Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning — along with work from home — has become a temporary new normal. To ensure that classes are not interrupted, especially that March is supposed to be graduation season for some institutions, schools opt to hold virtual classes for those who can.

Technology giant Google urges schools and educators to utilize its G Suite for Education, distance learning tools, training, and resources, free of charge.

G Suite for Education is a set of free productivity tools built for teaching and learning which includes Hangouts (for video and voice conferencing), Gmail, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, and Google Classroom. With this, schools that need to continue with their curriculum can conduct distance learning where teachers and students can remain productive and make valuable learning time despite not being in one physical classroom together.

Read: How Google is helping in line with COVID-19

Schools interested to set up a G Suite for Education account may write an email to education@qsr.com.ph.

Student engagement

Keeping students engaged and sustaining their emotional health is possible in the distance learning setup.

For a more engaging virtual class, teachers can ask students to join a discussion in Google Classroom (using the Stream) to share their thoughts on a certain topic. They can also use comments in Google Docs and Classroom to continue the two-way discussion.

For social-emotional learning, teachers can have mood check-ins for students to share their emotional state on a daily basis using Google Forms. Within the Form, students can request a conference with the teacher if they need extra support. Educators can also set up a private blog for students to reflect on the experience by journaling or video recording.

“We’re committed to supporting our users, partners, and the broader local community during this challenging time. We hope that our distance learning tools such as G Suite for Education, training, and resources can help our teachers and students stay connected at home and continue with their curriculum as needed,” said Bernadette Nacario, country director, Google Philippines.

To learn more, visit Google for Education hub and The Keyword blog. Check this YouTube webinar from the University of the Philippines on how to convert classes online using Google Classroom.