Google for Educators: The Best Features for Busy Teachers

Among all the links and downloads out there, it can be hard for teachers to know which ones work best. Google has made it easier by creating Google for Educators, which compiles some of the search engine's most useful features in one place. Whether you're teaching Spanish or social studies, mathematics or music, there's a free Google feature that will make your lessons more dynamic and your projects more organized. The lively, informative website offers step-by-step visual tours and even videos to help you get set up. Below are some of the most useful features that the site has to offer.

Google Search

Google Search is at the heart of it all. It’s where many of us go multiple times a day to locate information. Google provides excellent resources for teachers and students to become effective searchers and build essential digital literacy skills for finding quality, credible resources on the web. Here you can find lesson plans, an online course to become a Power Searcher, and challenges such as A Google a Day. In my opinion, it all starts here for our students -- helping them to become digitally aware of the information that they're intaking is of utmost importance.

Google CS First

This is a big favorite of mine among Google's offerings for teachers and students! Google has created a fantastic computer science curriculum called CS First. It's designed for grades 4-8 (but works well for other grades, too) and gives teachers everything they need to implement a computer science club in their school. The program is flexible enough to weave it into the regular school day or create a before/after-school club. Everything is free and available on the CS First website. Students get to experience first-hand the impact of computer science across multiple real-world industries. Don't worry if you don't have any computer science background! Google has taken care of everything to help you start your school's CS First club. They'll even ship you printed materials for free! Check out the booming CS First Google+ Community to connect with other educators implementing CS First in their schools.

Google Keep

Keep is definitely one of my "use it every day" apps. You can use the web version, or the standalone apps available for Mac, PC, Chrome OS, iOS, and Android. Keep is a super simple note-taking app, but it's more than just text-based notes. You can use it to quickly save an image, make an audio recording, or create a quick to-do list. You can tag, title, and color code your notes however you see fit. An added bonus is that you can share any note with others to easily collaborate on a to-do list, or take notes together in class or when you attend a conference.

Google Drive

Google Drive is particularly handy for teachers when revising students' work and providing feedback. It allows you and your class to track what changes have been made, save each revision, and collaborate in real time. And it's a great organizing tool -- you can easily upload existing files to Google Drive so that everything is accessible in one place. Not only can your students create electronic Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Drawings, they can also connect other apps to Google Drive for tasks such as photo editing, video editing, and creating dynamic charts and presentations. There are many fantastic add-ons that you can use in Docs and Sheets to really amp up not only your own productivity but your students' productivity as well. Teachers love add-ons such as Flubaroo, Doctopus, AutoCrat, and JoeZoo.

Google Sites

Google Sites is your place to create a digital classroom on the web. One of the best things about Google Sites is its ability to be that digital hub for your classroom. You can combine video, documents, forms, calendars, and other resources all in one place for student and parent access. Students can also use Sites to showcase their work and create digital portfolios that can follow them from year to year. Tip: A great way to start is by creating templates that teachers can use to build their site. Think carefully about content and structure before prettying things up! Your site should be beneficial to parents and your students alike. Check out this post that I wrote a couple of years ago about using Google Sites to create a digital hub for your classroom (some of the key points are still relevant today).

Google Maps

Google Classroom

Google Classroom is Google's newest product (August 2014) available to Google Apps for Education users. Classroom helps teachers to streamline their digital workflow by creating a space where they can easily push out announcements and assignments, and give students a way to interact with the teacher and classmates, as well as turn in assignments electronically. Most recently, Google has made it even easier for students by releasing Android and iOS versions of Google Classroom. Teachers that have invested the time to use Classroom consistently have told me that it has forever changed their workflow and made their classroom not only more paperless but also more efficient. Tip: if you think of a great feature that you wish Google Classroom had, suggest it to the Classroom team with the send feedback option in the bottom left corner. They've made loads of updates to Classroom over the last year based on teacher feedback.

YouTube

YouTube can be an excellent tool for teaching and learning. While educators can tap into existing YouTube content, this medium also does a great job of equipping teachers with the ability to create original content for their students. They can begin by locating and organizing existing video content, and then gradually shift to creating their own. We have a responsibility to model appropriate use of this powerful classroom tool. I love teaching teachers about YouTube. If you'd like to see a virtual version of my YouTube session, check out the Hangout On-Air that I did last school year for Google for Education.

Additional Google Resources:

• Google Apps Education Edition: Thinking of "going Google" in your school or district? This is the best place to start. It provides the comprehensive information on how Gmail, Google Drive, Google Classroom, Google Calendar, and more can have a positive impact on teaching and learning.
• Google for Education Training Center: This is your one-stop shop for all training related to Google Apps for Education. Learn at your own pace to get just what you need just when you need it. Work toward your Google Educator Level 1 or Level 2 certification, and apply to become a Google Certified Innovator or a Google Certified Trainer.
• Google Groups: This feature offers a great way to create your own safe, private online community for collaborating and communicating with your colleagues, your professional learning network, or your students. We've implemented this recently for all of our elementary teachers by creating grade-level Google Groups as a way for teachers to share and collaborate easily across our district.
• Google+ Communities: If you're using Google+ but not tapping into the outstanding educational communities thriving there, you are missing out. You can find communities to join around Google Apps for Education, Chromebooks, and using Hangouts in the classroom, to name a few.