Google

Why I Use Digital Tools in Our Homeschool

For the past two weeks I have been sharing how we are using the free Google digital tools in our homeschool, and how I am going to be using it even more this coming school year. Why not use the tools that are there, already on our devices to our advantage? Especially the free ones. We are getting more and more creative as we have go along using these tools in different ways for each of us.

Why I Use Digital Tools in Our Homeschool

*This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.*

Here are some of the convinces of using digital tools for homeschooling:

Homeschooling with YouTube

In this day and age, nearly everyone knows about YouTube, but some homeschoolers still haven’t discovered how helpful it can be for visual learners. There are several educational channels available with fantastic learning videos.

Using Google Docs

Google Docs is ridiculously handy for assignments, tests, notes, and really any document you need to create for your homeschool. Online and accessible from any computer as long as you have a gmail account. This is rather helpful for homeschoolers who are on the move, which is a lot of us, we really don’t stay home as much as some might think.

Google Calendar

Everyone needs reminders once in awhile. Google calendar not only makes it incredibly easy to keep track of tasks and appointments, but you can set up notifications to your phone so you won’t miss an activity.

Why do I use (online) digital tools:

I use online tools because they are convenient. Oh man, seriously, they are free to use, and make things easier for homeschool moms like myself. Why not store homeschool information and documents on my Drive so that I have access to them wherever I am.

Why not use use these resources so that we can homeschool from anywhere? I think that is my favorite perk. We can travel, and still get our school work done if we have our devices.

Storing my kids portfolios online made moving province to province to province 100 times easier. I had everything I needed at my finger tips

Family Link for Your Kids Devices

by Ashley Mullen

For Christmas we bought our kids tablets, one for each of them. We knew they would have internet access because there are apps and sites that they would need access to for school work, like Teaching Textbooks. With internet access on I wanted to make sure I would know what apps they might be installing, and how much time was spent online. Which is when we started to use Family Link.

Family Link for Your Kids Devices

*This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.*

My first piece of advice here would be to install any and all apps that you are going to be installing first, before you install Family Link. Each time you add an app the device is going to ask for permission and you will be required to enter your password each time,

What is Family Link?

Whether your children are younger or in their teens, the Family Link app lets you set digital ground rules to help guide them as they learn, play, and explore online.

Before they can download a new app, they have to ask for permission. You’ll receive a notification on your device (you also must have it on your device), or you can enter your password right away on their device.

What else can it do?

You can set screen time limits. You can actually set these to be different for each day, when they can start using it and when it is bedtime for your device, and how many hours they can use it per day.

It can be hard to figure out what apps are right for your child, Family Link shows you teacher-recommended apps that you can add directly to their device. BUT this is only available in the US.

Whether it’s time to go play outside, have dinner, or that pesky school time, you can remotely lock a device whenever it’s time to take a break. This can be handy when your child “didn’t hear you” when you have told them time is up.

Google Slides Lesson Planner

by Ashley Mullen

Hi, paper planner girl here! I am all about using a paper planner but I know that a lot of people, homeschoolers, prefer to use an online planner. I do sometimes get the want to go digital, something that I can look at from anywhere. I created a simple lesson planner on Google Slides to show you how you can go digital too.

Google Slides Lesson Planner

*This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.*

This lesson planner is simple, a basic one week lay out that you can edit to use for your homeschool lessons this year. I am more of a paper planner as I said above, but there are great benefits to going digital instead, or using it along with your paper planner.

Ways to Use this Lesson Planner

This planner could be something that you fill in and then share with your kids so they know what they need to do each day. You can easily edit it, and then when sharing it, make it so that your kids can’t edit it.

Also share it with your partner or someone who may be with your kids during “school” time.

Editing This Lesson Planner

Because this planner is in Google Slides, you don’t have to download it. You don’t have to worry about forgetting to save it after making changes – we’ve all been there, done that. Google Slides save periodically for you.

Click this link to make a copy!

When you click the link, it will automatically ask you to make a copy. This is the only way to use it, because otherwise you could be editing the main form accidentally. It will make a copy in your own Google Drive. You can share your copy with your family once you have filled it in.

To edit it, simply click on the add text, delete that text and add your own. To create more pages, highlight (click on one slide, hold the shift button and click on the other), right click, then Duplicate slides. Do this as many times as you like, for your homeschooling weeks.

Using editable planners such as this one is easy, and allows you to take your planner every where you go as long as you have your Google Drive account.

