As much as we might like technology companies to take a break over the summer months, they don't. This means teachers sometimes miss learning about some of the latest updates to their favorite edtech tools while on vacation or while busily getting ready for the new school year. So, with that in mind, here is a quick roundup of some of the more useful updates to Google Apps for Education that happened in the summer months of 2016. This is not an exhaustive list, but it has some great new features that are worth exploring in the coming school year.
Google Expeditions
Have your tried Google Expeditions yet? There are now over 200 virtual reality tours that you can take your students on to immerse them in different cultures, environments, and places that they would otherwise not be able to experience. The International Space Station, the Great Barrier Reef, the Grand Canyon, Buckingham Palace and many more sites are now available. So far, Expeditions has only been available to Android users, but an iOS app is slated for release soon and that means iPad users will soon be able to take advantage of this unique experience too.
Are you interested in trying Google Expeditions with your students? The Digital Learning Team at Grant Wood has their own Expeditions kit that we will be looking bring to area schools soon. Stay tuned for upcoming professional development opportunities with more information, or contact us to find out more.
Are you interested in trying Google Expeditions with your students? The Digital Learning Team at Grant Wood has their own Expeditions kit that we will be looking bring to area schools soon. Stay tuned for upcoming professional development opportunities with more information, or contact us to find out more.
Google Forms
There have been a number of useful updates to Google Forms this summer. The first was the ability to create quizzes. With this new feature, teachers can auto-grade multiple choice and checkbox questions in order to spend less time grading and more time teaching. They can also add review materials like websites of videos for students that may need more help understanding the concepts they are being assessed on. You can also disable the option to let students send a copy of their results to themselves.
Also new in Forms is the ability to add images to questions and to answers. Both are really interesting options for schools and have the potential to be used in all kinds of different ways. Check out this great post by Richard Byrne with ideas on how to get started with both of these new features.
Also new in Forms is the ability to add images to questions and to answers. Both are really interesting options for schools and have the potential to be used in all kinds of different ways. Check out this great post by Richard Byrne with ideas on how to get started with both of these new features.
Google Classroom
Parent participation arrived in Google Classroom this summer with the ability for you to share summaries of student work with parents. This automated feature is available from inside your Google Classroom settings. You can invite parents and guardians by entering their email and then turn on summaries which are automatically sent to the connected adults. Teachers can also email parents from Classroom with this new feature. More information here: http://bit.ly/2bGSANn
Another new feature in Classroom is the addition of annotations in the Google Classroom mobile apps. Google says that "using annotations, students can complete assignments, sketch out math problems or even create visuals of creative ideas directly on their devices." However, teachers can also use annotations to mark up student assignments and to draw or write directly on to the student's work.
Lastly, you can now add labels to discussions in Classroom. This lets you more quickly sort discussion posts by topic so that you (and your students) can find exactly what you are looking for without having to scroll endlessly through all the posts on the Classroom homepage.
Another new feature in Classroom is the addition of annotations in the Google Classroom mobile apps. Google says that "using annotations, students can complete assignments, sketch out math problems or even create visuals of creative ideas directly on their devices." However, teachers can also use annotations to mark up student assignments and to draw or write directly on to the student's work.
Lastly, you can now add labels to discussions in Classroom. This lets you more quickly sort discussion posts by topic so that you (and your students) can find exactly what you are looking for without having to scroll endlessly through all the posts on the Classroom homepage.
Google Slides
Just before the summer, Google released a new Q&A feature that lets you interact with your audience. It adds a unique URL at the top of your slides that students or staff can use to ask a question at any time on their own device. The questions can be voted on by others watching the presentation and ranked according to which ones receive the most votes. The feature is available for Mac, PC and Chromebooks. You can also use Google Slides Q&A with iPads or Android devices. Find out more information here, or in the video below.
Google Cast for Education
Have you heard about the new Google Cast for Education yet? It's a free Chrome app that allows students and teachers to share their screens wirelessly from anywhere in the classroom. Google Cast for Education carries video and audio across complex school networks, has built-in controls for teachers, and works seamlessly with Google Classroom. The app runs on the teacher's computer, and no additional hardware or installations are required on student devices. Students simply use the new Cast functionality that is built-in to the latest version of Chrome. Sounds too good to be true, right? More information here and in the video below.
Training for Google Apps
Recently, Google acquired a company called Synergyse that was responsible for the Synergyse Training for Google Apps service. It was a paid app and was largely aimed at businesses who wanted to provide quick and easy help for their employees with anything to do with Google Apps. This interactive training resource is now free for schools to take advantage of and has been launched under a new name - Training for Google Apps. It is designed to give you step by step help with anything from composing and email to building a Form. More information here.
The NEW Google Sites
Google has been working on a brand new version of Google Sites that is more modern, easier to use, and much nicer to look at. The new Google Sites are designed to look great on any device, regardless of screen size, and they include the same real-time co-editing experience that you are used to in Google Docs.
Right now, the new Google Sites are not available to everyone because they are currently being tested by a number of early adopters that were given access to the program. While they have a lot of great new features, many of the existing features have yet to be added. The Google Sites you are using right now is guaranteed to stick around for another year or so, and options will be given for people who want to move their content from the old Google Sites to the new Google Sites. So because this update is not yet publicly available, file this one under "good to know" and wait for future updates.
Right now, the new Google Sites are not available to everyone because they are currently being tested by a number of early adopters that were given access to the program. While they have a lot of great new features, many of the existing features have yet to be added. The Google Sites you are using right now is guaranteed to stick around for another year or so, and options will be given for people who want to move their content from the old Google Sites to the new Google Sites. So because this update is not yet publicly available, file this one under "good to know" and wait for future updates.
What's New for You?
Are you excited about the new features coming to Google Apps for Education? Which ones do you see a use for in your classroom, and why? Feel free to leave a comment below.
Jonathan Wylie, Technology Consultant, Grant Wood AEA
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