The remaining pages of this guide will assist you with working with documents in Google Docs. Let s get started

Transcription

1 Google Docs is a free, on-line set of productivity tools (word processor, spreadsheet, presentation/slideshow, online forms) which provides collaboration and publication options to anyone with a Gmail account. It allows you to create and edit documents while collaborating online in real-time with other users. Peer editing of student documents and sharing of editing responsibilities are just a few of the many exciting and beneficial ways Google Docs can be used in the classroom. This guide will assist you with using Google Docs, provided to you with your student Gmail account. Features Work on files anywhere, anytime Upload existing documents or create documents from scratch using the online editor Invite others to edit and/or view your documents Get quick feedback from multiple people Make the full writing process visible View your documents' revision history and roll back to any version Publish documents online to the public, as Web pages. Download documents to your desktop as Word or PDF files. Educational Advantages Helps to promote writing as a process with group work, and peer editing skills Easily share and publish work Monitor class work easily from any computer with Internet access Leave comments and suggestions at any point in the assignment Use Revisions History to see who has contributed what and when (students and/or teachers) Gives students an authentic audience for their work Improves students attitudes toward writing and revision. The remaining pages of this guide will assist you with working with documents in Google Docs. Let s get started 1

2 Login to Your Student Gmail Account 1. Login to the ODS Students Website at: 2. Click Student Login to your student Gmail account. 4. Click the Documents link above the Student Gmail logo at the top left corner of the window. 5. A new Documents window appears as shown below. 6. You may choose to create a New Document by clicking New, then selecting the type of document you wish to create. Or, you may choose to upload an existing MS Word, MS Excel or MS PowerPoint document to your Google Docs account. 2

3 7. The types and sizes of the files you may upload to Google Docs are described below. 8. You may upload documents by clicking the Upload button on the Google Docs Toolbar. Click Upload File. 9. Browse to select the document you wish to upload. Click the Upload File button. 10. Once you have either created a new document or uploaded an existing document, you have access to the Google Docs editing tools and menus to edit the document. Depending on the type of document you create or upload, the various tools available will differ. 3

4 Editing Documents in Google Docs 1. After uploading a document, the document appears in the Google Docs Editing Window as shown below. 2. Use the Editing Toolbar Menus and Buttons to edit the document, similarly to editing in MS Office applications. 3. You may also use any of the hidden commands under each Menu (File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Table, Tools and Help) to modify the document. You may insert tables, headers/footers, horizontal lines, hyperlinks, images, etc. You also have a Word Count and Spell Check feature, similar to MS Word. Note: The tools and commands will be slightly different depending on the type of document you are working with (Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Presentation or Form). 4. Using the Insert Comments command is a great way of inserting notes alongside your regular document content. People added as viewers and as editors/collaborators will be able to see any comments. Each comment is automatically stamped with the username and the date. If you publish your document as a web page or print it, the comments will not appear. 5. There are many other editing features you will want to experiment with in Google Docs. Most are very basic features similar to MS Office. 6. To save any editing changes to the document, click the Save icon, the Save button or choose Save from the File Menu. 7. To save a local copy of a document, you can download it to your computer. To do this, open your document, click the File menu and point your mouse to the Download file as option. You'll see these file types: HTML, RTF, Word, Open Office, PDF, and plain text. Select a file type and click OK in the browser window that appears. 4

5 Sharing & Collaborating with Documents in Google Docs There are several ways to share a Google Docs file with others to view and/or to invite others to collaborate with you. If the person with whom you are sharing a document does not have a Google Docs account, they can view the file. If they do have an account, you can choose to allow them to edit it or view it. 1. To share a document with others place a checkmark beside the file you wish to share. Then, click the Share Button as shown below. Choose Invite people To share a document with others to View Only, choose the To View radio button. To share a document with others to edit and collaborate with you on, choose the To Edit radio button. Add addresses for those you wish to share with and provide an invitation message as shown below. Click the Send button. 5

6 3. If you are sending/sharing the document with addresses outside of the ODS Student Domain you may see a message similar to the following. Click Yes. 4. A confirmation box appears indicating the has been sent as well as the type of access each person has. 5. The person(s) with whom you have shared the document will receive an with a link and message similar to the one shown below. They will have access to the document to either View or Edit, depending on the access you granted. 6

7 6. By clicking on the link in the , the user will be taken to the View of the document on the web, they will then be able to login to their Google Account if they wish to edit the document, and have been given editing rights. 7. Anyone that has been given Editing Rights and is therefore a collaborator may make any edits/modifications to the document they deem necessary. Each modification or change is saved as a Revision. The owner of the document can then revert back to any previous revision at any time. You may access revisions from the File Menu > Revision History Command. Choose which revision you wish to revert back to. The Last Edited Date displays in this view as well as the specific changes that were made. 8. Use Insert Comments and/or the Revision History during peer or teacher evaluations to provide feedback, or view peer feedback, and view response to feedback. To add a comment to a document, Place your cursor where you'd like your comment to appear. Click the Insert drop-down menu. Select the Comment command. Type your comment in the comment field. Each comment is automatically stamped with your username and the date. To print your comments, go to Print settings in the File menu and you'll see a box called Include comments. This box will be checked by default. 9. Use the Tools menu and choose Word Count Command to provide feedback on the sophistication of a document by calculating its complexity in terms of sentence length and the number of syllables in the words used. 7

8 Publishing and Printing Documents in Google Docs Once you're done creating and editing your document, you can publish it to a webpage. Just click the Share drop-down menu on the top right and choose Publish as webpage. Then, click Publish now. You can send your document's web address to your friends, colleagues, and family, and they can enter it in their browser address bar to view your document. If you wish to print your document, you can print it from the File Menu, Print command. Working with Other Applications in Google Docs Most of the Google Docs features are very similar from application to application. With Google Docs Spreadsheets, you can easily create, share, and edit spreadsheets online. Here are a few specific things you can do: Import and export these file types:.xls,.csv,.txt and.ods. You can also export data to a PDF or an HTML file. Format your cells and edit formulas so you can calculate results and make your data look the way you want it. Chat in real time with others who are editing your spreadsheet. Embed a spreadsheet, or a section of a spreadsheet, in your blog or website. With Google Docs Presentations, you can easily create, share, and edit online presentations. Here are some things you can do with Google presentations: Import presentations in.ppt and.pps file types and export your online presentations. Insert images and videos, and format your slides as you want. Allow simultaneous real-time viewing of presentations, online, from remote locations. Publish and embed your presentations in a website for the world to view. Go ahead and get started! Experiment more with Google Docs available to you through your ODS Student Gmail account! 8