Google Classroom Mobile App: Record a Video Message for Students

Distance learning makes it difficult to form the same connection with students as when teaching face to face. More than ever, the students want to interact with you, the teacher, and not just written text in an email or Google Classroom announcement. They want to see and hear you. For English learners, hearing your voice, tone and non-verbal cues are extremely important. Those things don't always come through in text. 

A way to communicate with students while giving them more opportunities to see and hear you is to record video messages and announcements with the Google Classroom mobile app. This is one of a handful of features found on the mobile app that cannot be found on the website. 

In the past, I've written blog posts on ways to record video announcements and messages for students using tools such as Screencastify, Zoom, Google Meet and more. These all work, but you then have to import the video to Google Classroom. The beauty of the Google Classroom mobile app is that the recording process is embedded right into the app. There's no import or attachment process. It saves time.

In addition, recording video messages and announcements might feel more natural and be easier to do using the mobile app. A big part of our life and culture these days revolves around using our mobile phone cameras. We've all taken selfie pictures and videos before. Using the Google Classroom mobile app to record messages and announcements leverages that skill and it is often more convenient. The mobile app allows you to communicate from places other than your laptop or desktop. If you have a quick message you want to share, and you're out and about, pull out your phone and record.

Below is a series of screenshots that shows you how to get started using the Google Classroom mobile app to record messages and announcements for your students.

Step 1: Open the Google Classroom mobile app on your phone or tablet. Open a Classroom and you'll be automatically taken to the Stream tab. Tap Share with your class.

Step 2: On the top right corner, tap the "paper clip". 

Step 3: After tapping the "paper clip", a menu on the bottom of the screen will appear. Tap Record video.

Step 4: Your camera will appear. Tap the record button and say your message or announcement. My advice is to be candid and let your personality shine through as much as possible. Students miss this in distance learning. 

Step 5: When you are finished recording, tap the "blue check mark" button to post your video to an announcement in Google Classroom.

Step 6: Be sure to type a text message or description to go with your video message. 

If you have any questions and would like a follow up, contact me via Gmail or Hangouts at ajuarez@techcoachjuarez.com. If you would like to unsubscribe from this blog, go to bit.ly/tcjinbox.

My book, The Complete EdTech Coach: An Organic Approach to Digital Learning, co-authored with my wife Katherine Goyette is now available on Amazon. Click here to purchase. It is published by Dave Burgess Publishing. Be sure to follow the hashtag #OrganicEdTech and #CVTechTalk for updates.

 

Phone Friendly Lesson: Mark Text with Google Classroom Mobile App

One of the features you can find on the Google Classroom mobile app that is not found on the Google Classroom website is the ability to mark text on PDF files. On the web, students need to open the PDF files through apps such as Kami or DocHub. On the mobile app, they are able to circle, underline, annotate, type and highlight right within the app. No extra app is necessary. This is especially useful for students who do not have computer or wifi access and their only internet connection is their mobile phone. 

Students may feel they can mark the text easier on their phones or tablets because of the touchscreen. This is usually easier than done with a mouse or trackpad on a PC, Mac or Chromebook. Below is a series of screenshots that shows you how a student can mark the text on a PDF using the Google Classroom mobile app. The entire setup, on the teacher end, is still done on a computer and does not need to be set up using a mobile phone.

Step 1: Open your teacher's assignment and tap the PDF file.

Step 2: When the PDF file opens, tap the Edit button at the top. It looks like a pencil.

Step 3: In Edit mode, at the bottom, you will see tools that allow you to mark the text with a digital marker, digital pencil, digital highlighter and text box. Different colors can be chosen. In addition, there is an eraser option if you make a mistake.

Step 4: When finished marking the text, tap the three dots in the top right corner and tap save.

Step 5: This is what your file looks like when it is saved. Tap the back arrow button to return to the assignment in Google Classroom.

Step 6: When you've gone back to the assignment in Google Classroom, you will see a link to your marked text PDF document. Tap Turn in to submit it to your teacher.

If you have any questions and would like a follow up, contact me via Gmail or Hangouts at ajuarez@techcoachjuarez.com. If you would like to unsubscribe from this blog, go to bit.ly/tcjinbox.

My book, The Complete EdTech Coach: An Organic Approach to Digital Learning, co-authored with my wife Katherine Goyette is now available on Amazon. Click here to purchase. It is published by Dave Burgess Publishing. Be sure to follow the hashtag #OrganicEdTech and #CVTechTalk for updates.

Google Classroom Mobile App: Random Student Selector Feature

 

Since distance learning began, Google Classroom, like all education apps, has seen a dramatic increase in usage. On the teacher, end, in my experience, the Google Classroom mobile app largely goes unnoticed. The mobile app has features that you don't find on the web. One of those is the random student selector feature. 

This feature has many uses in both distance learning and face to face instruction. In distance learning, if you joined your video call with your phone or tablet, you could present/share screen showing the random selector. In face to face, your phone could serve as a random selector while you walk around the class. No need to stand by your computer or desk looking for popsicle sticks.

The screenshots below show you how to get started using the Google Classroom Mobile App student selector feature.

Step 1: Using the Google Classroom mobile app on phone or tablet, open a Classroom and go to the People tab. In the top right corner of the People tab, click the "four box" button. This will open the Student Selector.

Step 2: On the Student Selector, click the Start button to randomly select a student.

Step 3: When you select a student, their name will appear in the middle of the screen. You will see a tally of how many students have not been picked, picked and absent. These numbers automatically update. If you want to return to a student, you can click the Call later button. If a student is absent, there is a button for that. After calling on a student, you click Next to randomly select another student.

If you feel the need to start over with your selection, click the Reset button at the top right. 

If you click any of the tally numbers, it will take you to a "report" of which students where picked, not picked and marked absent.

This feature has many distance learning and face to face applications. It can be used of random checking for understanding, attendance and more. How might you use this tool? If you have any cool ideas, please share them with me.

My book, The Complete EdTech Coach: An Organic Approach to Digital Learning, co-authored with my wife Katherine Goyette is now available on Amazon. Click here to purchase. It is published by Dave Burgess Publishing. Be sure to follow the hashtag #OrganicEdTech and #CVTechTalk for updates.

If you have any questions and would like a follow up, contact me via Gmail or Hangouts at ajuarez@techcoachjuarez.com. If you would like to unsubscribe from this blog, go to bit.ly/tcjinbox.