Class Orientation Flow: Simulating Homework Submission with Standardized Filenames
Context: This activity simulates how students will check and submit homework throughout the year (PDF format, submitted in the LMS). The goal is to get all the “first-time confusion” out of the way during orientation.
Step 0: Teacher setup (before class)
Teachers prepare three things:
A Google Form or Jotform for homework announcements.
A linked Google Sheet for form responses (this is the announcement tracker).
A Google Sheet template for student filenames, with the
TEXTJOINformula pre-loaded.
Click for the full setup guides here:
Google Form to Sheet Responses
Step 1: Teacher demonstrates the workflow transparently
▪ Teacher fills out the homework Google Form in real time (example: “Answer in notebook → take a picture → save as PDF with proper filename”).
▪ Students watch how the form entry instantly shows up in the form responses sheet.
▪ Teacher explains: “This is what I’ll copy-paste into the LMS, so you’ll always know where to check.”
▪ Teacher shares a view-only link to that responses sheet so students can see it update live.
Step 2: Students practice filename generation
▪ Teacher sends the filename template sheet.
▪ Each student makes their own copy.
▪ They fill in the required columns (name, section, class number, etc.).
▪ The formula generates the standardized filename.
👉 Teacher can pause here to troubleshoot if the formula isn’t working for anyone.
Step 3: Students create and submit a test PDF
▪ Students open Google Docs.
▪ Paste in the generated filename as the document title.
▪ Insert a random image (simulating a homework photo).
▪ Download/Save the file as PDF (checking that the filename matches).
▪ Upload the PDF to the LMS submission box.
✅ Result:
▪ Students have walked through the entire submission process — announcement → filename → PDF → LMS — in a no-stakes practice run.
▪ Teacher can see which students followed correctly (and catch mistakes early).
▪ Future assignments will be smoother, faster, and less confusing because everyone shares the same procedure.