Google+Apps

Welcome to the Google Apps PD resource page! Below you will find links to a wealth of training resources and videos.

We will view a few of these on the October 9th Google PD session. If you missed it, please review the information below at your own pace. You may also access the [|Google Apps for Education training site] at any time. This site reads more like a traditional written manual and covers all aspects of Google Apps.

**Introduction**
Google Apps allows us access to a variety of tools that are easily adapted for classroom use. Google Email, for example, makes it easy to communicate with co-workers, students, and parents. Google Calendar allows you to easily create and share calendars for assignments, meetings, parent conferences, and more. Google Sites is an easy way to create a class website to keep parents and students connected. And finally, Google Drive brings the power of a desktop office suite to the web, allowing collaborative real-time editing, data collection with Forms, and easy sharing of word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation documents. media type="custom" key="24053254"

Topic 1: Mail
ARS has been using Google Apps for a number of years, and as a result we won't focus on this topic much in the PD session. However, it is worth mentioning that the system was recently unlocked to allow the selection of custom email themes. If you would like a refresher course on Google Mail, a Google training course is linked below. [|Google Apps Education Training Center: Mail]

One feature in Google Mail that was not utilized before my arrival here is Groups. Groups are set up on the administrative side of things, and allow you to contact multiple people at once using one email address. It is no longer necessary to maintain your own lists of people in Contacts. You can use these group addresses in all Google Apps. For example, you can share a document or calendar with an entire group at once. A listing of our group addresses are below.
 * You may contact all staff members using allstaff@arsnc.org
 * You may contact all staff members who work in the elementary school using elemstaff@arsnc.org
 * You may contact all staff members who work in the middle school using middlestaff@arsnc.org
 * You may contact the entire administrative and technology teams using adminteam@arsnc.org
 * You may contact the entire school board using allboard@arsnc.org
 * You may contact the entire sixth grade using 2016@arsnc.org
 * You may contact the entire seventh grade using 2015@arsnc.org
 * You may contact the entire eighth grade using 2014@arsnc.org

Topic 2: Calendar
The calendar feature allows you to keep track of events. You can create multiple calendars, and share certain calendars with co-workers or parents. You can also embed a Google Calendar in a Google Site.

Calendar Basics
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Creating & Sharing Calendars
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Adding & Editing Events
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Viewing Others' Calendars
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Viewing Multiple Calendars
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Topic 3: Sites
Google Sites allows you to quickly and easily create a class webpage. At the middle school level, students can also create webpages. This is the preferred method for teacher / class websites, since PowerSchool doesn't provide the same level of functionality as Edline did in the past. Important note: Before embedding a calendar into your Google Site, make sure to set the calendar's sharing settings to "Public." media type="custom" key="24054392"

Additional Sites Tips

 * You can embed all sorts of things into your Google Site, including your Google Calendars, files from your Google Drive, images from your computer, YouTube videos, and many, many more. All options are available under the "Insert" menu at the top left when editing a page.
 * When adding a page to your site, you can choose to nest it underneath another page, or create it at the top level. Think about how you would expect the site to be laid out. For example, Mrs. Solis has a spanish webpage in Google Sites. She has a top level page for each block. Under each block page, she has pages for Homework and Classwork.
 * You can choose whether or not to allow others to post comments or files to your page. You can set these options by clicking "More..." at the top right, choosing "Page Options," and checking or unchecking the features you wish to add or remove.

Topic 4: Drive / Forms
Google Drive serves as a massive 30GB flash drive in the cloud. From Google Drive, you can edit word processing documents, spreadsheet documents, and presentation documents online. In addition, you can share documents with colleagues and students, and work on them at the same time. For example, if two people are working on a word processing document, they will each see edits made by the other in real-time. Google also added a very powerful feature to their spreadsheets: Google Forms allows you to collect data and have it populate a spreadsheet. This can be used to collect information from parents, as an online quiz, warm-up, or exit ticket. media type="custom" key="24054644"

Creating Documents and Managing Share Settings
It's easy to get started with Google Drive, and much of it operates exactly like Microsoft Office. On the Drive homepage on the left, you'll see a red "Create" button. Right next to it is a red "Upload" button. You can create new documents using the Create button, and upload existing documents with the upload button. You can store many different types of files in Drive — including Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, video, and audio files. To edit online, the file must either be created in Google Drive to begin with, or be converted after uploading it.

Managing Share Settings and Collaborating Online
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Converting an Uploaded File to Edit / Collaborate in Drive
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Creating a standard Google Form
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Creating a Self-Grading Quiz as a Google Form
Created by Andy Harrison @ Mooresville Middle School. Part 1 media type="custom" key="24055304" Part 2 media type="custom" key="24055312"

Additional Form Tips

 * When creating the form, you can choose to have it automatically collect the usernames of those who submit responses. This will require them to log in to their ARS email account. Collecting this information automatically not only saves time for those responding to your form, but also allows you to ensure that you are receiving responses from the correct student / co-worker.
 * You can embed a form into a page on your Google Site. When editing your site, simply expand the "Insert" menu at the top left, select "Form," and then select your Form from the list.
 * If you do not wish to embed your form, the easiest way to share it is via email. You can share it with middle school students by entire grade levels using the following group addresses.
 * Eighth Grade: 2014@arsnc.org
 * Seventh Grade: 2015@arsnc.org
 * Sixth Grade: 2016@arsnc.org