Create  - support center

  1. Go to http://docs.google.com
  2. Sign in and enter account info.
  3. Click New -> Document and you have your first blank Google Doc. If you have a Word doc you want to import, click Upload instead.
  4. Start Typing or explore (roll mouse over) each of the text editing icons to see what they do. Docs will auto-save or you can save and close.
  5. Click the INSERT tab to access additional editing and importing tools.
    • Inserting an image: save an image on your computer
    • Insert menu-> navigate to image -> (do not select a size)
      Click on more image options> note text wrap
    • After the image is in your doc, you have three position options
    • **You can also drag and drop images from Internet sites
    • Insert a link: select text that you want to link
    • URL: link to a Web site - Document: link to a google doc (not one on your computer) - BookmarkLink to a place within you document
    • Open link in a new window - turn it on
      • Bookmarking:Create by select the text or image you want to bookmark -> Insert bookmark = use one word for a bookmark name
      • to link to a bookmark -> select the text you want to link to the bookmark -> Insert Link -> select bookmark -> use drop-down menu to select bookmark
    • Insert a comment: Put your cursor where you want the comment to appear-> Insert -> Comment -> start typing 
      • to delete, click on the comment and select delete from pop-up menu
      • More on comments in Sharing section below*
    • NEW Now you can upload any type of file,e.g., images, videos, documents click here to learn more 
    • Bulk upload -Upload multiple files quickly to your Docs list. Learn more 
    • Translate document - You can now translate an entire document into over 40 languages. Learn more
    • Add a table of contents to your documents
      Use the heading styles to title sections of your document (from the format menu, select Minor Heading, Sub-Heading, Heading). Then add a table of contents that will refer to those titled sections (from the Insert menu, select Table of contents). Learn more.
  6. New Drawing Editor
    • Drawing editor to create and publish images using a basic set of drawing tools. The "drawing" we're talking about here looks to be more business than creative (think less image editing, more Microsoft Visio - graphic organizer). Again, the Drawing editor is collaborative (up to 50 users can edit simultaneously), and images created with the Drawing editor can be downloaded in most standard formats (PNG, JPG, SVG, and PDF). The Drawing editor only works with Firefox, Safari, and Chrome
    • Access by clicking on the Create New drop-down menu
  7. Templates
    • There are templates created for teachers and students video tutorial
      • From your Docs list, click the Browse template gallery link or select New > From template...
      • Browse templates by category. You can sort templates by popularity or rating, and by category or type of doc. If you'd like to return to an unfiltered view of the gallery after sorting templates, simply click All templates or All categories.
        • there are three templates that allow you to create flashcards, word searches and a word study game
        • there are templates for creating bibliographies in APA. MLA, AMA and Chicago Style
      • You can use the template gallery to create your document, spreadsheet, presentation, or form. Whether you need a resume and cover letter, an invoice, a birthday card, or any of a wide variety of templates, our gallery can help you get your doc started
viii. Cloud Connect: Sync Office Docs with Google Docs
    • Google has  launched  a service for syncing your Microsoft documents to your Google Docs account. They're calling the service Cloud Connect and now it's open to all Windows users. Cloud Connect allows you to save your MS documents online, share them with others, and track changes to your documents online. Cloud Connect can be used on Windows XP, Vista, and 7 computers. Cloud Connect supports Office 2003, 2007, and 2010. http://tools.google.com/dlpage/cloudconnect
    • Sharing: Not only can you share documents, you can also collaborate on them in real or asynchronous time. video

  1. New filters for locating files by file type and file content. The best part of the new file list interface is the sidebar preview. Now when you click on file in your list you can see a small preview of it before opening it. If the file you select in your list is a video, the video can be played within the file list interface.
  1. Web Clipboard Chrome Extension. The Web Clipboard Extension allows you to highlight text on any webpage, right click on it, and send it to your Google Docs account where you can save it and use it in your documents, presentations, and forms.
  2. Explore provides for Google Docs users. You can use Explore to access related content, insert an image in a doc , and conduct search within your docs and across the web. To launch Explore, open a document and click on Explore at the bottom right.

1- Access suggested content
As you type in content in your document, Explore will display a panel with suggested content that can help you with the writing of your document. This content includes:
Topics:
This tab features a number of suggested topics related to the content of your document. To access any topic click on its title.
Images: 
The tab provides you with a set of images related to your content which you can add to your document. Added images come with a footnote at the bottom of the document.

