I work with a lot of schools and districts on effectively implementing technology into their teaching. I am a HUGE champion of both Google Apps for Education (GSuite for Education) and Schoology (pronounced school-uh-gee). A lot of the districts I work with on a regular basis use both. One of the most frequent questions I get when working with teachers who have already been using Google Drive and Google Classroom but are new to Schoology is what’s the difference?
As much of a Google champion as I am, I am a big proponent of having access to a full-fledged content/learning management system (CMS or LMS)… and Google Classroom was not meant to be an LMS. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a fabulous tool for what it is meant to do. The other day a high school teacher asked me as we were starting the Schoology training, “so is Schoology like another tool in the toolbox?” I responded, “No. Schoology IS the toolbox, and it comes with a few essential starter tools.” I would consider Google Drive (and potentially even Classroom- keep reading for ideas on using the two together) some of my most used tools in the toolbox. Take the image below, for example, I created it in Google Drawings (found in Google Drive), and embedded it on a Schoology Page to use in another Schoology training with a different district. It’s a quick comparison of similarities and differences between Schoology and Google Classroom. If you notice I left something really important out in the Venn diagram, please comment on this post and let me know!
There are plenty of teachers who use both Schoology and Google Classroom, as described in this post by Alice Keeler. For the teacher who can clearly make the distinction between Schoology and Classroom for both themselves and their students, I say go for it! For those who feel a little overwhelmed hopping from place to place, I have three suggestions for you:
- Check out Drive Companion (as I’m writing this, this is currently the only solution in place for making Schoology act like Classroom with managing copying and sharing of documents).
- Check out this post about 3 ways to use Google Drive with Schoology on Schoology’s blog.
- Wait for the feature to distribute Google Docs within a Schoology Assignment to be added to Schoology (it’s currently on the product roadmap).
What are you using in your classroom as a way to distribute and organize all your digital content? Do you use Google Classroom along with something else? How is it working for you?
Tech To You Later!
-Katie
Great article! I have been required to use both platforms a lot this year! Love the Venn, but it’s missing the ability to differentiate, late notices, and grading- all in Classroom.
Thanks, Cindy! I’ll add those in the middle since they both can do that!
Love this diagram! Our Operational Tech guys aren’t big fans of Google, so we went to Schoology with Office 365, and I have to say I’m loving it! I appreciate your views, as a lot of other area schools are using Google Classroom so sometimes our teachers feel like they’re missing out with Schoology!
Hye Katie, may i know, are u comparing Google Classroom with the Free version Schoology or the paid version?
Hi Hannah, most of the features discussed here are available with both free and paid, however some of them are just the enterprise version of Schoology. Anything in particular you’re curious about?
I’m interested in the answer to this question too.
I’ve been using Classroom for 6-7 years now and LOVE it! It is so easy to use. Teachers don’t have the time to learn another platform…. teachers can be up and running almost instantly with Classroom.
My 2 cents…
I concur. The insanity of transferring and utilizing google through schoology is truly annoying. I was taught to use google docs successfully in an hour. After four hours trying to create one lesson on schoology I wanted to stab my PC…with a sledgehammer…and that was with their “training”.
“Teachers don’t have the time to learn another platform” but yet you expect your students to learn something new everyday?
Hey Katie, love this diagram. Do you have an updated version of it with the Google doc integration? Also, badges are something to add in Schoology.
I’m a big Schoology fan and I am bringing it to my new campus where most have been using Classroom. I left a ten-year position at another district because I was forced to use Canvas. I’m excited to be able to use Schoology again! The Venn is great!
Katie, slightly modified this to account for Schoology’s Google Drive Assignment App and to include OneDrive integration as well. If you are interested: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ddrL7GPE6AblqxByv9J_y_n8Yoz_vMDXlD2mzz8os4c/edit?usp=sharing
Highly overrated. The complexity and sheer redundancy of transferring a smooth running google class to schoology is insane. Google = simple. Make a copy for each student to work with, share, review. Schoology – 4 hours later this still doesn’t work. Its either some convoluted, download, create a copy, upload format or they can write on my original (which isn’t happening). In google docs I can real time watch what kids are writing to give immediate feedback. Schoology…They have to submit. Yeah schoology links grades and its folders look prettier, but as a whole there is not single solitary aspect as a teacher that I find superior. As a school district it might because of the links to attendance and grades, but as a classroom teacher I find little redeeming in switching over. I can embed, create usable docs, communicate, etc…easily in classroom
We’re new to Schoology this year & as a coach I’m working on supporting a lot of our primary teachers. Are suggestions as to an “easy” way for students (k-2) to work in their journals and “share” their work with their teacher?
As a parent of 2 kids in different grades 6th and 10th, that were used to work with google classroom and now the school change to schoology, I can tell you that both of my kids really hate schoology. It’s more complicated for them to find the assignments, to see the lesson plans and overall the amount of time that they have to click back and forth to do their assignments is insane ( really, what’s the deal with all those folders it’s like opening a Russian doll, it’s annoying). GC was simple, easy and clean. I help my youngest with the system and really hate it as well. It will be nice to have a platform that include all the apps they need at school, but with GC included as well, instead of the way the classrooms assignments are in schoology is if that makes any sense. The overall idea of schoology is not bad, but in reality is time consuming and redundant.