Ed Tech Tips with E. Mosier
Make your classroom more E-fficient!
Updates to several G Suite Apps
Overview
Google Slides
Grids or Rulers for consistent design: As you're designing, it's easy to use the built in "guides" that appear red when you hover over the middle of the workspace horizontally and vertically. But, by adding grids, you're able to place them in the exact spot you'd like them, which will be consistent from slide to slide, making your design more professional. To access these, simply go to View > Guides. To assist with alignment, you are able to add a visual ruler, which can be inserted by going to View > Ruler.
Insert a Slide into a Google Doc: With the ability to insert a Google Slide into a Doc, you can complete many new tasks. In order to do this, select the individual slide you want to put into a Doc. Then, go to Edit > Copy. Next, open up the Google Doc you're wanting to insert it into and place the cursor at the desired location. Then, click Edit > Paste. Once it's pasted, you have the option to link the slide or not. This means that any edit made to the Slide on one app would reflect on the other, which is a major time saver!
Google Sheets
Collecting and reviewing data is wonderful, but, wanting to manipulate it or print a small portion of it can be cumbersome. But, there's an update for those!
Custom Paper Size and Page Breaks: Now, instead of only having the option to print to a common paper size, the option has been added to select a custom size to print. To do this, select File > Print and the option is available under the "Paper Size" dropdown in the print menu. Additionally, if you would like to select a small portion of the Sheet, select File > Print, and the option appears for you to Set Custom Page Breaks. Once set, click Confirm, and the page breaks are set!
Checkboxes!: A long-awaited inclusion into Google Sheets has finally arrived - checkboxes! In order to insert checkboxes down an individual column, click on Insert > Checkboxes and they appear! This will make permission slip collection and several other projects a lot easier to organize!
Google Sites
Convert to the New Slides: This feature is currently on a gradual roll out and not yet available to all users. But, it's pretty simple to convert from the old to the new. With the old site open, click on the gear icon (settings) and navigate to "Manage Site." Then, on the bottom of the sidebar to the left is the option to convert to the new Sites. This makes for a seamless transition and allows you to keep existing content, all the while working with the flexible, user-friendly new Sites.
Add a Custom Link: Up until now, the only custom links that could be added to the header or the sidebar were to existing pages within the site. New links could have been added in the body of the Site, but not the other locations. But, a recent update allows for custom links to be placed with the other pages. This means that a link to the school's social media pages, website, or even a Google Drive folder is available to all users. This is done by clicking the plus on the bottom, but instead of a new page, selecting the custom link option.
Cosmetic Changes Coming to Google Drive
Contact Mr. Mosier!
Email: mosiere@davenportschools.org
Website: www.davenportschools.org/sudlow
Location: Sudlow Intermediate School, East Locust Street, Davenport, IA, United States
Phone: 563-445-5150
Twitter: @emosier3