Although the health emergency due to the coronavirus comes to an end, Google’s bet in terms of education is not to return to normality prepandemic, since the same conditions do not exist for schools around the world and to leverage the educational process, the use of of technological tools.
“The reality is that there is no ‘new normal’. Schools in the world are facing different times ”, Zach Yeskel, product manager at Google Education, commented in a meeting with the media, who highlighted that although the hybrid model has been challenging, digital tools can help teachers and students overcome the gaps.
In this sense, Google unveiled innovations for Clasroom, based on feedback from teachers and students, as well as on the most relevant needs they have had during this period, which also represented learning for technology.
In this way, Google Classroom will receive Add-ons, a tool that will allow teachers to integrate various applications in order to complement the classes, such as Adobe Spark, which allows creating attractive graphics for students, or Kahoot !, which is an application through which students play trivia on what they have learned in class to reinforce knowledge.
In addition, Yeskel announced that Classroom on Android will allow students to work on Docs, Sheets or Slides even if they do not have an internet connection. However, the specialist explained, this option is not entirely focused on those areas where there is no connectivity, but rather it is a tool whose contributions can be used in certain periods.
Although in Mexico and other countries there are schools that have already reopened their doors, the massive return will be gradual. Therefore, Google also announced updates to Meet, its video conferencing service, focused on safety and trust for both teachers and parents.
One of the innovations that will come to the platform is that when a teacher generates a link and shares it, this will be the first to enter the chat room, in addition to being the only one to act as a moderator. Only if he wishes, he will have the possibility to add more moderators and he will have the ability to choose the presenter.
In addition, the subtitles generated automatically in the application will be available in five different languages, including Spanish and English, which represents a step forward to improve the experience of school groups that have students from different countries.
Another update that Meet will receive is the integration of Public live streaming, where the moderator will have the ability to show live broadcasts natively in their presentation. This innovation will arrive later this year, the company reported.
On the other hand, Google Workspace for Education will also receive Smart Canvas, which will seek to deliver a new collaborative work experience, through apps that are known to users of the platform, such as Docs, Sheets and Slides.
In terms of security, these updates will integrate the option to generate a four-digit PIN for students to enter their Chromebooks, instead of memorizing passwords. In addition, Yeskel stressed, within this space the activity of the students is not monitored, so they do not receive publicity.
“The world has changed, as has education, and that is not necessarily a bad thing,” concluded Jennie Magiera, Director of Education Impact at Google. “I have seen the potential of using technology in normality before the pandemic to improve learning opportunities and while some teachers felt insecure about it, I am glad that we will not return to that normality.”
