Using Google Hangouts for PD

As the only Instructional Technology Specialist in a large rural district, I struggle to find ways to reach out and provide professional development to all of my teachers and staff.  With 14 schools, it is impossible for me to visit each one.  If I spent one day at each school, I would still only be there 2 days per month!

This year, I have decided to investigate ways to provide personal professional development virtually.  I have always provided asynchronous instruction, but I know from experience that some of the most effective learning comes when someone is there to guide learning and answer questions.

Like many districts, mine uses Google Apps for Education (GAFE).  Part of the package of tools in GAFE is Google Hangouts.  Hangouts started out very simple, like many of Google's properties.  It was an instant messaging client that competed with AIM and Yahoo Messenger.  As it developed, Hangouts became a much more complex and useful tool.

Hangouts now allows users to communicate in the following ways: instant messaging, SMS, voice calls, and video calls.  You simply enter Hangouts and choose a user and the method of communication.  Hangouts can only SMS and video call other Google users, but it can complete voice calls to any phone number.  Hangouts works across desktop and mobile devices on almost all platforms.

Additionally, users of GAFE can create meetings in Google Calendars with attached audio or video calls.  When a meeting is created, the user can choose to include Hangouts and then invite attendees to the virtual meeting as well.  The attendees are able to join the meeting from their calendar via clicking a link to Hangouts.  In essence, Hangouts operates as a free version of GoToMeeting.  The only negative is that a video conference is limited to 10 participants.

Here is how I am using Hangouts to reach more teachers:

• I have created a calendar that is a series of Google Calendar meetings.
• I shared the calendar so that staff could add it to their own Google Calendars.
• The meetings are always on Fridays during school lunch times from 11:00-1:00.
• On these days, I forgo my lunch, and from 11:00-1:00, I enter Hangouts and wait for attendees.
• Staff can enter the meeting at any time by clicking on the appointment in the calendar.
• They can ask any questions, and I can demo anything that I like by sharing my desktop screen.
• Staff can enter and leave the meeting as their schedule demands.

Here is how I plan on expanding my use of Hangouts:

• Setting up a desktop in my training lab and offering all of my professional development virtually as well as physically.

Lastly, Hangouts now works with Youtube to create Hangouts on Air.  These are live events that can host a large number of participants.  The participants can view the event and ask questions via a chat function.  I am going to investigate this to see if it would be a good option for large-scale PD.

I'm interested in how other educators are using Hangouts in their practice.  Leave any ideas in the comments below!