Post 27: Manage Tasks in Gmail, Managing Google Meet Links, Online Whiteboard without Screensharing

As we continue with remote learning, I'm spending some time reflecting on:

• existing tools and how to streamline our processes
• what do we need to support teachers and students in this next phase where there is more instruction happening online (potentially in the fall too)

With that said, here we go...

An easy way to manage tasks in Gmail: There is a newish feature in Gmail where you can manage your tasks easily. Our inboxes are inundated more than ever. How often have I meant to go back and respond to an email and it got buried in my inbox?? Now you can manage tasks right from Gmail.

Add to Tasks in Gmail makes it easy to quickly add an item to your Tasks list and keep the context of the email connected to the task. The Task will appear in the sidebar of Gmail as well as on your personal Google Calendar. 

See it in action here:  

Managing Google Meet Links: I understand managing google meet links for staff, students, and families can be challenging. This is in part due to how people are creating and sharing their Google Meet links. Here is some clarification.

• Links shared in emails: If you share a meet link in an email to staff then the meeting link will only reside in the email. It will NOT show up on your Google Calendar or in your Google Meet list found under the "waffle". 

• Links shared via Google Calendar: These links will show up on your Google Calendar (even if you have not accepted the invite) and in your Google Meet list.
• Links created in Google Classroom: These WILL NOT show up on your Google Calendar or your Google Meet list. 

So how do you manage all of these links?  

• Invite staff to PLCs, planning meetings, and class meetings via google calendar so the meet links are added to their calendar.
• When you receive a class meeting link in an email, copy and paste it into your own google calendar.
• Continue to add meeting links to the HH Meetings google doc. Staff can easily copy and paste links from that document into their own google calendar.
• I am open to other suggestions!!

Using Whiteboards in a Google Meet Without Screensharing: Are you looking for an on-screen whiteboard that you could screen share with students during a Google Meet? Would you like students to respond to prompts on a virtual whiteboard of their own? 

There is a free simple website called Whiteboard.fi. As teachers, you do not even need to create an account and we do not create student accounts. 

• The teacher creates an online room.
• The teacher can easily screen share their board during a lesson.
• The teacher can invite students into their whiteboard meeting and each student would get their own whiteboard to write and draw on in realtime during a Google Meet lesson. 
• The teacher shares the whiteboard meeting link with students (could be done right in the Google Meet chat).
• As the teacher, you can see what your students are drawing as they do it. 
• The teacher has the ability to clear students' boards and to kick them out of the room if they are not using their whiteboards as intended. 
• Teachers can push out their whiteboard to students. 

Getting started with Whiteboard.fi:
1. Go to Whiteboard.fi and click "New Class."
2. Name your class and it will be assigned its own unique URL.
3. Share the URL with your students. (Copy and paste the URL in the chat feature of a Google Meet)
4. Students open the URL and enter a screen name. Teachers let the students into the room.
5. Students draw on their whiteboards. Their drawings appear on the teacher's screen as well as their own.

6. Students only see their board.
7. When students are done, they exit the room.
8. Teachers can close the room at any time and students won't be able to access it again.

See Whiteboard.fi in action: 

General Overview of the tools: