Gmail
- Gmail’s New Compose Window (Video)
- Gmail: Getting Started Tutorial
- Google Learning Center: Gmail
- Keyboard Shortcuts in Gmail
- Tip: Press SHIFT+? to see a list of all Shortcut Keys
- Official Gmail Blog
- Custom Themes for Gmail (Video)
- Hangout (Video Conference) in Gmail (Video)
Google Drive
- Click Upload on the top menu bar. (It is the red button next to the create button just mentioned before!)
- Click Choose File or Browse, select the document, and click Open. The file can be an .HTML, .DOC, .DOCX, .RTF, .ODT, or .SXW file.
- Choose a name for the file if you want the file name to be different from the current file name.
- Click Upload File.
- or, watch this tutorial video explaining this process.
- Click Insert to display the menu. You can insert images, drawings, equations, links, tables, comments, footnotes, special characters, horizontal lines, page breaks, tables of contents, bookmarks, or headers and footers from this menu.
- Click Drawing to open the drawing tool box.
- When you are done drawing, click Save & Close in the top right corner to close the drawing tool box and insert it into your document. The drawing will be inserted at your cursor location.
- To share, click Share in the upper right hand corner. (brutally obvious, I know)
- Enter the email address of those to which you’d like to share with. after each email, select can view, can edit, or can comment.
- You have the option to send an email message at this time with the document you are sharing.
- Click Share & Save. The contacts added will receive an email with the document shared. It will also appear in their Documents home page.
Documents
- Google Learning Center: Google Docs, Spreadsheets & Presentation
- Getting Started: Access, create, edit and print
- Google Support: Documents
- GCFLearnFree: Google Documents Tutorials
- Add Voice Comments to Google Docs
Drawing
Google Drawing is a tool available in both Google Drive as well as within Google Documents and Presentation. It allows the user to create artwork, drawings, flowcharts, text boxes and many more.
Forms
Presentations
Google Presentation is Google’s answer to Microsoft PowerPoint. Don’t be afraid, many of the same features that you know are similar in Google Documents, just in a simplified format.
- Getting Started: Presentation Basics
- Google Learning Center: Google Docs, Spreadsheets & Presentation
- Google Support: Spreadsheets
Sites
Google Sites is an easy way to create a webpage of your very own. It allows you to embed your own Google content, videos and links of interests for a class or group webpage, projects or assignments.
- Getting Started: Step-by-step Guide to Creating your Site
- Google Learning Center: Google Sites
- Embed conent on your site
- Step-by-Step Tutorial with Video’s (From Chad Kafka)
Spreadsheets
Google Spreadsheets is Google’s answer to Microsoft Excel. Don’t be afraid, many of the same features that you know are similar in Google Spreadsheets, just in a simplified format.
- Getting Started: Spreadsheet Basics
- Google Learning Center: Google Docs, Spreadsheets & Presentation
- Google Support: Spreadsheets
- GCFLearnFree: Google Spreadsheets Tutorials
Chrome
When working on a Chromebook, all online applications and browsing will be done with Google Chrome (Google’s Internet browser). Chrome is by far a superior browser. But what to choose when you are working on your desktop (or iPad)? Be sure to also use Google Chrome, because all the features you enjoy, the settings you defined, and your pages you’ve favorited will follow you. Just log in to Chrome, and you’ll find all your apps, extensions and favorites/bookmarks will be right where you left them!
Signing Into Chrome
You can sign in to Chrome to access browser settings, such as bookmarks and apps, that have been synced to your Google Account. Then, regardless of what computer you are at, your desktop experience and all your favorites are where you need them. First things first though, be sure you are using Google Chrome and not Internet Explorer or Firefox (if on a desktop computer or other non-Chromebook device).
Apps & Extentions
The Chrome Web Store offers many free and paid educational apps and extensions that students can use on their Chrome devices.
Apps are advanced websites that are similar to other types of programs that you install on a computer. The main difference is that you access and use apps entirely within the browser, just like you do with Gmail and Google Docs. Chrome web apps appear as large icons in the Chrome browser new tab page.
Extensions are custom features and functionality that you can add to Google Chrome. Unlike apps, they’re always available, no matter what website you’re on. Their small icons appear in the top-right of browser next to the address bar.
Import or export bookmarks
If you’ve got bookmarks or favorites stashed away in another browser, you can easily import them into Google Chrome. Similarly, you can always get your bookmarks out of Chrome by exporting them as a HTML file.
- Click the Chrome menu
.
- Select Bookmarks.
- Select Import bookmarks and settings.
- Select the program that contains the bookmarks you’d like to import.
- Click Import.
If you haven’t yet created any bookmarks in Chrome, the bookmarks you import will show up directly on the bookmarks bar, normally docked underneath the address bar. If you already have bookmarks within Chrome, the bookmarks you import will appear in a new folder called “Imported from Firefox” or “Imported from IE,” located at the end of the bar. You can also find your bookmarks by clicking the Chrome menu and selecting Bookmarks.
Using a Chrome device? This option is not available. Instead, export your bookmarks as a HTML file and import them via the bookmark manager. See the next section for steps.
- Export bookmarks from the browser as a HTML file.
- Click the Chrome menu
- Select Bookmarks.
- Select Bookmark manager.
- Click the Organize menu in the manager.
- Select Import bookmarks from HTML file.
- Open your saved HTML file.
If you haven’t yet created any bookmarks in Chrome, the bookmarks you import will show up directly on the bookmarks bar, normally docked underneath the address bar. If you already have bookmarks within Chrome, the bookmarks you import will appear in a new folder at the end of the bar. You can also find your bookmarks by clicking the Chrome menu and selecting Bookmarks.
If your bookmarks are stored in Chrome on another computer, the easiest way to get those bookmarks onto the device you’re using is to sign in to Chrome on both computers and sync the bookmarks to your account. Learn how to sign in to Chrome and enable sync:
- Click the Chrome menu
- Select Bookmarks.
- Select Bookmark manager.
- Click the Organize menu in the manager.
- Select Export bookmarks.
Chrome will export your bookmarks as a HTML file, which you can then import into another browser.
Google Calendar
Organizing your schedule shouldn’t be a burden. With Google Calendar, it’s easy to keep track of life’s important events all in one place.
To summarize, the main reasons for switching our email system to Google:
- Ease of use
- Robust calendars for schools, groups, and individual users
- Web-based system compatible with all types of computers and browsers
- Integration with other collaboration tools (Google Docs, Sites, etc.)
- Ability to use other email clients like Outlook and Apple Mail
- Gmail mailboxes hold 50 times as much storage as BeMail — a total of 7.5Gb
- Easy integration with all types of mobile devices (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, etc etc)
- Translation is integrated into email, making it possible for teachers and staff to more easily communicate with families.
- To free up technology resources (staff, server, backup, etc.), with the 99.9% uptime provided by Google
- Ease of deployment – no software to install, upgrades delivered through Google