GSuite | Ed Tech Framework

Crash Course in Kami

by Michelle Baragar | Nov 25, 2020 | GSuite

Originally Kami was built as a .pdf reader for Google Drive. Over time they have added new tools and features to it making it a very powerful classroom application.

This blog post offers a short video “Crash Course in Kami” that will introduce you to the annotation tools and will offer some differentiation ideas for it as well.

If you are teaching remote learners, Kami offers a lot of assistance in accomplishing that task.

As a teacher in CESD, you have a full license to this extension.

Google Jamboard – Your Digital Whiteboard

by Michelle Baragar | Nov 16, 2020 | GSuite

A newcomer to your Google Suite of Educator Tools is Google Jamboard which provides you with a blank screen and annotation tools. With a touch-screen Chromebook, you can now open a new “jam”, and begin drawing, instructing and demonstrating. Best of all – it saves into your Google Drive when you’re done.

With Jamboard, you can easily bring in images, draw shapes, write, erase and illustrate. Even better – it is now built right into Google Meet. So, if you are instructing at a distance, you can open a new jam from inside Google Meet to seamlessly draw and illustrate to your students the lesson at hand.

Want to see it in action?

This instructional video might be helpful.

Using Google Meet for Parent-Teacher Interviews

by Michelle Baragar | Oct 26, 2020 | GSuite

In the past few weeks there have been a lot of changes to Google Meet. The new features they have rolled out can make managing online parent-teacher interviews much easier than what you may be expecting. Here’s a brief screencast to show you how to undertake this style of conferences without putting a large burden on your shoulders.

Adding Parents in Google Classroom

by Michelle Baragar | Oct 14, 2020 | GSuite

Inviting parents to Google Classroom is a process that must be done using the “invite parent or guardian” link that appears on the people tab, between the student’s name and the email icon.

This video was designed for teachers and parents to be able to see what they can expect to have happen when they are correctly added to Google Classroom.

Major Updates to Google Meet!!

by Michelle Baragar | Oct 13, 2020 | GSuite

Google Meet is rolling out MAJOR updates this fall. In the past 6 months, Google has moved the large majority of their software engineers and coders to two products: Google Meet and Google Classroom. In this slide deck, prepared by Ted, the new features (which include a grid view of up to 49 tiles – so DELETE THE EXTENSION that you downloaded in March, as it causes HUGE problems in meet now, crashing meets frequently. (The guy who made the extension doesn’t update it any more since it’s not even needed).

But – the updates to Meet include:

Breakout Rooms
Tile up to 49 meet attendees
Blur background
Ambient noise cancellation
Polls/Questions
Private ask the teacher questions
Meeting Controls (only invitees can get in)
Jamboard (a whiteboard for teaching)

Upgrading Your Chromebook

by Michelle Baragar | Oct 7, 2020 | GSuite

If you are experiencing challenges with your Chromebook, or a student Chromebook, the first place to start is to engage in the simple process of updating the operating system. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the steps to ensure that your operating system is current, which will minimize glitchy behaviours of the machine.