How to Find Files in Your Google Drive

Your Google Drive is probably like mine:  a disorganized mess of files.  How can you find what you're looking for?

Sort Your Files

Google has a ridiculous sorting option, explained here.  Really, Google?  You want to alphabetize my 5GB of files, when I can't remember what I named it?  Sorting your files only works if you are looking for a really recent file, or you crazily number all of your files.

Search Your Files

You have probably used the search bar at the top of your Drive, but have you used the search options?  Google likes to hide advanced options under little drop-down arrows that few people notice.  Try clicking on the tiny little down arrow at the right of the search bar.

You can search for specific file types, or just search for folders.  This isn't awful.

Plan Ahead

If you have a file that you know you will use again, there are a few things that will help you.

1.  Star the file

You can add a star to the file, and find all of your starred files by clicking "Starred" on the left side of your Drive page.

You can star a file while you are editing it by clicking the star to the right of its title.

Or you can right-click the file in your Drive and select "Add star."

2.  Add a Description

You can tag documents with keywords to facilitate quicker searching, and you can hide the tags in the file's description. To edit a file's description, click on a file in your Drive, then click the round details button (it looks like a circle with an "i" inside it) in the upper right.

The details of the file include two tabs:  the activity of the file (who changed it and when), and the actual details of the file (size, location, and description).  At the bottom of the Details tab is the editable description.

Click the pencil and type into the editable box that will appear.  The descriptions are searchable from Drive's search box.  I try to invent clever hashtags that don't normally appear in files, like #thisisimportant.

The only downside to using your clever hashtags is that you have to remember your hashtags. 

Actually, Google Drive used to have an excellent tagging system.  They used to call their tags "folders," and you could "put" one file under several "folders."  It was a very effective way to find and organize files.  But now it is difficult to select more than one folder for a Google file (not impossible, but it is beyond the abilities of most users).  And Drive folders need to work like regular old folders because of the apparent need to keep your Google files on your laptop or iPad.  But that's another rant for another day...

The more I think about this entire problem, the more I like Evernote.  Evernote has an excellent tagging system, with notebooks and stacks of notebooks.  It all makes sense, the search works very well, and it's easy.

Make Google+ Part of Your Professional Learning Network

What is Google+?

Google+ (http://plus.google.com) is a social network, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Like other social networks, Google+ lets you connect and communicate with other people. You can share ideas, pictures, videos, and websites with others. You can also find interesting ideas, pictures, videos, and websites from others. You can learn from experts in your field, ask them questions, and give them feedback. You could even become an expert in your field, and share your vast knowledge with the world!

Why should I use Google+?

I have Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and several other social networking accounts. When Google+ came along, I wondered if I really needed one more social network. I now use Google+ more than any other social network. Here are my reasons:

1. It’s a great learning tool

I use my Google+ account for professional learning and sharing. Almost anybody who is anybody in my line of work is on Google+. And they seem to use it more heavily than Facebook or LinkedIn. Several people in my field have almost quit posting on Twitter and use Google+ exclusively.

2. Find things and people

Google is great for searching. At the top of your Google+ page is a search bar. You can search for people, posts, hashtags, etc. The searching is quick and easy.

3. Share things with the right people

Google+ lets you find people, and then organize them into “Circles.” I have several Circles, including Friends, Family, Acquaintances, Instructional Technology, GPAEA Coworkers, and Teachers. Circles let you share things with the right people, and only the right people. Every time you share something, you get to decide who can see it.

Google+ also lets you create and participate in “Communities.” You can create a private or public Community based on your needs and interests. I belong to several Communities, including Instructional Technology Integrators & Coaches, AEA Technology Integration, and Gamification in Education. If you have an interest, there is probably a Community for it in Google+.

4. It integrates with other Google tools

Are you scheduling a meeting with a group of people? If they are all in a Google+ Community, you can schedule events that will automatically appear in their Google Calendars.

5. Hangouts

Hangouts are the real reason why you should use Google+. A Hangout is similar to a Skype videoconference session—you can see and talk to another person, and share your screen. But Hangouts are much better.

The free version of Skype only allows you to videoconference with one person. Hangouts, with a Google Apps for Education account, allow you to videoconference with 15 participants. For free. You can also call people’s phones to participate in a Hangout. For free.

Would you like to give a webinar to a large group of people? If you need more than 15 people to see your Hangout, you can stream your Hangout to the Internet with Hangouts On Air. Hangouts On Air are automatically archived to your YouTube channel, so others can see it later.

While you are in a Hangout, your group can work on a Google Doc right inside the Hangout. Participants can also share their screens or provide remote computer assistance to other participants.

You can start a Hangout from your Google+ page, from your Gmail page, or from your smart phone or tablet’s Hangout app. You can schedule Hangouts by creating an Event in your Google+ page—participants will have the Hangout appear on their Google Calendar and receive reminders to attend your Hangout.

How do I sign up?

You will need a Google account to use Google+. If you have a Google Apps for Education account provided by your district, you could use that Google account for Google+, provided Google+ is enabled for you. Your technology coordinator can turn-on Google+ for groups of people (like staff members or certain students).

Google+ is not intended for younger students, however. Students under the age of 13 cannot use Google+. In fact, Google will shut down a younger student’s Google account if they try to use Google+.

Need help?

