In this episode, Kasey is sharing her latest Google Keep tips and time-savers to help educators have a productive school year.

Let’s talk keyboard shortcuts, google calendar connections, labels and organization, checklists, using Canva to create headers, scanning paper documents, annotation, grading and feedback, and more!

BONUS: Get access to Kasey’s FREE Canva headers to use in Google Keep. If you don’t love Google Keep already, you will after this episode!

Listen to this article.

This episode is sponsored by Schoolytics.

This episode of the Shake Up Learning Show is brought to you by Schoolytics. Thousands of teachers use Schoolytics every day to help them take data-driven instruction to the next level and reclaim their time for what matters most: helping students reach their full potential. Google Classroom users can start tracking student progress and spotting performance trends in minutes – for free! Join today at Schoolytics.com.

Google Keep Tips for a Productive School Year

One of the greatest advantages of using the Google platform is that the apps all work together. Google Keep is no exception! 

I like to call Google Keep the Instant Pot of Google (not to be confused with the Swiss Army Knife–Google Slides!)

If you haven’t used Google Keep, go to keep.google.com to get started!

Did you miss e170? Don’t miss Google Productivity Tips to Rock the School Year!

Google Calendar + Keep

It’s possible to use Keep to add a note by clicking the sidebar app while in a Google Calendar event. Adding a note this way links the two items, the event, and the note. This is different from the tip mentioned in last week’s episode about creating full meeting notes. Perhaps it’s necessary to bring or prepare certain items for an event, take note of this using Keep after creating the event in Calendar. 

Try it:

1. Go to a Google Calendar event and click on the pencil (edit event).
   
2. While on the event editing page, open the Google Keep sidebar.
3. Create a new Google Keep note while on the event page and it will be tagged with a link back to Google Calendar (chip).
   

Keyboard Shortcuts

Learning Keyboard shorts will always save time in any workflow. To find a comprehensive listing of all the shortcuts available start inside the Keep platform. Navigate to the settings by clicking the cog wheel in the top right corner. At the bottom of that dropdown list will be keyboard shortcuts. 

Here are just a few of the shortcuts Kasey finds to be super helpful:

• C to start a new note
• L to start a new list note
• E to archive
• Command + [ to indent
• Command + ] to unindent 
• Command A to select all

Google Keep Labels

Labels, similar to the organization inside Gmail, are a great way to keep Google Keep organized. Everyone has their own personal style when establishing an organizational system. There is no right or wrong way to organize, but it’s essential to choose something that works for you. 

Any labels that have been created will appear on the left side. If you have not created any choose Edit labels and start creating your system.

Each of the labels will then display in alphabetical order on that left side menu. If alphabetical order is not conducive to your organization method there is a way to manipulate it. The most obvious way is to add a number. (This strategy is also handy for organizing Google Drive folders.)

Another fun way is to utilize emojis. These will always go to the top of the list, however, there isn’t a way to predict how the emojis will arrange. 

To add a label to a note, go to the three dots on the note > add label.

Labels can also help to filter any notes or allow you to search your notes. If you click a label in the left side menu that will bring up any note with that label. Remember that labels are not folders, it’s possible to apply multiple labels to a single note.

A quick way to include a label is to type a hashtag in your note. When you begin typing with the hashtag each of your labels will appear in a dropdown.

Colorful Notes

Color coding is another organizational feature that can be used inside Keep. Aside from the visually appealing effect color adds, colors can be an additional level for labeling notes.

Color can be added with a customized header or as the background of a note. Just click the palette icon inside your note to change the color.

By adding color to a note it’s now possible to search by color. Even if that color appears within an image that’s part of a note, if you search for red anything with the word or color will filter for you.  

Google Keep + Gmail

While working in the Gmail app it’s possible to access any of the pinned notes from Keep. Be sure to pin the notes that you may need while working in Gmail. Teachers may find that parents often ask the same question. Make a note with a template or generic response that you can move into an email quickly to personalize. 

Consider adding links and information that you are often asked for in emails to a Google Keep note for easy access–like a link to your teacher website, campus website, school calendar, Google Classroom guardian directions, parent portals, etc.

It’s also possible to create a Gmail label to help with searching these items. It may be that pinning the note doesn’t work for your system, but searching from the Keep app on the sidebar menu might. 

