Tech Toolkit for Families and Guardians

We know that many families have questions about the technology their children are using for learning-- this series will cover the basics of Google’s tools for education including G Suite for Education and Chromebooks, Google Meet, Accessibility and Security features. Google Innovator and GEG Leader, Stephanie Rothstein, introduces the Tech Toolkit for Families and Guardians that will be showcased in this playlist.

Google Workspace for Education (formerly named G Suite for Education) is Google’s free, online set of communication and collaboration tools. This includes Gmail, Classroom, Docs, Meet and Drive, which enable teachers and students to connect, collaborate, provide and receive feedback. Your child can learn anywhere, anytime, on any device. Google Innovator and GEG Leader, Gary Garcia, walks through the G Suite for Education tools and what Families and Guardians need to know.

With accessibility features, an emphasis on security, and easy to use features for learning, Chromebooks are secure, simple, and powerful devices that update automatically with easy access to all of the G Suite tools. You can also add your child’s school Google account to their Family Link profile, which allows for any digital ground rules you set to transfer over when they are on their Chromebook. Google Innovator and GEG Leader Luiz Pertuz walks through Chromebooks and what Families and Guardians need to know to help support their child -- or when using them themselves.

Google Meet is a secure video conferencing platform where teachers can hold class, record meetings, hold parent/teacher conferences or office hours, especially with distance learning, Meet has many features built in for accessibility, like live captions, and many features built for education. Meet can be used to recreate the experience of your child being in class to keep them learning. Google Innovator and GEG leader, Lesleigh Altmann, walks through Google Meet and what Families and Guardians need to know.

There are many accessibility features built into Google’s tools, including G Suite for Education and Chromebooks, like screen readers, voice typing, magnification and more. These features are helpful for students with disabilities and for many students who may need some extra support. Google Innovator and GEG Leader, Stephanie Howell, walks through the Accessibility features on Chromebooks and in G Suite. These can be helpful for students who need extra support when learning in the classroom. There are also many other accessibility features that you can learn about at the Google for Education: Accessibility Training playlist at https://bit.ly/2xjDdti​.

Security is a top priority for Google for Education, and all of the features in G Suite and Chromebooks have security built in from the beginning. With Chromebook features like automatic updates, sandboxing of user data, and data encryption, and policies in G Suite like no ads for core services and compliance with industry regulations and best practices, student and school data is kept secure. Google Innovator and GEG Leader, Abid Patel, walks through the Security features on Chromebooks and in G Suite.

Google has many products and features for families to help them manage their children’s technology and also facilitate conversations about technology. Two of those are Be Internet Awesome and Family Link. Be Internet Awesome is a program which helps kids learn to be smart, positive, and safe online, so they can get out into the digital world with confidence. Family Link is an app that helps parents and guardians set digital ground rules and control how their kids are using the internet on their mobile devices and Chromebooks. Google Innovator and GEG leader, Bonnie Chelette, walks through the basics of Family Link and Be Internet Awesome and what Families and Guardians need to know.

To learn more about specific features and details of our products, check out this playlist created by our Global Educator Groups: https://bit.ly/google-junior-series​

Learn more about using Family Link with a school account on a Chromebook.

With accessibility features, an emphasis on security, and easy to use features for learning, Chromebooks are secure, simple, and powerful devices that update automatically with easy access to all of the G Suite tools. Chromebooks also make it easy for parents to supervise their kids online using the Family Link app.

If your child has a Google School Account, you can add a School Account for a Family Link user so that the digital ground rules you set apply while they’re doing schoolwork at home. Watch this video to learn how to add a School Account for a Family Link user.