Tips Every Teacher should Know about Google Docs in Education ( Great Easy Guide )

Google has recently released a new service to the public called Google Drive. This is basically an online storage system that provides up to 5GB for free.It also has a desktop version that you can install on your computer and which will make it very easy to sync files between your computer and your Google Drive account. Google Documents is part of Google Drive and anything you create on Google Docs will automatically be saved  in your Google Drive account. Anyway this is just a  tidbit I want you to know before we start our Google Docs guide. If you want to learn more about Google Drive you can read what I wrote about it HERE.

Upade : I have embedded this article in a slideshow below, check it if you want to download it.

What is Google Docs ?


Google Docs is a free, web-based word processing, presentation, forms and spreadsheets program. This is one of the best alternative to the Office Suites, for you do not need any sotware download and you can access your files wherever you are with an internet connection.


Some Features of Google Docs


Here is a list of some of the best features of Google Docs that teachers need to know about :

• It is free and very easy to use
• It has a user-friendly interface
• It lets you create Google documents, spreadsheets, and other file types and collections
• It lets you upload, manage and store files and folders
• It allows you to share Google Docs, files and collections
• You can preview your docs and files before you open or share them
• You can also view images and videos that you have uploaded to your document list
• It lets you search for items by name, type and visibility setting
• It allows users to collaborate on documents in real time
• It also offers a chat functionality for collaborators to use while working on docs.

Google Docs Templates for teachers


Many Google Docs users are unaware of the fact that they can breathe life into their documents with templates. Google's new templates for Google Docs make it fast and easy to create all kinds of documents. Check out this gallery to find more than 300 templates available for text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. All the templates are free and with one click you can download any one that  you want. Just to help you sort out the good ones from the rest, I already listed some of the best  templates teachers can use in their presentations and docs, check them out.


Google Docs easy tutorials for teachers




Below are some of the tutorials I assembled for you to walk you through the different processes on how to create and manage the different Google Docs services. Click on any title to access its corresponding tutorial :

I- Documents :

Click on any title to read the tutorial

• Add titles, headings and customize the style of your document
• Create, name or delete a Google document
• Edit and format a Google document
• Save your Google Docs
• Copy and paste in Google Docs
• Change the font in a document
• Using bookmarks in a document
• Table of contents in documents
• Right-to-left text editing
• Paint format tool
• Using Google Docs with a screen reader
• Copy a Google document
• Upgrade a document to the new version of Google documents

II- Presentations :

• The new version of Google presentations
• Insert, duplicate, and delete slides
• Organize slides
• Import slides from another presentation
• Copy and paste in Google presentations
• Customize a slide with layouts and themes
• Format text and objects on a slide
• Customize slide transitions
• Comment on a Google presentation
• Insert and arrange text, shapes, and lines
• Insert a video or an image into a slideInsert, format, and edit tables in a slide
• Insert word art into a slide
• Keyboard shortcuts in Google presentations
• Add animations to a slide
• Embed a presentation in a website
• Print a presentation

III- Spreadsheets :

• About spreadsheet views
• Print a Google spreadsheet
• Change locale, date format and currency settings
• Right-to-left text editing
• Save your Google spreadsheets
• Edit and format data in Google spreadsheets
• Enter links in a Google spreadsheet
• Copy and paste in spreadsheets
• Copy a Google spreadsheet
• Insert images into a spreadsheet
• Import data sets and spreadsheets
• Create a series of numbers
• Add and delete comments
• Merge cells
• Format numbers, dates, and currencies
• Using Google Docs with a screen reader
• Paint Format Tool
• Protecting sheets from being edited
• Copy, re-order, and delete sheets
• Add and delete rows or columns
• Move rows and columns
• Range names
• Sort a spreadsheet
• Filter your data
• Use data validation
• Create an in-cell dropdown list

V- Forms :

• Page navigation and how to embed a form
• How to edit form responses
• How to pre-populate forms via URL parameters
• Add a theme to a form
• Collect and view form responses
• Forms gadget on iGoogle
• Additional forms options for Google Apps users
• Error messages in forms
• Create, send, share, and edit a form

IV- Drawings

• About Google drawings
• Create a drawing
• Format your drawing
• Keyboard modifiers
• Snap to guides
• Select and manipulate multiple objects
• Move, resize and rotate objects
• Copy and paste in Google Docs
• Keyboard shortcuts for Google drawings
• Revision history
• Paint format tool
• Insert a drawing into another doc type
• Add images to your drawing
• Lines, arrows, and scribbles
• Line connectors
• How to use text in drawings

VI- Work offline

• About Google Docs offline
• Allow offline access for your computer
• Sync items to view offline
• View Google Docs offline

IIV- Use Google Docs with a Screen Reader

• Get started using Google Docs with a screen reader
• Navigate your Documents List with a screen reader
• Use Google spreadsheets with a screen reader
• Use Google documents with a screen reader
• Use Google drawings and presentations with a screen reader

How Teachers can use Google Docs in Education




Here is a list of some of the  ways that teachers can use Google docs in their classrooms :

• Google Docs can be used to promote group collaboration and creativity by having students record their group projects
• Teachers can use Google Docs to keep track of grades, attendance, or any other data using Spreadsheet
• Students use Google Docs to collaborate on writing assignments
• Teachers can facilitate writing as a process by encouraging students to write in real time and also by providing help and insight to them using the comments feature
• They can also use Spreadsheets to create quizzes and tests online.
• Teachers can use it to create presentations to share with students . They can also encourage collaborative presentation skills by asking students to work together on a shared presentation before presenting it to the class
• Teachers can use it to maintain, update and share lessons over time in a single document
• It is great for professional development. Teachers, for instance, can collaborate on a document with fellow teachers and use the chat functionality to discuss and exchange views on lesson plans, activities and many more.
• Using Spreadsheets teachers can organize cumulative project data in a single sheet accessible to any collaborator at any time
• Teachers and students can use it to gather research information, ask for opinions

Read the following slides to explore other ways to use Google Docs in the classroom :

Google Docs in the Classroom

View more PowerPoint from mwiscount

29 interesting ways to use google docs in the classroom

View more PowerPoint from Inge De Cleyn



Check out Cybrary Man's Links for more resources.


Here is a slideshow I made for this article and that you can use with your students.

Teachers guide on the use of google docs

View more documents from Mohamed Kharbach.