Google Keep for Student Feedback

The addition of the comment bank in Google Classroom was a game changer for teachers. However, there may be a time when teachers aren’t using Classroom or they may use a different LMS which doesn’t offer the comment bank. Google Keep can function as your own personal comment bank. 

Create notes to share with students on common mistakes and provide them with opportunities to review the concept. A note can contain links to YouTube videos or an infographic to help students make corrections. 

Related: 4 Ways to Use Google Keep for Feedback and Assessment

Another great idea shared a while back on the Google Teacher Podcast, is to use Keep for creating digital stickers. Bitmojis make for fantastic digital stickers! Save each image within a note then it will be possible to drag that image into Docs or Slides from the sidebar. 

Related: 25+ Ways to Use Google Keep

Google Keep on Mobile

Adding the Keep app to your phone (iOS or Android) and the Chrome extension to your browser can also make life a little more organized.

The mobile app adds an extra voice note feature that the desktop version does not. This means it’s possible to open a new note and talk directly into your phone. The app will actually record your voice, as well as, translate what’s said into a text note. 

Voice Notes (Mobile Only)

• Tap the microphone at the bottom of the screen near, “Take a note…”
• Dictate your note into the app.
• BONUS: Speech is translated into text and added to your note!

Another great advantage to using the mobile app is the option to take a photo with your camera. Consider how this applies to taking images of papers, or perhaps a trail of sticky notes. 

What about a staff meeting or PD agenda? Take a photo of the paper then take any notes (annotate) on the actual image. Of course, any of these teacher tips can be flipped into student tips as well. 

Related: 15 Ways for Students to Use Google Keep

Using the mobile app or a webcam:

• Snap a photo of your paper notes, sticky notes, meeting notes, sketches, etc.
• Students can snap a photo of notes, problem solve, hand draw sketches, etc.
• Any text found in the image is searchable in Google Keep.
• BONUS: Grab image text, and the text is added to the note!

I’m running out of room to fit everything in this post! Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode (embedded above) to get ALL the details!

Don’t forget about grabbing your FREE Canva Header templates below and this fantastic Google Keep Cheat Sheet! 

Google Keep Header Templates

My headers are not anything super fancy or creative, but they are clean and easy!

My Google Keep Header Templates are available in two forms:

1. Download the image files from Google Drive (not editable)
2. Or open this template in Canva and edit it to make them your own! You must have a Canva account (free for educators) and login to access these templates.

Like to get creative? Use the Google Classroom banner templates in Canva to create your own. The dimensions work just great in Keep without taking up a lot of real estate.

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post Google Keep Tips for a Productive School Year – SULS0171 appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

Did you know you can have Google Calendar send your daily schedule to your inbox every morning?

This is a great way to review your schedule for the day!

The email arrives (roughly) around 5 a.m. every morning.

Get ready for the day ahead!

Watch the video below to learn how.

How to Get Your Daily Schedule in Your Inbox

*Related: How to Layer Images in Google Docs

*Related: Table Templates in Google Docs  

*Related: Drop-down Menus in Google Docs 

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post How to Get Your Daily Schedule in Your Inbox appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

In this episode, Kasey shares her favorite tips and tools to improve parent-teacher communication. Technology can help improve communication and save valuable time. Let’s explore practical tips, digital tools, and strategies to communicate effectively with parents.

Communication with parents can often make or break a student’s school year. Keeping parents informed is always a top priority for educators and usually, it requires several modes of communication. We want to be transparent and timely in sharing information with our parents. These tips and tools will not only help support students and parents but also provide a record for teachers. 

Listen to this article.

Tips and Tools to Improve Parent-Teacher Communication

Virtual Tech Support and Tutorials

There are a few ways that virtual tech support and tutorials can help parents. Of course, in these pandemic times of virtual learning, we are all now accustomed to this situation and the need for support in this area. However, a tutorial might also be helpful for parents who may not be as familiar with the technology. They may need help navigating a classroom website or the online grade book. 

Screencastify is a simple Chrome extension that will save all recordings onto your Google Drive automatically. It’s free and allows you to edit, add text, and much more. 

Loom is very similar to Screecastify, and also offers free and paid versions. Loom adds a more personal touch by including your face video in the corner while you share the tutorial. 

