My school are using Google for Education

Google Meet

You may consider live-streaming lessons or video-conferencing as part of your blended learning approach. If you do, due regard should be given to the guidance outlined in Live-streaming and video-conferencing: safeguarding principles and practice to ensure you and your learners are appropriately protected and safeguarded.

Google Meet provides teachers with audio, video, file and screen sharing that can be used to facilitate live stream lessons with learners.

Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals

Arranging lessons using Google Meet

There are 3 ways teachers can arrange lessons using Google Meet :

• Meet in Google Classroom 
• Scheduled Meet in Google Calendar 
• Instant Meet in the Google Meet app

NB Learners cannot start or set up a lesson.

Teachers must share the Class Meet link (that can be found in Classroom Settings) into the Classroom in order to control when learners can join a Meet. (How do I share the lesson ‘Meet link’ with learners and teachers?)

How many learners can attend a Google Meet?

Google Meets can be organised for up to 100 participants in total, including members of staff.

How do I arrange a lesson using Google Classroom Meet link?

Teachers and learners can use the same link for all class meetings.

NB The Class Meet link generates a new unique meeting code each time it is used. So the learners cannot join until the teacher has shared the Meet link.

How do I create a Meet link?

1. Click the Class settings (cog wheel icon).
2. Under General, click Generate Meet link. A Meet link appears for your class.
3. At the top, click Save.

How do I reset a Meet link?

If you have issues with the link, you can reset it and get a new one. After you reset the link, the old link won't work.

1. Go to classroom.google.com
2. Click the Class settings (cog wheel icon).
3. Next to the Meet link, click the Down arrow, Reset.

How do I share the lesson ‘Meet link’ with learners and teachers?

You will need to copy the Meet link and share it with learners and teachers so that they can join the lesson.

Note: Teachers should only share the link when they are ready for the meeting to start, to control when learners can join a Meet.

How do I copy a Meet link?

You can copy a Meet link and paste it into an assignment, question, or message.

1. Click the Class settings (cog wheel icon).
2. Next to the Meet link, click the Down arrow, Copy.

You can now share this Meet link by pasting it into an announcement, assignment or question :

How do I add a Meet link to an announcement?

1. On the Stream page, click Announce something to your class.
2. Enter your announcement and at the bottom, click Add and then Link.
3. Paste the Meet link, click Add link.
4. Click Post.

Note: You can also schedule the post for later or save it as a draft from the drop down next to Post. 

How do I add a Meet link to an assignment or question?

1. On the Classwork page, click Create, Assignment or Question.
2. In the assignment or question details, click Add and then Link.
3. Paste the Meet link click Add link.
4. Click Assign or Ask.

Note: You can also schedule the assignment or question for later or save it as a draft from the drop down next to Assign or Ask.

How do I start a lesson in Google Classroom?

There are 3 ways of starting the lesson from the Class.

1. At the top of the Stream page, under the class code, click the Meet link.
2. At the top of the Classwork page, click Meet.
3. In an announcement, question or assignment, click the link for the class video meeting.

You will then see a Meet page where you can adjust your camera, background and audio settings. Click Join now.

If you’re the first person to join the meeting, you’ll see a window to invite others. If you don’t need to invite anyone or share the meeting link, you can close this window.

Note: When you click the Meet link, you start the meeting. Learners can join the meeting immediately after you if they have the link. Teachers should only share the link when ready to do so.

How do I schedule a lesson using Google Calendar?

Teachers can arrange scheduled lessons in several ways:

• In the Google Calendar app, click + Create
• In the Google Calendar app, select a timeslot on the calendar.
• In the Google Meet app, click New meeting and select Schedule in Google Calendar.

Tip: If you are using the Google Calendar app, make sure that you are in your personal calendar before you start creating the scheduled lesson.

Each option will open a new form, you will need to:

1. Enter your lesson details
2. Ensure that you have added Google Meet video conferencing
3. Add guests you would like to join your Meet. This can be an entire Google Class and/or individual Hwb accounts.
4. We recommend the Quick access setting is changed to off in the video call options cog to ensure that learners cannot join before the teacher <link to meeting options>
5. Click Save
6. Click Send to send Google Calendar invitation emails

Note: Only individually named invitees will receive an email invitation and an appointment in their personal Google Calendar. If an entire classroom is invited, they will not receive an email invitation and they will only receive an entry in the Class Google Calendar.

Note: Learners cannot schedule a lesson

How do I start a scheduled lesson?

To start a lesson that you have already scheduled :

1. Go to your Google Calendar at the time of the lesson.
2. Click on the scheduled lesson.
3. Select Join with Google Meet, you will see a new window. Here you can adjust and test your camera, background and microphone settings prior to joining.

Click Join now.

How do I start a lesson using Google Meet app?

The Meet app is another way for teachers to create a lesson for selected learners without scheduling. This allows you to create a lesson very quickly.

