Google Drive. Lesson Planet

Transcription

1 Google Drive Lesson Planet

2 Introduction Trying to stay up to speed with the latest technology can be exhausting. Luckily this book is here to help, taking you step by step through using Google Drive; an online storage system available to anyone with a free Google account. This book will not only teach you how to use the different features of this resource, but will help you to gain a vision for ways this tool can be used, and offer tips for integrating it into your classroom. Supporting you through this process are lesson plans, articles, a note-taking guide, and other resources pertaining to Google Drive, which can all be found under the materials tab of this course. You can even earn a certificate of completion by taking the end of course assessment. if you are unsure whether or not they have already set up an account for you. To create a new account simply visit and fill in the required information. It is also recommended that as you read through this book, you follow along using the Google Chrome web browser, which can be downloaded for free at The content in this book as been organized into a series of short chapters, allowing you to more easily locate specific information. Please don t hesitate to skip around and focus on the material that is most relevant to you. To make the most of this course, you will need a free Google account and a computer with an Internet connection. Check with your school or district s IT department PD Learning Network i

3 1 Signing In Getting started with Google Drive couldn t be easier. All you need is a Google address, password, and an Internet connection. Creating a New Google Account If you do not already have a Google account, no problem! Just visit to get one started. It s recommended that if you already have a Google address for personal use, that you create a separate account for your professional life. This helps to protect your personal information and privacy, which is always something to consider when working online. PD Learning Network

4 Signing into Google Once you have an account setup, visit and click the blue Sign in button in the upper-right corner of the screen. When prompted enter your e- mail address and password, and once again press the blue Sign in button. After successfully logging in, you should see your e- mail address listed in the upper-right corner of the screen. To the left of this is the Apps icon which provides you with access to other Google services, including Drive. Click on the green, yellow, and blue Drive icon to open this app. Drive will now open in a separate window, providing you with access to all of the files stored within your Google account. It is recommended that you log out of your Google account whenever you are not using it so that others, including students, don t have easy access to your files. If after following these steps you are still having trouble accessing your school or district created account, contact your IT department for assistance. Opening Google Drive 3

5 2 Drive Overview Google Drive is the online storage location for all of the files in your Google account. This includes files that have been shared with you by others, as well as the documents, spreadsheets, and presentations that you have created yourself. How Google Drive Works On traditional computers your files are stored directly on the hard drive of the device itself; however, with Drive your files are stored remotely on Google s computers. This allows you to access them on any computer, tablet, or smartphone with an Internet connection. Another big difference is that Drive automatically backs up your work as you go, meaning that you don t have to remember to stop and save the changes that you make to a file. In addition to storing files created using Google s collection of apps (i.e. Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.), Drive also allows you to store and open other file types, including: Images PDFs Microsoft Office files And many more Be sure to check out Appendix B for a complete list of files that can be opened in Google Drive. The Organization of Google Drive Grid View By default, the first time you open Drive your files will be displayed in Grid view. Across the top of the screen you will see a list of any folders that you have within your account, which are indicated by gray icons. Beneath the folders, in the center of the screen, are all of your files. The colored 4

6 icons associated with each file indicate its type: Blue - documents Green - spreadsheets Orange - presentations Red - images, drawings, and movies This color-coding system allows you to easily find the files you are looking for. List View If you prefer your files to be organized as a list you can simply click the List view icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. By selecting Activity you will see when the file was last edited and by whom. Choosing Details will display a list of other information, including: The file type The size of the file The file s location The person who created the file When the file was last changed When the file was created This allows you to view more files on a single screen, while also providing the following information about each file: The owner of the file The date/time the file was last modified The size of the file File Details To see additional information about files click the View details icon in the upperright corner. A new pane will appear along the right side of the screen with two categories listed at the top: Details and Activity. 5