Iorad is another screen recording tool that allows you to record an interactive tutorial. For example, if you want to walk parents through a website with a number of clicks, Iorad allows them to click through that process. 

Consider how these tutorials need to be stored and then accessed by parents. A district or building a YouTube channel may be the best option. Sharing a playlist link or individual video link is super simple. 
Google Drive links can also be embedded on websites or in emails. 

Social Media Communication

Important dates and reminders can often be an expectation for parents to see within their social media feed. It’s likely parents visit those communication tools daily and will see those important announcements and reminders. 

Parents and students enjoy seeing pictures from special events and celebrations that happen during the school day. However, it’s important to consider how student images are being shared. Episode 153 of the Shake Up Learning show provides ten reasons to stop and think before sharing images of children on social media. 

The most common social media platforms that teachers and schools are using to share information with parents include Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and occasionally TikTok. 

For those utilizing social media to communicate it’s worth sharing that Canva offers a number of templates. Using templates can help save time and allow for a cohesive, branded look that will help parents see it as official information. 

Direct Parent Communication

In the instances where schools have participated in remote learning, teachers were away from classroom telephones. As a solution, many turned to a Google Voice phone number for talking directly with parents. This is a phone number that is connected to your Google account and offers voice calls, text messaging, as well as, voicemail. 

Email is by far the most popular form of communication. One of the best ways to leverage this communication tool is through the email signature. There, teachers can add links to other communication tools. 

Text messaging through a personal phone number may not be something teachers want to provide to parents. Remind is a great tool that allows teachers to send messages without being linked to their personal phone numbers. The options to send links, images, or voice clips are all available. This also keeps a record of the communication that took place between the teacher and parent. Messages can also be sent to a group or individuals. 

LMS Progress Reports and Communication

Many of the most popular platforms allow for teachers to automate communication about grades and assignments. Google Classroom allows guardians to input their email addresses and set up notices for assignments. Schoology, Canvas, and Seesaw also provide ways for parents to see student progress and assignments. 

Class Dojo is a tool used mostly in the elementary grades as a behavioral management tool. Teachers have the ability to send personalized messages along with the behavior updates automatically shared with parents. 

Surveys and Feedback

At the start of every school year, it’s a good idea to connect with parents and ask them about their preferred method of communication. Comparing your preferred tools to parent-preferred tools can help you navigate which tutorials might be necessary to start. 

Two tools that can help generate feedback are Google Forms and Jotform. Google Forms is a great way to help you see what’s most popular and collect information that can be saved in a spreadsheet. JotForms are great for taking a PDF information sheet and making it digital. Once parents answer all the questions the form can be printed in its original form and added to a binder. 

Parent-Teacher Conferences and General Updates

Another innovative option that surfaced during the pandemic is the option to have virtual conferences. Whether these meetings are a typical update or a necessary meeting to comply with the special needs of a student, Google Meet, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams are popular tools. 

Google calendar now allows for a booking page! This can be used to create appointment time slots where parents can choose their time and day based on your provided options. 

When choosing a video conferencing tool consider the needs of the parents. Google Meet can provide captions, as well as, translated captions. Google Docs also provides a translation feature. Perhaps it is necessary to keep a document of notes during the conference, a Google Doc can allow for collaboration and a record of the meeting. 

Flipgrid is often referenced for students, but it could be used for personal video messages being shared with parents. Rather than mailing a positive postcard, Flipgrid could be the place to share something positive that a student did that day. 

Class Resources, Newsletters, and Happenings

Throughout the school year, it may be necessary to share classroom resources with parents. Perhaps students are using an online textbook, web-based reading materials, or specific web-based learning tools, these can all be collected inside of Wakelet. While these may be used by students, it helps when parents understand and know how to help their students access them. 

credit: Wakelet.com

Another way that Wakelet can help is to collect resources specifically for parents. Any video tutorials, links to class websites, or even a virtual newsletter can help keep everything in one place to easily locate.  

When mapping out how you will communicate with parents it’s important to consider the time it takes to complete a single communication tool. Designing and writing a newsletter could be incredibly time-consuming. However, utilizing a template from Canva could help speed up the process. In episodes 132 and 133, Kasey shares more than 30 ways to use the templates that Canva provides for educators. 

