Hosting Online Chats
Before hosting a live online meeting, please refer to the E-learning Online Interaction Safety Page below.
Google Hangouts is a fantastic tool that will allow you to connect with your students through video or online chat sessions. This tool easily integrates with Google Classroom. Watch the videos below to find how you can create quick and easy calendar invites with a Google Meet link, or create a link in Google Classroom.
Watch the video below to see how to create a Meet link In Google Classroom. If you create a Meet link in Google Classroom your students will not be able to enter until the teacher is in the Meet. Additionally, if the teacher leaves the Meet prior to students leaving, or is kicked out of the Meet, students will still be able to remain in the Meet without the teacher present.
Different Ways to Use Google Hangouts to Connect With Your Students
Additionally, remember when bringing your students together for a synchronous online meeting, don't bring your students together to talk at them, but to talk with them.
Office Hours
Use Google Hangouts to offer office hours for your students and families. Depending on how you set up our day, you can offer specific office hours where students and families can join an online chat to ask questions or get support on a specific assignment. A good rule of thumb is to set office hours on the same days of the week and at the same time.
Small Group Conferencing
Googe Hangouts can support small group conferencing. You can create small group conferences to offer additional support to specific students, run literacy circles, or give direction instruction in smaller groups to allow students to easily ask questions.
Whole Group Instruction
Schedule a Google Hangout to offer live whole group instruction. You may want to bring all of your students together if the majority of them are struggling on the same concept, or maybe you want to alternate how your students receive their instruction.
Classroom Discussion Board
Google Hangouts is a great tool for a classroom discussion board. You can create a chat room where students can ask questions to their classmates about an assignment, meeting time, or anything that pertains to your class. This is a great way to create a student centered online learning environment by allowing students to learn from each other instead of only from the teacher. To insure this chat room remains an academic space it is important to create clear expectations for the chat room prior opening it up. You can schedule a Google Hangout where students work together to come up with expectations for the chat room instead of just giving them the rules to create more ownership.