Participants can now use emoji reactions in Google Meet.

We got a great little update!

There are eight different emojis from which to choose.

This is great for virtual meetings, presentations, and even distance learning.

It can be difficult to know if all the participants are following the speaker or presenter.

Emojis are a fun way to stay engaged and communicate.

Watch the video below to see how this works.

Emoji Reactions in Google Meet

*Related: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Google Meet

*Related: How to Integrate Google Classroom with Google Meet

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.

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Now, you can easily join a Google Meet from Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides.

In addition to the present to Meet option, you can select “Join the call” from the comfort of your favorite Google apps!

To quickly join and present a document, spreadsheet, or presentation to all attendees, click on the “present to a meeting” on the top right.

Select a pre-scheduled meet from your calendar or enter a meeting code.

Voila!

Watch the video below to see exactly how this works.

Join Google Meet from Docs, Sheets, or Slides

*Related: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Google Meet

*Related: How to Integrate Google Classroom with Google Meet

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.

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As the host of a Google Meet, you can control how and when your students join, and what they can do.

You can also set it up so students can’t join before you, and others can’t join if they are not invited.

Quick Access controls make it so the host must join first and keeps uninvited guests out of your Google Meet.

You can also quickly toggle on or off the ability for students to share their screens or use the chat.

Google Meet Host Controls: How to block access, chat, and 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.

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Depending on the purpose of your Google Meeting, and how many participants, you may want to change your layout to optimize for your students!

There are three different layouts to choose from, or leave it on auto and let Google do it for you.

This makes it so much easier to choose the layout that is best for instructional lessons, student discussion, or student presentations.

Choose from a tiled layout (all participants equal sized), spotlight (highlight the speaker), or sidebar (main presenters with others on the side).

How to Change the Layout in Google Meet

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.

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Don’t have a fancy office or classroom to show off in your Google Meet meeting?

Maybe you just want to keep your location private?

Add your own background in Google Meet!

You can now customize the background in Google Meet using pre-made backgrounds, video animations, or upload your own!

Watch the quick video tutorial below to learn how to change your background in Google Meet.

Don’t see this option? Be sure to talk to your Google Workspace for Education administrator.

Learn more about this feature here.

How to Change the Background in Google Meet

Related: Mute ALL Student in Google Meet

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.

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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.

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BECOME A GOOGLE MEET MASTER!

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. Teaching and learning online is now a part of almost every school across the globe.

Teachers need the skills to facilitate and engage students in online and hybrid environments.

If your school is using Google Meet, you need the Google Meet Master Class to prepare for the new normal.

© 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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Here’s a super cool Google Meet integration for teachers and students!

Google Meet allows you to create and share Jams from Google Jamboard on the fly! It’s super handy for the classroom.

You can use pre-made jams, or start with a new jam.

Jamboard is an interactive, collaborative whiteboard application, and part of the Google Workspace for Education suite of tools.

You can use backgrounds, like graphic organizers, or just use them for students to brainstorm, ask questions, or add notes.

This integration is great for remote learning, blended learning, or distance learning!

How to Use Jamboard with Google Meet

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

Check out all our Remote Learning Resources!

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

Google for Education users have a new feature that will allow teachers to mute all students at once!

Teachers have been begging for this feature to help curtail those noisy students during Google Meet video chats.

This is a must-have Google Meet feature for remote, hybrid, and online classrooms.

Watch the short video below to learn how!

How to Mute ALL in Google Meet

Access ALL the Google Quick Tips Here!

Check out all our Remote Learning Resources!

© 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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So many of us are excitedly getting ready to head back-to-school for a new year—but things might look a little different. Many of us are starting back-to-school online.

Luckily, there are ways to make your students feel connected during the back-to-school season, even if you can’t be physically together in the classroom!

In today’s post and episode, you’ll learn 8 awesome ways to make back-to-school online fun and engaging for students.

From connecting over virtual introductions to taking a virtual classroom tour, these ideas will get your students excited and engaged with the idea of online school!

This is part 2 in our Back-to-School series! Did you miss part 1 or part 3?

Listen to this article:

Quick Tip of the Week (Google Classroom)

Did you know you can distribute assignments in Google Classroom to multiple classes all at once? It’s super easy!

Watch this quick video to learn how!

8 Back-to-School Online Activities for Digital Learning

These 8 back-to-school online activities are meant to get you and your students excited for the beginning of the school year! Students might not be sure what to expect from online learning, and chances are they’re a little bummed about it. Connect with students, boost engagement, and build community digitally! These activities are easy and fun. 

Meet the Teacher and Students Flipgrid

For educators who will be teaching fully remotely for the beginning of the school year, it can be a challenge to really nail community-building. That’s why we have to get super creative with get-to-know-you activities online! 

Flipgrid is the PERFECT tool for introductions. It already has an activity built in that you can assign to your students—it’s called 3-2-1, Introductions! In 90 seconds or less, students will share three things about themselves, two things they want to achieve this year, and one question for their classmates. This is an awesome introductory activity that’s ready-made and ready to assign to students, which saves you time! 