Class Blogs are another great way to share information with parents. Providing parents with a singular place that shares all the information, even in the palm of their hand, can be a major time saver for teachers. 

Some of the most common options for creating this type of website include Edublogs, WordPress, Weebly, or Google Sites. While Google Sites is not officially a blog, it is a simple way to create a classroom website with embedded documents, images, and links. 

No matter how you choose to communicate with parents it’s always a great idea to begin with some collaboration. Check with administrators to learn if there are preferred tools. Talk with colleagues and team members to help generate consistency and time-saving habits. It may be possible to share the work in creating general communications. Even students can help! 

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post Tips and Tools to Improve Parent-Teacher Communication – SULS0158 appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

Did you know there is an email template in Google Docs?

Oh, and with one click you can import it into Gmail and send it!

Easy Peasy, y’all!

This is great for collaborating on long or intricate emails, or if you just like using Docs more than Gmail!

Watch the very short video below to learn how easy this is!

Draft Gmail Messages with this Google Docs Template

*Related: How to Create a Gmail Signature in Google Docs

*Related: Use the “@” Symbol to Access to Shortcuts in Google Docs

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post New Gmail Template in Google Docs! appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

Have you ever been frustrated trying to make a professional-looking signature with an image in Gmail?

No worries!

This little trick is easy peasy!

I’ll show you have to create a signature in Google Docs in just a few minutes!

Watch the short video below to learn how!

How to Create a Gmail Signature in Google Docs

*Related: Change the Default Font in Google Docs

*Related: How to Get More Fonts for Your Google Projects

*Related: Google Docs Tables: How to edit, arrange, add a header, unsplittable rows, sort, and much more!

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post How to Create a Gmail Signature in Google Docs appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

In this episode, Kasey shares her favorite Gmail hacks and features to help teachers save time and make the most of this robust tool.

Let’s get organized, save time and frustration, manage annoying emails, and get to what’s important.

For every Gmail user, this episode is bound to give you some great ways to clean up your email and enjoy a much better experience.

Learn a few hidden gems about Gmail for your school or personal email.

Listen to this article.

This episode is sponsored by Hāpara We provide teachers with tools to build flexible, personalized digital learning environments so they can power awesome learning. 

Learn more about Hāpara.

1. Undo Send

Whoops! It’s happened a time or two to everyone. Perhaps the attachment didn’t actually get attached or you realized there was something or someone that needs to be added. In the settings, you can enable an Undo Send pop-up that gives you 30 seconds to change your mind about hitting that send button. 

To find your settings, click on the cogwheel in the top right corner. In the general section, you’ll find a place to choose how many seconds you’d like to have to change your mind. Thirty seconds is the maximum option. Be sure to click “Save Changes” found at the bottom of the page. 

2. Schedule an Email

This feature can be super helpful for emailing parents newsletters or reminders. This is a great way for teachers to save time. You might sit down to plan a unit with several due dates or know that events are happening that you want to get reminders out for. Save time, and don’t get caught forgetting, by scheduling those emails. 

To use this function start by composing the email. Rather than hitting the send button, click on the dropdown arrow and choose Schedule Send. A new box will pop up with the option to send the next day, morning and then afternoon, or Monday morning. If these don’t work for you click on Date and Time to choose the one you need. 

3. Email Signature with Important Information & Links

Be sure to check out today’s quick tip for quickly creating a signature! Think about how you might leverage the email signature as a time saver for you. This is a great place to include links to essential places for information; that might include a Google Calendar, teacher website, or webpage. Any district website links or calendars that are frequently requested make a perfect addition to your email signature.

Create a Gmail signature.

This can save you time answering the same questions over and over from parents. Refer them to the link in your signature! I used this a lot with helicopter parents who emailed every day and asked “what did you do today?” That information was always saved in my online calendar and I added that link to my email signature.

Here’s how to create a professional signature in Google Docs:

4. Labels

Some might be more familiar with the term Folders, however, Gmail calls these Labels. On the left side, labels are displayed, after Drafts, and have the option to be color-coded. Kasey shares a great organizational tip for utilizing labels by creating one called “1Respond.” 

The beauty of Labels versus Folders is the option to choose multiple labels. If the email fits multiple topics give it the appropriate label and it will show up in both places. For example, the email has a lesson plan with a graphic organizer attached. You might want to give it both the label of “lesson plan” and “graphic organizers.”

