Use Google+ Hangouts for Teaching

Google+ Hangouts are proving to be a proficient platform for teaching and communicating in real time with others. If you're someone who creates instructional content online, you may want to consider using the platform for your next project.

Below, how to record your hangouts for future viewing, how one user used the platform to create a helpline, and how one foodie turned it into a real time, interactive cooking school.

Record Google+ Hangouts

If you want to share your Google+ hangouts, the first thing you need to do is figure out a good way to record them. Instructor +Jeff Lebow uses Google+ hangouts to host a weekly "EduMOOCast" to discuss the state of education and online learning.

In this video, +Jeff Lebow shows you how he streams and records Google+ hangouts, and he's also provided an excellent how-to article with screenshots detailing the steps. You can stream Google+ hangouts to webcasting services like Ustream.tv or Justin.tv. You will need a few software programs for screen capture and recording, but most of them are free or relatively inexpensive.

Start a Help Line

+Jared Polin, of FroKnowsPhoto (check out the 'fro!), is a talented photographer who uses the web to share tutorials and tips on his craft. While using Google+, he decided to use the hangout feature as a help line of sorts.

At the beginning, he established a few ground rules to make the experience run more smoothly. Participants were asked to introduce themselves, and they were also asked to mute their audio when someone else was speaking, so as not to interrupt the flow of the hangout.

Be Your Own Classroom

Foodie +Lee Allison didn't know what he created when he decided to start his own G+ Cooking School with Google+ hangouts. His idea was to turn making dinner—normally a boring chore—into a social event. As you can see, his recipes aren't your run-of-the-mill burgers and fries, but gourmet fare like handmade margherita pizzas and ice cream. In this hangout, there's a guest appearance by Google+ music star +Daria Musk. Musk became web-famous after hosting the very first Google+ hangout concert.

Not only did +Lee Allison's G+ Cooking School get linked to by +Guy Kawasaki, there was also coverage on the New York Times Technology blog.