Leaving SFS? What about your Google files?

How to do Google Takeout and Google Transfer (click on the image below)

Links for Google Takeout and Transfer

Log into your school account

https://takeout.google.com

https://takeout.google.com/transfer


Any questions?  Contact the DLCs at: dlc@seoulforeign.org

Google Takeout for Students

If you are leaving Seoul Foreign school at the end of this year, you probably want to take your Google data with you to your new school.  Here is a video that will show you how to use a Google tool called Takeout that allows you to easily export all your information and take it with you when you leave.

Here is a link to Google Takeout

G Suite Training - Get training on the spot

This Google Chrome extension by Google themselves places resources at your fingertips to learn the tips and tricks of using Google Apps. You add the extension to Chrome allows you to access the training menu right within the app.

The training menu covers: Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Sites, Forms, Google+, Classroom

Click the link to locate the extension.

Google Slides new features

Thanks to Melissa  Enderle for spotting this article from Richard Bryne at Free technology for Teachers.

The two new features are:

Question & Answer feature
This allows students to write question during a presentation and submit them to the presentation (there is a link attached to the presentation). The presenter will see the question in their notes (not shown on the screen) and these questions can be shown as the presenter sees fit.

Laser pointer
Google Slides now has a laser pointer that makes it easy to point out things within the presentation. Great if you don't have a physical pointer.

Watch the video to see these features demonstrated

Quick Screen Shot - a Chrome extension

Alice Keeler, a well known educator (check out her website, alicekeeler.com) , has commissioned a Chrome extension that will allow you to take a quick screenshot and save automatically in Google Drive. The link to the screenshot is copied into the clipboard allowing you to paste and share.
Alice recommends this for those using Google Classroom. You can take the screenshot and paste the link into Classroom to distribute to your students.
Well worth a look.

http://alicekeeler.com/2016/09/22/quickshare-screenshot-chrome-extension/

Register Today for Parent #TechTuesday Sessions in November!

The DLC team is again offering Parent #TechTuesday sessions at 2:15PM - 2:45PM focused on upskilling parents in the use of digital tools. The November sessions will focus on the Google's G Suite. We ask that you bring a device if you have one so you can click along during our sessions. Laptops, tablets or phones will be handy.  The sessions will be in the DLC office on campus.

Please REGISTER for an event on the events calendar on the right side of our ET blog.

The DLC Team hopes to see you at an event!

Useful app: Google Chrome App launcher customizer

Do you want to add or manage Google Apps in Chrome? Now you can using the Google Chrome App launcher customizer.
Rearrange your Google Apps so your favorites appear at the top of the dropdown menu. You can also add other Google Apps as well.

Article about the customizer (ComputerWorld)
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2475118/internet/how-to-customize-google-s-new-web-app-launcher.html

Get the app from the Chrome store
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/app-launcher-customizer-f/ponjkmladgjfjgllmhnkhgbgocdigcjm

Setting Up A Shared Folder in Google Photos

Setting up a shared album in google photos is very simple.  (You may want to upload a single photo first as it seems to help with the setup process!)  Check out the screen cast below.

Uploading to Shared Google Photo Galleries

Shared google photo galleries are a great way to collect class photos or photos for different projects.

In order to upload to a shared google gallery, you will need to have a gmail account.

If you download the google photos app you will find the process very quick and easy without a lot of extra steps.


How To Upload To A Shared Gallery (Google Photos App Installed)
Share the link with your album contributors and you are off and running.

Step One:  Click the shared album link

Step Two:  Click the photos icon 

Step 3A:  Choose Your Photos From Your Gallery

Clicking on the photos link should take you straight to your photo library.  If it doesn't see step 3B below (applicable if you do not have the google photos app installed).

Choose your photos by clicking on the ones that you want and then click DONE.  You should now see your photo in the Photo Gallery.  To caption/comment on it, check out Step Four below.

