EdTech: Google Hangout in the Classroom

While many of us use Google Apps for Education (GAFE) it seems many have skimmed over the usefulness of Google Hangout - I know I sure have.

My wife brought Google Hangout to my attention after Prime Minister Trudeau used Google Hangout to talk to High School students across the country after being sworn in as Prime Minister in November of 2015.

Prime Minister Trudeau, a former teacher himself, even used Periscope to stream the ceremony live to classrooms accords the country.  Trudeau and his team are not amateurs when it comes to digital media.

So after seeing the Prime Minister use this free google service I had to check it out.

So what is Google Hangout? 

Hangouts allows users to have voice and video conversations from your computer. The plugin is free and installs in seconds. You can call anyone with an email account, a microphone, and/or webcam (the webcam is needed if you want a visual). 

	Talk face-to-face from your computer Make free video calls with up to 10 people.
	Connect from any device Start and join video calls from your computer, smartphone or tablet. Learn more
	Start a video call in Gmail Instantly go from an email conversation to a group video call.

Hangouts even allows you to make phone calls to anyone in Canada and the US; the majority of the time for free - and international calls can be connected for extreamly low rates (rates varies; so I will not get into details here) 

Hangouts has a downloadable app for Android, iOS and Google Chrome so you don't always have to open the URL. 

So when will you as a Teacher use Google Hangouts? 

• Guest Speakers: Hangout can allow you to connect with Guest Speakers around the world - no need to bring someone in to the city; and worry about cost coverage. Chris Hadfield has used similar services to talk to students across the country, and around the world. Just imagine; with Google Hangout, your guest speaker list can grow exponentially. 
• Conference with Students while Sick or on Vacation: Many students and parents ask teachers for work while they are on ill or on vacation. In most cases teachers often send work home for ill students and don't bother sending work on vacation (it's not going to get done); but with Hangouts you can actually speak with a student face to face; to make sure they understand the lessons that occur while they are away. 
• Why phone home when you can Hangout Home? The best part about Parent-Teacher interviews is reading body language and actually getting to know the other people. Hangout allows you to do this without actually meeting face to face. For struggling students, this could be a huge help; being able to speak to parents and the student together. 
• Broadcast and Archive conversations; hangouts lets you record and save a session. You can use it live for your current class; and replay it for future classes. (This requires the Hangout's on Air add on) 
• Virtual Book Clubs: Most classroom learning takes place with peers within the four walls of your classroom. Hangout can allow your students to connect with other students studying the same texts. (This does take a fair amount of planning) 
• External/Expert Audiences for Student Presentations. A guest speaker is one thing, but what about inviting guest audiences to student presentations. Research has show that students perform better when creating work for an authentic audience (Sorry teachers - we tend not to count) Invite industry experts/leaders to be guest audience members to student presentations; and allow them to interact and ask  your students questions based on their presentations. 

EdTech: GAFE Sample Letter Home

Does your school board already use Google Apps For Education (GAFE)?

If so, you probably already have some form of letter you send home to parents explaining how and what GAFE's are and how they will be used in your classroom.

If your board is new to GAFE's, here is a sample letter home:

Dear Parents and Students,

As part of your learning here at ______________, you will be introduced to Google Apps for Education (GAFE); primarily your very own email account. Your new email address will appear as firstname.lastname@______student.com (Your School board acronym is usually placed here)

How is this different from your own personal email or GMail? It comes with access to a multitude of applications that you either won’t have previously heard about, or never used before signing up for your new course.

GAFE also has a number of important distinctions when compared to free email services, beit either outlook or GMail. GAFE is far more secure than your personal free account. GAFE is used at almost all grade levels within the board, and therefore needs to be safe and secure for all of our student users. Two major important distinctions: GAFE does not allow for any adverting within its accounts; and it does not mine your personal data. Both occur regularly within your personal free account.

GAFE will allow you to work in the cloud with all of its apps, from the most basic Google Docs, to more complex ones like Hangout. It will allow you to collaborate with your peers without having to actually meet face to face when your schedules do not align. GAFE also grants its users additional storage and space on both your GAFE GMail and Drive. What is a Google Drive? It is an online hard drive that keeps track of all your work. The dog will never even get close to eating your English homework again!

Have you been worried about not owing a word processing software, and don’t necessarily trust the free download equivalents? That is no problem with GAFE. There is nothing to install or download (unless you want to work offline). Working in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides is as easy as using any MS-Office suite; with the added benefit that your work will save every few seconds so you will rarely-if ever lose your work again. Almost all GAFE’s will allow you to export your work into a compatible file format to use should you ever get a word processing suite.

It is important to note, that you will continue to have access to your GAFE account as long as you are a registered student with the ______.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. Please keep an eye on the school newsletter, as we will be planing a GAFE Information Session to show students and parents how to use applications and Google Calendar as an agenda in the coming weeks.