Creating a label is simple. Scroll to the bottom of the list on the left sidebar. The last option likely has a plus sign and says Create New Label.

This will then be added to the left sidebar menu of label lists. When hovering over the name the stacked three dots will appear. By clicking on the three dots you’ll have the option to color-code the label and add sub-labels. 

5. Filters

Tell your email how you want it to behave. Applying filters to emails as they arrive can help keep your inbox a little more organized. To add filters, locate the search bar at the top and click on the icon to add search options. From here you can search based on the criteria options, consider commonalities that consistently come through your inbox. Once you input search criteria the option to create a filter becomes available. 

Perhaps you’d like every email from your team of teaching colleagues to be labeled “team.” Or you’d like to star every email that comes from your principal. Select one or more options to automate your inbox by starring, mark as read, apply a label, delete, and more.

6. Email Templates

Once you’ve been teaching longer than a year, it becomes clear how much time you spend repeating yourself. To save some time create an email template for those repeat requests or needs for communication. Perhaps you have a procedure in place where parents get an email if a student has missing assignments at the end of the week. Streamline this process with a template. 

Start by composing an email. Type a typical message using brackets for information that will need to be personalized.

1. Once it’s typed click on the three dots in the bottom right corner,
2. then choose template.
3. It’s possible to save a new template or replace it with an updated template. 

In case you don’t see the template option be sure to check your advanced general settings for the template option to be enabled. 

7. Archive vs. Delete

One of the benefits of Gmail is the search option. When searching it’s possible to find emails as long as they have been archived. If an email is set to delete then Google will remove it after 30 days. Once it’s removed it’s gone forever. I prefer to archive so I can always go back and locate information.

To archive a message there are three icons when hovering over the message. The first icon of a folder and arrow is to archive.

This will place the email out of the inbox but not gone forever. Choosing to see all mail will display any archived messages as well as current inbox messages. 

Gmail Rocks!

Gmail is a robust email tool that can help save teachers time–save anyone time. Take advantage of these awesome features to make the most of your inbox!

What time-saving tip would you add to this list? Leave us a comment below.

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post Time-Saving Gmail Hacks for Teachers – SULS0149 appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

Did you know you can search your Google Drive from the Chrome address bar?

Search Google Drive and Gmail from the Chrome Omnibox!

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is a powerful browser!

I often refer to Chrome as the learning environment for all things Google because Google works best with Google.

So if you have not made the switch, I highly recommend making Google Chrome your default browser.

The Google Chrome address bar is that white text field at the top of the screen where you type the web address or enter your search terms to use Google’s search engine.

Google calls this the Omnibox because it does much more than you probably realize.

Create Custom Search Engines

You probably know that Google Chrome makes it easy to use Google as your primary search engine.

But, did you know that you can customize your very own search engines?

Even better you can create a shorthand of keywords to trigger your favorite searches in the Chrome Omnibox, and you can use this to search Google Drive and Gmail!

How to Create Your Chrome Custom Search Engines:

1 – Right-click on the Omnibox, and select, “Manage Search Engines.” This will open your search engine settings in Google Chrome.

2 – From here, scroll down to the “Other search engines,” section and click on “Add.”

3 – Name your search engine.

4 – Then choose the keyword you want to use. It doesn’t even have to be a full word.

5 – Then just copy and paste the search URL. (Try this one for Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/#search?q=%s)

6 – Click “Add.”

Search Gmail from Chrome

Other Custom Searches to Try

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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It’s even easier now to search Gmail! Try using the new enhanced search chips to refine your search!

When searching in Gmail on web, “enhanced search chips” will provide richer drop-down lists with more options that help you apply additional filters.

For example, when you click on the “From” chip, you’ll now be able to quickly type a name, choose from a list of suggested senders, or search for emails from multiple senders.

Available now for all users, search chips make it quicker and easier to find the specific email or information you’re looking for.

Rich Search Filters in Gmail

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

Related: How to Schedule a Google Meet from Gmail

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post Rich Search Filters in Gmail (NEW Feature) appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

Did you know you can schedule Google Meet meetings directly from Gmail?

This little time can save you so much time!

With so many of us using Google Meet on a regular basis, we need quick ways to schedule our meetings and classes.

