Google Meet
What is Google Meet?
Google Meet is a video conferencing tool that allows students and teachers to teach and learn from anywhere.
Why Use Google Meet?
Google Meet is quick and easy, and it gives a personal connection that's missing from face-to-face class time.
Safety- only people approved by the meeting owner (teacher) can enter the video conference.
New to Google Meet
There are 2 locations to toggle the "Share their screen" and "Send chat messages."
There is only one place (Blue 1) to access the Quick Access.
Host Controls
Host Controls allows you to toggle the following features on/off:
Quick Access- Defaulted to on.
Toggle this off to prevent outside participants from automatically joining or calling into the Meet.
You will will instead receive a request that you can accept or reject.
If turned off, you will need to accept every participant, meaning all your students. Suggestion: Turn Quick Access off after students have entered the Meet.
Share their screen
Toggle this off to prevent students from sharing their screens.
Send chat messages
Toggle this off to disable the chat feature during the Meet.
Whiteboard Feature
Click the three dots in the bottom-right.
Click "Whiteboard"
A dialog box will appear. You will be able to open a new Jamboard or use a previously created Jamboard from Google Drive.
Either option will open the Jamboard in a new window.
The link for students to access the Jamboard will automatically appear in the chat.
The link will default to “view only” access. If you wish for students to edit, you will need to change that in the Share setting within Jamboard.
The Jamboard automatically saves to your Google Drive.
Breakout Rooms, Polls, and Q&A
The new Breakout rooms are a great way to engage students in discussion.
Engaging students is difficult without everyone talking over each other. New Q&A and Polling features in Google Meet allows teachers to ask and answer questions and poll students
How Do I Get Started with Google Meet?
Option 1: Start a video meeting from Meet
In a web browser, enter meet.google.com
Click Join or Start a meeting.
(Optional) Create a nickname for your meeting and enter the nickname. Click Continue.
If you do not want a nickname, leave the box blank.
You can only use meeting nicknames with people in your organization.
Click Continue
You may be asked to turn your camera and microphone on- click Allow.
Click Join now.
To share meeting information:
Click Copy joining info and paste the meeting details into an email.
Option 2: Create a Meet link in your Google Classroom
Go to classroom.google.com.
Click the Gear icon .
Under General, click Generate Meet link.
A Meet link appears for your class.
Visible to Students option will automatically be toggled "On."
At the top, click Save.
The generated link for Google Meet will appear on both the Stream page and the Classwork page. You can also copy the link and place in an Assignment.
Start the video meeting in Google Classroom
In your Google Classroom, there are 3 options to start a meeting:
At the top of the Stream page, under the class code, click the Meet link.
At the top of the Classwork page, click Meet.
In a question or assignment, click the link for the class video meeting.
Click Join now.
Moderating the Meet
Tips for Video Conferencing
Position yourself so you’re sitting in front of a window so that you’re being lit with natural light; try not to have open windows or large sources of light behind you
Make sure the camera is at eye level
It is better to be further away than too close
Be sure to leave some room above your head so if you move, you won’t appear off camera
Look into the camera when speaking
When screen sharing, make sure all other windows and applications are closed
It is important to close all email windows to prevent others from seeing private information
Turn your camera off if your Internet -- or your students' Internet -- is slow
Pin, Mute, or Remove Participants
To pin, mute, or remove participants, next to the person’s thumbnail, point to their picture, and click action.
Pin a participant so everyone sees just that person. (If you don't use this feature, Google Meet will display whoever is talking.)
Mute a participant. (Only the meeting creator can mute others.)
For privacy reasons, you cannot unmute another person. Ask the participant to unmute their audio.
Remove a participant. (Only the meeting creator can remove others.)
Share Your Screen
In the bottom-right corner, select Present now.
Select Your entire screen, A window, or Chrome tab.
If you present a Chrome tab, it shares that tab's audio by default.
To present a different tab, at the bottom of your screen, select Change source.
Select the content you'd like to share.
Select Share.
If someone is presenting, confirm that you want to present instead.
Note: If your camera is turned on, your video is active while you're presenting.
To stop presenting:
In the bottom of the Meet window, click Stop Presenting.
Send a chat message during a video meeting
Click Chat (upper right corner).
Enter a text message and click the Send icon. (>)
You can share files or links in the chat as well.
Adjustable Layouts and Screen Settings
To switch the layout, click the three dots in the lower corner of the Meet screen.
In the Change layout box, select the layout that you want to use on your computer.
Auto—Allows Meet to choose the layout for you.
Tiled—Shows up to 16 people when there is no presentation. (Brady Bunch)
Spotlight—The presentation, active speaker, or pinned feed fills the window.
Sidebar—You see the active speaker or presentation with additional participants on the side.
Tip: When you choose a new layout, your preference is automatically saved. To return to the default layout, click Auto.