You can navigate to the Meet app from the waffle on the Google Classroom tool bar.

There are 2 ways to quickly start a lesson from the Meet app:

• Click New meeting and select Start an instant meeting (recommended) 

or

• Enter a nickname in the box and click Join. You will then see a Meet page where you can adjust and test your camera, background and audio settings. Click Join now.

Tip: If you do choose a nickname, please ensure that it is unique as these nicknames could clash with other school’s meetings/lessons and cause attendees to inadvertently join the wrong meeting.

The meeting will start and the Add others window will be shown. Teachers can add people to a lesson using one of these options:

• Click Copy joining info and paste the meeting details in an email or Class Announcement or another app.

or

• Click Add others, under the Invite section, select a name, or enter an email address and click Send email. (The invited users will receive an email with joining details)

Tip: Teachers can also invite more learners and teachers to the lesson during the lesson.

How do I invite more learners and teachers to the lesson?

Once a meeting has started, teachers can add more learners and teachers to the lesson by inviting them:

1. Click on the People icon.
2. Click Add people,

On the invite tab, either select a name or enter an email address and click Send email. (The invited users will receive an email with joining details.)

Meeting options

Before a meeting begins

As the lesson organiser, you should adjust options to help manage the lesson.

For lessons scheduled via Google Calendar, the Quick access setting can be configured before the meeting begins. This can be done when the lesson is being scheduled or changed for an existing scheduled Google Calendar appointment.

To see and change this setting:

1. Double click on (or Edit) the specific meeting in Google Calendar
2. Click Video Call Options cogwheel
3. Change the Quick access setting and click Save.

After a meeting has started

As the lesson organiser, you can adjust the meeting options during the lesson to help manage the lesson.

Select Host controls icon.

You can access the Host controls for the meeting through the menu bar at the bottom of the screen

1. Click More options (3 vertical dots).
2. Select Settings, then Host controls.

You will then have the option to turn these controls off or back on:

• Quick access – When turned off, no-one can join the lesson before the teacher, and everyone must ask to join (‘knock’ to enter), including people with a Hwb email address.
• Share screen – When turned off, only the host can share their screen.
• Send chat messages – When turned off, only hosts can send chat messages.

Recording lessons

Recording is only available with the computer version of Meet. Mobile app users are notified when the recording starts or stops, but cannot control recording. Only Teachers can start or stop recording a lesson.

How do I start recording a lesson?

1. Open Meet, Start or Join a meeting.
2. On the menu bar at the bottom of the screen, click More options (3 vertical dots) and select Record meeting, then Start Recording and Start.
3. Wait for the recording to start.

Other participants are notified when the recording starts or stops.

How do I stop recording a lesson?

1. On the menu bar at the bottom of the screen, click More options (3 vertical dots) and select Stop recording.
2. Click Stop recording in the pop up on the right and then Stop recording again to verify.
3. The recording also stops when everyone leaves the meeting.

Where are lesson recordings stored or sent?

Go to our Recording and storing videos page for details on where Google Meet lesson recordings are stored or sent.

Camera settings

How can I change my camera settings?

You can click the camera icon to turn your camera on or off.

Changing background

You can change your background effect before or during a call. Before a call, in the bottom right of your picture preview, click Change Background. If you are already in a call you can navigate to the bottom right and select More options (3 vertical dots).

Options

1. Blur your background.
2. Slightly blur your background.
3. Select a pre-uploaded background.

Not all browsers or devices support making changes to the background. 

It is recommended that you encourage your learners to choose a background effect or blur their background as outlined in Live-streaming safeguarding principles and practice for education practitioners.

Audio settings

How can I mute the sound of myself or learners?

To mute or unmute yourself, at the bottom of the video window click Microphone icon to Mute/Unmute.

If you have feedback or hear background noise while in a video meeting, you might want to mute the microphones of learners.

There are 2 ways to mute an individual learner.

1. Click on the learner’s thumbnail and select the microphone to mute
2. Click on the People icon, select the 3 horizontal dots next to the person you want to mute, select Mute.

To mute the microphones for all attendees, click on the People icon and select Mute all.

Tip: For privacy reasons, you cannot unmute another person. Ask the learner to unmute their audio.

Admitting learners to a lesson

During the lesson, a pop-up message may appear on the screen saying someone is asking to join. You can either Deny entry or Admit them to the lesson.

To ensure a learner doesn't join before a practitioner, the Quick access setting can be turned off.  This means all learners and staff will need to be admitted to the session by the host. How can I make sure learners do not enter a Lesson before a teacher?

Note: The Quick access setting can be configured for lessons scheduled via Google Calendar  before the lesson begins. For all other lessons, this can only configured after the meeting has started in Host controls.

