HOW TO USE GOOGLE DOCS: AN EDUCATOR’S GUIDE

What is Google docs?

An easy-to-use document, presentation, and spreadsheet editor that enables you to create, store, and share instantly and securely.

Benefits of using Google docs No software to download Your work can be accessed from any

computer at any time It’s free!

How will students benefit from Google docs?

Promotes and encourages group collaboration

Students will learn more about writing as a “process”

Work can be accessed and completed from anywhere at any time

It’s free!

Let’s get started…

To use Google docs, you must first set up a Google account at www.google.com

Step 1: Set up a Google account

Go to www.google.com Click on “more” Click on “even more”

Step 1: continued

From the menu, click on Gmail

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Create your own username and password

If your students do not already have their own e-mail accounts, they can also create a Gmail account at www.google.com

Step 2: Go to Google docs

Once you have your own Gmail account, go to the Google homepage

Click on “more”, then click on “even more” Click on “docs” from the menu

Step 3: Creating a doc

Select “new” from the upper left hand corner

Step 4: Choose the doc type

Select which type of document you would like to create

You can choose to create a document, a spreadsheet or a presentation

Step 5: Editing the doc

A new version of the doc type will appear and you can edit it and make changes

Step 6: Sharing the doc

To share the doc, click on the “share” tab on the right side of your screen

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Enter the e-mail addresses of those you would like to share this doc with in the space under “invite people”

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You can invite people as either “collaborators” or “viewers”

Collaborators – have access to the most recent version of the doc and can make changes and view past versions

Viewers – can see the most recent doc and cannot make any changes

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After the e-mail addresses have been entered Click on “invite collaborators”

Congratulations!

Your doc is now shared You and your students can begin editing

the doc and sharing the changes from anywhere at any time