Google Classroom has been and will be our learning management system at Delphi Community School Corporation for the foreseeable future. That is why it is so great that they just came out with some awesome #backtoschool updates! Check out this article on the newest updates. A few of these updates can have an immediate impact in a teacher's classroom tomorrow! Below are the updates I think you will be most excited about.
1. Classroom Summaries for Parents and Guardians
The most requested feature for Google Classroom has finally made its way to the teacher's classroom---the ability to keep parents and guardians informed of the "goings on" in their student's daily lives. Parents may choose to receive a Google Classroom summary for their children either on a daily basis or on a weekly basis. Here is a screen shot of what a parent email looks like when they need to accept your invitation.
It is up to the teacher to invite the parents. Therefore, it does require some initial set up time. However, if you someone adds a parent email invite before you do, then that email address will be there when you are ready to send an invite. So my tip would be to share the work load and divide up the parent emails so one person does not do it all themselves.
Here is a short video on how to set up parent/guardian invites.
2. Google Cast for Education
Google Cast for Education will allow students to mirror their laptops and Chromebooks to the teacher device. This will be great when a student wants to share something they found online or share their presentation without having to send it to the teacher in order to see it on the screen. Since most teachers now have SmartBoards, it is nice to be able to share and view student work. However, some times it is cumbersome to have a student email or turn something into Google Classroom and then the teacher must share it. Teachers need to download the Google Cast for Education Add-on through the Chrome Web Store. (Hint: Use the link I just shared.) Once it is downloaded, teachers may name their machine and fix their settings for each of their Google Classrooms.
If you have questions about set up or want to see a demonstration, download the teacher add-on and contact me for the demonstration.
3. NEW Google Expeditions
Last spring the Delphi Community Schools Education Foundation blessed us with a grant to purchase some nicer, newer, and more sturdy Google Cardboards. As I have already written about the power of being immersed in virtual reality with the Google Cardboards, I have not really spoken much about Google Expeditions. Well wait no longer! Google Expeditions allow the teacher to take control of the content the students view and how they can interact with the surroundings. There are over 200 different expeditions that a teacher can take their class through. These journeys are anywhere from Machu Picchu to underwater in a coral reef to the anatomy of the body. (For a list of them, click HERE.) The Expeditions app is already available through the Google Play Store, but it will coming VERY soon there will be an app for teachers to download from the Apple Store.
With all these new #BacktoSchool updates, I'm sure it is difficult to contain your excitement! Well DON'T! Jump in feet first and I'll help you swim.
Stay techie, my friends!