Pro-Tip: Flipgrid has a whole section on remote learning ideas, so if you’re teaching online, browse through it to see what resonates with you! 

Make sure you’re communicating with the other teachers on your team or in your grade-level. Y’all, nothing is worse for students than doing the same activities in every single class. Be engaging and creative! Consider skipping classic activities like two-truths-and-a-lie in favor of something your students haven’t already done dozens of times. Video is a great tool for a more creative get-to-know your students, type of activity.  

Related: 10 Awesome Ways to Use Flipgrid in Your Classroom

Virtual Classroom Tour & Orientation

Getting to know your classroom is always a huge part of back to school season! How do we translate that into a virtual environment? One tool that comes to mind is Screencastify, a super simple screen-recording tool. It’s an easy-to-use Google Chrome extension that lets you record your screen. 

Use short video recordings of your screen to point out different features.

Here are some ideas: 

• Where is the teacher’s website? 
• Where do I go to find my assignments? 
• Where can I find help? 
• Where can I find resources? 
• Where is my weekly checklist located? 

Add all of this into your back-to-school online orientation! 

Create an App with SlidesMania

SlidesMania is one of my favorite tools. They’ve created a free template where you can actually create a phone app within Google Slides! It’s not actually an app you download from an app store, but mimics the way an app works on the phone, allowing you to create a classroom hub.

You can create an app with lessons on where to go for help, where checklists are, and more of those questions students will have about back-to-school. This is so easy to create, but SO engaging for students! 

Basically, each question will have its own page or link on the app’s home screen. It’s a powerful way to connect with students and direct their attention to what’s important! 

Bonus: Slidesmania even has a ready-made template you can customize. You’ll have an awesome classroom app you can always refer parents and students to as questions pop up! 

Virtual Classroom Introductions

Creating a Bitmoji classroom is one of the most POPULAR ideas for back-to-school online activities this year. You can do this in Google Slides, but in lots of different places too! Basically, you mimic a classroom environment, but in the world of Bitmoji—so cute! 

Credit: We Are Teachers

Hello Teacher Lady has some awesome recommendations for how to create this in an engaging way. You can even put a little Bitmoji TV in the scene and embed a video into the screen—how cool is that? There are so many ways to use this throughout the year to engage students, so try it out! You can also teach your students to do this and have them do different assignments with it throughout the year (while learning Google skills—score!) 

Get in the Spirit with Virtual Locker Decorations

Try decorating a virtual locker in Google Slides. This is one of the cutest back-to-school online ideas, and it came from Brandon Sigman in the Shake Up Learning Community Facebook group. 

Use Brandon’s Virtual Locker Template in Google Slides

Set up a slide with a blank set of lockers for students to decorate! Especially in the secondary world, lockers are one of the most exciting (and underrated) parts of school. Students love to decorate their lockers, and what they choose actually helps you get to know who they are! This is such a fun idea to get your students creating and communicating. You can even create your own as an example, and it’ll serve as another way for students to get to know YOU! 

Do Some Emoji Writing

Have you ever tried Emoji Writing? Emojis are everywhere right now. They represent moods and feelings, so they’re a great social-emotional check-in! Have students choose one or a few emojis to reflect on how they feel. Get more specific by asking students questions like: 

• How do you feel about online learning? 
• Are you nervous about learning digitally?
• Are you scared you’re going to make a mistake with technology? 
• Are you worried about time management on your own and forgetting something? 

You can also let students write a whole story with emojis. You might just need them to explain it in words after! Dive into this creative and engaging activity. It’s easy to translate for whatever grade level you teach. Go beyond the back-to-school season and use this activity as a periodic check-in for students, especially during remote learning. 

Create “About Me” or “About My Summer” Comic Strips

Another alternative to classic “about me” activities is comic strips! Creating a comic strip in Google Slides, Drawing, or even Canva is a great way to share things like: 

• About yourself
• About your summer
• What you’re super excited for this year. 

Canva has ready-to-go comic strip templates. If you want students to log in and edit within Canva, you’ll need an account login they can use. But otherwise, you can grab the background from there yourself and just add it to Google Slides for students to edit. 

Guide this activity with some “must-include” details and a rubric. The great thing about a comic strip is how concise you have to be with the space you have. 

Create a Unique Zoom Background Using Canva

Canva has custom backgrounds for video calls, like Zoom and Google Meet. How fun is that? If you have access to Canva for your students, this can actually be a cool back-to-school activity. If not, you can have them do it in Slides! This is fun and also a way to provide some privacy for your students who might not want to show off their space at home.

I hope these engaging back-to-school online ideas help you get to know your students and build a fun classroom environment digitally! What are you planning to engage students this year remotely?

Podcast Question of the Week

• What is your favorite back-to-school online activity?
• Post your answers in the Shake Up Learning community or on your favorite social platform.
• Join our FREE Shake Up Learning Facebook group.

What are your favorite Back-to-School activities? Please share in the comments 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 8 Easy and Fun Back-to-School Online Activities (Part 2) appeared first on Shake Up Learning.