Admitting external users/Non-Hwb users to a lesson

During the lesson, a pop-up message will appear on the screen saying someone from outside Hwb is asking to join.
It is recommended that if you do not recognise the account you should click Deny entry to reject the request to join the lesson.

If you have accidentally admitted someone to the lesson, you can remove them from the lesson.

How can I make sure learners do not enter a Lesson before a teacher?

The Quick access setting can be turned off to prevent learners and staff joining a lesson before the host. By default, this setting will be on.

When you change the Quick access toggle to off, learners and staff must ‘knock’ to request to join the meeting. The host will have the option of admitting learners to the lesson.

It is recommended that for lessons arranged with learners via:

• Google Calendar, teachers should change the Quick access setting to off before the lesson starts. 
• Google Meet app, teachers should change the Quick access setting to off using the Host Settings, before adding learners to the lesson.
• Google Classroom, teachers should only share the meeting link when they are ready for the meeting to start, to ensure a learner doesn't join a lesson before a teacher. 

Note: Teachers can also change the Quick access setting during the lesson using the Host Settings, if they forget to set it beforehand.

How can I see who has joined a lesson?

To see who is currently in the online live lesson click on the People icon in the bottom right of the screen. The number attached to the icon indicates how many people are in the live lesson. Once clicked, you will be able to see who has joined the live lesson.

Class attendance for google Meet is now available to download from the User management portal.

1. Login to Hwb and navigate to the user management portal and sign in.
2. Click on administration and click on Google Meet audit in the site configuration section
3. Apply the filter accordingly to find the Meet you’re looking for
4. Click on Details to view Meet attendees
5. Click download to export csv of meeting attendees.

Sharing screens

How can I share or present my screen?

Present during a meeting

1. At the bottom of the screen, select Present now icon.
2. Select Your entire screen, A window, or Chrome tab.

• If you present a Chrome tab, it shares that tab's audio by default. Select from the list of the tab you would like to share.
• To present a different tab select Stop presenting and select present now icon and chrome tab and select another tab.

3. Select the content you'd like to share.
4. Click Share.
5. If someone is presenting, confirm that you want to present instead.

Tip: If your camera is turned on, your video is active while you're presenting.

Stop presenting

In the Meet window, click Stop Presenting or in the bottom-right corner, you can also click You are presenting, then Stop presenting.

Present if someone else is already presenting

1. At the bottom , select Present now icon.
2. Select Your entire screen, A window, or Chrome tab.
3. A warning will let you know someone else is presenting and ask you to confirm if you want to take over as the main presenter.
4. Select screen to share and click Share now.

If another participant presents their screen, you'll get a notification that your presentation is still visible to others. You can click the buttons in the notification to end or resume your presentation.

How can learners share or present their screen?

Learners can present their screen using the Present now option.

Once a learner has finished presenting, teachers can remove their screen.

On the menu bar at the bottom of the screen, More options (3 vertical dots) and select Settings, then Host controls, and then click the Share their screen toggle off and on. (This will remove all presented screens).

Learner participation

Raise hand

Click on the hand icon to raise or lower hand.

This feature allows learners to virtually raise their hand allowing you and other learners to identify when they wish to speak with a visual cue on their video feed. This makes it easier for you to manage a lesson.

Tip: Teachers can lower attendees hand via People icon and select the hand to lower.

Chat

Click on the speech bubble icon bottom right of the screen.

Meeting chat provides a space for all learners and teachers to interact via text.  This function should be monitored by the teachers during the session.  This provides a useful way for learners to ask questions, comment or share links without interrupting audio.

How do I remove comments left by learners?

Comments left in a Google Meet chat will automatically be deleted when a meeting has ended.

Comments left in the Classroom Stream can be deleted by the learner themselves or by a teacher in the classroom.

Teacher
Select the three vertical dots on the comment.
Select Delete. You will see a warning that says 'Comments will also be deleted. Other teachers in this class can see deleted posts'. Select Delete to complete the action.

Learners
Select the three vertical dots on the comment.
Select Delete. A warning appears that says 'Your teachers can see deleted posts'. Select Delete to complete the action.

Removing learners

Only the lesson organiser can remove a learner.

There are 2 ways to remove a learner.

1. Click on the learner’s thumbnail and select the delete icon to Remove from meeting.
2. Click on the People icon, select the 3 vertical dots next to the person you want to remove, select Remove from meeting.

Tip: The learner cannot re-join the meeting without being re-added by using Add people under the People icon.

Ending lessons

To end a lesson, teachers will need to click the red telephone icon and select End the call.

Teachers must ensure they end the lesson in this way as this will end the lesson for all learners and teachers.

Teachers must not use the Just leave the call option, as this would allow others to continue the meeting without you.

Live captions

On the menu bar at the bottom of the screen, either Click Turn on captions or click More options (3 vertical dots) and select Turn on captions.

The captions appear at the bottom of the screen.