Gmail & Google Apps Tutorial

The video for this tutorial can be found here: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/b65aeba8-28c1-4300-b54d-30b036b7daba

This document discusses how to properly log in to your Gmail account through Thompson Public Schools. It also discusses various Google applications that you will be using throughout the year, including Google Meet, Google Classroom, and Google Forms.

Gmail

To begin, visit mail.google.com. You should arrive at the page above:

1. To login to your account, click the “Sign In” button at the top right corner of the screen. Doing so brings you to a page that will prompt you to enter your username and password for your Thompson Public Schools Google Account. Your username is written as your first initial, last name, year of graduation (students only), @thompsonk12.org. Once you have successfully entered your username, enter your password.
2. If all information has been entered correctly, Gmail should load.

Google Meet

This document contains information for both staff and students on how to access Google Meet.

Staff

As a staff member, you will need to understand how to create a meeting on Google Meet. Google Meet is like other video conferencing software like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Skype. You will be able to host or join video conferences with other staff members and students.

Visit meet.google.com. You should be brought to the page above.

1. If you have not yet logged into your Google Account through Thompson Public Schools, the screen above should appear.

1. Once you have logged in to your Google account, the page displayed in the first image should appear. Once on this page, click the Join or start a meeting button.
2. A popup box will appear prompting you to either join or host a meeting. If you are hosting a meeting, enter a nickname for the meeting in the text box or leave it blank. If you would like additional information on how to schedule a meeting, please visit https://support.google.com/meet/answer/9302870?authuser=2#calendar and read through the instructions provided. You can access this website by clicking on the “Learn how to schedule a meeting” button on this popup.
3. Once you have done this, your browser will set up your microphone and webcam. If this hardware is properly working, you should see yourself on the page and the program should be picking up your voice through the microphone:

Once your camera and microphone are set up, click Join Now. Once you do, you will be launched into a meeting. A popup should appear that prompts you to add others to your meeting:

• To add more people to your meeting, click “Copy joining info” to copy the information necessary for others to join you in the meeting. You can then share this information however you would like. Additionally, you can click the “Add people” option on the bottom to invite people directly. You may invite someone by entering their email or by entering their phone number. If you accidentally close this popup before inviting anyone, you can click the upwards arrow on the bottom left corner of the screen to bring up the joining information. In this case, the upwards arrow is next to the meeting name “test.” If you would like to share your screen, select the “Present now” button and select the screen you wish to share. For additional options and features found within Google Meet, click the three vertical dots on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Students

To join a meeting, check your student email or the location where your teacher specified they would be contacting you. For instance, if the link to the meeting is posted on a message board or online classroom, simply follow the link to the meeting or copy the meeting link and paste it in the URL field of your browser. Doing so should take you directly to the meeting. For a more detailed walkthrough, please refer to the Staff portion of this tutorial.

Google Classroom

Google Classroom is an education companion application that allows you to create your own virtual classroom. It also has the capability of uploading and distributing files to your students and grading assignments. In this section, you will learn how to create a classroom, add students to your class, post in Google Classrooms, create assignments, and link resources. 

Creating a Classroom

To begin, sign into your Thompson Public Schools Google Account. Once you have done so, the website will ask you to select your role. Select the appropriate role within the district. This section covers the teacher role in Google Classroom. You should land on the following page once your teacher role has been selected: 

To start creating your classroom, click the + icon at the top of the screen and select “Create class.” When prompted, enter the course name, section number, course subject, and room number (if applicable). Once you have done so, your classroom will be created:

There are many features of Google Classroom that you can take advantage of:

Adding students – To add students to your class, click on the People tab at the top of the page. From here, select the icon. Enter the Thompson email addresses for your students and click “Invite.” 

Posting – To post an announcement or message to your students, click on “Share something with your students” on the Stream page. Once you have entered your message/announcement, click “Post.” 

Creating assignments – Creating an assignment in Google Classroom is easy. Click on the “Classwork” tab at the top of the screen. When you reach this page, click the “Create” button to create an assignment. Before you create the assignment, Google Classroom will ask you what type of assignment you would like to create. Once you have chosen your assignment type, fill out the provided text boxes with your assignment details. On the right side of the screen, you can set the assignment points, due date, and topic. If you have a rubric available for an assignment, you may upload it under the “+Rubric” selection. You can also click the “Add” button to upload additional files that the students may need. When you are ready to assign the classwork, click the “Assign” button on the top right corner of the screen. If you would like to schedule when an assignment becomes available, click the drop down arrow next to the “Assign” button and then click “Schedule.” 

For more information on creating assignments in Google Classroom, please visit https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/6020265?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en

Linking resources – Similar to how you create an assignment, you can link resources and class materials by creating Material under the “Classwork” tab. Here, you can write a material page for your students to view. You may also use the “Add” button to add external resources to your material. You may add external resources to any assignment type. 

Google Forms

Google Forms is a tool that allows you to create surveys, quizzes, and more. Google Forms is a useful tool for teachers to create surveys and quizzes with ease. Google Forms is compatible with Google Classroom, allowing you to create and grade quizzes instantly. This tutorial will first discuss how to start developing a form, and then discuss how to use Google Forms with Google Classroom.

Developing a Form

To begin developing a form, visit forms.google.com and login to your Thompson Google account.

Once you have signed in, you will be greeted with a home page like Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets:

On this screen, you may browse the template gallery for a form that best fits your needs, or you can start with a blank form. In this tutorial, a blank form will be used.

After creating a new blank form, the page above will appear:

On this first page, there are multiple options available to you. In the top box, you can create the title of your form and write the instructions/description for it. The box below is where you will be creating the questions you want to ask. Your question should be written in the section labeled “Untitled Question.” In the box labeled “Multiple Choice,” you can choose the type of question you want to ask. Once you have chosen your question type, enter the answers below (only if the question calls for providing answers, such as multiple choice). 

The toolbar on the right side of the bottom box has the following features available, listed from top to bottom:

1. Add question
2. Import questions
3. Add title and description
4. Add image
5. Add video
6. Add section

Finally, on the bottom of the second box, you may duplicate or delete the question. Selecting the “Required” button will require the person filling out your form to answer the question before they can submit the form.

Using with Google Classroom

As stated before, Google Forms can be used in conjunction with Google Classroom, specifically with quizzes. Using Google Forms in Google Classroom will allow you to create a quiz that can automatically be graded depending on the type of question that is asked. To enable automatic grading, simply create a Quiz Assignment in Google Classroom. By default, Google Classroom will create a blank quiz for you. Selecting the quiz will open Google Forms and allow you to edit it while being linked to Google Classroom to keep grades.