[Ncabs] Google Hangouts

[Travis Sherrill via Ncabs]

Hello all:

I'm going to copy and paste a Hangouts tutorial that was created by a
visually impaired user (me). The text I have pasted below is the text (word
for word) in the videos I created.  I'm not sure if you will be able to
access the videos.  If you are a visually learner and would like to see
Hangouts in use, email me off list and I'll send you the links to see if you
can access them.  The reason I'm not sure if the videos are accessible is
because for my class project, I had to use a particular screencasting
software as assigned by my professor and it wasn't extremely accessible.
I'm not sure if you are going to be able to access the videos so I'll paste
the text of the videos in this email.  

 

Google Hangouts is actually more accessible than is Skype in my opinion.  In
order to join a hangout, you have to have an email from the person who wants
you to join the hangout.  In that email, you have two options, you can
either watch the hangout (which you don't want to do), or you can join the
hangout (which is what you want to do).  If you have further questions you
don't want to ask on the list, please email me off list.  I'm getting my
library science degree with the ultimate goal to work with creators of
technology to make it more accessible to the visually impaired.  I know this
is a lot of information.  

 


Part #1 Tutorial:  What is Google+ and Google Hangouts


 

Hello, my name is Travis Sherrill and this is part 1 of a three part
tutorial on Google+ and Google Hangouts.

Slide One

In this video tutorial, we are going to:

--define Google+

--Define Google Hangouts

--Discuss potential uses for Google Hangouts  

Slide Two: What is Google+?   Google+ is a social networking and identity
service that is owned and operated by Google Incorporated.  Google describes
Google+ as a social layer that enhances many of its online properties and
that it is not simply a social networking platform, but also an authorship
that associates web content with its owner/author. 

Slide Three: What are Google Hangouts? 

Google Hangouts is a unified communication service that allows members to
initiate and participate in text, voice or video chats, either one-on-one or
in a group.  Hangouts are built in to Gmail, Google+, and mobile
applications are available for Android and IOS devices. 

Slide Four: What are some purposes of Google Hangouts?  Hangouts serve
numerous purposes.  In the academic landscape, professors use Google
Hangouts to communicate with students.  Hangouts bring the face-to-face
atmosphere into the online environment. Hangouts is also an effective tool
for how to tutorials.  In libraries, reference librarians use hangouts as a
virtual tool to assist students with finding resources.  Hangouts bring
people together. Hangouts offers a tool to conduct meetings with people
across the nation. This allows people to collaboratively be in one place.
You don't have to travel.  You don't have to be out of the office.  The
library saves money on travel expenses. Finally, do you have a favorite
athlete or celebrity that you dream of sometime talking to?  Many athletes
and celebrities use Hangouts as a collaborative tool to communicate with
fans.  Search Hangouts to see if your favorite celebrity or athlete has
hosted or will be hosting a future Hangout that you might be able to join in
on. 

Slide Five: Review:  

In this tutorial, we have defined Google+, we have defined what a Google
Hangout is, and we have discussed some of the purposes Google Hangouts might
serve both inside and outside of the library. What are some purposes you
might utilize Google Hangouts for in the future? 

 


Part #2 Tutorial:  Creating A Google+ Account. 


 

Hello, my name is Travis Sherrill and this is part two in a three part
tutorial on Google+ and Google Hangouts.  

Slide 1.  Google+ and Hangouts

Slide 2. In this tutorial, we are going to:

--learn how to create a Google+ account

--learn how to create a Google+ profile 

--examine how to navigate the Google+ home page

Slide Three: Creating a Google Plus account. Creating a Google+ account is
quick, free, and easy.  Google is open to everyone. Go to
www.plus.google.com <http://www.plus.google.com> .  If you have an existing
Gmail account, log in with your user name and password.  If you do not have
a Gmail account, click create an account.   

 

Slide Four:  This is what create a Google account screen looks like.  Fill
out this form by adding some personal information and click the blue next
step button to continue.

 

Slide Five:  Adding a profile picture.  At this point, your Google+ account
has been created and this is where you can begin personalizing your profile.
The first thing you can do is add a profile photo.  This is extremely
important so that people can recognize you from across the web.  The world
is full of thousands of John Smith's, but if you have a profile photo, your
friends, family, and other acquaintances will know they are adding the
correct John Smith to their circles.  To add a profile photo, simply select
your photo or avatar and drag it into the box.  Adjust the photo if
necessary and click next step. 

