Dear WSD Colleagues,

Today we are going to look at the features in Google Chat. Google Chat offers several productivity-boosting features that help streamline communication and task management. One powerful tool is the Tasks integration, which allows users to create and assign to-dos directly from chat conversations, making it easy to track follow-up actions without leaving the app. You can also organize your chats by creating new sections in the sidebar—this helps keep group conversations, direct messages, and important threads neatly categorized for quick access. Additionally, pinning conversations ensures that your most important chats stay at the top of your chat list, so you can easily return to them without searching. These features work together to keep teams organized, responsive, and focused. 

How can Google Chat help? 

Messaging & Conversations

• Direct Messages (DMs): One-on-one private chats.
  

• Spaces: Group conversations organized around projects, topics, or teams with threaded discussions.
  

• Threaded Replies: Keep conversations organized by replying to specific messages in threads.
  

• Rich Text Formatting: Use bold, italics, bullet points, and links to make messages clearer and more effective.
  

• Emojis & Reactions: React to messages with emojis for quick feedback.
  

Productivity Tools

• Google Tasks Integration: Create and manage tasks from messages; assign tasks to team members.
  

• Google Meet Integration: Start or join video calls directly from Chat.
  

• Google Drive Integration: Share and collaborate on Docs, Sheets, and Slides right within conversations.
  

• @Mentions & Notifications: Mention people to alert them or use @everyone in spaces to notify all members.
  

Organization & Customization

• Pinning Conversations: Keep important chats and spaces at the top for easy access.
  

• Custom Sections: Create sections in the Chat sidebar to organize conversations by projects or priority.
  

• Search Function: Quickly find messages, files, or people across your chat history.
  

• Custom Notifications: Adjust settings to control how and when you’re notified.

School Spotlight

Class Dojo March Challenge Winners

Congratulations to all who participated!

• Community Builder - This award is for schools that demonstrate the most communication with their families through features such as 2-way messaging, Class Story, and School Story!

  • Winner 1 - Roy High School

    • 300+ Messages Sent, 9 Class Stories Posted!

  • Winner 2 - Kanesville Elementary School

    • 70+ Messages Sent, 9 Class Stories Posted!

• Positive Powerhouse - This award is for schools that are giving out the most ClassDojo points to their students!

  • Winner 1 - Lakeview School

    • Over 18,000 Points Awarded!

  • Winner 2 - Green Acres School

    • Over 16,000 Points Awarded!

• Mojo's Green Donut - This award is for schools that have given out the most ClassDojo points to their students AND have a high ratio of positive points to "needs work" points!

  • Winner 1 - Majestic Elementary School

    • Over 119,000 Points with 97% Positivity!

  • Winner 2 - Plain City Elementary School

    • Over 10,000 Points with 99% Positivity!

Top of Utah EdCamp

For the first time ever, the Top of Utah EdCamp will be in our own backyard. Join us April 26 from 8 am. to 2 pm. at Weber Innovation High School. It's free! It's fun! The un-conference you'll love.

Learn 2025: Ignition! Registration is Open

Designed for passionate K–12 educators, this high-octane event is where innovation meets inspiration. Get ready to accelerate your teaching strategies, fuel your creativity, and ignite your passion for learning. Packed with energy and excitement, this year’s LEARN conference promises dynamic keynotes, hands-on workshops, and powerful connections that will keep you moving full speed ahead. Don’t stall—reserve your spot on the starting line today and be part of the educational race toward excellence! 

THE LEARN TEAM

P.S. We will have sessions about SchoolAI, Canvas, PowerSchool, and so much more.

June 4th & 5th

West Field High School

2007 S 4300 W

Taylor, UT

Wrapping Up

Google Chat offers powerful tools for staying organized and productive. You can send direct messages, chat in Spaces, reply in threads, and assign tasks right from a conversation. Pin important chats, add messages to your inbox, and create custom sections to keep things tidy. With seamless integration with Google Workspace apps, everything you need is in one place. 

All the best,

WSD Digital Teaching & Learning Specialists

Monica Widdison, mowiddison@wsd.net DT&L Specialist for Elementary Schools 

Alan Rhees, arhees@wsd.net DT&L Specialist for Elementary Schools 

Jaymee Barrowes, jabarrowes@wsd.net DT&L Specialist for Secondary Schools 

Blake Pope, blpope@wsd.net DT&L Specialist for Secondary Schools