The Ultimate Guide To Google with an iPad

Google Apps for Education is a complete game changer in the classroom and it has the potential to completely transform the dynamics within your classroom. Google has come to rival all other document creation software created by Microsoft and Apple.

For the longest time, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, etc was your go to for any document creation. Now with the enhanced collaborative tools that the Google Apps have to offer it seems like all others are trying to catch up with them.

Google Docs is a document creation app and online tool that allows users to create anything from simple documents to an extravagant document that is visually rich with a variety of content options available.

One of the unique features of Google Docs and all Google Apps is the ability to collaborate with anyone with a Google account. Simply add them to the document and all involved can edit simultaneously!

Google apps allow you to access all of your documents no matter where you are. Simply log into your account on any mobile device, desktop, laptop, tablet, etc. and all of your documents are safe and secure within Google Drive.

Just talking about it gives me all kinds of ideas on how I can use Google Docs in the classroom!

Google Slides is your go to presentation app/software and it will help you take your own personal presentations to the next level! Your students can make amazing slide shows or even one slide projects. The same collaboration features apply with Google Slides as with all other Google Apps and everything is securely saved in Google Drive so you can always rest easy knowing your documents are safe!

Before you watch this tutorial, I want to share with you an assignment that I give to my students using Google Slides. I call this assignment a Digital Document and it is something that I started when I was working through my master’s program and the results have been amazing!

A Digital Document is in a sense a digital poster that displays information  in a way that captivates the audience and readers through the use of text, images, and other graphics to portray a concept, topic, or idea. It’s closely related to an infographic if you are familiar with those.

In this assignment, students are given a topic, idea, or concept. These are generally not major topics, but more focused and specific. A great example would be Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion, important facts about a historical figure, or even the basic principles of math can be applicable here.

Now that students have a topic they are required to create a Digital Document that displays their knowledge about their topic all in one single slide!!!!!! This is when they freak out and tell you that there is just too much to information to fit on just one slide! I also require them to have 3 or more images on that slide as well. Students throw their hands up and immediately feel as if you just asked them to solve world hunger or some other massive world problem.

This is when you guide, facilitate, and instruct your students…. Show them how to shrink images down, show them how to make a text box, teach them to think outside the box and focus on one task at a time. After a brief moment of panic, your students will start working furiously with intense focus attempting to accomplish what they thought was an impossible task.

Remember, if we don’t challenge our students they will never learn and that is something you need to always keep in mind whether you are a beginning teacher or a veteran teacher.

You will be amazed at what students will be able to create especially with some practice. After the second and third time that students complete an assignment like this you will be able to see significant improvements, but the key is to continue to hold high standards for all of your students.

Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets are the main Google Apps that are used most frequently and all of those files are automatically stored in Google Drive. Google Drive is “Cloud” storage because you can access it from any device that is connected to the internet.

Users of Google Drive can quickly access files and even create new documents from within the Google Drive website/app. Each Google Drive account has 15 gb of storage for free, which is a substantial amount and it would take a lot of documents to fill up that much space.

One thing I want you to take away from this, is that you do not need an iPad to access files in Google Drive, just a device (ie. computer, iPad, Smartphone, tablet, etc.) that is connected to the internet. Users can just do a quick Google search for “Google Drive” and sign in with their Gmail account and with that you will have instant access to your files

Google Classroom is a Learning Management System that allows teachers to “create, share, and grade assignments with ease. (Google) Classroom helps you keep classes organized and improve communication with students.”

Google Classroom will completely change the way you teach and the way your students learn! You can create discussions, ask questions, etc. to students on this digital platform. Students who may not typically participate in normal classroom situations may thrive and become more engaged with the content you are sharing. I have seen this first hand and it is an awesome thing to see happen in your classroom. I hope the same happens for you with your students!

Important Note: You can utilize Google Classroom with a personal Gmail account, but it is not recommended. Signing up your school for the G Suite for Education will help create a more streamlined and uniform sign in process for you and your students.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to implement Google Classroom from a desktop/laptop computer and from your iPad. As always, write down your ideas, thoughts, and anything else you feel that will help you as you begin implementing Google Classroom.