Google For Mummies & Daddies

Being a mummy or a daddy to a "Google-literate" school going son can be a little overwhelming at times. No need to fear... "Google For DMummies & Daddies" is here. Well... maybe not a whole book but a blog post at least. 

So what do you need to know about Google as a parent of a Grade 3, 4 or 5 boy in my Afrikaans class? Let me break it down into 3 main points. 

#1

St Peter's is a "G Suite for Education" school which means your son has access to the following:

#2

Each time your son works within Google, irrespective of the device, he needs to sign into his account. He does this by opening the Chrome browser and clicking on "Sign in" which can be found at the top right hand side of the page. He needs to remember to use his St Peter's email address and Login.  

If he is sharing a device, he needs to remove any other accounts each time he signs into Google. This is not necessary if he is using a personal device at home, as he can remain signed in. Once he is signed in all information saved to his Drive as well as all the G Suite for Education Services are accessible. 

#3

I always teach my boys to sign into Classroom as soon as they have signed into Google because that is where I post all the information they need for Afrikaans. It is very easy if they are already signed into Google as the device links the information. All they need to do is open the Classroom app or open a Classroom tab. They then select their Afrikaans classroom. I post announcements, assignments and questions in Classroom. Boys can check when they are writing the next test as well as what will be assessed. They can click directly from Classroom to any site I would like them to visit whether it be Quizlet, Quizizz, Kahoot or a Google Document, File or Folder. The options are infinite. Boys can complete assignments and tests at home if they are absent from school. Classroom also provides the boys the opportunity to comment. This is one of my favourite features as it is a safe introduction to social media. I see all their comments and I am able to reply. I have noticed that often before I have replied another boy in the class has replied. This is a wonderful example of peer support and teaching.