8 Best Google Free Tools Parents Can Use for Their Child’s Assignment Planning

This article reviews in detail the top eight ways parents can use Google’s free tools to plan their kids’ academic assignments. Read until the end to learn everything about it!

Parents play an influential role in the academic success of their children. Beyond providing care and love, they should actively monitor the educational journey of their kids. It creates healthy and clear academic expectations in the minds of children.

Staying in touch with teachers, both digitally and physically, is important for staying informed about a child’s progress. Many schools use learning management systems, like Google Classroom, which has been downloaded over 465,000 times in the UK alone since the pandemic. Through these tools, parents can monitor classroom progress and empower their children to realise their academic potential.

Google free tools are widely used in academia to seamlessly plan students’ daily educational activities. Approximately 4.97 billion people around the globe actively use Google, as reported by Exploding Topics on 14 October 2024.

Let’s explore how parents can use free Google Tools to assist their children in the planning of their academic assignments.

Does Google Have a Planner Tool?

Although Google does not have a daily planning tool, applications like Google Tasks and Google Calendar can help students organise their everyday assignments. In its workspace suite, there are many features and tools that different schools use for planning, collaboration, execution, and analysis of project work.

From the initiation of an academic paper to the closing, Google can assist students at each step of project management. The image below, taken from Apploye Blog, shows how different Google apps can assist you at every step of academic project management.

 

 

Image Credits: Apploye Blog

A List of 8 Best Google Free Tools Parents Can Use for Assignment Planning of Their Children

Being a parent in the 21^st century can be quite perplexing, especially when it comes to using technology. Nowadays, several phenomenal pedagogical tools are available online to parents for free. They can use such tools to plan their kids’ academic tasks and help them fulfil the requirements of such papers. However, if parents need expert assistance with the quizzes and daily homework assignments, they can pair the kids with professional assignment writers and subject matter specialists.

Now, let’s explore the ins and outs of the 8 best Google free tools for planning assignments online. Parents can use these tools and applications to assess their children’s academic progress.

1.      Google Sheets – Planning and Tracking Assignment Data

 

The Google Sheets is an online spreadsheet tool and project management software that Google uses to analyse and organise data. This app works similarly to MS Excel and even has the same functioning features. It’s a handy Google app that can be used for project management, project planning, and task management functions. More than 900 million people around the Globe use Google Sheets each month, as reported by Exploding Topics.

Parents can use customisable spreadsheets to budget, plan, and organise their kids’ homework. They can also use different templates for scheduling, project tracking, and task scheduling. Thanks to Google Sheets, parents keep track of their children’s weekly and monthly academic projects.

Prominent Features

Google Sheets has made the work of students quite easy to manage. Let’s have a brief look at the most important features of Google Sheets here in this section:

1. The collaborative editing is possible with this platform
2. You can use different pivot tables for the analysis and summarisation of data
3. Data validation is possible for the users
4. You can create visual charts, diagrams and graphs for different types of content
5. Offline editing is possible with Google Sheets
6. Users can run different online forms at one time
7. It’s compatible with MS Excel, PDF, HTML, and CSV etc

Pros

• Google Sheets is easy and intuitive to use
• It comes with a version history
• The templates of Google Sheets make project management easy for students

Cons

• Students cannot set up reminders for their tasks
• It’s not possible to filter the tasks per their elements
• You will have trouble using Google Sheets on mobile

2.      Google Drive – Centralised File Storage

As per Statista, Google Drive has been leading the file-sharing software market since November 2023, with a market share of 31.19%. This cloud-based storage solution provides 15 GB of free space to clients, both small businesses and individuals. However, large enterprises will have to switch to paid plans. The best thing about using Google Drive is that it can be integrated and interconnected with other applications.

This application is mainly concerned with student content management. Team management and collaboration are important functions of Google Drive. You can easily share files with teammates and integrate them seamlessly into local apps on students’ LMS.

Prominent Features

Google Drive can make the management of academic assignments easier for you due to its exceptional features. Here are some of the best features of this application:

1. It provides offline access to users
2. Backing up data is possible with this application
3. You can collaborate with different users via this platform
4. Users can mirror the folders from their computers
5. You can convert the PDF records to Google Docs without using Adobe Acrobat
6. Quick file searching is possible
7. It’s safe to use Google Drive and keep data in it

Pros

• The storage space is high
• You can organise files per a defined hierarchy
• You can integrate it well with different Google project management tools

Cons

• You cannot assign or create tasks here
• It’s not possible to view the progress of your project
• The user interface may not be to your liking

3.      Gmail – Email Management for Communication Purposes

 

Using Gmail, one can access personal email channels and business email services. Parents can use Gmail to communicate with their students’ teachers and class instructors. Email organisation is quite easy, as the application comes with various folders in which information can be classified and presented. It comes in handy when one has to communicate quickly with project members and fellow students.