Related research: 
In this section you will be able to view research directly related to the topic of your document.

2- Conduct quick searches within your document
Another excellent feature from Explore is the ability for document editors to quickly search their documents. They can type a search query in the search bar and choose whether they want to search their Drive or the entire web.
  1. Collaborating - Collaborative Revision with Google Docs.pdf  
        1. Teaching Revision with Google Docs.pdf
        2. Student checklist
    • Simultaneously: limited to 50 people at a time
    • Types of Sharing
    • Share Document Page: click the share button
      • Type in email addresses for the folks you want to share with (separate multiple addresses with commas)
      • You can invite up to 200 people but only 10 at a time can look at a document.
      • When you've invited someone to work with you on a document, Google automatically adds it to the doc list on her Docs Home page 
    • Shared folders Now you can simultaneously share a group of docs with your friends, coworkers, or family, by sharing an entire folder with them. Learn more
    • *Comments: Good for collaboration
      • Comment Color: click on comment and select a color
      • It's helpful to assign each person a color
      • Comments do not appear in the printed document
    • Remove a Collaborator:
      • Share button-> Share with others -> at the collaborators' list -> find the person's name -> click on the X next to name
    • Teaching Revision with Google Docs.pdf
  1. Collaborative Fiction
  2. Collaborative Debates
History: Google saves your doc automatically every few minutes.
  1. Click File -> Revision history to see the versions the Docs has been quietly saving while you work. This includes your manual saves also.
  2. Older revisions are displayed as links
  3. Revision List:
    • Revision: everytime Docs creates a new revision, it gives it a number
    • Last Edited: date of last revision and name of person who editied
    • Changes: gives clues about the changes made in a particular revision
  4. Revert to previous version: A revision is a read-only file. To edit it , you have to make it the primary version
    • To make a document a primary, click to revert to this one button. It still keeps the document you were working on last
  5. Compare revisions: You can compare two revisions at a time
    • In Revision history, click checkboxes of two versions
    • then click  the Compare Checked button
    • Each contributor appears on the right and is assigned a color. Deletions appear with a strikethrough the text, and additions are highlighted text
    • If you want to revert to one of them, click the Back to Revision History  and turn on the checkbox of the one youwant to revert to.
Organizing and Finding Documents

  1. Mark important documents: click the star to the left of its name
  2. Hide a document: use checkbox next to a document.-> click on more actions link on the top menu  To make it reappear, click on "All Items" on the left -> then click Hidden -> then click unhide in the more actions menu
  3. Create a folder: Click the Create New button on your docs' page -> Folder -> give it a name and description if you want. You can also assign a color by the "choose color"
  4. Put documents in a folder: turn on the checkbox of a document on docs page -> right click ->"Move to" -> Select the folder you want  and click "Move to folder" Use the same procedure to move a document out of a folder 
    1. double click on the folder to see the item in the folder
Downloading

  1. When you are finished with a document you may want to download it iflin another format such as Word or PDF
Working Offline
  1. This feature allows you to work on docs, calendar and gmail without Internet connection.
  2. click for details

Writing Tools
  1. Pull down "Tools" menu
  2. Check Spelling
  3. Word Count along with readability statistics
    1. three indicators of the reading level of the document you are creating
    2. FYI readability calculator
  4. Look up word: provides definitions, synonyms, and sometimes encyclopedia entries
  5. Search the Web for Word: Google search for Web pages or images related to the selected word

The Tool: Reading Level Check in Word and Google Docs

Both Google Docs and Microsoft Word provide three indicators of the reading level of the document you're creating. They will each calculate for you the Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, and the Automatic Readability Index. In Google Docs you visit the tools menu and select the word count option. In MS Word, you click on the Microsoft Office button, then select Word Options, Click Proofing, make sure Check grammar with spelling is selected, under When correcting grammar in Word, select the Show readability statistics check box. Then open your document in word and run a spell check. click the question mark for details.