If you would like help with Google+ and Hangouts, contact me at seth.denney@gpaea.org.

iPad and iOS7

If you have upgraded your iPad to iOS7, you might be having problems finding a couple of things like the spotlight and how to close a running app.  I found this web post from Jonathan Wylie to be very helpful in learning about the new features in this operating system.

The Top 10 Things Every iPad Teacher Should Know About iPads & iOS 7!

5 Tips for Creating an Interactive Classroom

Here is a blog post that gives 5 tips for creating an interactive classroom when you  have access to devices for all students.

"Giving students the right tools and opportunities to process their thinking, ask questions, brainstorm ideas, and present their work are all part of the learning process in an interactive classroom.  Here are some tips and related tools to get you started."  Click on the link below to learn more.

http://www.teq.com/blog/2013/07/5-tips-for-creating-an-interactive-classroom/#.UjNU52R4aew

Engage Students with three great free tools

Students who are actively engaged in lessons learn more.  Here is a link to a guide from Free Technology for Teachers that features three tools to engage students:  TodaysMeet, Socrative and Padlet.  This guide has step by step instructions on how to start using all three of these great tools. Go to the link below to download this guide.

A Teacher's Guide to Classroom Backchannel and Informal Assessment Tools

Google Drive Tools for Teachers: Doctopus and Goobric

If you are a teacher that has students complete assignments in Google Docs, take a look at these tools.

Doctopus

Doctopus is a Google Apps script that lets you handout, organize, and grade assignments.  The script runs in a Google Spreadsheet.

Here's a nice video by Katie Grassel that walks through how to use it:

There are quite a few steps, but if you do this a few times, you'll get pretty quick at it...  :)

1. Create a folder in your Drive that will contain your student assignments.
2. Create (or upload) your original assignment document in your Drive (this file will act like a template, and Doctopus will make copies of this file for each of your students).
3. Create a spreadsheet that has your class roster, with student names and email addresses in columns.
4. In that spreadsheet, go to Insert > Script.  Find and install the Doctopus script.
5. A new "Doctopus" menu will be created in your spreadsheet.  Click on it, and launch the installation.
6. Go through the Doctopus setup wizard:
1. You'll choose whether you would like students to work individually or in groups, and if you would like the whole class to see each student's work.
2. You select the folder that contains your assignment, then select your assignment.
3. You can set up the way the files are named, such as putting the student's last name at the beginning of the assignment's name.  You can also have the script send each student an email notifying the students of the assignment.
4. When you click the Run copy and share button, the script will make copies of the assignment for each of the students in the spreadsheet.  The script will also put links to each student's document in the spreadsheet, and tell you when the last time they edited their assignment.

The Doctopus script is, by itself, an awesome timesaver (and paper saver!).  But look at what you can do when you attach a Goobric...

Goobric

You can attach a Google rubric, or a "Goobric," to your spreadsheet.  Here's a good video by Jay Atwood:

1. Make sure you install the Goobric Chrome Extension so that you can grade the assignments as you view them.
2. Create a separate Google Spreadsheet for your rubric, as shown in the video.  If you need ideas for your rubric, check out the RubiStar rubric generator.
3. In the assignment spreadsheet (the one you created above, with Doctopus), select Doctopus > Attach Goobric and find your rubric spreadsheet (that you created in step 2).
4. Now, open one of your student's assignments.  Click on the little Goobric icon in the omnibox, and you can type the scores (and comments) into the rubric.  Click the "Submit and paste to doc" button, and it will save your work, paste the rubric into the document, and send the student an email.  The grade will also appear in the Doctopus spreadsheet.

Lots of steps, I know.  But these are some great tools for paperless assessment.

Why Evernote is Better Than Google Drive... In 2 Ways...

It all started after reading this Whitson Gordon's blog post on lifehacker:  I've Been Using Evernote All Wrong. Here's Why It's Actually Amazing.

I won't repeat all of what he wrote, but it's all true!

I started using Evernote many, many years ago, but I gave it up after some Internet catastrophe in the Cloud deleted my notes.  The horror!

And, I found a great tool that did many of the same things--Google Drive.  I use Google Drive for almost everything--it's an excellent place to store, retrieve, and work on important documents.  Our Agency used Google Drive for our accreditation document review/self-study.  It works wonderfully.

But even though Google Drive is great for many reasons, it's not great for visually organizing things.  I know you can create folders, and organize documents...sort of.  Actually, Google Docs used to be better at this than Google Drive:  you used to be able to easily put one document in several folders, as if you were really tagging the document.  (You can still do this with folders, but it involves right-clicking the document, selecting Organize, and Command/Control-clicking the folders you want to put it in.  That's tedious and annoying.)

Here are my two reasons why I like Evernote:

Reason #1:  Better Tagging

Evernote helps me organize my documents in a better way.  I can create notebooks, and stacks of notebooks.  And I can easily tag my documents and notes.

That's it.  That's the big reason I like Evernote.  I like tagging things.  I like seeing things that look like notebooks and stacks of notebooks.

Reason #2:  Web Clipper

How do you save your web bookmarks?  I have tried Diigo, Delicious, Symbaloo, you name it.  They are all fine for social bookmarking.  But a lot of times, I don't need social bookmarking--I just need an easy way to keep and organize things that I want to find again.

The Evernote Web Clipper is a browser extension that lets you keep the entire web page, the article, or just the URL in your Evernote notebooks (with tags).  It's easy to use.  And I know where all of my bookmarks are.