5 Must Have Apps for Google Meet

Dear Teacher, 

With remote learning well under way, connecting with students has become the biggest obstacle to remote learning.

Only a few months ago, I would stand at my classroom door to greet my students. I eagerly awaited their arrival to here the stories from the night before, for hugs, high fives, and fist bumps. I looked forward to smiles, reconnecting, and preparing for the day ahead. 

Now I sit at a computer in my home waiting for Dojo messages, pictures, or schedule a virtual meeting using Google Meet. This is the perfect choice for those using Google Classroom. 

What is Google Meet? 

Google Meet is very similar to Zoom,  a popular virtual conferencing web-based program. Zoom has been all over the news and social media lately due to a variety of hacking and privacy concerns. From what I understand these issues are limited to the free version only but it still poses a risk to students. As such, this has been banned from use in our district. 

Google Meet is another Google product and as we are a Google Classroom school/district. This works perfectly for us. Please note that do to FERPA, COPPA, and other state and federal laws it is very important to get permission for use with your parents prior to using this program. In addition, I have had all my students adhere to strict guidelines with involved with our meetings to ensure their safety and adherence to these laws. 

Google Meet Apps

I have found that apps and extensions help me better use Google Meet with my students. 

1. ​​NOD -  The emoji extension! This allows my students to dive me a quick thumbs up or to raise their hands easily during our meetings. It is almost like do a quick check in my classroom. 
2. MEET ATTENDANCE  - This uses Google Sheets (think excel) to track attendance for your virtual meetings. 
3. CLASSROOM EXTENSION - This allows me to schedule a Google Meet in my classroom feed. As our classroom is one of our primary ways of communicating... this is essential for me!
4. PUSH TO TALK - This one sets up your spacebar to mute/unmute yourself. You need this for when they baby suddenly screams or the dog starts to bark. So quick and easy!
5. JAMBOARD -  A virtual whiteboard. You can use it with Google meet when you share your screen. I have not played around with it a lot yet but I am excited to explore this more. 

What are your favorite apps or extensions to use with Google Meet and your students? 

Until Next Time, 
​Misty