The Gooru User Guide

Table of Contents

I. Welcome to Gooru II. Find Resources III. Remix Collections IV. Use Gooru with your Students V. Inform Instruction with Data VI. Contribute to the Gooru community VII. FAQs VIII. Conclusion

I. Welcome to Gooru About Us Welcome to Gooru! Here, we believe that education is a human right. All too often, however, there are barriers to delivering it. That’s why we’re building an open and collaborative online community of educators, learners, partners, and developers to facilitate personalized instruction that amplifies learning outcomes for every student. Founded as a 501(c)(3) non­profit in January 2011, Gooru has and always will be a mission­focused organization whose products are free of cost and ads. Learn more on about.goorulearning.org. Our Users Over 600,000 teachers in 210 countries/territories and all 50 United States use Gooru in their classrooms to help students reach their full potential. We’re glad to welcome you into our community of learning, and we thank you for supporting us in our mission. Why Gooru? As a K­12 teacher, you have a classroom full of students with varying abilities. Some are ahead of the class, some are English language learners, and some are entering your class 2­3 grades below in their abilities. It’s a challenge to ensure that all students are learning and mastering concepts at their level, at their own pace, in a way that encourages and engages them. With millions of resources in our catalog, Gooru provides a free, intuitive solution that personalizes learning and supports a wide variety of instructional models in the classroom, the ones you know work for your students. We’re committed to being open, free, and transparent. We encourage you to share your expertise with the Gooru community by adding resources to our catalog and building collections. Many of the educators and learners using Gooru will also benefit from the hard work you do to support your students!

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a. Intro to Gooru Collections What is a Gooru Collection? A Gooru collection is a sequence of web resources enriched with instruction. Each collection is comprised of resources, which include images, videos, webpages, games, textbooks, questions, and more. Today, the Gooru Learning Catalog includes over 70,000 teacher­created collections. You can remix and customize an existing collection, or build your own from scratch.

A sample Gooru collection Navigating a Gooru Collection To start studying a collection, click the “Study” button located on the cover page of a collection. This will start playing the first resource in the collection.

Navigation: To navigate between resources, use the navigation arrows at the top of the screen. You can also view resources out of order by using the navigation bar at the top of the player.

Rate and review resources: You can rate resources and write reviews for them as you move through the collection. Show some love to your favorite ones so other teachers know which are the highest quality.

Answer questions: If the collection has question items, you can write or select your answers. Make sure you click “submit” before moving on to the next resource.

View your collection summary: When you’ve finished studying a collection, view your collection summary to see how you performed. You can see which questions you got correct, how you reacted,and how much time you spent on each resource.

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b. Sign up for an account Gooru is free to use, forever! There are two ways to sign up for a Gooru account: if you have a Gmail account, you can sign up for aGooru account with Google Single Sign On. You can also use any email to create a Gooru account. You don’t need an account to search and browse for learning resources, but you will need one to start building and saving collections, creating classes, and seeing insights into student progress.

II. Find Resources Find the best resources, collections, and question items on the web in the Gooru catalog.

a. Browse Gooru libraries When you’re ready to start exploring Gooru, start by browsing our libraries, which include collections and courses created by the Gooru community, our district partners, and our content creator partners. These libraries cover K­12 content in math, science, social sciences, English Language Arts as well as additional subjects. Find the libraries under the “Libraries” tab in the menu bar.

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b. Search for resources and collections You can also search for resources and collections by entering specific key terms in the search bar at the top of the page. Toggle between showing resource or collection results, and you can also filter results by resource format, subject, grade level, standard, and more. Also, easily filter to find just OER (open educational resources) or mobile­friendly resources.

III. Remix Collections

a. Build a collection from scratch We encourage you to remix an existing collection, but if you’re ready to forge ahead independently, build your own collection from scratch! Remember, as you start building, you can always get step­by­step guidance from the collections of Gooru Tutorials. Get started by hovering over the “My Collections” tab and clicking “Create a Collection.”

You can add resources to your collection by browsing through collections in the library or using the search bar. Use the “Add” or “+” button to add the resource to any of your existing collections.

You can even click and drag resources to the collections on the right of your screen to add them to your existing collections. Or, drag and add an entire collection to save and customize it.

