Google has been busy releasing many new updates to their Google Apps suite. Many of these updates benefit educators and students. Here is a quick look at some of the new additions:
iPad users of Google Classroom can now draw, highlight, and write notes on documents and PDFs. Students can complete work to be annotated. Teachers can assess student work with annotation once the work is returned to the teacher through classroom. This new feature greatly enhances the ability to use less paper and print less student work or assignments. Although this new addition provides annotation of documents, some teachers may still want to integrate Notability as annotation app since it has more features not yet available in Classroom.
Google Expeditions App
The Google Expeditions app is now available for iOS. The app includes over 200 Expeditions to choose from. Expeditions can be used with smartphones with Google Cardboard or iPads in 2D full screen mode.
Natural Language Search
Google Drive users can use the search bar on the web app with Natural Language Processing to find documents. For example, searching “find my budget sheets from last year” brings up all your documents modified last year with budget data. This search system is also expected to get used to your search methods and learn as time goes on.
Inserting Columns
Google Docs now allows users to split documents into multiple columns. Users can create columns from going to Format and selecting Columns. This was definitely one of the most requested features from our teachers in Burlington…
Teachers can now invite parents or guardians to sign up for email summaries of their students work. Parents and guardians can choose daily or weekly summaries. The summaries include updates about student missing or upcoming work. The updates can also show classroom announcements and any questions posted by teachers in the class stream.
Quizzes in Google Forms
Quizzes in Google Forms allows teachers to auto-grade multiple choice and checkbox questions. Teachers can include review materials with web links or videos. The use of quizzes in Forms can be a great way to get quick feedback on student progress and understanding.
Some other beneficial Google Classroom updates:
Teachers can organize the class stream by adding topics to posts. Teachers and students can filter the stream by topic.
Teachers can poll their students using multiple-choice questions and allow students to see a summary of their classmates’ answers.
Teachers and students can preview materials attached to assignments or posts.
Teachers can post to multiple classes.
Teachers can mute students directly from the student’s comment.
Teachers can schedule assignments, questions, or announcements to post at a later date.
Teachers can reuse existing posts, assignments, announcements, and questions from a current or previous class.