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Create a Google Classroom Custom Header with Google Drawings

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Create a Google Classroom Custom Header with Google Drawings

How to Create a Google Classroom Header Image

Google Classroom is a great application for Google using educators and students to manage assignments, communicate and collaborate, and go paperless! Google has made great strides in updating this application based on the feedback submitted by educators like you. Google Classroom is only going to get better! So if you haven’t taken the time to learn this great application, now is the time.

One feature of Google Classroom is the ability to customize the theme and header (see example below). You can choose from ready-made themes and header images from Google’s gallery, or you can upload your own image to customize the look and feel of all of your classes. Adding your own image usually requires more than just finding a picture stored on your drive. Google Classroom is responsive, which means the size and shape of the header change with the size of your screen on your desktop, laptop, tablet or phone. For this reason, you will notice most of Google’s headers have a pattern which works well for this type of responsive application. Faces and clipart can get distorted in the header, but I have found a way that works for me using Google Drawings to create the header image.

Google Drawings is the unsung hero of the Google Drive suite of applications. It is a very powerful tool for creation. See this infographic for more details: 10 Ways to Use Google Drawings in the Classroom. Google Drawings allows you to create an image in any size that you want, so it was an easy option for creating a custom Google Classroom header. Below are step-by-step directions to help you create a custom header for your Google Classroom classes.

Create a Google Classroom Custom Header with Google Drawings

1. Go to drawings.google.com to open a new drawing.

2. Click on the title (top left) and rename.

3. Go to File>Page Setup

    • From the drop-down, select Custom
    • Change inches to pixels
    • Input 2000 x 400 pixels and click Okay.

      Screen Shot 2016-02-22 at 4.01.49 PM

4. Here comes the fun part! Create your image!

    • Suggestion: right-click on the image and choose a background color to get started. (I chose a white background.)

5. Now you can insert any images or text that you want, like your school logo, your avatar, or other images that help define your class. (My example was for a Google Academy that I taught in Commerce ISD. Kudos to Heather Kilgore for creating the logo!)

Screen Shot 2016-02-22 at 5.03.01 PM

 

Tip: I find that it’s best to use a series or pattern of small images so that it doesn’t look distorted. If you choose something large, it doesn’t resize very well.

6. When you are done creating your image, go to File>Download as> choose .png or .jpeg to download the image to your computer. (Note: Jpeg is good if for real photographs, .png is good for clip art.)

Screen Shot 2016-02-22 at 4.12.37 PM


7. Now, upload your new header into Google Classroom.

  • Go to Google Classroom and choose the class where you wish to update the header.
  • Near the bottom-right of the current image header, select “Upload photo.” Navigate to where you downloaded your new header, or drag and drop to upload.
  • Move and crop the image if you like to get it exactly where you want it. Then click, “Select class theme” at the bottom of the window.

    Screen Shot 2016-02-22 at 4.17.49 PM

     

  • Voila! You have a new customized header! (Note: the theme colors are not customizable, but Google Classroom tries to somewhat mimic the colors in your image. I’m hoping for the ability to choose custom colors in the future!)
  • Tip: Choosing a different header, even just with minor changes will help you students see at a glance which class they are in and help keep them on track.

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Check out all of my Google Classroom Resources here!




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Comments

  1. Hi Kasey,
    The one reason that I’ve been flipping back and forth between new and old forms is the way that they have changed making a custom banner for forms. Do you think that image ratio you mentioned for the Google Classroom banner is the same for new Google forms?

    • Oh! Good question, Amber! I tried it and it will work, but seems to be slightly thinner. I would try 1500×300. Seems to cut off the top of the bigger one.