Google's Sharing Features

Google is updating the interface used when sharing files. Read more. 

Google file viewing options

When sharing a Google Doc, Sheet, etc. with others, the ending of the URL matters. Change from the "/" to the end of the URL to be...

/edit
Opens the file with your editing rights.

/copy
Forces users to "Make a Copy" of the file.

/view
Opens the file with View Only rights (unless you have editing rights to the file).

/preview
Opens the file in a preview, without the Google Editing navigation. This is a very "clean" way to view a file. This is a great way to preview a file that was shared with the "/copy" ending before making a copy of it.

For additional Google file tricks, see this site. 

Canvas's Google Cloud Assignment vs Google's Course Kit Assignment

Google files can be shared to view and also be assigned for students to edit their own copy then submit back through Canvas.

Viewing Files

If you only want students to view the file, like a copy of notes or a review answer key, you have a couple of options:

• Add to Modules List as "External Tool"

• Google Drive file
• Accesses only My Drive
• You have to manually change the file's share settings to "Anyone can View" or "Frisco ISD can View"
• Google Drive Course Kit file
• Accesses both My Drive and Share Drives
• Looks like you're adding an Assignment but you're really not
• It changes the share settings for you

• Add within a Page, Assignment, Discussion, Announcement, etc.

• Google Apps file
• Accesses only My Drive
• Manually change the file's share settings so "Anyone can View" or "Frisco ISD can View"
• You select to Embed or Link (hyperlink) the file
• Google Drive Course Kit file
• Accesses both My Drive and Share Drives
• Looks like you're adding an Assignment but you're really not
• It changes the share settings for you
• The file Embeds within the page

Assignments

If you want to use a Google file for students to edit and return as an assignment, there are 2 options:

1. Google Cloud Assignments
• Only accesses files in My Drive (not Shared Drives)
• When students open the file, it makes a copy in their own Google Drive that they then edit.
• When students submit, Canvas takes a PDF snapshot of the file for the submission. This means:
• no Version history
• no access to Draftback
• no Google's Originality Checker
• students still have the original doc and can edit
• If students make changes to the doc after it's submitted, you won't see the changes unless they resubmit an new PDF snapshot.
• Google Cloud Assignments can be added in a Blueprint and synced out to the Shell courses
• Can use Canvas Rubrics
• Grade through Canvas with the SpeedGrader
2. Google Course Kit Assignments
• Only accesses files in My Drive (not Shared Drives)
• More similar to Google Classroom
• When students open the file, it makes a copy in their own Google Drive that they then edit.
• When students submit, they are turning in the live document which means:
• you can view the Version history
• you can run Draftback on the file
• it includes Google's Originality Checker
• students lose editing rights upon submission
• Students can add multiple files to a single submission.
• If you return the file to students, they can then make changes and you can see the changes as they work.
• If students submit the same file again, it makes a copy of the original file for this submission. They have both copies in their Drive.
• Must be added to the assignment from the Shell course, not in Blueprint.
• Does NOT access Canvas rubrics; uses Google's rubrics
• Grade through Course Kit using Google's grading features 

For more, see this comparison chart.

Use Google Files Offline

Google Docs, Slides, & Sheets have had an offline mode for several years. Recently Google announced some coming changes to their offline access. Read more. 

Google's Team Drive to be renamed Share Drives

Not to be confused with the FISD S:\ (Share) Drive on our network, Google will soon be renaming their Team Drives as Share Drives. Read more. 

New TEAM DRIVE Roles

The new team drives roles are starting to out. We are on the rapid release schedule and requested the auto-migration so you will start seeing the changes starting October 15th. Here is the correlation between the new and old roles:

• “Full access” will now be known as “Manager.”
• “Edit access” will now be “Contributor.”
• “Comment access” will now be “Commenter.”
• “View access” will now be “Viewer.”
• There will also be a new role, “Content manager.” See below for more details. 

Users with the Content manager role will be able to edit, reorganize, and delete content in a Team Drive, but they won’t be able to modify Team Drive membership or settings. Content manager will replace “Full access” as the default role for new Team Drive members.

Read more.

Be More Productive in 2018 with Google Drive

None of us seem to have as much time as we need. Get back a little time and be more productive with Google Drive in 2018 by using these handy tips.
1. Save Images and Web Pages Directly to Google Drive
2. Quickly Access Your Files in Google Drive
3. Filter Your Searches
4. Take Advantage of Google Drive Templates
5. Attach Google Drive Files Quickly in Gmail (for personal Gmail, not FISD staff email)
Read more.