7 To close the Details pane simply click the X located in the upper-right corner. Sorting Files Google Drive offers multiple ways to sort your files, which can be seen by clicking the Sort options icon located in the upper-right corner. Here you will see the options to sort files by: Last modified Last edited by me Last opened by me Name Search Feature Lastly, be sure to take advantage of the search bar found across the top of the screen. This tool allows you to quickly locate files by typing in the name or a portion of the text contained within them. 6

8 3 Incoming, Recent, and Starred In addition to the options covered in the previous chapter, Google offers other ways to view files, which can be seen listed along the left side of the screen. It s important to note that these are the same files as before, just organized in slightly different ways. My Drive This first option allows you view a list of all of the files within your Google account, which appear in the middle of the screen. list that stays visible no matter how far down the page you scroll. Pressing the triangle a second time closes the list. Notice that the phrase My Drive also appears near the top of the screen on the left side. Clicking here expands a menu with the following options: New folder Upload files Upload folders New file Clicking the small triangle next to the words My Drive opens a list of any folders you may have created. These are the same folders that you can see displayed across the top of the screen, just organized as a 7

9 Incoming Selecting this option will display all of the files and folders that other people have created and shared with you. Recent Files and folders in this section are the same as the ones in My Drive, only organized by when they were last accessed. Starred These are files that you have starred as important, making them easy to find in your Drive account. Trash This is where you can access any files and folders that you have deleted. These will remain in the trash until you select a file and click on the words Delete forever in the upper-right corner of the screen. If you mistakenly put a file in the trash simply choose the file and click the Restore button, located in the upper-right corner of the screen. You can also clear the entire contents of the trash by selecting the word Trash along the top of screen and clicking Empty trash. 8

10 4 New Files & Folders Google Drive allows you to create files and folders by clicking the red New button located in the upper-left corner of the screen. Doing this displays a list of the following options: Create a new folder Upload a file or folder Create new documents, spreadsheets, or presentations Create files using third -party apps Uploading a File From Your Computer Uploading files into Drive allows you to access and work on files using different computers, tablets, or smartphones. For example, you may have a Microsoft Word file that you would like to upload, store, and edit within Google Drive. To do this: 1. Click the red button labeled New 2. Select File upload 3. Locate the desired file and click Choose 9

11 You can also simply drag and drop the file from you computer into the Google Drive browser window. In the lower-right corner the phrase Uploads Completed will appear with the letter W displayed next to the file name, indicating that your Microsoft Word file has been converted into a Google Doc. This allows you to work on the file while in Drive. 10

12 5 More Actions When you select a file in Google Drive a list of additional icons will appear in the upper-right corner of the screen. Get Link This may seem like a strange option, but each file in Drive is assigned a specific website address. Selecting the Get link icon allows you to copy this URL and post it so others can view the file. Remove To delete a file and send it to the trash simply select the file and click this icon. More Actions Choosing the icon of three stack circles will display a list of additional options. Share The next icon to the right allows you to share a file by entering the addresses of others. To learn more about this feature read the chapter titled Sharing & Permissions. Preview Choosing this option allows you to quickly view files while in Drive, and is covered in greater detail in the following chapter. Move to This choice gives you the ability to move files into folders, or create a new folder to place files in. 11

13 Make a copy This option can be very useful if you want to use an existing file as a template. For example, you may have an assignment that you are using with one class, but need to make some changes to before using it with a second group of students. Simply make a copy of the file, rename it, and you are ready to go. Download To place a copy of a file directly on the hard drive of your computer, choose the Download option. This is particularly handy if you need to open a file using a specific program. Note that whenever you download a file, Google Drive automatically scans it for viruses, helping to ensure the safety of your computer. 12

14 6 Preview Drive offers a preview mode that allows you to quickly view any file in your account without having to open it. Entering Preview Mode To enter preview mode simply double click on a file within Drive. You can now see the contents of the file, but you are not able to edit or make any changes to it. Please note that if the file was created using one of Google s apps (i.e. Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) it will automatically open in that app, and will not be displayed in preview mode. To view these files in pre- 13