This allows teachers and students to instantly see the difficulty level of their writing. Are they writing at a 2nd grade level or 12th grade? What level is right for the audience they are trying to reach? Writing teachers can use this to assess growth of their writers across the year. For reading instruction this is a great way to be able to determine the reading level of student and teacher created work that can be used for mentor texts. Watch more: http://screenjel.ly/1qPiyavK4pA

6. Adding Footnotes

  1. tutorial 
  2. Print footnotes as endnotes Choose to print your footnotes as endnotes through the 'print settings' page. Learn more
7. Collaborative Editing Rubric here
 
8. Translation
  1. Find the definition of a word in a given language and then translate the word and the corresponding definitions into an alternate language. Learn more
  2. Translate whole documents into 51 different languages. Select translate feature option in Tools menu
9. Equation editor

  1. Insert and edit mathematical equations and symbols in documents. Learn more

  2. This feature also offers subscript and superscript tool for chemical compounds and equations
  1. A simple exercise to try out the collaborative potential of docs
    • My favorite dessert is ...
  2. Threaded discussion
  3. Readability: Examine the readability Index to give students an opportunity to improve vocabulary, sentence structure and other key elements in their document (more on readability 
    • Tools -> Word count -> Readability Index
  4. Templates -> Search Templates button at top of your google docs home  page
  5. peer editing
  6. collaborative story
  7. share class notes
  8. share ideas for a group project
  9. Making Predictions in Reading with Google Moderator K-3This lesson plan intends to teach students how to comprehend texts by making predictions that answer the question "What is going to happen next?" Research shows that students who read actively are better able to understand text when compared with students that read passively. Through an integration of Google Moderator and Google Docs, students will actively create and evaluate multiple predictions about a character's actions in a fictional story. view lesson
  10. Assign more than one student to a document to create a "Jigsaw-like" research project. Imagine two or more students assigned to 'writing groups' with each member researching and writing about different world religions, or countries in a particular region of the world. Such a project that involve Guilded Age Robber Barons.
  11. collaborative math problem solving
  12. storyboard Template and video how to use it
  13. Using the comments feature for textcoding - video explanation
  14. I am Unique
    • This is a good activity to model the use of a shared space and live editing as well as learning about a new class
    • Ask you class to individually work on a single shared documents and finish the sentences " I am Unique because..."
  15. By requesting them to use Google Docs for the Reading Response there can be an ongoing conversation, aided by the extra motivation of working online.
  16. The Great Immigration Debate gr. 10-12The study of the history immigration allows teachers to engage students in a variety of important topics, including racism, public policy, access to power, economics, and globalization. This lesson will help students study a topic related to patterns in immigration history, while gathering and analyzing data using primary source materials.view lesson

  17. Collaborative writing organizations/forums
Etherpad: read about its advantages

COLLABORATIVE WRITING

Some innovative educators may have used one of my favorite tools for collaborative writing, Google docs, but gotten frustrated when using it with a class because students need emails, everyone must sign in and register, collaboration isn’t in real time so it is easy to overwrite the work of a collaborator, and the chat feature is clunky at best.

The Tool: Etherpad
Innovative educators know that as a result of technology, the writing process has changed drastically. Some teachers, even those with whom I’ve worked in 1:1 environments are stuck in the past though, with students moving along the same pace, following a very similar process of brainstorming, first draft, second draft, revisions, edits, publishing. Writing in the 21st century no longer looks like this. Students never have to write anything over. They write, read, copy, paste, link, etc. to come up with a final draft.

Innovative educators need to get students off of the paper and allow them to get to the thinking and producing faster by composing digitally. The tool I recommend they use is http://etherpad.com/. Etherpad allows students to write individually, in pairs, or in groups. It tracks by color who wrote what information. It has an area for chat, and a teacher can play back and observe the writing and revision process of their students. This in essence give teachers the ability to see the writing process for any student, pair, or group anytime, anywhere. Additionally, because each participants in put is color-coded there is never a question about the level of contribution from group participants. It’s all right there. Finally, of course, since this is web-based, students needn’t be conferring with students in their classroom only they can connect with others around the globe.

Another terrific feature is the live playback. This lets a teacher watch the students step by step writing and revision process including exactly which student contributed what and when. You can see my sample pad here http://innovativeedu.etherpad.com/1 and the playback here http://innovativeedu.etherpad.com/ep/pad/view/1/latest

Watch the demo: http://screenjel.ly/7PWKblRbPdI

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