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b. Add your own resources to a collection Gooru collections are dynamic and limited only by the creative ability of the user making the collection. It’s simple to add your own resources to a collection, whether they’re on the web, on your computer, or in your Google Drive. First, make sure you are in the “My Collections” tab. Click on a collection to which you’d like to add your resource. Then click the “+ New Resource” button.

Choose “From Web” if your resource exists online, as a screencast, Youtube video, Timetoast timeline, Crocodoc document, Popcorn maker, or similar.

Choose “From File” if your resource is a PDF or JPG file on your computer. If you want to upload a Word document, please convert it to a PDF first.

Choose “From Google Drive” to link your Google Drive to your Gooru account and easily add a Google Document, Presentation, Spreadsheet, or similar.

Choose “Suggestions” to see related resources in the Gooru catalog that you can add to your collection.

When you upload your own materials and publish your collections, you’re helping to contribute to an ever­growing catalog of great teaching materials that all teachers can use. Thank you!

c. Add questions to collections With Gooru, you can add questions to your collections to check your students’ understanding. For the best studying experience, it is suggested that you provide (at least) one question following each resource to hold students accountable for comprehension. You can either search for questions using Gooru search (and selecting the questions filter), or you can add your own questions. To add your own question, make sure to select a collection in the “My Collections” tab. Then click the “+ New Question” button. You will be able to choose the question type that you’d like to create: multiple choice, multiple answer, true/false, fill in the blank, and open­ended.

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You can also add images, hints, explanations, and even tag your questions to standards and depth of knowledge levels.

d. Provide guidance to students with each resource Add narration to resources Narration Guide your students with narration to provide a focus for a particular resource. Consider asking them a question, giving directions, or pointing them to a specific part of a webpage. Edit Video Start/Stop Times Show your students only the relevant portions of a YouTube video (rather than the entire thing) in order to focus their attention. You can even create several segments of video (by copying the resource), and follow each segment with a question to check for understanding. Simply click on “Edit” then select “Edit Video Time.”

Reorder Resources In order to change the sequence of the resources and questions in your collection, simply click on the resource you would like to move and drag it up or down in your collection.

e. Collaborate with others You can co­author collections with other teachers, by using Gooru’s “Collaborator” feature. When you add collaborators to your collection, they will be able to edit your collection along with you. However, only the collection’s original owner will be able to add additional collaborators (up to 20) or delete the collection. In the “My Collections” tab, select a collection to which you would like to add collaborators and select the collaborators tab. You can then invite collaborators by inputting their email address into the text field. They do not have to be existing Gooru users, as they will receive an email which explains how they can join and collaborate with you.

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Also, consider having your students collaborate with each other to build collections, or collaborate with their teacher as a simple way to share progress on collections.

f. Create folders and units In the same way that your lessons are components within a “unit of study,” you can: organize your collections within a folder; add big ideas, essential questions, and performance tasks; and ultimately assign the folder of collections to your students. You may have as many folders as you like, and you can even have folders within folders (up to three levels). Within these folders you can create collections. To move collections into these folders, make sure to select “move” on the collection, and select the appropriate folder to move it to. 1) Create a folder First, make sure you are in “My Collections.” Then, click create and select “Folder” (or select the Create Folder button) You will then be prompted to title your folder.

2) Folder Metadata By selecting “edit” folder metadata, you are able to enter big ideas, essential questions, and titles of performance tasks. However, only you will be able to see this information (it is not currently displayed elsewhere in Gooru). 3) Assign the folder to your students In “My Classes” make sure you have created a class. Then, click “+ Assign a Collection.” This will allow you to select a folder you would like to assign.

IV. Using Gooru with your Students

a. Create a class Creating a class in Gooru will allow you do a few valuable things: 1) Manage the assignments (collections) your students can access 2) Manage the list of students who can study your collections 3) Monitor the collection analytics after students study the collection More details about these topics are covered in subsequent collections. To create a class, hover over the “My Classes” tab, and then select “+ Create a New Class.” Now, you have your own class, where you can add a cover image, students, and assignments.

