Top 12 Add‑ons and Extensions That Supercharge Google Classroom

Overview

Google Classroom is a strong baseline, but carefully chosen add‑ons and extensions can save teachers hours each week and expand instructional possibilities. Below are 12 vetted tools with short descriptions and practical use cases.

1. Kami (PDF & annotation)

Kami enables students to annotate PDFs and collaborate on documents without leaving Classroom. Great for reading assignments and markup tasks.

2. Pear Deck (Interactive Slides)

Pear Deck turns Slides into interactive formative experiences with live questions and student pacing features.

3. Screencastify (Video feedback & tutorials)

Record short feedback videos for student work or create mini‑lessons that students can watch asynchronously.

4. Edpuzzle (Video engagement)

Embed questions into videos to check comprehension and track viewing progress within Classroom assignments.

5. Flubaroo (Auto‑grading for Sheets/Forms)

Use Flubaroo to automate grading for Forms quizzes and produce quick reports on common errors.

6. Form Publisher (Automated documents)

Automatically generate certificates, feedback documents, or individualized learning plans from Form responses.

7. Classcraft (Gamified engagement)

Add game mechanics and behavior tracking to motivate students and reward positive behaviors in a structured way.

8. Read&Write (Literacy support)

Accessibility toolbar that supports text‑to‑speech, vocabulary tools, and reading aids for diverse learners.

9. Doctopus + Goobric (Peer review workflows)

Automate distribution of Docs to students and use Goobric for rubric‑based peer feedback.

10. Kami + Classroom integration (PDF distributing)

Distribute interactive PDFs with annotation instructions and collect completed work as Classroom submissions.

11. Wakelet (Curated resources)

Organize articles, videos, and student work into collections linked to Classroom assignments.

12. Google Meet Grid View (Chrome extension)

Improves visual grid layouts for synchronous sessions and helps teachers monitor more students at once.

How to choose add‑ons

Consider these criteria: data privacy (DPA status), admin provisioning, teacher value (time saved or engagement increase), and cost. Pilot for 4–6 weeks with a small teacher cohort before district‑wide rollout.

Implementation tips

• Whitelist only the extensions you approve from the admin console.
• Create short demo videos and one‑page guides showing how to use each tool within existing workflows.
• Track impact on teacher time and student outcomes to justify continued use.

Closing

The right tools complement Classroom rather than complicate it. Start with one or two that address a clear pain point, and expand based on teacher feedback and measurable impact.