Google Apps

We use a variety of Google Apps to streamline our work flow and increase productivity. This training covers applications you will need to use at CalPac. If you are already familiar with certain Google products feel free to skim over those sections. You are also welcome to explore other apps and implement as you like.

This training covers:

Google Calendar

Calendly

Gmail & Email Signatures

Google Drive: Docs, Sheets & Slides

Google Sites

Google Hangouts

Google Calendar

Just like you have your email tab open all day you should also have your calendar tab open. This way you never miss meetings and other events happening at CalPac. You can use your calendar for events, tasks, and other reminders. You can also set your availability (office hours) under settings. Watch the video for an overview of calendar functions.

Sharing Your Google Calendar

Staff are expected to put all meetings and CalPac related events on their calendar. Additionally, if you will be unavailable during the regular school day (8am-4pm), you also must put busy on any slot you are not available due to a personal reason.

Staff searches each other's calendars in order to schedule meetings, which makes it imperative that your calendar is always up to date with your availability.

The steps below walk you through how to make sure your calendar is properly shared with CalPac Staff:

Share a calendar with everyone in your organization

If you use Google Calendar through your work, school, or other organization, you’ll find the option to make your calendar available for everyone in your organization under “Access permissions.” Learn more about access permissions.

How this setting works

People in your organization can find your calendar.
People outside your organization won’t be able to find your calendar.
If you invite someone outside your organization to a meeting, they can view information about the meeting.

For more information click here.

CalPac Internal Calendar

To help everyone stay organized of what's happening at CalPac we use an internal school calendar. You can add this calendar to yours so that you never miss anything. You only need to add it once and it will auto update. Just remember that this is an internal calendar and should not be shared with students!

Follow the steps below to add the CalPac Calendar to your account:

Scroll down on the left hand side to where it says Other Calendars.
Check the box next to the calendar: Calpac Internal Calendar.
All the events will now display on your calendar. You must leave this calendar checked to see them.

Bonus: You can share your calendar with others and turn on additional shared calendars using the same steps above.

Calendly Scheduler

Calendly is an appointment booking feature that allows students to book tutoring and other appointments with you. It also connects to your calendar so any appointments you enter in your calendar will automatically mark you as unavailable in the tutoring scheduler and meetings booked in the scheduler will show up on your calendar.

Staff are required to use Calendly and include the link to your booking page in your email signature. You should have received an email inviting you to CalPac's Calendly pro account. Please setup your account with that information and use the Google Sign in option. The tutorials to the right will walk you through how to set up your Calendly.

When you set your Calendly link it should be formatted to calendly.com/initiallastname (calendly.com/calpac/erineberg)

Video TutorialsOur video tutorial series is designed to give you the tools you need to start scheduling today. Enjoy these videos at your own convenience and start using Calendly to put time back in your day. Sel...

Gmail & Email Signatures

Email is the main form of communication between staff and with students at CalPac. You should have your email tab open during working hours and check it throughout the day.

Your school email is a Google based account. This means that you will use it to set up your email and use any of the Google Apps. To login to your email account you need to go to mail.google.com and enter in your email address and password that was sent to you. If you have not received your CalPac email address, please contact Erin.

For more information on using Gmail watch the video to the right.

Bonus: You can connect Google chat to your Gmail page to quickly communicate via instant message.

***You may connect your email account to Outlook if that is your preferred email system. Gmail is recommended.

Email Etiquette and Expectations

We expect you to always be professional, polite, and use proper grammar and sentence structure in all communications with students, parents, and staff.
You may use your email across multiple devices: computer, phone, tablet, etc.
All emails need to have a complete signature.
All email communications need to be returned with 24 hours business hours.
Be sure to cc other staff when appropriate.
- - If one of your content students contacts you with a question about their grade, pacing, or progress, answer his/her question and cc the homeroom teacher.
  - When communicating with a SpEd student about his/her course, problems with an assignment, or other issue, please cc the SAI provider. You can find the SAI provider listed in the SIS under "Staff Association".
Always cc parents on all communications with students.
DO NOT CC parents when emailing another staff member for more information about a student issue.
Always bcc students and parents if sending an email to a mass group - DO NOT CC.
Always use the student school email when communicating with students.
If you receive an email that is inappropriate, contains profanity, or makes you uncomfortable, please contact your department chair.
Make sure you follow all FERPA guidelines when sending out emails, including bcc'ing students on mass emails.

Creating Your Email Signature

All email messages and all devices you use email on need to have a signature with your name and CalPac's information.

Please use the template provided (expand it) to make your email signature. Please make sure you include all information listed so students know exactly when you are available and how to contact you.

