Introduction
Communicating information to all members of your classroom community - students, parents and other teachers - is one of the most important yet time-consuming tasks you face as a teacher.
This unit will focus on the powerful communication features of Gmail, Hangouts, Groups and Sites. Together, they make it easy to contact the right person at the right time. You can also use Classroom to reach your students; we’ll talk more about this in Unit 7.
By knowing what tools are available, and using them efficiently, you will be able to share more information in less time and with less stress.
In this unit, you’ll learn to:
- Apply the organizational benefits of Gmail in your classroom
- Explain how to use the Translation feature in Gmail to communicate with a diverse audience
- Identify the benefits of real-time communication with students
- Explain how to use instant messaging in Hangouts from any device
- Identify how Google Groups can be used in your classroom
- Identify the value of having a class website
- Create a customized Google Site for your classroom
If you already know this material, feel free to skip to the Unit Review at the end.
Throughout this unit, we’ll be using these products. You don’t have to master them, but if you’ve never used them before, take a moment to get familiar with them. For help, click the icons below.
Throughout this unit, we’ll ask you to do tasks that require the following skills. Don’t worry; we’ll show you where to learn each skill here AND again in each lesson.

Use Gmail to Communicate with Your Classroom Community
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Before you move on...
To check what you've learned and track your progress, complete the Lesson Check at the end of every lesson.