4 Fantastic Google Meet Updates for Fall
Happy fall and exciting news from Google for us all! Google has released
updates to Google Meet to help create more security, viewing options, improved
host controls, and ease of use. More updates are set to be released in
November and December; however, until then, be sure to leverage the new
features below to make the most of your conferences calls with students,
whether in person or learning online! Check out the tips and tutorial video
below to learn how you can use these helpful new features.
1. Blur background
Want to display your video camera, but not your surroundings? Google Meet now
incorporates a "blur background" feature which, as the name implies, blurs the
user's surroundings almost like a watercolor painting so that the only part of
the user's video that is clear is the user. Available to all Google Meet users
(staff and students alike), this is a great option to show users who may want
the option to hide their surroundings or who may not feel comfortable having
the camera on while they are at home. Show students how to use this feature
and practice toggling it on and off so they remember it is always an option.
2. Host controls
In order to make your Meet calls more secure, at the requests of teachers,
Google has now added a button titled "host controls" across the bottom toolbar
in a Google Meet call. Note, the host controls button is only available to the
host of the Meet-the person who created the Meet call. In the host controls,
the host can toggle on/off the ability of students to share their screens as
well as participate in the chat. As a note, I would recommend toggling screen
sharing off so that only the teacher can screenshare until students understand
expectations for screen sharing and have practice using this feature. You
probably do not want a student going rogue and screen sharing at a time when
you are trying to display your material! Furthermore, the host can also toggle
off the chat so that participants and students cannot send messages in the
chat. If the host wants to send a message, announcement, or link to users, the
host still has the ability to send chat messages if the chat is toggled off.
This could be a helpful feature as well when presenting new content and
wanting to eliminate the distraction of the chat constantly showing new
messages. However, be sure to toggle it back on so that students have the
opportunity to ask questions if needed. Similar to screen sharing, it is
helpful to model and explain expectations for using the Meet chat before
turning it back on for students to use.
3. Improved video layout options (view up to 49 participants)
One of the most frequent requests Google received from teachers during spring
2020 was the need for improved tile views and video layouts on a Google Meet
call. Ask, and you shall receive! Google Meet calls now have the ability to
support up to 49 videos in a call when using the "tile" layout option. Click
your 3-dot button in the bottom right corner, select layout, select tile, then
drag the button to the number of participant videos you would like to display
at once during the call. If you installed grid view extensions for Google
Meet, these extensions are no longer needed because the feature is built into
Meet and these extensions may actually interfere with the functionality of
Meet. We recommend uninstalling these extensions (right click the extension on
your browser extension toolbar, select "remove from Chrome").
4. Open a Jamboard in a Meet
Fallen in love with Google's digital whiteboard tool, Jamboard? Exciting news,
you can now open a new (or existing) Jamboard directly within a Google Meet
call! No need to open a new tab on your browser and create a Jamboard in
advance. You can create Jams on the fly and they are shared with participants
in your chat. Click the 3-dot function button in the bottom right corner of a
Meet call and select "open new Jam". From here, you can create a new Jam or
open one already stored in your Google Drive. A helpful option if you want to
make a new Jam, right in the moment if you want to pause and visually display
information to explain concepts to your learners, as well as a helpful option
if you wanted to visit a Jam you have made in advance or used in a prior
lesson. As a note, when you open a Jamboard in a Meet call, by default
participants have "view only" access. You can change the settings so that
students may write, add sticky notes, draw, and collaborate on a Jam by using
the blue "share" button in the Jamboard. For more ideas on Jamboard, visit one
of our earlier posts to get ideas on how to use Jamboard in a variety of
settings, free templates for formative assessments with Jams, and fun,
community building ideas with Jamboard as well!
Photo by
Timothy Eberly
on
Unsplash
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