✏️ Author’s Note:
We love Google (and were actually once located in the Chicago “Google Building“)! To see all of the ways that Otus leverages Google and allows users to expand their use of Google Apps for Education, continue reading. Keep in mind that you can continue using Google Classroom with Otus!
Teachers who use Google Classroom enjoy its ease of use and the minimal setup that is required to begin using it. Additionally, since Google is prevalent in every area of our lives, it is very easy to stay within their ecosystem because it’s comfortable. As common as Google Classroom is in K-12 classrooms, it oftentimes must be supplemented by other tools, extensions, and plug-ins that may not provide the most efficient workflow for the way teachers work.
Additionally, K-12 families and school leaders can best support teachers and students when they have visibility into student learning and growth over time.
With that, we've created a resource to help with the transition from Google Classroom to Otus and the ways you can continue using them together.
In this article, you will find the following:
My District is Switching from Google Classroom to Otus; Now What? This section will describe how you, as a teacher, can get your grades and content from one to the other. While things may be done a bit differently in Otus than how they are done in Google Classroom, there are many similarities between the two. You can also continue using Google Classroom together with Otus.
The Top 5 Differences Between Otus and Google Classroom: We understand that transitioning from one system to the other can be a daunting process. In this section, we will outline some information that will make you feel better about the decision to switch to Otus!
My District Is Switching from Google Classroom to Otus. Now What?
This section will describe how you, as a teacher, can get your grades and content from one to the other. While things may be done a bit differently in Otus than how they are done in Google Classroom, there are many similarities between the two. You can also continue using Google Classroom together with Otus.
Grades and Content
Transfer Grades: Although grades can't be directly transferred from Google Classroom to Otus, a + (Plus) Assessment can be used to enter grades into the gradebook for assignments that were done outside of Otus, including the grades you have entered in Google Classroom. For more information on how to use + Assessments, click here.
Google Classroom Assessments: You can add a link to any Google Classroom assessment to an Otus lesson, the bookshelf, the class board, or a blog post. You can also recreate the assessment in Otus! Another option is embedding the document directly into an advanced assessment and then just building the options to record answers.
Google Classroom Activities: You can add a link to any Google Classroom activity to an Otus lesson, the bookshelf, the class board, or a blog post.
Similarities Between Otus and Google Classroom
📣 Posting Announcements
The Class Board in Otus can be used to share information with students, similar to Stream in Google Classroom. You can link to a Google Doc or Slide directly from your Class Board!
📝 Creating Assignments
The Lessons area in Otus allows you to create engaging lessons and assignments, similar to the Classwork section in Google Classroom. You can link to a Google Doc or Slide directly from your Lessons.
Use our Assessment tool to create unique copies of Slides or Docs for each student with a side-by-side rubric!
💯 Review Student Submissions
View and grade student work in Otus, just like you can in Google Classroom.
The Top 5 Differences Between Otus and Google Classroom
We understand that transitioning from one system to the other can be daunting. In this section, we will outline some information that will make you feel better about the decision to switch to Otus.
Integrations
Otus can integrate with many of the systems your school district already uses. Whether you are looking to keep your classes in sync with your student information system, have grades seamlessly flow from your SIS (Infinite Campus, PowerSchool, and Skyward), import data from third-party assessments (i.e. SBAC, NWEA, Renaissance, iReady, etc.) or incorporate LTI resources from your district curriculum, Otus allows teachers to have all of their tools in one place.Gradebook for Students, Teachers, School Leaders, and Families
Not every school uses a single grading scale for all grades. More and more K-12 school districts are implementing initiatives like standards-based grading. With Otus, school districts can create unique grading scales for each grade, share assessments or standards gradebooks with students, administrators, teachers, and families, and ensure that student performance is reported in ways that are consistent with today’s instructional initiatives.Classroom Management Tools
Otus is much more than a learning management system. Otus allows educators to text students and families, maintain communication logs, track student recognition points for behaviors, take attendance, understand student strengths and passions, and streamline how teachers manage every facet of their day.Engaging Assessments Aligned to Standards
While multiple-choice, true/false, and short-answer questions are great for certain learning situations, today’s educators want to provide students with more authentic measures of learning. Otus offers a wide variety of K-12 assessment options for teachers including an assessment item bank that is pre-aligned to state learning standards.Actionable Data
For teachers to leverage student data that typically exists in disconnected tools, the data must be accessible and actionable by teachers. Otus provides educators with access to high-stakes assessment data, benchmark data, common assessment data, and data gathered using all the other Otus tools. Now data can truly be used to inform instruction.
Google is changing the ways teachers work. Learn how Otus leverages all of the things you love about Google to help streamline your workflows.