 

Slide Six: Creating Circles.  Now, it's time to make connections.  Google
calls them your circles.  Circles for friends, family, acquaintances, work,
or you can create the categories of your choice. I created a circle called
classmates.  Circles allow you to publish content to all circles or specific
circles.  For example, if you went on a vacation with your family, your
classmates circle would not want to see the pictures from your family
vacation.  Search for people you would like to connect with.  Like Facebook
and Twitter, Google+ provides suggestions for people you might like to
connect with based off of who you are already connected with. 

 

Slide Seven:  The continue button in the lower right corner will allow you
to follow things you love.  The possibilities are endless, sports, cooking,
history, technology, music, entertainment, and so much more. 

 

Slide Eight:  Navigation of the Home Page: When you log in to your profile,
you start at the home screen.  Here you will find your posts, streams, and
topics.  You will always have a vertical navigation bar on the left side of
the page.  This navigation bar has eight tabs: 

Home, 

Profile (where you can always make changes), 

People (suggestions of people you may know on Google+), 

Photos, 

Communities (groups of Google users who come together via social media to
share), 

Events, 

Hangouts,  

Pages, 

Local (recommended places near location), 

Settings, 

And a search box at the top.  The Google chat and hangouts menu is on the
right side of the page. 

Slide Nine:  In this tutorial, we discovered how to create a Google+
account.  We also explored the Google+ home page. Do you feel equipped to
create a Google+ account? Do you feel that Google+ will be a useful tool for
you in the future?  Are you hooked on Google+ yet?    

 


Part #3 Tutorial:  Creating a Google Hangout 


 

Hello, my name is Travis Sherrill and this is part three of a three part
tutorial on Google+ and Google Hangouts. 

In this tutorial, we are going to learn how to create a Google Hangout and
examine some features embedded within Google Hangouts.  

After you have logged in, click the home link to go to the Google+ home
page.  Once you are on the home page, click the hangouts link. On this page,
you will see two options, video hangouts and hangouts on air.  We don't want
our hangout to be shown live on Google+ and we don't want the hangout to be
accessed via YouTube so we are going to click the video hangouts link.  One
more note: hangouts has a limit of ten people who can participate in a
hangout at a given time.  An unlimited number of people can watch a hangout.


Once you click on the video hangouts link and once that page has loaded, you
will see other hangouts that are recorded and active.  We don't want to
participate in any of these hangouts so we are going to click on start video
hangout.  

Now, we are located at create a hangout screen.  The link at the top of the
page is used to invite people to your hangout. Just below this link, you see
a text box.  This text box is to type a message that describes what your
hangout is going to be about. Inviting people to your hangout is simple.
You can either invite people from your circles or you can invite people from
outside of your circles as long as you know there name or there Gmail email
address.  I'm going to invite my family from my circles.  So I click on my
family and now they are invited to my hangout. Now that people are invited
to the hangout and now that people know what your hangout is going to be
about, click invite. We are now in a Google Hangout.  Now that we are in a
hangout, let's examine some of the features within hangouts.

The first feature I want to talk about is the chat window.  We will click on
it and it will open on the right-hand side of the screen. This allows people
who are part of the hangout to chat in a text box while the hangout is going
on. In order to chat in a hangout, you have to be invited to the hangout and
you can't just merely be watching the hangout. I have typed Hello.  This is
a good way that everyone can participate if you do not have a microphone.
You can convey your message to everyone through the chat.

Next we want to talk about the screenshare.  The screenshare function is a
neat feature because it allows everyone in the hangout to share their
screen.  Whether you want to share your desktop, a document, or a website,
this feature allows everyone to share screens within a hangout.   

Google Effects, this feature allows people within a hangout to do some neat,
fun, interactive things within a hangout.

Google drive:  This is a neat feature.  Let's say that you are working on a
group project and you have four people in your group.  Google drive allows
you to utilize a Google dock you have created within a hangout.  This allows
for everyone within your hangout to contribute to the same document.   

Next I want to talk about the microphone.  This is very important.  On the
hangouts microphone, you have mute and unmute.  If you want to say something
during a hangout, your microphone needs to be unmuted.  Make sure when you
start a hangout that the microphone is unmuted.  If muted, people will not
be able to hear you.  IF you are not going to say anything and you just want
to listen, mute your microphone because hangouts picks up a lot of external
sounds and this distracts people.

Next is the camera. Google hangouts requires a webcam.  Simply turn your
camera off or turn it on.  If you are talking the camera turns to you, if
someone else is talking, the camera turns to them.

The final thing to examine is the end call button. Simply click the end call
button and the hangout ends. I hope these tutorials have been beneficial.  I
hope you have enjoyed them.  I hope Google+ and Google Hangouts is something
you will use in the future both in your professional and personal life.  If
you have questions about anything covered in the three tutorials, please,
don't hesitate to email me.  Thank you for your time.