How to Use Kami with Google Classroom

This guide walks you through connecting Kami to Google Classroom, assigning PDFs and other documents, and collecting student work—all without leaving your Google Drive. You’ll learn how to set up the integration, create and distribute Kami assignments, and grade submissions directly in Classroom.

What You’ll Need

• A Google account (school or personal) with access to Google Classroom
• The Kami Chrome extension installed from the Chrome Web Store
• A Kami account (free or paid) linked to your Google account
• A PDF, Word doc, or image file you want to assign

Step-by-Step

1. Install the Kami extension. Go to the Chrome Web Store, search for “Kami,” and click “Add to Chrome.” After installation, the Kami icon (a white “K” on a purple square) appears in your browser toolbar.
2. Sign in to Kami with Google. Click the Kami icon and choose “Sign in with Google.” Select the same Google account you use for Classroom. If prompted, allow Kami to access your Google Drive and Classroom—this is required for the integration.
3. Open Google Classroom. Go to classroom.google.com and open the class where you want to create an assignment.
4. Create a new assignment. Click the “Classwork” tab, then click “Create” and select “Assignment.”
5. Add your file. In the assignment creation window, click the “Add” button (paperclip icon) and choose “Google Drive.” Locate the PDF or other file you want to use, select it, and click “Add.” The file appears as a thumbnail in the assignment.
6. Choose “Make a copy for each student.” Click the drop-down arrow next to the file thumbnail and select “Make a copy for each student.” This creates an individual copy of the file for every student, which is essential for Kami assignments.
7. Assign the work. Fill in the title, instructions, due date, and point value as usual. Click “Assign” (or schedule it). Students will see the file in their Classroom stream.
8. Students open the file with Kami. When a student clicks the file, it opens in Google’s built-in viewer. They should click the Kami icon in the top-right corner of the viewer (or right-click and choose “Open with Kami”) to launch the Kami editor.
9. Students complete and submit. In Kami, students use the annotation tools (highlight, draw, text box, etc.) to complete the work. When done, they click the “Turn In” button in the Kami toolbar. This saves their work back to Classroom and marks the assignment as submitted.
10. You grade in Classroom. Go to the “Classwork” tab, click the assignment, then click “View assignment.” You’ll see each student’s submission. Click a student’s name to open their Kami-annotated file. You can grade using Classroom’s rubric or add private comments. If you need to leave feedback directly on the document, click the Kami icon and use the annotation tools—your annotations are saved for the student to see.
11. Return the work. Enter a grade, add feedback, and click “Return.” The student receives their graded copy with your annotations.

Common Mistakes

• Not selecting “Make a copy for each student.” If you skip this, all students share the same file, and their annotations overwrite each other.
• Students forgetting to click “Turn In” in Kami. If they just close the tab, the assignment isn’t submitted. Remind them to use the Kami “Turn In” button.
• Using a file type Kami can’t edit. Kami works with PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint, and images. It doesn’t support Google Docs natively—convert those to PDF first.
• Not installing the Kami extension. Without the extension, students can’t open the file in Kami from Classroom.

Tips

• Use Kami’s “Open with Kami” button in Google Drive. Before assigning, test the file yourself to ensure it opens correctly.
• Create a Kami assignment directly from Kami. In the Kami app, you can choose “Open in Classroom” to push a file to a class—this often streamlines the process.
• Leverage Kami’s tools for feedback. Use the voice comment tool to give verbal feedback—it’s often faster than typing.
• Set a due date. Kami submissions are tied to Classroom’s due date, so students see it as a deadline in their to-do list.
• Check student progress in real time. In Kami’s “Teacher” view, you can see which students have opened the file and how far they’ve gotten.

Troubleshooting

• Kami doesn’t open. Ensure the Kami extension is installed and enabled. Try right-clicking the file and choosing “Open with Kami.” If that fails, restart Chrome.
• Students can’t edit the file. Check that you selected “Make a copy for each student.” If you didn’t, delete the assignment and recreate it with the correct option.
• Submissions aren’t showing up. Ask the student to click “Turn In” in Kami again. Also check that they’re using the same Google account for both Kami and Classroom.
• Kami loads but is blank. Refresh the page, or try opening the file in a new tab. If the issue persists, clear your browser cache.
• Annotations aren’t saving. Make sure the student has a stable internet connection and doesn’t close the tab before clicking “Turn In.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Do students need a Kami account?

Yes, they need a free Kami account. They can sign in with their Google account—it takes seconds.

Can I use Kami with Google Docs?

Kami doesn’t work directly on Google Docs. Convert the Doc to a PDF (File > Download > PDF) and assign that instead.

How do students submit a Kami assignment?

In Kami, they click the “Turn In” button in the top-right corner. This saves their work and submits it to Classroom.

Can I grade a Kami assignment without opening Kami?

Yes, you can type a grade and private comments in Classroom’s grading view. But to annotate the document, you’ll need to open it in Kami.

What happens if a student submits the wrong file?

They can’t unsubmit easily, but you can return the assignment and let them resubmit. They’ll need to open the original file and click “Turn In” again.

Is Kami free for teachers?

Kami offers a free plan with basic features. Some advanced tools (like plagiarism checker) require a paid subscription.

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