Okay, so technically it’s not a Gmail feature, but the point is that you can do it while accessing Gmail.

Using the shortcuts on the right-hand side of Gmail, you can access your Google Calendar and schedule without ever opening a new tab.

Don’t miss our other Quick Tips located here.

Check out the Google Meet Master Class for more in-depth tutorials.

How to Schedule a Google Meet from Gmail

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

Related: How to Integrate Google Meet and Google Classroom

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post How to Schedule a Google Meet from Gmail appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

Google just made some HUGE announcements about your favorite Google products, including Google Classroom and officially renaming G Suite as Google Workspace for Education.

I’m breaking it all down so you understand what’s coming, and how it affects you and your students.

During “Learning with Google,” a free online learning event for educators, Google shared a lot of updates to our favorite Google products.

We have updates to Google Classroom, Google Meet, Chromebooks, and even Google Forms!

Some of these updates are here, and many are coming later in 2021.

Details are in the podcast and the blog post below.

Listen to this article.

Shoutout

Thank you to Rose Ann Behson, a graduate of the Google Certified Educator Level 1 Academy for sharing this testimonial:
“Passed 1st time with time to spare! Thanks so much! I felt totally prepared after this course. Now on to Level 2….I already purchased the training! ”

Learn more: GetGoogleCertified.com

Quick Tip (Mute ALL in Google Meet)

Did you know you can mute ALL the participants in your Google Meet?

Watch this quick video to learn how!

Quick Tip Video Library

Subscribe to Shake Up Learning on YouTube

OR, watch it on TikTok!

Google Workspace for Education (and other updates you need to know!)

G Suite for Education is now officially Google Workspace for Education. (I wish they would quit renaming it!)

What is Google Workspace for Education?

I have a Google Doc that outlines the basics of what Google Workspace for Education is, what it includes, and more.

CLICK HERE to make a copy of “What is Google Workspace for Education?”

Related: What is Google Workspace for Education – an explanation for teachers.

Google Workspace for Education is available in many different editions, including free and paid options.

• Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals: a suite of tools that can help you increase opportunities for critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, all while supporting the learning objectives that you have for your students. These tools are free, ad-free, reliable, and secure. They are already used by millions of students in schools around the world. Of course, free is great, but the best thing is that these tools are relevant to students, easy to use, and open doors to many new ways to learn.
• Google Workspace for Education Standard: a paid upgrade that includes everything in Education Fundamentals plus advanced security and analytics.
• Teaching and Learning Upgrade: a paid upgrade that includes everything in Education Fundamentals plus advanced video communication, enriched class experiences, and tools to drive academy integrity.
• Google Workspace for Education Plus (formerly G Suite for Education Enterprise): a paid upgrade that includes everything in Education Fundamentals plus advanced security and analytics, enhanced teaching tools, and more.

Learn more about what’s included in each edition here.  

Changes to Google Drive Storage

Unlimited storage is going away. The new storage model will provide schools and universities with a baseline of 100TB of pooled cloud storage shared across all of your users. This policy will go into effect across all Google Workspace for Education editions for existing customers in July 2022 and will be effective for new customers signing up in 2022

Files created or edited in collaborative content creation apps like Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms and Jamboard. 

• Only files created or edited after June 1, 2021 will count against your quota. 
• Files uploaded or last edited before June 1, 2021 will not count against your quota. 

Learn more about storage here.

Related: 13 Tips to Organize Your Google Drive

Google Classroom Updates

Google Classroom was originally built to simplify blended learning, but it has now become a more robust learning management system. Below are the details on the Google Classroom updates coming in 2021.

It’s important to note that most of these updates are based on feedback from teachers like you!

• Add-Ons (available soon): Soon, for teachers using Google Workspace for Education Plus or Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Classroom add-ons will let them choose their favorite EdTech tools and content from a marketplace and assign it to students directly inside Classroom — all without extra log-ins. Admins will also be able to install add-ons for teachers in their domains.
  

