This is great, Jackie!

I had never considered Google Classroom to be a repository for resources, but I use Wakelet for that purpose, and have a very unorganized and overloaded Google Drive repository, so can relate to your notion about that immense tool. 

At another university where I facilitate courses for pre-service teachers who are working toward their certification, we have one course focused on technology integration in GEN & SPED. Learner expectations involve creating a Google Classroom LMS within each module allowing the scholar-practitioners an opportunity to learn how to design interactive, engaging, adaptive, and accessible microlearning assets. At the end of the semester they have a functional online (or hybrid) course they can use as a portfolio of their work. I am excited about your suggestions and cannot wait to share the potential for them to utilize this resource as a repository and effective ways to connect with and support their learners.Thanks again for a wonderful strategy that will help so many others! 

Thank you Kathryn!

   Your work is very interesting as well, I like the idea of the hybrid course being used for a portfolio! 

      For my teacher candidates, I set up individualized communication and assignments in one classroom.  It works well because it keeps their comments and questions confidential and students have different start and due dates and putting them together would be confusing.  I create announcements in the Stream for all and/or a particular student. The first assignment I create will be their specific due dates with instructions of what is due and how materials should be presented /details. The following assignments are basically all materials that I collect from them; lesson plans, videos, feedback forms are all posted in an "Evaluation Assignment" so for one semester each student gets 4 large assignments.  In that assignment area I can see what they have done and when.    I will  post the fall schedule for all to see, and upload some of the documents/forms they may need.   Cooperating teachers are offered access, as some have asked to be in the google class with their student teacher, but most of the time they choose to send feedback and communicate via email or phone.    

      Communication on the phone and video call is welcome by appointment usually, this can be difficult with teacher candidates being in the classroom during the day, working on their other coursework, and tending to families, maybe even working, then coordinating with our schedules too.  I originally thought we could also communicate via classroom, and you can especially on particulars a certain announcements, or questions pertaining to materials, that is fine, but for conversation/meetings, I offer access to a google chat space, (which can connect to google meet if you want video calls), so anytime convenient,  google chat is excellent and can be accessed through the classroom or g-mail. Students will text me initially, but I don't want to miss their texts or be distracted by everyone else's texts,  so they are soon invited to their own chat space where whether asynchronous or real time, all questions are addressed, check -ins and chat or video meets can take place!

Thank you!

Jackie

Thank you for offering more details about your strategies, Jackie. 

This sounds like a highly organized and confidential communication system for teacher candidates, cleverly leveraging Google Classroom and Google Chat. I appreciate the ability to manage individualized assignments and ensure everything is accessible. And, I was thinking about how convenient it would be to use the private comment feature within the evaluation for assignments to provide feedback on specific collected materials like a lesson plan or a video. 

Again, thank you for some excellent ideas I can share with my pre-service teachers!