Drive File Sync: Access Google Files Offline

If you haven't already switched to Google's new Drive File Stream, you should. While you're at it, make this change to your Google settings so that if Google happens to ever go down, you'll still be able to access the files syncd to your computer! 

Google's new Drive File Stream (replacing Google Drive Sync)

Earlier this semester several teachers shared concern about articles they came across saying that "Google Drive was going away". I shared at the time that only Google Drive SYNC software was going away and Backup and Sync was the only replacement option at the time. 

Now Drive File Stream has also been released. If you're currently using Google's Drive Sync or Backup and Sync software, please take a minute to update to the new Drive File Stream before December.

To install or update:

• Visit www.google.com/drive/download
• Under Drive File Stream, select Get Started.

• Follow directions on the screen. Select to NOT sync anything from your computer to the cloud.

Google Drive Sync

Several people have recently run across articles stating that "Google Drive is going away". The old Google Drive Sync software is what's going away, or more accurately, being replaced by new software. Google Drive storage isn't going anywhere. 
Right now Backup and Sync by Google is the only functioning replacement. Later this month, Drive File Stream will also be available. I'll send out more information after we've had time to check it out and see which is the best option for FISD teachers and staff.

Google Drive: Team Drives

Several of you have noticed Google's new addition, Team Drives. 
This is great for sharing documents with a team of teachers or other staff. You can control of the level of rights for individuals added to your Team Drive. You cannot change the overall rights to a folder in a Team Drive or to the Drive itself (ex: "Anyone in FISD can view"). You can, however, still make those overall rights changes to individual files within a Team Drive. Read more here. 

MS Office: Save to Drive

For an easy way to save from MS Office (Word, PPT, Excel) directly to Google Drive, install this add-on. A "Google Drive" tab will install on the ribbon and it will ask to connect to your Drive account. 

Uploaded files will remain in their original format until you tell it to open in the Google equivalent.

Add to My Drive

Anytime you open a Google document, whether you have view only, comment or edit rights, it shows up on your Shared with me list in your Google Drive account. If you'd like to have the file moved to your My Drive list for easy access later, click the little drive icon at the end of the file's name at the top of the document. You can then organize it into your folder system within your Google: My Drive. 

Google Drive: 8 Fantastic Ways to Find Anything

Shake Up Learning's Kasey Bell recently published a post titled Google Tricks & Tips: 8 Fantastic Ways to Find Anything in Google Drive. Her tips include:

• Search Google Drive by Keyword or Name
• Search Google Drive by File Type
• Search Google Drive by Date Modified
• Search Google Drive for Words the Item Contains
• Search by Owner
• Search Google Drive by "Shared with"
• Search Google Drive by "Located in"
• Search Google Drive for Exact Phrase

For more on these suggestions, check out her post. 

Google Drive: 4 Things You Can Do Right Now to Get Organized

The Gooru posted an article titled 4 Things You Can Do Right Now to Create a Perfectly Organized Google Drive. Tips include:

• Use Folders
• Use Colors
• Use Naming Conventions
• Shared with You to My Drive

Read more

Google Docs: Voice Typing

Voice typing is now a built-in feature for Google Docs. This is fabulous news for slower typers. You just need a microphone (built in, mic'd headset, AVer doc cam, etc). Say punctuation (ex: "how are you question mark") for it to be included. 

For help and tips, check out Google's Type with Your Voice help.

10 Google Tips Every Teacher Should Know

DitchThatTextbook.com put together a list of 10 Google Tips Every Teacher Should Know. The one I use the most often is #1 The Power of Searching and the one I think is the coolest is #10 Voice Typing. Check out the list and see which tip is your favorite!

Library/Tech Exbooo Resources

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it by the Library/Tech Exbooo on Friday. Please click here for the information that was shared at the stations: (1) Learning Hub, (2) Google Apps, (3) Digital Citizenship, (4) Google Classroom

As always, please let Penney Matos and Tammy Turner know if there's anything we can do to help support you and your classes!

  

55 Google Tips to make this school year yours

Check out these 55 Google Tips to make this school year yours.

6 Updates to Google Classroom

For teachers who use Google docs with students for assignments on a regular basis, Google Classroom can be a wonderful tool. It also can be linked from your Student Learning Hub site.

Here are a few recent updates to Google Classroom:

Read the article here