As per Demand Sage, estimated on 28^th October 2024, there are around 1.8 billion active Gmail users worldwide, which makes up 21.95% of the world’s population. In addition to quick communication, students can also send and receive media files, attachments, and Google Drive links to each other.

Prominent Features

With Gmail, users can communicate with each other quickly and in real time. Here is why Gmail is the top choice of a lot of users worldwide:

1. You can compose emails with several suggestions online
2. You can manage emails that don’t need immediate attention with the snooze feature
3. It offers phishing protection to the users
4. You can access the email account from anywhere with your Google account and an internet connection
5. It offers 7 GB of free storage space to the users
6. You can do safe browsing of all the emails
7. It can also handle large attachments and data files

Pros

• Gmail can be best used for formal communications
• You can share media and other files as attachments
• It can be integrated well with Meet and Chat

Cons

• The emails take up quite a lot of time
• You will not know the status of your email once you have sent it
• You can even lose some of the potential emails in the Spam folder

4.      Google Docs – Document Management and Processing

 

Google developed Docs as a tool for managing all the documents in the form of cloud-based storage. You can work with any device with this tool, and its super-fast synchronisation provides you with the flexibility to work offline. You can chat, edit and comment on different papers using this application. 6Sense reports that around 134,052 companies have already started using Google Docs as an efficient productivity tool in 2024.

Students’ parents can use Google Docs as a document manager and collaboration tool. This allows them to interrelate assignment planning with the kids and offer them help with the structure of assignments in a single frame. Both parties can edit the same document and make relevant changes in the outline at the same time.

Prominent Features

Google Docs has become the top choice of millions of students for crafting online papers. The notable characteristics of Google Docs are listed here:

1. A custom table of contents can help students organise the structure of long assignments
2. You can dictate the texts instead of typing, which saves time
3. Students can use different fonts in their papers
4. Offline editing is possible with Google Docs
5. You can improve the writing flow by using checklists and drop-down menus
6. The add-ons for grammar and citations can be integrated into the Google Docs
7. You can compare two different documents with each other to see similarities or differences

Pros

• Real-time collaboration is possible with Google Docs
• You can get a project roadmap using this tool
• The editing suite is quite intuitive

Cons

• It cannot be considered a dedicated project management solution to different problems.
• You can get access to the project tracking functions
• It must be integrated with other Google tools that are used for the management of academic assignments

5.      Google Chat – Instant and Real-Time Communication

Google developed this platform to solve all the digital miscommunication problems and issues in classrooms and online workspaces. As reported by Priori Data, 4.23 billion people around the globe will use messaging apps in 2024. It is very feasible for instant and real-time messaging and keeps you connected with the members of a team or large group. A parent can also individually communicate with the class instructor.

This application also lets students create spaces and organise multiple projects at once. It has read-receipt checking facilities, and the interactive conversations can also be hidden. The platform is safe and secure.

Prominent Features

Quick communication and collaboration with participants are possible with this application. Here is why Google Chat is a popular platform among parents and kids alike:

1. These Google spaces can be dedicated to specific teams or projects
2. The direct messages can be sent to vendors, clients or other collaborators
3. You can see when the recipient has read your message or is typing
4. Custom emojis can be used in chats
5. You can use smart replies to respond to a given message
6. There is a possibility to have threaded conversations within the Google Spaces
7. Students can share files and documents using Google Chat

Pros

• Available across different devices
• Simple interface for users
• Enables instant and quick messaging

Cons

• Search functions are inefficient
• Features are limited
• 3^rd party integrations cannot be supported

6.      Google Meet – Digital Meetings and Video Conferences

Sometimes, the instructions for writing academic assignments are not clear enough when communicated in emails or other written papers. On 29 August 2024, Statista reported that Google Meet had approximately 6.23 million downloads during the examined period. Among all the Google free tools for students, this one provides a video conferencing solution to all the users.

While working with a remote or hybrid team, you can hold meaningful meetings with your team members using Google Meet. As a parent, you can connect with your child’s instructors from anywhere and anytime. With a simple link, you can collaborate with all of your fellows and friends.

Prominent Features

You can connect quite quickly using this application. Want to explore why Google Meet is so famous among users? Well, here are the top reasons why:

1. You can host meetings with up to 100 people
2. It allows you to share the screen with several other users
3. You can record the meetings and use them later for transcription purposes
4. It’s possible to chat with other students during the meeting
5. The accessibility features such as spoken feedback, screen magnification and live captions can make your work easier
6. You can integrate it seamlessly with several other Google tools
7. The 1:1 call will be end-to-end encrypted and safe.

