Google Apps For Education

[lukehem]

Is anybody on here using Google apps for education at the moment, I have been looking into it and was looking for feedback from schools that are using it at the moment. And is it really FREE? surely there's a charge somewhere?

 

 

I have just seen the new app called Classroom which looks cool.

 

Could you let me know of the pros and cons?

[elsiegee40]

It is definitely free and we are using it. The calendars and email were quickly grasped by all. It has taken longer to get google docs into general use. We even have google forms being used routinely for various functions.

[pcstru]

We use it and chromebooks. We do not use it for email. While it is zero cost for the basic package, you will probably want some backup provision - which will cost you. Generally as a means for enabling collaboration and communication of curriculum resources it is a good thing. More problematic is it's use for administrative tasks and particularly storage of sensitive personal information. It's not that it can't be used for these things, just that if you do use it, you need to consider how you can comply with subject requests because as standard there is no way to search across stored files/documents for all users.

[fiza]

You can use third party apps to backup your docs thus enabling you to search across stored files/documents for all users.

 

https://www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace/viewListing?productListingId=4354169+10645992921026298856&pli=1

 

- - - Updated - - -

@pcstru - Can I ask how your users login to their chromebooks? Did you have to set up a completely new domain in order to keep your existing email domain separate?

[pcstru]

@pcstru - Can I ask how your users login to their chromebooks? Did you have to set up a completely new domain in order to keep your existing email domain separate?

We don't have a separate domain, we just didn't set up the email side of GA so our MX records point to our internal exchange server and the server is set to allow email originating from google. We use the password sync so users just log in with their email address and AD password. Our biggest issue is that users then need to log into smoothwall - anyone have a way round this (one which still logs

activity against the user).

 

[ETA - I must be missing something, I can't see how to actually get the archiving script you linked to.]

Edited August 7, 2014 by pcstru

[NotSoFast]

It's also worth knowing that management licences for Chromebooks cost £19 each.

[maark]

We have been using it for two years here - for email and starting to use drive more.

Trialling some chromebooks - you have to pay for a licence to control them but the features it gives you to control them from the console are good and work very well on the one I tried.

Google support is very good - fast response and you can talk to techs in Ireland who are very helpful.

[NotSoFast]

Yes, so far we're really impressed with the Chromebooks and indeed with GAPPS itself.

[rdk]

We've been using it for ~ 3 years across the school Yr 7 - 12, for email as well as Docs/Drive. The Docs/Drive side of things does need some teacher champions to introduce, test and show other teachers what is possible - preferably including a co-ordinator who can mandate use across a subject/year level to kick-start the adoption. We have purchased Google Vault ($10 per FTE, then no cost per student accounts) which backs up all email - this is for compliance rather than simply back-up. Vault backs up deleted email, and current Docs but not deleted Docs (so not much of a Docs back-up, really).

[NotSoFast]

You can restore deleted files for 25days. Link: https://support.google.com/a/answer/6052340

[fiza]

. Vault backs up deleted email, and current Docs but not deleted Docs (so not much of a Docs back-up, really).

 

So if you backed up a doc to the vault then a user deleted it in their gdrive do you still have the copy in the vault?

Is the vault synchronised overnight?

[rdk]

So if you backed up a doc to the vault then a user deleted it in their gdrive do you still have the copy in the vault?

Is the vault synchronised overnight?

 

No- there may be a limited span as above where deleted files can be restored, but as a real back-up Vault only works for email. You can set retention policies, so if a user deletes an email it gets stored in Vault for up to 999 years or something like that. But deleted Docs can't be backed-up via a retention policy. As far as I know Vault is simply automatic, all the time behind the scenes. We have never actually recovered deleted emails (staff don't generally know its going on, but it's not a "secret"). But we know if lawyers come knocking five years after someone has left we can recover their deleted email.

 

There are various third party apps that will back up all Drive data (docs etc). These work via cloud-to-cloud (generally expensive) or reside on a server and overnight download files as .docx, .xlsx, .ppt etc. I guess these are somewhat peace of mind in case google deletes your domain or something, but you wouldn't want to have to look in there for lost files very regularly (this is what we have, but we didn't pay much and its a bit buggy). The cloud to cloud backups (ie Cloud-to-Cloud Backup Solutions: Google Apps & Salesforce | Spanning) are advertised as full back-up & restore solutions.

[rob_coles]

Vault now covers drive too

[NotSoFast]

Yes, I saw that Vault had been extended but haven't explored properly yet.

[robjduk]

Just broke the 200 owned point on Chrome devices and doc use seems to climb every month. Very happy with Google Docs...

 

Staff uptake is to be expected with some finding it harder to understand than others however I found the students seems to be driving it more than the staff.

[fiza]

Those who use Google Docs can you tell me how you share documents? I know the principle but how do you organise files and folders? There is no "shared" area as far as I can tell. Normally on our network we tell students to go to the shared area to pick up resources. All science resources are in 1 folder same applies for other subjects. Can this kind of structure be replicated in Google Drive? Edited September 10, 2014 by fiza

[elsiegee40]

There are nk shared areas in a network drive sense, but that doesn't mean you can't set up users that are effectively those shared areas.

 

We have a Bursary login that has become the Bursar's Office shared area with policies, timetabling, forms for claimjng overtime and reporting sickness, etc all organissed within the drive. It's a userid managed by the Bursary staff, but not the personal area of anyone.

[pcstru]

I think there are two main mechanisms. Sites, which allow you to present stuff for sharing (which people then have to find or be directed to) and mail groups, which allow people to share with their class or department (or groups they are used to dealing with). Fundamentally, documents are still the 'property' of the account holder, so consistency over time may be different than people expect.

[rdk]

We have found simply sharing folders does not work very well. We now have faculty accounts that own resources, and then the shared resources for students are linked to a site. You can link individual files or you can embed folders. Students then go to the "science" or "humanities" websites (these are mapped to simple addresses) and as long as the site is arranged logically they can find the particular file relatively easily. Clicking the link (or the embedded folder) allows then to see the file and open in acopy in their personal Drive as appropriate.

 

We also use (and highly recommend) Hapara Teacher Dashboard for individual class sharing. Google Classroom does something similar, but in my view is not as highly developed.

[pcstru]

@elsiegee40 : I quite like the idea of Faculty account from the POV of managing shared resources. However, I'm not very comfortable with shared accounts in that it becomes impossible, should something untoward occur, to trace that back to an individual. Do you have any policy of procedure in place specifically to deal with that or do you cover it with more general safeguarding policy?

[elsiegee40]

To be fair the shared acvounts are few and far between at the moment. For example, te Bursary has its share managed by 2 members of staff. Information cwn be accessed there and forms can be completed, but other staff members cannot change or add anything. SLT run another share.

 

Across the school, the ability to share Drive with anyone who does not have a school login has been removed.

 

The thing with these shares is that the staff don't actually login to it. They can only modify or read it through their own ID. The share appears in the "Shared with me" section.

[Galawezh]

I needed the same thing, Thanks for you dude...

[Tesla]

used gmail here for two years now, not used many other features as of yet, (management use calenders, but that's about it)

 

would like to get staff into using google docs, but can't see it happening anytime soon