We’re about halfway through the semester (and close to the start of Module 2!), so it’s the perfect time to try shaking up some strategies for your Zoom sessions! If breakout rooms have been a key part of your online class, collaborative note taking in Google Slides might be a good way to up your Zoom game as we head into the second half of fall. Read on for tips on using the grid view of Slides to monitor note-taking in real-time and for a template you can repurpose for your classes.
Sending students out into breakout rooms with a prompt and then asking them to debrief in the large group is an excellent way to generate great discussion. Having students take notes while in the breakout room and compiling all those notes in one space can help make this activity especially successful and meaningful for students.
Try creating a Google Slides presentation and assigning each group their own slide to take notes on. Make sure the Sharing Settings are updated so that “Anyone with the Link” is an “Editor” and then share the link to the presentation in the Zoom chat or on your Moodle page. As students take notes in their respective rooms, you can watch the slides fill up from the “Grid View” of the presentation.
Watching each group’s progress on the Grid View means you can see if a group isn’t writing anything at all or if they’ve written something that requires your presence in their breakout room. It can also help you determine if students need more time to discuss before closing the rooms.
If you’ve never tried a collaborative note taking system for your breakout rooms, give Google Slides a try! We even have a Slides template with detailed directions that you can copy and use during class.
*Our Slides template was adapted from Shana Ramin who blogs at hello TeacherLady!
That is TOO cool! Gotta try it soon. 🙂