Google+Drive+-+Introduction

There are a number of benefits and advantages to using Google Drive. First and foremost, you won’t need to worry about saving things on your flash drive anymore, because everything is already saved for you online, and can be accessed anywhere in the world! So let’s get started – the first thing you need to do today is sign in to your Google Drive folder. drive.google.com will get you there. If you have never used Google Drive before, I will help you get started with your process, but say something quickly!

After you log-in, you are now in Google Drive. It is the same thing as what used to be called Google Documents, it just has more new features that are great for people just starting out in Cloud technology*.

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// *Cloud technology refers to the ability to save things online. It is noted that documents are saved “in the cloud,” meaning that you don’t have any one physical computer that your information is saved on – you are able to access your information from any computer with internet access. Our Dropbox folders are also in the cloud. // ======

Once you have logged in, create a new document by clicking on the big red “Create” button on the left side of the page, then selecting document. A new tab/window will open with a blank document. If you are new to Google Documents, observe the page for a minute or two. Figure out how to change fonts, sizes, colors, how to insert pictures, how to copy/paste, how to insert numbered and bulleted lists just like you would in Microsoft Word.

Once you have familiarized yourself with the document page, click above the toolbar where it says “Untitled Document.” A window will pop up asking you to rename your document. Name it ** What I Know About Google Documents **.

Type answers to the following questions on your document:
 * 1) Have you used Google Documents before? If yes, did you use it for just a little while, or have you used it quite a bit?
 * 2) If you have used Google Docs before, what did you use it for? If you have used it in classes, please list the classes and the teachers (for example: “I used it in Composition with Mrs. Schmidt.”)
 * 3) Have you done any collaboration (working with other people) in Google Docs?
 * 4) Have you used any other aspects of Google Drive besides the documents section? Which ones?
 * 5) What are some advantages to using Google Drive?
 * 6) What things do you already know how to do in Google Drive?
 * 7) What do you still want to learn in Google Drive?

When you have finished typing your answers, look at the toolbar. Next to the “Help” option, there should be some gray words that say “All changes saved.” While you are typing in a Google document, the document is automatically saving itself repeatedly, so you will very rarely, if ever, have to click a save button. Next look in the top right corner of your window. There should be two buttons, one named Comments and one named Share. Click on the Comments button and type your name in the comment box, then click comment so that your name will appear whenever you click on the comment box.

After you have commented, click on the share button. There will be several options for you, including sharing your document through Gmail, Facebook or Twitter. Towards the bottom of the box there is an “Add people” area, where you can type in email addresses of people that you want to share your document. Share your document with me by entering __aivie@splhs.org__ in the box. To the right of the box is an option that says “can edit.” If you click on that option, you will see a couple more options: “can view” and “can comment.” Click on “can comment.” This means that when I open your document, I can leave comments for you, but I cannot change anything you have typed.

Click “Save and share.”

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Close your document and go back to your Drive page. Notice that you now have your “What I Know About Google Documents” document saved in your folder. To the right of where you document is listed, it says “Last Modified” and will list a time that you last changed your document. If someone was to go in after you and leave comments, it would list their name and what time they changed your document. That way you always know who made the most recent edits to your documents.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5; vertical-align: baseline;">Next, click the button **next to** the Create button. This is the upload button. Click the files option, find your M&M Graphing file where you counted the number of M&M’s in your bag and made a graph showing how many M&M’s you counted, then click OK to upload that file. Your M&M Graphing file will show up in your Drive page just above the document you created a few minutes ago. Open your file and see if you can type in it. If you cannot, you will need to convert the file to a Google Spreadsheet. You should be able to find the convert button under the File option.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Once you are able to edit your M&M Graphing file like a regular spreadsheet, click the Share button. Under “Who has access,” the first option says “Private – Only the people listed below can access.” Click the button next to that line that says “change.” Choose the second option. Now anyone with a link can see your spreadsheet, but they can only see it. At the top of the share box there is a link that you can copy and paste. Copy that link, then paste it into// __** this document **__ // in the box next to your name (// Please do not change anyone else’s box) //. Now the whole class will be able to open your M&M’s spreadsheet.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Go back to your M&M Graphing spreadsheet. Close the sharing box, and click the + button in the bottom left corner of the page. This will create a new sheet. On sheet 2, in box A1, type the names of one other person in the class whose information you would like to use. Put the name of a second person in box A5. Once those two people have placed links next to their names, open their spreadsheets and copy their data table with their M&M information, then paste it into your sheet two.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">When you have three different sets of data (yours, plus two of your classmates), you need to create a new sheet again. On the first sheet, you have your data. On the second sheet, you have your classmates’ data. On the third sheet, you will need to combine all three sets of data into one table.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">With your new table, you will need a new graph. Creating graphs in Google Drive works a little differently, but it is actually very easy. The second-to-last option on the toolbar looks like a graph, and if you click on it, a box titled “Chart Editor” will open.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sort through the options in Chart Editor. When you have selected the type of chart and how you want your chart to look, click “Insert.” Move your chart around the sheet so that it doesn’t cover up your data. Give your chart a title, and figure out how to format your chart so that each bar or section is the correct color for each M&M color option.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">When you have finished with your M&M Graphing spreadsheet, close out of everything except your Drive folder. There are a few pages you can look at that will better explain how to do some of the various options in Google Documents.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; background-color: transparent; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">** __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d4567; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This one __ ** will give you an overview of how to use all of Google Docs
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; background-color: transparent; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">** __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d4567; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This one __ ** is specifically talking about how to use and work with spreadsheets

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">These tutorials are for your use if you do not already know how to use these features. We will do more in Google Drive next time!