  (Credit: The Keyword Blog)

• Track student engagement (coming later this year): To give teachers visibility into which students are engaged and which are falling behind, Google is launching student engagement tracking. Educators will be able to see relevant stats about how students interact with Classroom, such as which students submitted an assignment or commented on a post on a particular day.
• Offline (coming later this year): Google is updating the Classroom Android app to work offline or with intermittent connections. Students will be able to start their work offline, review assignments, open Drive attachments, and write assignments in Google Docs — all without an internet connection.
• Submit better pictures of homework (coming later this year): With an increase in the number of images uploaded to Classroom — especially from students taking photos of paper assignments, Google is making it easier to attach and submit photos in the Classroom Android app and for teachers to review. Students will be able to combine photos into a single document, crop or rotate images, and adjust the lighting.
• Improved grading on mobile (coming later this year): More teachers are using mobile devices to give feedback on the go. Google is improving how you use Classroom to grade on Android, including the ability to switch between student submissions, grade while viewing an assignment, and share feedback.
• Rich text formatting (coming soon): Teachers and students (on web, iOS and Android) will soon be able to customize Classroom assignments and posts using rich text formatting — including bold, italics, underline and bullets.
  

  (Credit: The Keyword Blog)

• Originality reports in new languages (coming soon): Originality reports help students turn in their best work, while making it easy for instructors to detect potential plagiarism. Soon they’ll be available in 15 languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Swedish, French, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese,  Finnish, German, Korean and Danish, Malay, and Hindi.
• CS First integration (now available): CS First is Google’s free, introductory computer science curriculum. You can now import student rosters from Classroom into a new CS First class and students can sign in using a Google account.
• Set up classes in advance with SIS roster syncing (coming later this year): Provisioning classes for an entire school system can be time-consuming. Later this year, admins using Education Plus will be able to create classes and populate and sync rosters directly to Classroom from their Student Information System (SIS).
• Streamline grade entry (coming later this year): Grade Export, which is available to eligible Skyward and Infinite Campus customers, is coming to Aspen SIS. This will allow teachers to track grades and push them from Classroom’s Gradebook to their SIS, eliminating the need to put grades in two places.
• Google Admins:
  • Get deeper insights with Classroom audit logs (coming soon): With audit logs, admins can get to the root of Classroom-related issues and pinpoint instigating events, such as who removed a student from a class or archived a class on a specific date. Classroom audit information will soon be available directly in the Admin Console.
  • Analyze Classroom activity logs (coming soon): Admins using Education Standard or Education Plus can soon get deeper insights about Classroom adoption and engagement. Admins will be able to easily schedule exports of Classroom audit logs to BigQuery, where they can get adoption and engagement insights. Google is also building a customizable Data Studio template to help admins visualize Classroom data.

Learn more about Google Classroom Updates here.

Related: Get the FREE Google Classroom Cheat Sheets for Teachers and Students

Google Meet Updates

• Mute All (rolling out now): The ability to mute everyone on a call and end a call for everyone attending. This is rolling out soon and will come to education customers first. 
  

  (Credit: The Keyword Blog)

• Emoji reactions (by August): Students will be able to more easily engage and express themselves with emoji reactions in Meet.
• Meeting transcripts (later this year): Teachers will be able to receive meeting transcripts, share transcripts with students, review what was discussed during class or maintain a record for future reference.
• End Meeting for Everyone: Teachers will soon have the option to end meetings for everyone on the call, preventing students from staying on after the teacher has left — including in breakout rooms.
  

  (Credit: The Keyword Blog)