Google Classroom in Your Homeschool

by Ashley Mullen

Google Classroom. Have you heard of it and thought it was only for public school? I did, but then again, when I first heard of it, it was only for “teachers”, but they have since opened it up and homeschoolers are able to use it easily now as well. It is making lesson planning easier, and keeping track of everything a breeze. Read on to learn more about it.

Google Classroom in Your Homeschool

*This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.*

Why Use Google Classroom?

As a free online learning platform, Google Classroom offers several benefits for homeschoolers:

Accessibility

No more the dog ate my homework or I couldn’t find it. Your child can access their work from any device. Even when you need to be somewhere else, it can go with you. Especially when you choose to make it able to be accessed offline.

Paperless

Less waste, less money spent. Perfect for budget friendly homeschooling, and those looking to reduce their waste. You don’t have to print off all those PDFs, just add them in where needed. (Read on for more info on that.)

Time Saver

Upload the work once, and you’ll have it there for your other children when they are ready to use it. You can reuse assignments later on, you may have to change it a little, due dates and assigned dates for example but the base of it will be there.

All you need to do is archive it and pull it out later on when you need it.

In calendar view, you can see what you want to get done each day at a quick glance.

Use it to Add More to Your Curriculum

Use Google Classroom in your homeschool lessons to add more to it. Consider using Google Classroom in your homeschool to add additional online elements to your child’s homeschool day and your print curriculum.

Adding Resources for your Google Classroom

With everything that has happen in 2020 so far, it is becoming easier and easier for you to find digital resource that you can use in Google Classroom. This means you can find a lot of digital resources to add to you curriculum for the year, and can add to your Google Classroom.

Setting Up A Classroom

Setting up is super simple. Go to Google, click the nine little dots in the top right corner, now you may need to scroll down and click MORE to find Classroom but it will be there. Now you can start creating your classroom.

You can attach file files to your class including: Google Docs, Word Docs, and PDF (which is awesome for all those resources I have on my laptop for my kids!) directly from your laptop or desktop. You can also use Google Drive, YouTube and you can add links to other websites.

You can assign the assignment to be available right away or schedule it for another day or time of the day. You also have the option of giving it a due date. Personally, I like both the scheduling and due date feature. Sometimes my kids just want to get it all done, and, for my oldest, she needs to see the date it needs to be done by or she’ll procrastinate a little, not always, but sometimes.

Best Homeschool Tool: Google Search

by Ashley Mullen

Everyone knows Google Do you know what an amazing tool it is for homeschoolers? I’m sure you have been using Google search, but there is a lot more to it than just a search engine for your everyday answers. Today let’s just talk about the search engine for a minute though and tomorrow we’ll take it a step further. While Google search is the best homeschool tool and you want to make sure you are using it to your full benefit.

Google Search is a Homeschooling Best Tool

Best Homeschool Tool: Google Search

*This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.*

Best Homeschool Tool Searching for Answers

Have you heard of Kiddle? I am surprised that more parents haven’t. It is a search engine powered Google. It is a visual search engine for kids, offering safe kids web, image, and video search. Results are vetted by editors which some people don’t care for.

There is no tool for homeschoolers that is quite as great or powerful as Google. It is there when my kids ask a question that I don’t know the answer, which is often, almost daily. And searching from my phone makes it that much faster, on able to search on the go. After all, I can’t have all the books with all the answers in our home ready to go.

Searching for Pronunciation

One of my favorite tools, is to look up a word so I can hear the proper pronunciation. As a reader, sometimes I am unsure of how a word sounds out loud and want to make sure I’m teaching my children the right way to say it. And sometimes after repeating the same word over and over again to help them say, it has lost all meaning and feels weird when I say it. “Literally” was one of those words.

Best Homeschool Tool for Videos (or Documentaries)

When you search on Google you often get YouTube results as well, because YouTube is high ranking in SEO. Sometimes I haven’t even though to look for a video or documentary to ask a question in a more understanding, visual way.

Throughout the school year this two ways of using Google are used by us a lot. Searching for new information daily, and new pronunciation help at least weekly. Over the next two weeks I am sharing just how useful Google tools can be in your homeschool, and for free. Click the image below to be taken to the main page where you can find other ideas.

I know those two things seems really basic, but homeschooling doesn’t have to be complicated, simple or basic really are the best… and the best place to start.

Google

Why I Use Digital Tools in Our Homeschool

Why I Use Digital Tools in Our Homeschool

Here are some of the convinces of using digital tools for homeschooling:

Family Link for Your Kids Devices