Google Calendar Appointment Slots
(Revised for 2017!)

@LisaBerghoff/ @Joe_EdTech

We rang in 2016 with a Free Tech Tools post on Google Calendar. The funny thing is that while we hoped we would move to a Gmail platform at some point in the future, we didn't know that the future would be now! With so many of our colleagues converting over the holidays (digitally, not religiously), we thought it would be worth a repost on this very handy feature in Google Calendar.

Ever been frustrated about trying to schedule time with your students? With finals week just around the corner, many teachers are trying to figure out a way to have students sign up for appointments to present their work, have private feedback meetings, or set goals for next semester. This actually does not have to be complicated because Google Calendar has a feature called appointment slots.  This feature is only available for paid business or education Google accounts and it is very simple to use.  This is the link to the full instructions but here is the quick version:

All you need to do is sign in to your school Google account and open Google calendar.

You want to be looking at "week" or "day" view and then click anywhere on the calendar so that the event box opens up.

At the top of the box, you can click "Appointment slots."  Or, if you click edit event you can add more information.

To invite your students to book appointments with you, just share the link that can be found at the top of the event. You can this via email, Google classroom, post it on your website, or you can even make a QR code that your students can scan.

Here is what it will look like when they open the link:

There are clear instructions on the appointment page to the students explaining how to book and also how to cancel appointments so you won't be bothered with a barrage of emails from students asking to reschedule. On your end, it just looks like one event but you can tell that it's different because there is a grid symbol in the upper left-hand corner. 

If you learn better with video, here is a short lesson on Appointment Slots from Lynda.com:

Are you setting up meetings with students during finals? I'd love to hear what your plan is for that time. Feel free to post in the comments section and share what you are doing. 

Happy scheduling!