Step 3B:  (For Devices without the google photos app)  Choose Your Photos From Your Gallery

If you are on an older android device and the upload photos link does not take you straight into your device's photo gallery, you may need an extra couple of steps to get to get there:

Choose Select From Computer


Tap Documents

Select Images

                                           

Click on Camera Folder

Tap to Choose Image.  It should now upload to the library.

Step 4:  Using the Comments Feature to Caption/Comment On A Photo

Once your picture is uploaded to the gallery, it would be helpful to add a comment to it so we have more information.  You can do this by using the comments feature.  Tap a picture and look for the comments bubble below.  It will either appear on or below the photo and looks like a speech bubble.

Tap on that and add your comment.  When you are finished you can click send to upload your comment.

10 Chrome Extensions Every Student Should Install

Here are 10 Chrome browser extensions that are useful for students. Remember that the Chrome browser is an operating system which allows developers to create apps that plug into it making it extremely useful.
The list at the following link have been suggested specifically with students in mind. Check it out.

http://edurolearning.com/blog/extensions-student-install/

Apps listed:

Diigo Web Collector
Sidenotes
Note Anywhere
Goo.gl url shortener
Google Tone
Speak It
Stay Focused
Panel View for Google Keep
Google Dictionary
Calculator

Someone also suggested:
Snagit

Embedding Video from Google Drive

We are often asked where the best place to store videos that either teachers or students have made, and while there are several choices out there (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) your best option may actually be Google Drive.

Although the videos are not posted to a public site, they are easily shared just like you would share any other Google Doc, and you can also get an embed code to use with blogs or other websites.  In addition, our SFS Google drives are unlimited storage, which is really great when it comes to large files, which videos often are.

Here is a short tutorial on uploading video to Google Drive and getting the embed code:

Printing From The Cloud (Google Docs etc ...)

Are you having trouble printing from your google docs ... follow the easy steps in the short video below and you will be printing trouble free in no time!

7 Super Google Add-ons for Teachers

Do you find yourself working with Google Docs Daily?

Do you want to increase your productivity with in Google Docs?

Do you want to do this for FREE? 

Here are 7 Super Google Add-ons that are DYN-O-MITE!

Enabling Google Add-ons for Google Drive is quite simple. View the video below that shows you how to unleash the power of Add-ons.

1. Workflows

As a teacher, do you ever need to collaborate or get agreement on a new document or procedure? Do you have to track a list of students to see if they have done something? Do you need to sign off on student's work? This Add-on is your answer. You could also have peer reviewers sign off on work and track it this way as well. Download Workflows here and see the video below on how Workflow operates.

   

2. EasyBib

Ever have students type an English paper and site their bibliography wrong? Do they ask you how to format sitings depending on the format of the paper they are writing in? Then have your students install the EasyBib Add-on here and see the video below on how EasyBib operates.

3. Mindmeister

Need to make quick mindmaps for a graphical depiction? Need to have students do the same? This Add-on is a fascinating way to convert a table of contents or outline for a paper into something visual. Mindmeister is a quick and easy way to get students to create a different take on organizing notes, thoughts, and processes. Have your students install the Mindmeister Add-on here and see the video below on how Mindmeister operates.

4. Template Gallery

Do you miss the standard Microsoft templates that you used in Office? Did you know that you can access those same templates from a Google Doc file? Did you know the SFS letterhead templates are saved here as well? Install the Template Gallery Add-on to have those templates right at the tips of your fingers again.  Install Template the Add-on here.

5. Kaizena

Have you ever been marking papers at home and wished that you could explain to a student exactly why they received the grade they did? Have you ever wanted to tell a student a piece of their writing was fabulous? The Kaizena App allows you to talk over Google Docs and give instant, precise feedback to a student, either vocally or written. You can download the Add-on here and see a brief video explaining Kaizena's functionality below.

6. Vextab Music Notation

Music teachers rejoice! (Cue the choir... hallelujah) This Doc Add-on lets you render standard music notation, drum notation, and guitar tablature in your documents using the VexTab notation language. You can find our more and download VexTab here.