Start with making your email signature, and in the next step we will go over how to add your signature to your email provider and other devices.

If you need any help or would like your signature created for you, please email your information to Erin.

21-22 Email Signature Template

Creating Your Email Picture

You will use Google Drawing to create your signature image.

Open up a new drawing in your drive.
Drag or upload the picture you want to use.
Use the drop down arrow next to the cropping tool to crop the image as a shape.
Shrink down the blank space as much as possible.
Download the image as a png file.
Upload the png file to your drive and set sharing permissions to publicly on the web.
Insert your picture into your email signature.

Inserting Your Email Signature

Now that you have created your email signature, you are ready to add it to your email. Please see the directions on the right for information about how to make an email signature for the program you are using.

***Note: There is a character limit on Gmail signatures. If you find your signature does not fit consider simplifying it or making it a canned response that you insert before composing your email message.

Canned Responses

Canned responses are email templates that you create to quickly use the same email. This is especially helpful for weekly homeroom emails and reoccurring announcements (failed quizzes, low scores, attendance warnings, etc.). Watch the video on how to enable canned responses and create canned messages.

Bonus Tip: You can insert multiple canned responses into a single email. Just make sure to position your cursor in the order you want the canned responses to appear.

Word of Caution: Delete your email signature before saving your canned response. If you don't you will have the signature show up twice in your email body.

Schedule Send

If you want to delay when an email is sent to students you can use the Schedule Send function in Gmail. This gives you the opportunity to compose your message and then choose when you want it to be sent to students. Use it to schedule complete work reminders and live session reminders at the start of the week.

Compose your message and choose at least one recipient. Then click the drop down arrow next to send and choose Schedule Send. Pick your day and time. Your scheduled messages will display under your Drafts folder and will send automatically.

Out of Office Messages

You will need to put an out of office message on for extended school holidays and anytime you are off. There are out of office templates in the teacher resource folder. Watch the video on how to create your out of office message.

Optional: Mail Merge with Yet Another Mail Merge (YAMM)

This is a worthwhile add-on that makes sending progress reports and other emails quick and easy. If you are interested in using this feature watch the video and if you have any questions contact Erin Rineberg.

Gmail Mail Merge

Google Drive: Docs, Sheets & Slides

We've already looked at Google Drive when we discussed teacher and student resources. Within Google Drive you will find Docs, Sheets & Slides (along with other applications) to help you create documents and presentations.

If you are unfamiliar with any of these features please view the video tutorial.

The big reminder with Drive and Docs is sharing permissions. Make sure that you are careful of where you create and store Google Drive docs so that the appropriate people have access. Always double check that students should have access before sharing it with them. When in doubt contact your department chair.

GOOGLE DRIVE SHARING PERMISSIONS:

DO NOT CHOOSE SHARE WITH EVERYONE AT CALIFORNIA PACIFIC CHARTER SCHOOLS! Doing so will give students access to the document. Make sure to share resources only to staff. You can use the staff group emails or add individuals.

Google Drive Basics

Google Sites

You've been using a Google site for this training and all of the K-8 student resources are stored on a Google site. It's important that you know the basics of how to edit and add to a site so you can use it with your courses. Please watch the video and let your department chair know if you have any questions.

Google sites are located in the Teacher Resource Center.

Google Chat/Hangouts

To communicate with staff, we use Google Chat/Hangouts. It is connected to your gmail account so it is easy to use with staff. Students do not have access to Google Chat/Hangouts.

The slides to the right show you some of the different ways you can access Hangouts on your computer and phone, how to create a room, and some of the other functions.

Hangouts

Google Classroom

Access Google Classroom from your Google Apps and easily create assignments and resources for students. Below are several videos to help you create and get started with your Google Class.

You will use Google Classroom for live session activities and is where you will post your recordings.

IMPORTANT NOTE: One of the best things you can do is create a dummy student account so you can play with it from both the student and teacher side.

Assigning and Monitoring Due Dates for Student Work in GC

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Google Classroom Sample Live Lessons & Activities

Use the information below to login to our sample Google Classroom and view lesson setup from the student view. Contact your department chair to gain teacher view access.

Class Link: https://classroom.google.com/c/Njk4MDE1MzA1NjRa

Class Code: iwesbjz

Middle School Language Arts Sample Live Session: Selecting an Argument Topic

Reading Log

Selecting an Argument Topic (embedded in course material)

Gathering Argument Information

Middle School Science 7 Lesson: Food Chains and Food Webs

Middle School Science 8 Lesson: Light and Sound Waves

Middle School Social Studies 7 Sample Live Session: Famous Figures of the Renaissance

Middle School Social Studies 8 Sample Live Session: Abolitionists