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BASIC google apps and more FOR DISTANCE LEARNING

Aug 1, 2020
3 min read

by Julianna Gianan

©Dela Cruz

Living in the new normal, it can be very difficult for you to maintain a healthy amount of screen time. You’re forced to face your gadgets for hours at a time. In fact, that is what many of you are doing right now! Reducing screen time is a goal that everyone should maintain in having a holistic approach to one's health and well-being. Here are some basic applications to help make the most out of your screen time.

Google was created in 1995 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who were students at Stanford University, working from their dorm rooms, trying to create a search engine that “determined the importance of individual pages on the World Wide Web.” (“From the Garage to the Googleplex”, n.d.). After three years of running, investors from Silicon Valley and Sun started investing in Google and the rest is history. Now, Google is THE BIGGEST search engine in the world, running multiple products such as youtube, Gmail, and so many more! Google Applications are essential to any online learner. One problem with Google, however, is that there are so many applications available, but fret not, for these are the 5 most essential Google Apps you can rely on:

1. Google Classroom

Google Classroom allows easy access to the materials that teachers post, as well as easy submission of assignments and requirements. It gives you access to the folder and drive of the teacher where learning resources are stocked.

2. Google Meet

Google Meet has proven to be an efficient conferencing app. It runs smoothly, and it does not lag much, even with more than 50 people in a call. The only downside of it is the limited number of features.

3. Google Docs

Need to do collaborative work? Google Docs to the rescue! Being able to edit a document with multiple people at once has proven to be very helpful (especially if your deadline is at 11:59 p.m. and it is currently 11:30 p.m.). There is also a feature that allows converting documents to any of the required formats which makes it even more convenient.

4. Google Mail (Gmail)

Since we regularly receive emails and notices of meetings via our official email account, why not download the app to access it in just a tap or click? The application allows faster and more efficient communication between parties.

5. Google Drive

Google Drive is your new school bag. It lets you keep your files safe. As long as you know how to organize your folders, no requirement, document, nor file will be lost in your drive. One of the good features of Google Drive is that it can share files as a link. Some apps do not allow sharing of documents, making this feature of Google Drive incredibly helpful, particularly to those students who have these kinds of apps as their means of communication. Yay! No more reports of notebooks stolen before exams.

6. Google Calendar

Quarantine has most likely ruined your perception of time and the days of the week, but don’t worry! That’s where Google Calendar comes in. You can use this to take note of your deadlines and manage your time so that you don’t end up cramming. You can also stop worrying about forgetting your schedule; just type everything in and you’re good to go!

Aside from these Google Apps, there are many more applications that can help you make the most out of your ever-rising screen time:

7. Canva

Canva offers many design templates and stock photos. There is also a wide variety of fonts and stickers to choose from. You can use Canva to create anything from infographics and portfolios to party invitations and posters.

8. Khan Academy

For a number of years or decades, Khan Academy has been widely used to reinforce learning of various academic topics, and it has worked wonders. It provides videos and articles that give in-depth explanations about a wide array of topics, making it a perfect resource website, especially for online learners.

9. Grammarly

All students need a second set of eyes to scan over their works to avoid making some embarrassing mistakes. Grammarly does just that. It suggests better words, giving your works a wider vocabulary and a more interesting and confident tone (“5 reasons to use Grammarly,” 2020).

10. Mute Tab Extension

Have you ever tried multi tasking in Chrome and getting the audio of different tabs playing at the same time? This Google Extension can help you out. The Mute Tab Extension gives you the option to mute all tabs without opening them. It’s really convenient, especially when you have to work with multiple audio/audio visual materials and want to stay as organized as possible.