Pros

• You can integrate it with Chat, Slides, Gmail and Calendar
• The design is quite secure
• The video calls are frictionless and easy

Cons

• There is a need for live captioning to be improved
• The user interface is quite boring and uninventing
• The limit for participants is low

7.      Google Calendar – Scheduling and Planning Papers

 

Another highly used application among different Google free tools is Google Calendar. It is highly recommended for scheduling and planning projects like academic assignments. Using Google Calendar, one can also check the availability of other members and integrate this platform with Gmail, Google Meet, and other essential applications. Users can organise multiple projects on Google Calendar simultaneously.

Why do students and parents prefer using this platform? We live in a hectic world, and this platform provides us with effective ways to manage and organise our schedules. Interestingly, as per Impact Research.org, Google Calendar has 500 million active users monthly.

Prominent Features

It’s a breeze to manage the schedules and activities of daily assignments with the platform. Below are some of the prominent features of Google Calendar:

1. You can create a lot of calendars for different aspects of your assignments and manage them all with a single Google account
2. You can share the calendars with others
3. Colour coding the calendars is possible
4. The events can be added automatically added
5. The world clock feature tells people about each other’s time zones
6. You can use different keyboard shortcuts to access Google Calendar
7. You can add different locations for an event online

Pros

• Shared calendars for collaboration purposes
• Easy to handle and use
• It can be integrated with different project management applications

Cons

• Limited customisation and theme options
• Low number of search features
• Unsophisticated functionality about the management of tasks

8.      Google Slides – Presentation of Assignments

You probably would have made slides for a presentation to discuss in front of the entire classroom. Presentations are compulsory for meetings, representations of project plans, and discussions of different ideas with fellows. Google Slides offers users an interface with which students can work together in the form of a team. Acuity Training reports that over 7.2 million people have used Google Slides at some point to make presentations and slides for their academic projects.

Using this application, you can present your presentation to other people without any hassle and faster than ever. Creating online and offline presentations with this application is a breeze. Furthermore, parents and kids can collaborate to edit the presentation in real time.

Prominent Features

Presentations are part and parcel of everyday school activities for students. Some of the defining features of Google Slides are mentioned here:

1. You can add live notes and captions on the slides you make.
2. This tool has smart composing and auto-correction options.
3. All the changes are saved automatically.
4. You can easily add multimedia to your slides.
5. There are a lot of customisation options.
6. Using offline access, you can continue to edit the slides even without an internet connection.
7. You can give a 3D look to the fonts you use in the slides

Pros

• There are different sharing options
• A lot of permission levels
• Real-time collaboration with others

Cons

• Limited file formats for export
• Limited themes
• Fewer features of the diagrams

Is Google Assignments Free?

As reported by Google Help, there are no charges for using Assignments. It is a part of the Google Workspace used for the Education Fundamentals, and educational institutions can use it without any cost.

Basically, it is a kind of LMS (Learning Management Software) add-on that allows students to do the following activities:

• Draft and collect different academic assignments using Google Drive and Google Docs.
• Provide students with feedback.
• Share different kinds of course materials with students.
• Integrate Google Assignments with an LMS.

You can use Google Assignments in Browsers, and it also works best on tablets and computers. Previous and current releases of Safari and Firefox and the latest version of Google Chrome support it.

Conclusion

In this article, we have thoroughly analysed the workings of the top 8 assignment planning tools. Using these Google free tools, parents can compare their child’s homework with millions of papers available online. Students can even scan their work and strive for perfection using these applications.

However, online resources cannot replicate the custom help provided to students by professional assignment writing platforms in the UK. Their writers are well-versed in writing personalised academic papers in various writing styles, and hence, they can drive success home for students. Since all these tools are free and authentic to use, you should benefit from their availability. Both students and parents can use these applications alike to organise and plan their academic papers and assignments.

References

https://apploye.com/blog/google-tools-for-project-management/

https://support.google.com/edu/assignments/answer/9069281?hl=en#zippy=%2Cdoes-my-organization-need-google-workspace-for-education-to-use-assignments

https://explodingtopics.com/blog/google-searches-per-day

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1328893/global-file-sharing-market-share-by-vendor/

https://explodingtopics.com/blog/google-workspace-stats

Gmail Statistics 2024: Number of Users & Market Share

https://6sense.com/tech/productivity/google-docs-market-share

https://www.statista.com/statistics/248959/top-global-google-app-downloads-google-play/

Most Popular Messaging App Stats 2024

https://impactresearch.org/google-calendar-users/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=FRHnThDW.MO_nS9ZDKN76RYe.DQEpzxK58mVQchwVw8-1733222295-1.0.1.1-ZNtrKBzfwWLoRL2383nLCBzADOf2QtHlUy.1ltBwoGk

https://www.acuitytraining.co.uk/news-tips/powerpoint-statistics/

https://www.affordable-dissertation.co.uk/blog/2022/07/06/5-signs-that-indicate-you-need-help-in-assignment-writing/