Going further with Google Docs

Now that I have Flashback express installed onto my computer, I can add video clips more easily!  Today's blog is a video sharing of using Google Docs to create a sketch.  This will be elaborated on in the Sandbox session on Monday, Dec 3 after school.  Sandbox sessions are meant to be a time to explore and learn more about G Suite programs.  If you want to learn more about any of the Google Apps for Education suite (Read&Write for Chrome, Google Slides, Docs, or Classroom), the Sandbox session is a forum to explore and ask questions.

Here are some of the features that are integrated into Google Docs:

As a blog is meant to be a conversation, feel free to comment and add your ideas and questions for future exploration!

Finding things

On a tangent of November's theme of Remembrance, it's easy to forget where we saved our files, especially as we get older.  Fortunately, computers have some shortcut keys to help us find documents.  First and foremost is the shortcut key, Ctrl-F

Holding these 2 keys down when browsing a web page will help you find any given word that you're looking for.  Other shortcut keys like Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V for copying and pasting you may be familiar with.  Here's a glimpse of other shortcuts available for our use.

When looking for a file on your computer (H: drive), there's the search box that you can type the file name or a fragment of the filename:

If the file is found on Google Drive, advanced search will find all files that contain words embedded into the document!

Click on the triangle in the search box for this drop-down to appear.

 A more thorough explanation of searching drive is found at this YouTube clip.

Now, if only it would be this easy to find my keys!

Printing & chromebooks

Chromebooks have a few advantages over laptops.  They are less expensive and faster to log in (15 seconds rather than 2+ minutes).  They hold a longer charge (7 hours).  Click on the hyperlink for a summary comparing the two options: chromebooks vs. laptops.

There are some disadvantages too.  At this point, you cannot print directly from a Chromebook but there are some ways to get work printed.  This process involves sharing on Google Drive (the cloud).

If students have a finished work that they want to get printed from a Google Doc or Slide presentation, they can "Share" it with the teacher who will likely be logged into a desktop computer on the network with computer access.  The "Share" button is usually located in the top right corner.

Clicking on the "Share" button brings in the pop-up "Share with others" to give the students the option to send or share it with the teacher by typing in the teacher's Google account (...@sd28.org).

The teacher, when logged into the Google account (see video link), can then check the Google Drive and Shared with Me folder to find the handed in work:

Any work that has been shared from others should appear in the Google Drive "Shared with me" folder sorted by most recent submission.  You will be able to print to connected printers on the network.

Here are is a hyperlink to Chromebook shortcut keys to help make navigating the touch pad a little easier.