why, as a K12 admin, it’s very important to audit these classrooms regularly, especially when performing start and end-of-school-year Google Classroom tasks. Take steps to transfer ownership and ensure the proper management of these classrooms.
8. Managing Guardians in Google Classroom
Guardians play a pivotal role in students’ virtual journeys, and managing their roles and permissions is imperative. This step ensures the guardians’ ability to uphold student data privacy, fostering a secure online learning environment.
Note: GAT Flow allows you to create, modify, delete, or add a guardian to any classroom in a few simple steps.
9. Analyzing Google Classroom Classwork and Assignment Integrity
Generate thorough audit reports by examining classwork details, including course information, descriptions, creators, and activity history. Dive deeper into student classwork activity for enhanced insights.
Amid the rise of AI in education, the new Taskmaster tool addresses the challenge of maintaining academic integrity in remote learning. Powered by AI, this tool detects AI-generated content, prevents copy-paste actions, and assesses assignment integrity, providing educators with actionable insights and promoting independent learning.
10. Monitoring Google Classroom Attendance:
Attendance takes on a new dimension in the digital age. The GAT Suite redefines attendance tracking, capturing real-time student engagement and interactions. This holistic approach ensures that no student’s learning journey goes unnoticed.
Elevate Google Classroom Management in 2023
As the curtains rise on a new academic year, the possibilities for growth and innovation are endless. Enhance Google Classroom management with GAT Suite’s innovative solutions. Empower educators, streamline communication, and fortify security, all while fostering a productive and secure digital learning experience.
Request a demo today and see why domains are moving to GAT Labs.
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