What's New in Google - April 2017

Catch up on everything new in Google Apps over the last month, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our April 2017 Google User Meeting, along with the meeting agenda and all the awesome resources and Google Apps updates from the last month. This includes 18 new Google updates and 29 Google resources for your class.

The monthly meetings are hosted by the Google Educator Group of Ohio, but are open to anyone from any location. The purpose of these meetings is to:

• Connect Google-using educators
• Share the latest Google Apps news and features
• Provide tutorials, demonstrations, and how-to’s
• Share best practices of how Google Apps is being used within schools
• Ask questions and get answers

The video from the meeting is recorded and available for later viewing for those who cannot attend or connect live. See below to view the recorded video, agenda, and all the resources from the April 2017 meeting:


Note: If you would like to see each of the agenda items with links directly to those spots in the video, open the video using the YouTube link below and then click “Show More” below the video.

 YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8G5pXCCeTM

You can view the full Google Document agenda with links to all the Google Apps updates from the last month, as well as all the resources covered in the meeting in the Google Doc linked below.

 View the agenda - Google Document link

Agenda details

Upcoming Events

• SPARCC Certification Bootcamps for Google Educator Level 1 and 2 - details at google.apps.sparcc.org/bootcamp
• Create! Conference - June 8 - link
• Cleveland Area Google Summit - June 13-14, 2017 - Avon Lake High School - link 
• SPARCC Educational Technology Conference - August 4, 2017 - Call for presenters is open! - link 
• G-Tech Summit - August 8, 2017 - Genoa High School - link

What's New in Google Apps

• Google Docs gets option to convert text to all caps, lower case, and title case - link
• All the 2017 Google April Fools posts and videos - link
• Android passes Windows to become world’s most popular OS - link
• Fact Check now available in Google Search and News around the world - link
• Chrome adds “scroll anchoring” for easier reading - link
• New Google AutoDraw uses AI to help you create, share & download images - link, link, link
• Google Street View adds 6 California State Park locations - link
• Google launches WebVR Experiments - link
• Google launches new Google Earth for Chrome and mobile - link
• Google adds search to Google Earth VR - link
• Google Sites now supports logos and matching theme colors - link
• Google updates and clarifies Restricted Mode for YouTube - link
• Email Log Search improvements in Gmail for administrators - link
• Google search results make it easier to report inappropriate content - link
• Translations in Chrome improve with neural machine translation - link
• Google adds a variety of online Hamilton resource - link
• Non-EDU users now have full access to Classroom tools - link
• Google+ adds Topics of interest to your stream - link

Show and Tell

• Best Google April Fools Videos - link
• Equatio: Yes You Can Type Math and Science in Google Docs and Forms! - link
• How to Show Non-Printing Characters in Google Docs - link
• Stop Motion Animation with Google Slides - link
• Create Cloze Reading Activities with Google Sheets and Other Tools - link
• Using Google AutoDraw for Sketchnotes, Infographics, Drawings, and More - link
• Pattern Block Templates and Activities with Google Drawings - link
• Lit Trips on Chromebooks with the New Google Earth - link
• Creative Google Slides Uses for Students - link
• Allow Others to Upload Files to Your Google Drive - link
• Make your Google Drive Beautiful - link
• Virtual Reality Tools for Teaching with Google Cardboard - link
• 15 Ways for Students to Use Google Keep - link
• 5 Google Classroom Tips from a Mom’s Perspective - link
• Google Slides Picture Writing Prompt Journal - link
• Personalize Google Keep for You and Your Students - link
• NRec: Offline Chromebook Video App - link
• 4 Add-Ons to Pair with Google Forms Every EdTech Coach Needs to Know - link
• Teaching Machines to Draw - link
• Streamline Hyperdocs with DocuTube Add-on - link
• 12 Extensions to Tweak and Extend Chrome - link
• How to transfer ownership with the new Google Sites - link
• Toontastic - Free app for students to create 3D animated, narrated movies - link
• HyperDrawings - Create flipped and blended learning activities with Google Drawings - link
• Add streaming videos to Google Drawings - link
• 8 Tips for a Google Expeditions Pilot - link
• Don't Just Copy & Paste! Store it on the Web Clipboard! - link
• The Suite Talk - New G Suite for Education video show - link

To see the schedule for upcoming Google User Group meetings visit:

 Google User Group schedule - http://google.apps.sparcc.org/usergroup

If you have something to share and would like to join the Hangout for an upcoming meeting, send me an email to let me know at: ericcurts@gmail.com

Post by Eric Curts. Bring me to your school, organization, or conference with over 50 PD sessions to choose from. Connect with me on Twitter at twitter.com/ericcurts and on Google+ at plus.google.com/+EricCurts1