Google Suite for Education and China

[helloiswill]

During my first two years teaching, I have built a strong understanding and facility with the Google apps available with G suite for Education. It is looking more and more a possibility that I will be in China next year and I am wondering how that will impact my ability to use Google Classroom, forms, sheets, etc. Are these resources completely unavailable to IS's in China or do schools take advantage of workarounds?

[Helen Back]

It is going to be unstable and unreliable and will require the school and every student to have a VPN. Google just does not work at all well in China. I would think of a plan B.

[eion_padraig]

Many (most?) IS in China have a VPN to Hong Kong so they can access websites outside of China easily. However, since Google stuff doesn't work without a VPN, it's of less use here. Teachers tend to find alternatives. Our school is big into using Office 365, which has some programs that approach options that are available for Google. I think most teachers would use Google Suite in a heartbeat if not for the GFW.

[PsyGuy]

It will greatly depend on your IS, the upper tier ISs, especially the expat heavy ISs usually have a strong VPN to HK, where Google education works fine. However, be prepared for a diminished and sometimes frustrating experience. If all you want to do is use sheets, docs, and slides for deliverables you should be okay. When you start doing interactive classroom with everyone on at the same time,engaged in real time activities, thats when you will have problems. If you try to do that you are going to need to have a constant plan B. You wont be able to use Google Classroom for organization and management.
As you hit tier 3 ISs youre not going to have the type of VPN access you would need to be productive with Google suite assuming you have it at all.

Office 365 and iWork are alternatives depending on your ISs platform.

[Overhere]

I work at one of those upper Tier schools with a strong VPN linked to HK and I wouldn't recommend using Google for anything you want to share with your students outside of school. There is no guarantee they will have a VPN at home and in the end it is just an exercise in frustration.