Updates

It’s that time again! Google for Education has announced new features rolling out in 2022. They are described below to help you decide whether these features will benefit your school.

Chromebook Choice

Even though devices are usually bought at the district level, individual schools and classrooms have different needs. While the Chromebook is inherently a versatile device, there are different models being released by a range of companies this year - Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung. Will high school or math classes benefit from having a stylus where students can write out their answers? How about having some Chromebooks that can be used for document scanning in a centralized space like a printing center or faculty room? If this is the first time your district is considering buying a 1:1 device, is considering a switch to Chromebooks, or is just looking to upgrade, you'll get to take advantage of these new and improved features. If you would like help deciding which...

In recent months, you may have noticed that the way Gmail looks has been changing. Underneath the Chat section on the left-hand sidebar, you’ll see sections called Spaces and Meet. On the right-hand side, you’ll see a sidebar that allows you to view your calendar and create new Keep notes and Tasks without having to open up a new tab. These changes are part of Google’s redesign of Gmail, where they want you to be able to access all the different Google apps within your Gmail window. 

Starting in mid-February, 2022, you will be able to opt-in to seeing Gmail in this new format, but can still continue viewing Gmail the way you currently are until June 30, 2022. In April 2022, Google will automatically change your Gmail to the new format, but you can revert it back to the old look in the settings until June 30, 2022. After June 30, Google is making the new Gmail format permanent for all users. 

Please note that almost every user - personal, business,...

As of January 16, 2022, Google has reorganized their existing Google Workspace for Business packages and created a new line of Business Enterprise packages. The previously existing packages (Business Starter, Standard, and Plus) have had additional features added to them, and the singular Enterprise package has been split into three packages - Enterprise Essentials, Standard, and Plus. 

Enterprise packages are now also available for businesses of any size and there is no minimum or maximum number of users needed to purchase the packages. This is different from the Business packages (Business Starter, Standard, and Plus), which are only available to small businesses that need 300 or fewer user licenses.

Google has also created a new package called Google Workspace Frontline. The Frontline package is specifically designed for front-facing employees. Employees get the basic features they need - Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Docs, and Chat - and 2GB of cloud storage each. The storage is...

As an administrator using Google Workspace for Education, the Admin Console is where you spend a lot of your time managing and monitoring user's accounts and making sure their data is being protected.  

Recently, Google made a demo video series of how to use some of the main and most useful features in the Admin Console. Most of the nine videos are less than 5 minutes long and cover the following topics:

• Preventing and mitigating malware, phishing, spam & ransomware
• Preventing and investigating abuse and inappropriate material
• Managing sensitive data and preventing data leaks
• How to manage your mobile devices (Android, iOS)
• Future proofing your institution for virtual and hybrid learning
• Understanding usage, engagement and security with Analytics
• How to manage your Windows 10 devices
• Empowering authentic work with Originality Reports
• Using Google Classroom as an LMS

Please note that all of these videos are about features...

Hello everyone! I wanted to highlight a feature you may find useful - Google Doc Templates. 

When you are creating a new Google Doc in Google Drive, you will see that there is an arrow ">" that you can click on, where it will give you the option to create a Doc from a template.

You will see that there are arrows next to Sheets, Slides, and Forms, as well. That is because you can choose from templates for those types of files too. 

However, in this post, I'll be focusing on Google Docs templates specifically. 

When you click on "from a template" to create a Doc, you will see templates you can choose from, grouped into categories. If you are using Google Workspace for Education, Business, or Nonprofit, you'll see custom templates created by your organization show up first, and you'll need to click on "General" to see Google's templates.

If you are using a personal Google account, you won't be able to create custom templates, so you will just see...

Starting on June 1, 2022, you will no longer be able to edit your classic Google Sites. This is because Google is converting everyone over to new Google Sites. Previously, Google had announced that this change would take place on December 1, 2021.

New Google Sites gives you more site tiles to choose from, allows you to add a Cloud Search box to your website, and automatically adapts your website to be mobile-friendly. 

Here is the timeline of events:

June 1, 2022: You cannot edit classic Google Sites anymore

June 30, 2022: Existing classic Sites need to be migrated to new Sites by today

July 1, 2022: Remaining classic Google Sites will no longer be viewable

Before you panic, Google is not deleting your classic Google Sites on July 1, 2022. If you don't migrate your classic Sites to new Sites by July 1, Google will download your classic Sites as an archive and save it to the site owner's Google Drive. Google will also draft a new Site of your...

We’re so excited to be a part of the Sarasota, FL Chamber of Commerce. As new members, we have been welcomed with open arms and are happy to serve the schools and businesses in our new community.

Although LogicWing is new to Florida, I have had family in the Sarasota area for a long time. My sister is a teacher here, her children grew up in the FL school system, and my niece is a realtor in Venice. Through them we have been introduced to many local businesses and people who have shared what makes them excited about the place they call home. 

We have been a Florida business since 2014, but have only been able to call Sarasota our home since early 2021. While we will continue to do work all around the country, we genuinely look forward to working with our fellow community and trustee members and being a part of their EdTech and IT solution. 

Thank you to the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce for the warm welcome!

Blanca E. Duarte, Chief Enablement Officer, LogicWing

What are Google Contacts & Labels

If you’ve never really used Google Contacts, you might think that every time you email someone new from your email account, all those people are being collected into your Google Contacts and that’s why you can start typing someone’s email address in a new message and Google will suggest emails that you’ve contacted before. However, those people are likely not in your Google Contacts. 

You have to deliberately add people to your Google Contacts list. 

The reason you would do this is to group the contacts. Grouping contacts under a label allows you to easily email a large group of people without having to individually type out each person’s email address into the “To:” line. 

You may already be familiar with emailing people like this, since organizations will usually send “All Staff” emails that go to everyone in the organization. Instead of an unlucky assistant having...