• Moderation Controls on Mobile (coming this year): In the coming months, educators using tablets or mobile phones to teach will also have access to key moderation controls, like who can join their meetings or use the chat or share their screen, directly from their iOS or Android devices. 
• Classroom and Meet will work together even better (later this year): Every meeting created from Classroom is going to be even safer by default. 
  • When meetings are generated from Classroom, students won’t be able to join before the teacher. 
  • Meet will also know who’s on the Classroom roster, so only students and teachers in the class will be able to join. 
  • And every teacher in Classroom will be a meeting host by default, so if there are multiple teachers, they’ll be able to share the load of managing the class. 
  • And later this year, meetings that aren’t started from Classroom will also support multiple hosts, making it easier to partner with others helping facilitate the class.
  • Related: How to Integrate Google Classroom and Google Meet
• Policies for who can join your school’s video calls (coming this year): In the coming months, Google be launching new settings in the Admin console so school leaders can set policies for who can join their school’s video calls, and whether people from their school can join video calls from other schools. 
• Google Meet Audit Log (now available): The Google Meet audit log is also now available in the Admin console. In the coming months, Google will be adding more information to these logs — like an external participant’s email address — so admins can better understand how people are using Meet at their school. For educators with  Education Standard or Education Plus licenses, they are also making improvements to the investigation tool. Admins can now access Meet logs in the investigation tool, so they can identify, triage and take action on security and privacy issues. And later this year, admins will be able to end any meeting within their school from the investigation tool as well. 
• Google Meet on low bandwidth improvements (coming): Because unreliable internet connections can make remote teaching and learning more challenging, they are also improving Meet to work better if you have low bandwidth. 
• Improved performance on Chromebooks: Google has also made significant improvements to the performance of Meet on Chromebooks. These include audio, video and reliability optimizations, better performance while multitasking and more. The improvements will make it easier for educators and students to choose a feature like grid view, where they can see images of other Meet attendees without affecting the performance of other apps. So if students are taking notes in a Google Doc while in a Meet, or running a Kahoot! game at the same time, they’ll be able to see everyone. (By the way, they are also improving how Zoom works on Chromebooks.)
• Schedule breakout rooms in Google Calendar (coming): They are also making additional improvements for educators with Teaching and Learning Upgrade or Education Plus licenses. Rolling out over the next few months, educators will be able to set up breakout rooms ahead of time in Google Calendar. This will make it easier for teachers to prepare for differentiated learning, be thoughtful about group dynamics and avoid losing valuable time setting up breakout rooms during class.

Learn more about Google Meet updates here.

Chromebook Updates

• Screen recorder (coming in March): Chrome OS will come with a built in screen recording tool (coming in the latest Chromebook update in March). With this tool, teachers and students can record lessons and reports in the classroom and at home. 
• 40 new Chromebooks (coming in 2021): Many of them include convertible Chromebooks that function like a laptop and a tablet, and come with a  stylus, touchscreen, and dual-cameras for students to take notes, edit videos, create podcasts, draw, publish digital books and record screencasts. Every new Chromebook is equipped to deliver exceptional Google Meet and Zoom experiences — right out of the box. Google is designing devices that can better support students with limited access to the internet, or in countries with strong mobile broadband networks. These devices, called Always Connected devices, have an LTE connectivity option that allows you to connect via your preferred cellular network.
• New accessibility features (coming soon): Making education products that work for all students, also means creating accessibility features. And it turns out these features are helpful to everyone — including people with disabilities. ChromeVox, a full-featured screen reader, has new features including improved tutorials, the ability to search ChromeVox menus, and smooth voice switching that automatically changes the screen reader’s voice based on the language of the text.  
• Google Admins:
  • Chrome Education Upgrade unlocks access to Google Admin Console, making it possible for schools to centrally manage massive fleets of Chromebooks. Now, there are over 500 Chrome policies in Google Admin Console, including new ones like Zero Touch Enrollment, which make it easier to deploy and manage Chromebooks at scale — even remotely.
  • The Chromebook Resource Guide is now available to help you find the right Chromebook for whatever you’re looking for — whether it’s in-class learning, virtual learning, or devices for faculty and staff.  

Learn more about Chromebook updates here.

Google Forms Updates

(Sorry, this one didn’t make it into the podcast, but definitely worth mentioning here.)

• Save draft responses (coming in 2021): Google also announced that we will soon be able to save draft responses in a Google Form and submit it later. (Yay! We’ve been wanting this a long time!)

What updates are you most excited about? Please share in the comments!

Google A to Z: The Google Glossary for Teachers

Want to Learn More About Using Google Tools in the Classroom?

Learn more about all the Google tools available for teachers and students in Google from A to Z: The Google Glossary for Teachers!

Technology doesn’t have to be complicated, especially with the Google from A to Z 40-page handy reference guide in your back pocket.

If your school has “Gone Google,” then chances are you are aware of some of the most popular productivity tools, such as Docs, Slides, and Gmail. But Google offers so much more!

There are so many fun and engaging tools that you may not know about, and no matter what digital devices you use to support teaching and learning, you will find valuable tools to add to your teacher toolbox in this handy supplement.

Think of this as your Google dictionary–a glossary of Google tools and programs just for teachers and students!

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