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b. Assign collections to students Now that you’ve created some collections that are ready for your students, it’s time to assign them. Choose the class to which you’d like to assign the collections. Now, click the button that says, “+ Assign a collection.” Then you can select either a single collection, or a folder with many collections to assign to your students. You can resequence the collections in your class by hovering over the appropriate “dot” in the “Assignments Order” and selecting the position you would like the collection to move to.

Once you have your collections in the proper sequence, you are ready to share them with your students. Click on the “Students” tab at the top of the screen. Here you have the option to make your class an “open class” (this is the default setting) or an “invite­only” class, meaning that only students whom you email will have access to the collections assigned in this class. If you select “open” class, you can share the class code or link with your students. They’ll simply click on “My Classes” and enter the code to join your class. (Students do not need accounts to join your class, however, you will not be able to track their data with individual accounts). Therefore we encourage your students to create Gooru accounts. Once your students have joined, you can manage your class list and remove students if necessary.

c. Instructional Uses of Gooru

Whole Class Instruction

Assign a Gooru collection to your whole class and give them the freedom to study at their own pace. Monitor the collection analytics to inform your instruction.

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Extended Learning with Small Groups

Use Gooru collections to differentiate instruction. With invite­only classes, you can choose specific students to work on collections. Consider using a station rotation model or pulling a small group to receive direct instruction.

Flipping Your Classroom

Assign a Gooru collection as homework, and flip your classroom by having the students gain background knowledge at home while engaging in collaborative projects in class.

Assessment Create a Quiz collection of only questions to check your students’ understanding. Monitor their scores on the Collection Progress or Collection Summary dashboards.

Student Projects Many teachers find that Gooru is best used when their students are making collections themselves. When students select a research topic, they can use Gooru collections to organize their research, use narration to describe their resource selections, and add questions to stimulate thinking in their peers.

Gooru with Hands­On Learning

As you enhance your curriculum with authentic learning opportunities such as lab experiments and collaborative projects, consider making Gooru collections to enhance students’ hands­on experiences. You can also use both Gooru and manipulatives or materials to create a dynamic learning environment.

Using Gooru with 1:1 devices

It’s very simple to use Gooru if your classroom has 1:1 devices. Assign a Gooru collection and allow students to study at their own pace, or have students explore and research on their own.

Using quiz collections

Want to give your student a quick quiz to assess their understanding? Consider using a collection comprised of only questions. You can provide hints and explanations along the way and track their progress with collection analytics.

V. Inform Instruction with Data

a. Use the collection progress dashboard After your students have a) joined your class and b) begun studying your collection, you will be able to monitor their progress using the Collection Progress dashboard. First, make sure you have selected the appropriate class in the “My Classes” dropdown menu. Then, navigate to “Assignments” and select “View Collection Analytics.” Select “Collection Progress.”

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This dashboard will allow you to see 1) how many questions your students have gotten correct, 2) how long they are spending on each resource or question, and 3) how they have reacted to each resource. You can even select to view only resources, only questions, or both. Use this dashboard to make informed choices about who needs additional instruction and who may be ready for an additional challenge.

b. Use the collection summary dashboard After your students have a) joined your class and b) finished studying your collection, the Collection Summary dashboard will allow you to make informed choices about your teaching and how you may want to modify the collection based on your students’ feedback. In order to find the Collection Summary dashboard, first go to My Classes, and select the appropriate class. Then, navigate to “Assignments” and select “View Collection Analytics.” Select “Collection Summary.”

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This dashboard will allow you to see:

1. The top correct and incorrect questions in your collection, as well as the responses to your open­ended questions.

2. What was the average time spent, number of views, and average reaction. 3. The resource breakdown will show you how your students truly received the resources in your

collection. 4. You can also sort by individual student data.

VI. Contribute to the Gooru community

a. Tag your collection with standards While teachers are constantly looking for resources aligned to standards, you can help in that effort by making sure your collections are appropriately tagged. Other teachers will appreciate your effort as more collections and resources become available for standards. First, make sure you have selected the appropriate standards preference in your settings, and keep checking in as we continue to add more standards to Gooru. Scroll to the bottom of your profile, to edit your standards preference. After you finish building your collection, select this “Info” button, and here you can tag your collection with a variety of information (e.g. grade, course, and standard).