15 view mode, click on the Preview icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. Preview Mode Menu After entering preview mode you will notice a that a black menu bar appears across the top of the screen. On the far left you will see the name of the file, and in the middle of the menu bar are the following icons: Open with a connected app Print Share Download More actions In the upper-right corner, these additional options are available: Zoom in/out Details Pop-out into a separate window Close Located on the right and left side of the screen are arrows that allow you to quickly move from one file to the next without leaving preview mode. 14

16 7 Apps Drive offers access to several other apps created by Google and other companies that allow you to create and work on different types of files. Connecting Apps to Drive To explore the different apps that are available: 1. Press the red button labeled New 2. Scroll down and select More 3. Choose Connect more apps A new window will appear displaying a collection of apps, some of which are designed specifically for educators, while others serve more general purposes. To narrow down the results select the word All in the upper-left corner and choose Education. 15

17 You can also use the search bar in the upper-right corner to find apps based on keywords relating to your needs. Click on any app that seems interesting to view additional information about it, including: A general overview Screenshots and videos User ratings and reviews the upper-left corner to return to the list of apps. Opening Apps in Drive After connecting an app to Drive, it can be opened by: 1. Pressing the red New button 2. Clicking More 3. Choosing the app from the list The first time you open an app, you will be asked to give it permission to access your files, simply press Accept. The app will now open in a new window. Each app is a little bit different and offers its own set of options and features, but most will save your work directly to Google Drive. This helps to keep your files all in one location. In the upper-right corner of the Drive window is the Apps icon, which displays a different set of products that can be used outside of Drive If the app seems like something you would like to use, click the blue Connect button located in the upper-right corner of the window. If not, press the left-facing arrow in Feel free to try out different apps. You can always remove an app if you don t end up finding it useful. This is covered in the next chapter Settings. 16

18 8 Settings A set of additional options allow you to adjust Google Drive to meet your needs. These are accessed by clicking on the gear icon located in the upper-right corner and selecting Settings. A new window will appear with two categories listed along the left side: General and Manage Apps. General Settings Under the general settings are the following options: Convert uploads automatically changes any file you upload into a Google Doc format so it can be opened and edited in Drive Language allows you to change the preferred language used by Google apps Offline allows you to create offline versions of files on your computer so they can be worked on at any time Density adjusts how many files are visible on a single screen 17

19 Managing Apps Opening this set of options will display a list of all the apps associated with your Google Drive account. It s important to point out that removing an app may result in you not being able to open files that were created by that app. At the top of the window in blue font is the option to Connect more apps, which will take to you the list of apps that you looked through in the previous chapter. You can also remove an app from your Drive account by clicking Options and selecting Disconnect from Drive. It s important to point out that removing an app may result in you not being able to open files that were created by that app. Also, note that Google s collect of apps cannot be disconnected from Drive. These apps are Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Drawings. 18

20 9 Offline While Google Drive does require an Internet connection to fully function, it also allows you to work on files while offline. Taking advantage of this feature requires a little foresight, but it really adds to the usefulness of the resource. Making Files Available Offline Drive offers a way to download a copy of your Google docs, sheets, slides, and drawings so you can work on them when you don t have an Internet connection. Other files like Google forms, PDFs, and images can be viewed offline, but cannot be edited. Before going any further, it is important to point out that you must be using the Google Chrome web browser in order to use this feature, which can be downloaded for free at To make files available offline: 1. While in Drive click on the Settings icon in the upper-right corner 2. Select the word Settings 3. Check the box that appears next to the word Offline 4. Click Done in the upper-right corner of the window You can now go ahead and begin working on files offline, and the next time your computer is connected to the Internet, it will automatically update the files in your Drive account. Downloading the Google Drive Program Google offers an additional way to work on files offline by installing the Drive program onto your computer. This program creates a Google Drive folder directly on your computer where a copy of all your Drive files are automatically saved. To download this program visit 19

