Wednesday, March 24, 2021

ASA Tech Tips and News for March 26, 2021

It's time to catch up on Google updates that were announced during my recent absence. Google made some pretty major announcements in late February, and have completely restructured the G Suite for Education product (formerly known as Google Apps for Education). The biggest change for you is that it is now known as Google Workspace for Education. So in the 9.5 years we've been using it, this is the third name change. There are also so many new features coming, they are too numerous to mention all at once, so I'll pass them along as they get rolled out. Many of the features are designed with education in mind, and should make life easier for teachers. Speaking of easier for teachers, make sure you check out the Google Meet updates to see why you will now be able to set up Meets in advance through Calendar, and still keep students from hijacking the Meet. 

Not everything is just for teachers. Everyone should take a look at tips for creating rock-solid passwords. In a network situation, a breach of one account endangers everyone. None of us wants to accidentally be the weak link!

4 Simple Steps to a Rock-Solid Password

4 Simple Steps to a Rock-Solid Password, from Ed Tech by Russell Smith
It's so important to find that balance between convenience and safety. The easist way is to convert your passwords to passphrases, and not to use the same passphrase on every account. Once a bad actor has your password, they'll try it on every account they can. Lock up your online accounts the way you would your house or cars. 

How to Properly Clean Your Gross Laptop

How to Properly Clean Your Gross Laptop, from How-To Geek by Andrew Heinzman
When was the last time you thought about cleaning your laptop, or device of choice? Yeah, me too. Pandemic or no, making sure you clean the dust and crumbs out regularly will keep it running much longer. All that gunk builds up and clogs the vents and fans that keep it from over heating. 

Google Workspace for Education Updates

Google had a major announcement last week, which included a complete restructuring of the product formerly known as G Suite for Education. Some changes and updates are included here, but even more are scheduled in the upcoming months. One update of note starting this summer will be storage limits. Until now, education accounts have enjoyed unlimited storage. That perk is coming to an end. Start now to get in the habit of deleting any files or emails you no longer need. 

Overview of Upcoming Changes



Google Calendar:  More Options for Sharing Your Availability in Google Calendar

Soon you'll be able to create repeating out of office notices, and split your working hours into more than one segment each day. Your working hours help others find times when you're available if they're trying to schedule a meeting with you. Out of office notifications will also automatically send a decline message to meeting invitations for times when you are out. These features should start to appear in March. Full details can be found here. 

Google Calendar:  Must Sign In to RSVP to Calendar Invites

Now when you respond to a calendar invite link in an email, you will need to be signed in to your Google Workspace account. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to sign in. This is to prevent unauthorized users from accepting without your knowledge. Here are the full details. 

Google Docs:  Easier to Find New Comments in Google Docs

If you've ever used comments in Google Docs with a group of people, you know it can be tricky to keep track of the conversation sometimes. With this update, any comments you haven't seen will have a blue dot, which will turn into a "new" banner when you hover over it. You will also be able to search for comments for you, all comments and resolved comments in the comments history dialog. See complete details and screenshots here. 

Google Jamboard:  Version History Now Available for Jamboard on the Web

The version history options we're used to in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are now available in Jamboard. So if there have been changes to a shared Jam that aren't working, you can return to an earlier version of the file. You should be seeing this update now. Here are instructions for using version history and finding what has been changed in a file, or watch the video in the How to View Revision History in Google Docs below. 

Google Meet:  Mute All Google Meet Participants At Once

If you haven't seen this update yet, you will soon. Meet organizers (the teacher or host) will be able to mute all participants at one time using the "mute all" feature. Only the Meet host can see this feature. Remember, to be considered the Meet host, the teacher must be the first one to connect to the Meet - not join - but connect to the link. Best practice is not to share the Meet link with your students until you are already in the Meet. Then make sure all students have left the meet before you do.  

Google Meet:  End a Google Meet Video Call for Everyone at Once

How do you make sure none of your students are hanging out to hijack the Google Meet for their own use? End the meeting for all. Hosts (remember the host is the first one to open the Meet, not join it) will have the option to either leave the meeting so it can continue without them, or end the meeting for all. You should begin to see this feature in the next two weeks. Here are all the details. 

Google Meet:  Set Up Breakout Rooms Ahead of Meetings in Calendar

OK, teachers, here comes a huge game changer! Right off the bat several things caught my attention on this update. For a year, we've been told NOT to set up Google Meets in Calendar for education purposes, which meant you couldn't set up Meets in advance. With the combination of Quick Access and the option to end the Meet for everyone at once, teachers can now manage Meets better and both eliminate unauthorized participants from joining, and making sure all students have left the Meet before the teacher closes it. (Remember, when Quick Access is on, students can enter the Meet without "knocking" or requesting access, and once everyone is in, teachers can turn Quick Access off so no one else can enter the Meet.) Now, not only can teachers set up Meets for students in Calendar now (just don't share the link with students until you have joined the Meet session) you will be able to set up breakout rooms in advance as well! This should help with advance planning and reduce some of the time spent on set up just before the scheduled Meet. This update should be available within the next week or two, if you are not already seeing it. Learn how to set up breakout rooms in advance via Calendar here. 

Google Slides:  Improved Presenter Toolbar in Google Slides


The new toolbar is already present in Slides, and is smaller than the old presenter toolbar, so it stays out of the way. It now appears in the lower left corner, and contains forward/back arrows, a field to select a specific slide, and a three dot menu with more options. Here are tips and instructions on presenting in Slides. 



How to Delete Almost All Junk Emails the Easy Way

How to Delete Almost All Junk Emails the Easy Way, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
Managing all those emails can be so cumbersome, here are some great tips for cleaning house and reducing your storage. Now that more and more providers are charging more for online storage (including Google) it's time to start clearning the clutter. 

How to View Revision History in Google Docs

Oh no! One of your students has accidentally wiped out several days worth of work in his assignment. No problem! You can save the day by restoring an earlier versin of the doc. 


EDU in 90:  What's New in Docs/a>



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