Google Calendar: Enable or Disable Working Hours

In a recent update, Google Calendar launched a working hours feature. Some users may have working hours enabled for Google Calendar, knowingly or unknowingly, so we recommend checking your Google Calendar settings. 

Here's what working hours looks like in a Google Calendar event.  You'll see a purple moon icon next to invited guests' names if the meeting is scheduled outside of their working hours. 

Turn working hours on or off

To automatically warn people if they try to schedule a meeting for a time when you won’t be working, you can turn on working hours. You can only turn on working hours from a computer, not from the Google Calendar app.

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. In the top right, click Settings   Settings.
3. On the left, under "General," click Working Hours.
4. In the "Working hours" section, click Enable working hours. Or leave it unchecked if you don't want working hours enabled.
5. Select the days you work and set the times you’re available.

Calendar might suggest working hours based on your time zone, working patterns in your country, and your schedule. You can accept, decline, or edit these suggestions.

Show when you’re out of office

When you indicate you’re out of office, your calendar will automatically decline all meetings during that time.

1. On your computer, open Google Calendar.
2. At the top of your calendar, click the first date you’ll be out of the office.
3. Click Out of office.
4. Select the dates you’ll be out of the office.
5. Optional: Update the time range and edit your decline message.
6. Click Save.

Google Classroom End-of-the-Year Cleanup

Google Classroom End-of-the-Year Cleanup

Here are the recommended steps to cleaning up your Google Classroom and preparing for next year. Watch the following video or follow the five steps below.

5 Steps

1. From Classroom Dashboard/Homepage, click the three vertical dots in the upper right of each Classroom and choose Archive.

2. Go to Google Drive and find your Classroom folder
1. Create a folder called Archived Classes
2. Drag any Google Classroom folders into it that you archived in Google Classroom

3. From Google Calendar, hide or delete any Google Classroom calendars associated with last year’s classes. Hover over the three vertical dots to hide from list. Or, click on the x to unsubscribe and completely remove the calendar.

4. Create new classes in Google Classroom
5. Feel free to hide any of these Classroom calendars as well if you only use a general assignment calendar for classroom events and assignments.

**This will significantly clean up your list under My Calendars within Google Calendar.

AIR Testing Calendars & Resources

Now that we're all in Google Calendar this year, feel free to subscribe to any or all of the building testing calendars through the link located under Intranet --> Calendars --> District Testing Calendars (schedules by building).

If you subscribe to one, it will show up on your Google Calendar and you won't need to go back to the intranet to view the schedule from year to year. 

Subscribe to any of the calendars by clicking on the +GoogleCalendar icon in the bottom righthand corner of any of the calendars. 

In addition to the specific schedules by building, the library sites have AIR testing resources available for practice, including this taxonomy table of tech skills to help students practice the types of questions on these computer-based assessments. 

Taxonomy Table to Practice the Skills Used in Computer-Based Assessments. 

 

Quick Tip for Checking Room Availability in Google Calendar

Quick Tip for Checking Room Availability in Google Calendar

You're positive a room is available, yet it's not listed under your building's Rooms when trying to add it to an event! 

This might be why...

Watch this short screencast to see how to ensure you're looking at an accurate list of available rooms/resources within Google Calendar when signing out our district spaces. 

Add Events From Gmail to Google Calendar

Save time by quickly adding events from an email directly to your Google Calendar.  Watch the short video below for more details!

Add a Response to Google Calendar Event Invitations

Looking to add a note about why you can't attend a meeting or event you've been invited to in Google Calendar?  Watch the short video below to see how you can add your Yes, No, or Maybe response with a short note to all participants in that event. 

Invite Optional Attendees in Google Calendar

Looking to invite someone as optional to a Google Calendar event?  Watch the video below to learn how to mark/invite attendees as optional in Google Calendar.

Google Calendar Cleanup

Google Calendar - Rein in that list!

This is a great time of year to clean up your dropdown list of Google Calendars and recommend this back-to-school cleanup to your students as well. Watch the video below to view how you can quickly clean up your list of Google Calendars and start fresh with a list of only what you want to see. 

Making Gmail & Google Calendar Your Defaults

Now that we're working and communicating in a Google environment, you want to ensure Gmail and Google Calendar are set to be your default email and calendar systems while working on the web in any browser. 

To ensure this is the case:

1.  Open up both the Gmail and Google Calendar apps.  

2.  In the white search bar (on the right next to the bookmarking star), look for two overlapping gray diamonds in both Gmail & Google Calendar.  

3.  If you see them, click on the two diamonds, and select Allow. This sets Gmail and Google Calendar to be your defaults.  

4.  If you don't see two gray diamonds in Gmail or Google Calendar, then you have already set them to be your default email and calendar systems, and you don't need to do anything else.

Google Calendar: Find a Time Feature

The video below illustrates the Find a Time feature in Google Calendar. This is similar to Scheduling Assistant in Outlook. 

Google Calendar: Reserving Rooms

In this video, booking rooms/resources/labs in Google Calendar is explained. Additionally, the video highlights how you can preview and subscribe to calendars for a room/resource/lab you frequently use.

Starting May 1, Google Calendar is the go-to place to reserve rooms at a building during the school day. No longer will you go to the Intranet to find and schedule an available room, lab, or resource. This saves time and makes setting up repeating events a breeze!

Please note that all after school events must still be scheduled in SchoolDude, as you're accustomed to doing.  You'll use Google Calendar to reserve rooms, labs, and resources during your building’s school hours.  

All existing Intranet room/lab/resource reservations through May 31, 2017 will be copied over into Google Calendar.

  

Gmail: Google Calendar Gadget

View your Google Calendar(s) while in Gmail by enabling the Google Calendar gadget, a lab in Gmail.  Watch the short video below to get started!

Move Calendar Events

Toggle Google Calendars On/Off

Do you have too many Google Calendars turned on and showing up in your calendar window? Easily and quickly toggle them on and off as needed.

6 Google Calendar Tips