Google Classroom Updates! (February, 25, 2015)

New Updates Released for Google Classroom on February 25, 2015!
The Google Classroom Team is at it again with 4 more updates for Google Classroom. Three of them are specifically for the mobile apps. Let's take a closer look!








Customize the Classroom Header with Your Own Image!

Teacher have been stuck with a premade selection of Classroom header images since the app was officially released in August. The ability to upload your own image into the header has been frequently requested. Teachers love the ability to customize their online space just as much as we do our classrooms! Now you can! With this new round of updates, teachers can upload their own image into the header space of their individual Classrooms and there is a new gallery of Patterns to choose from as well. The image needs to be at least 800 pixels wide and 200 pixels tall. The banner color will be selected automatically, likely based on the dominant color in the image. Happy customizing!

About Page Now Accessible in the Mobile Apps

When the Android and iOS apps for Google Classroom were released in January, one key feature was missing; the About page! Teachers use the About page in Classroom to share important resources and information, and to have it missing from the app was frustrating. Well, freak out no longer! With the newest update of the apps, students and teachers will now have access to the About page. However, the teacher can only view the About page in the app. The option to edit is not yet available.

iOS Update Allows Students to Attach Files from other Apps

It's a lengthy process when having students create content in other apps on the iPad and then trying to get it into a Google Classroom assignment. It would involve moving the file from one app into Google Drive and then attaching it to a Classroom assignment from Google Drive. But wouldn't it be nice if your students could just attach a Note in Notability straight into Classroom? With the latest iOS update to the Google Classroom app, this will now be possible. When students are working in another app and they want to export or "share" their work, the Google Classroom app will now appear in the list of apps to share to. Tapping the Classroom app icon takes them into Google Classroom where they can select which Assignment they want to attach it to. This will eliminate those extra steps on the iPad when trying to move a file from one app into a Classroom Assignment.

Sharing a Note from Notability to Classroom just got easier!

When sending a file to the Classroom app, students choose the assignment.

Important note: the list of Assignments is organized by their due date. With the latest assignment shown first.

Once the Assignment is chosen, the student can tap "Attach" to finalize.

Bonus feature: when students use this new option in the iPad, it will upload the students file into their Classroom sub folder automatically, keeping the students files neat and organized for them!

This One is for the Students! Emojis Now Available in the Android App (and iOS!)

So apparently students want the ability to use emojis in the Google Classroom app. The Google Classroom Team thought this was a cute idea and wanted to give one update to the students. Gotta love their sense of humor! This feature will now be available in the Android app. Surprisingly, you can already use emojis in the iPad app, and they'll show up in the app. However, they don't translate over to the web version of Classroom. Enjoy a flood of emojis from your students now!!

The Google Classroom team continues to listen to its users, both teachers and students! Submit your feedback by clicking the "?" in the bottom right corner of Classroom and choose "Send Feedback".