7. Table of Contents

Ever work with a department to create a multipage document for a unit or a trimester of lessons? Have you spent time searching through the long document for a certain unit or chapter? The Table of Contents Add-on will save you tons of time as it creates a live table of contents on the right side of your screen that allows you to jump to different headings throughout a document. It truly is a timesaver. Download the Add-on here.

There you have it. Now at your next PLC meeting, you can share with your fellow colleagues some of these 7 Super Google Add-ons that will make their lives easier too. You might get the reaction below, but take the time to share an Add-on or two that made your day of teaching a little smoother!

4 Things You Can Do Right Now To Create A Perfectly Organized Google Drive (Google Guru)

Proper folder structure, naming conventions, color coding, and keeping track of what is shared with you can go a long way when used properly. These 4 tips show the best way to organize your Google Drive for faster navigation so you never lose track of a document again.

1. Folder Structure Comes First

The best starting point is creating a clean universal folder structure. An easy way to do this is to create a folder for each category of document and then make subfolders for each aspect of that category.

An ‘uncategorized’ folder can house all the documents that don’t fit into any of the other folders yet. Scan through the ‘uncategorized’ folder regularly and sort its contents into the appropriate labeled folders if possible.

Within each subfolder, it is a good practice to create folders that are dated by week to keep track of the dates each document is created, that way no folder becomes too full and difficult to sort through.

To create a folder click the red NEW button and then select the option for folder.




2. Add Some Color

Google Drive has an awesome feature that allows you to color code your folders, this can be done in such a way that makes sifting through your drive much faster.

If you made each folder in my drive a different color and then each subfolder a different shade of that same color. The dated weekly folders within each subfolder are the same shade as the subfolder it is contained within. This way, if you're looking at a folder titled “April 6-12” you can instantly tell what types of documents are contained in it simply by glancing at its hue.

To change the color of a folder click the arrow to the right of the folder name on the top bar then select the change color option.






3. Standardize Your Naming Conventions

Date created is a mysteriously absent field in Google Drive, instead you can only view when a document was last updated. Finding a document by it’s creation date is sometimes useful and more intuitive, which should be considered when designing your naming convention.

We think it is best to name every document in the following way “[DateCreated] DocumentName” and then let the folder structure and color coding do the rest. For example a student loan payment receipt created on the 19th of April would be titled “[4.19] Student Loan Payment Receipt” this will be easy to find whether you are searching for the date or the title of the document.

To rename a document, highlight the documents name in Drive and then click the three vertical dots on the right side of the top bar. Then select rename.

4. Shared with you, organized by you

When a document is shared with you, it can be hard to locate because it is not automatically added to your My Drive folder. Make sure to add the file to the appropriate folder in your My Drive. If it does not adhere to your naming conventions, create a folder that fits the naming convention and add the shared file to that folder.

To add a document that is shared with you to your My Drive, highlight the document in the Shared with Me folder and then click the three vertical dots on the right side of the top bar and select Add to My Drive from the dropdown menu.

4 Things You Can Do Right Now To Create A Perfectly Organized Google Drive | The Gooru. (2015, April 21). Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://www.thegooru.com/4-things-you-can-do-right-now-to-create-a-perfectly-organized-google-drive/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonuq3AZKXonjHpfsX56uQoXa+1lMI/0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ASsFnI+SLDwEYGJlv6SgFTbHMMat6w7gKWxc=

Google Drive adds auto-backup support for the iOS Photos app

http://bit.ly/1GMQ6Yo

from appadvice.com

In the coming weeks Google Drive will add auto-backup support for the iOS Photos app (iOS 8) on iPad and iPhone.
Although you have been able to backup photos to other third party services such as Dropbox, this gives us even greater accessibility as our students are already working within Google Apps.
I am hoping that the backup can be to a shared folder. This would mean you can take your students on a field trip or give them a photo task and have the photos automatically backed up to a Google Drive folder they all have access to - seamless!

Feel free to add comments about other possible uses

Converting a PowerPoint file to a Google Presentation

Tech Event Notes: Collaboration with GoogleDocs

Google Chrome notes