21 press the blue Download Drive button and choose your device from the list that appears. For more information about this app, be sure to check out the EdTech Tuesday video located at -development/courses/ed-tech-google-dri ve 20

22 10 Folders Using folders is a great way to organize the files in your Google Drive account, Creating a New Folder Making a new folder in Drive couldn t be simpler, just: 1. Select the red New button in the upper-left corner 2. Choose Folder, which is the first option listed 3. Enter a name for your folder (e.g. Science, Math, etc.) 4. Finally click Create Your new folder will now appear at the top of the screen if your files are sorted by Last modified. If you don t see your folder, you can locate it by entering its name into the search bar at the top of the Drive webpage. Adding Files to a Folder Now that you have created a new folder, it s time to add some files to it, and there are two ways this can be done. First, you can press the small triangle next to the words My Drive on the far left side of the screen to display a list of your folders. Then simply click-and-drag files from the middle of the screen into the folder you wish to move them to. The second method is to select a file, click the More actions icon in the upper-right corner, and choose Move to. Then simply select the desired folder and press the blue Move button located at the bottom of the window. 21

23 Tips for Organizing Files and Folders Color-Coding Folders Google offers the option of assigning specific colors to different folders, making it easier to find the files you are looking for. To change the color of a folder: 1. Right click on the folder you are interested in 2. Choose the Change color option 3. Make a selection from colors that appear Note that this works with folders only, meaning you are not able to change the color of files. Starring Files and Folders Another helpful way to quickly locate files and folders is to use the star feature, which allows you to mark them as important. To do this: All files and folders that you have starred can be found by clicking on the word Starred listed on the far left side of the screen. 1. Choose the file or folder you wish to start 2. Click on the More actions icon in the upper-right corner 3. Select the Add star option 22

24 11 Sharing & Permissions One of the most powerful features of Google Drive is the ability to share and collaborate on files with others. Sharing Files Google Drive offers two different methods for sharing files, which can both be accesses by choosing a file and selecting the Share icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. People The other way to share files is by entering the addresses of your collaborators, typing in a short message, and sending them an invitation directly through Google Drive. Link Sharing Each file in your Google Drive account is assigned a website address where it can be located. This first approach to file sharing involves copying this link and sending it to others in an , or posting it on a blog, website, or social media platform. 23

25 The advantage of this approach is that you have the ability to control how other people interact with the file using the permission options seen to the right of the addresses you enter. Setting Permissions Three different levels of permission can be granted to those with whom you share a file. 1. Can edit gives your collaborators the power to view, edit, and comment on a file, as well as share the file with others 2. Can comment limits others to just viewing and commenting on a given file 3. Can view is the strictest of the permissions, allowing people to only view the file changed by: 1. Selecting the file 2. Clicking the Share icon in the upper-right corner 3. Pressing the Advanced button in the lower-right corner. A window will appear listing the names of people who are shared on the file. You can change the permissions to the right of each name, or even remove them from the file altogether by clicking the X on the far right. It s important to note that no matter what permissions you choose, anyone you share a file with has the ability to make a copy of it. Changing Permissions At any point the permissions associated with a given file can be 24

26 Appendix A Introduction Google Account Signup Page Google Chrome Page Chapter 1 Google Drive Download Page Google Drive App EdTech Tuesday -development/courses/ed-tech-google-dri ve Google Account Signup Page Google Homepage Chapter 9 Google Chrome Page 25

27 Appendix B Chapter 3 List of Files Types Compatible with Google Drive 26

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29 Credits Rich Dixon (author) Director of Professional Learning - Lesson Planet MA- TESOL Multiple Subject Teaching Credential CLAD Certification Jennifer Gibson (author) Director of Content & Learning - Lesson Planet MA- Teaching and Technology Multiple Subject Teaching Credential Adapted to ebook by: Jason Hunter (editor) M. Education Multiple Subject Teaching Credential Karen Amling (editor) Based on the original EdTech Professional Development video course: 28