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Go above and beyond to complete the secondary information (including language objectives, 21st century skills, and audience) to allow other teachers to find your collection more easily when searching for these items.

b. Publish your collection Gooru’s catalog of collections continually grows as educators publish their collections, and we encourage all educators to publish their completed collections so that they can be discoverable in search results. With each additional published collection, our library is enhanced by our users.

1) Before publishing your collection, please make sure you have the following elements included in your collection:

A clear learning objective A cover image for your collection (to distinguish it from other similar collections) Questions and narration included (when appropriate) Tagged grade and course (in the “info” tab) Tagged standards (when appropriate) Teacher Tips (to inform other teachers how you used this collection)

2) Publish your collection In “My Collections” select the “Publish” button. Your collection will then be reviewed by our safety guidelines to ensure there is no inappropriate content, and you will notified of your published collection within 1­2 days (depending on the amount of traffic we are receiving).

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When you feel like your collection is ready to publish, share it with the rest of the Gooru community!

c. Your Gooru Profile When you create a Gooru account, you’ll also have a Gooru profile page where you can enter information about yourself, such as the subjects you teach. Your profile is by default set to private, but you can turn on your profile visibility to share all your public collections. You'll be able to find other users' public collections on their profile as well.

If you've found a creator whose collections inspire you, follow them to navigate quickly to their collections. You'll be able to see everyone you follow (and who is following you) on your profile page.

VII. FAQs

1. I’ve forgotten my password. Help! Don’t worry ­­ it happens to the best of us! To reset your password, navigate to the login box and click “Forgot your password.” Provide us with your Gooru username or the email address associated with your Gooru account, and we’ll send you an email containing a link to reset your password.

2. How should I set up my and my students’ technology to use Gooru?

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Whether you use PCs, Macs, desktop computers, or Chromebooks with students, we recommend accessing Gooru from a high­speed internet connection (minimum 2 mbps) and one of our support internet browsers and versions (Google Chrome 33+ (Recommended), Mozilla Firefox 28+, Apple Safari 5+ and Internet Explorer 11+). If students are using iPads we recommend downloading our Gooru Classes iPad app from the iTunes Store.

3. How do I Integrate Gooru with my school’s LMS? Gooru can be integrated with Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI) compliant learning management systems. Currently, Gooru integrates with Haiku. For more information, please email schools@goorulearning.org.

4. What happens if I run into technical difficulties?

When using Gooru­­or any technology, in general­­it is important to always have a backup plan. The strongest lessons are those that anticipate any potential pitfalls, and have corresponding contingency plans that are meaningful and aligned to the content. Please refer to this document (bit.ly/1qyqEtO) for tips and suggestions on what to do when you run into technical difficulties.

5. Where do I find further support? If you’d like step­by­step tutorials for any section of this User Guide, check out Gooru Tutorials (bit.ly/1qyqNh5), a series of collections with Gooru how­tos. If you need any further support, you can visit our Support Center at support.goorulearning.org. There you’ll find helpful articles and other getting started materials. You can also get in touch with a member of our support team directly at support@goorulearning.org.

VIII. Conclusion Thanks for taking the time to become a Gooru expert! For more information about Gooru and our organization, please visit about.goorulearning.org.

a. Gooru events If you’d like to participate in the Gooru community and converse with other educators, please join us for our online or live events.

Gooru Office Hours: For Gooru newbies! If you’d like live support about anything Gooru­related, join us for Gooru Office Hours every Tuesday at 5pm PT.

Gooru Hangouts: For Gooru experts! Join us in this Google Hangout webinar for a lively discussion around a specific topic, usually about classroom implementation of Gooru. Gooru Hangouts feature a classroom teacher each week who speaks about his or her experience. Second and fourth Wednesdays of every month at 5pm PT.

Gooru Coaches: If you’re ready to become a Gooru Coach and train others on Gooru at your team, thank you! Please join us for a 3­part webinar series or a full­day training in our Palo Alto office to become a Gooru Coach.

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For more information and a full calendar of our events, please go to about.goorulearning.org/community/events.

b. Share with Us! We always love to hear from Gooru teachers­­your feedback fuels our team! We want to hear from you. Email: info@goorulearning.org OR support@goorulearning.org Twitter: @gooru Facebook: facebook.com/gooru

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