Efficient Ways to Share Your Google Docs, Sites and more

How do you share your Google stuff?   
Most people who start using Google Docs quickly figure out how to share with other people by entering their username one at a time, but...
Here are three different ways to make sharing and collaborating easier in Google Apps:  
Contacts, Groups and Collections.

• Contacts:
• From Google:  Managing Contacts
• Contacts screencast:
• Google Groups:
• Screencast from the Teacher Librarian at Golden HS: http://screencast.com/t/O8MPiBgax

• Collections (folders) in Docs
• Creating collections
• Sharing collections

How do you share in Google?  What tips and tricks can you give to help save time and peace of mind?  Questions for the collective brain?  Please add to the conversation through comments below.

Jeffco Google Classes, Trainings and Open Labs

Jeffco is beginning the transitioning to Google Sites as our web page tool.  Please visit the Google Sites Support page for more info.

For trainings:
Search ESS/Jeffco Access training opportunities for "Google"  - or read through details below.

New sessions have been added for Face to Face and Online offerings.  Search ESS for the most recent information.

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Face to Face: 

Google Sites, Google Docs, & Open Labs

Open this document to see the course descriptions and current days and times for Google Apps trainings. If it says the class is full, you can sign up anyway. We plan to get bigger spaces or add more sections as needed.

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Online Classes - 8 weeks - Click here to see other available Ed Tech courses.  

Google for Educators Part I - Starts April 5
Looking to enhance your web experience with Jeffco Google Apps? How can you maximize the tools supported by Jeffco? This course takes an in-depth look at how to use Google Sites, Presentation, Docs, Calendar and Forms/Surveys in the new Jeffco domain. Prepare to be Googlified in this highly interactive online course.
Course Code: BETGOG | Read More

Google for Educators Part II - Starts April 5Looking to enhance your web experience with Google? What possibilities exist in the world of Google? Explore how Google tools can provide opportunities for students to engage in collaboration, exploration and creation. Learners will explore SketchUp, Picasa, Panoramio, Beyond Google Maps/Street, Google Earth, Mars/Sky/Ocean and share examples of how others are using them in the classroom.
Course Code: BETGG2 | Read More

Google for Educators Part III  - Starts April 12
Are you a Google Expert? Want to learn more about other amazing tools that are available through the Jeffco Google Domain? Google 3 will walk you through tools such as Gmail, Groups, Reader, Moderator, Blogger, Picasa Web Albums, Aviary Image and Audio Tools, etc. This class is for people who have been using other tools in the Jeffco Google Domain and feel comfortable expanding their repertoire.
Course Code: BETGG3 | Read More

Introduction to Jeffco Google Apps - Always available
This self-paced course will walk you through the basics of the Jeffco Google Apps Domain. In three sessions, you will learn how to use Google docs, forms, spreadsheet, presentation, sites, and calendar in the Jeffco Domain. You will see demonstrations of how other teachers are using Google Apps in their classrooms and gather ideas for you to begin using Google in your own classroom as early as tomorrow!
Course Code: BETSPG | Read More

Google Apps New Look

Screenshot from the Google tutorial

Google Apps New Look
Details about what's different in each of the Google Apps. Take some time to explore and learn the link.  

A Google Spreadsheet Formula Everyone Should Know About!

Take a look. This could be helpful if you have ever struggled (like I have) with trying to view long text responses in a Google Form spreadsheet.

Tip 104 - A Google Spreadsheet Formula Everyone Should Know About!:

'via Blog this'

Have you tried Google Moderator?

It's easy and it's amazing!  We recently used Google Moderator with over 100 high school students so they could submit questions they wanted to ask the superintendent - but they also were then able to vote for or against other questions as well as respond to each other's ideas.
Google Moderator is being used in the Jeffco Budget process, professional development planning, naming the new Jeffco wifi network.  It has also been used by the White House and Fox News.
Take a look at this video for a quick overview of how one teacher has used it in the classroom.
http://youtu.be/9KdG5Mu7g14

Now give it a try!  "How can Google Moderator be used in education?"

Submit ideas and vote! http://goo.gl/mod/8dXy 

Google Apps Education Training Center

Google Apps Education Training Center:
Great resource for self-paced learning.

	Apps Mail
	Calendar
	Docs
	Sites

Three New Features in Google Docs

growing with google

• Comment-only access in Google documents
• Don’t want that file downloaded? Ability to restrict file download now in Google Docs
• The new version of Google presentations (proceed with caution - it behaves very differently in different browsers)

Google Forms for Administrative Walk-Through Observations - Part II

About a month ago, we shared a post about using Google Forms for Principal Observations, but we have updated information and resources for you.

1st - A presentation we just used in a training for about 60 administrators in Jeffco on how to access the template and build their own form for this process. 

Open the presentation full screen

2nd - Included in the presentation is this video of the principal at Carmody using the form on his iPad. 

3rd - These step by step directions on how to access the templates (one from Carmody, one from O'Connell, and one from Falcon Bluffs) and edit it for their own needs. (linked near the end of the presentation)

Feel free to comment or ask questions below.  Don't forget to "subscribe via email" to our blog!

Using Google Apps at Evergreen Middle School

Take a look and a listen! Students and staff at Evergreen Middle School telling you how they use Google Apps (Docs, Sites, etc.) as well as Glogster and Animoto.
Examples and ideas from Reading, Writing, Math, Student Council, etc.

EMS Google Apps  Feel free to comment and ask questions below.

Webinars – Google Apps for Education

Webinars – Google Apps for Education:

Google has many webinar training opportunities available - some live and some recorded.

For Example:
Some Upcoming "Live Webinars"

• Happily Ever After: Enhancing Language Arts with Google Apps - Wednesday, October 26, 3:00pm PT/ 6:00pm ET
• Google Apps for English Teachers - Tuesday, November 1, 3:00pm PT / 6:00pm ET

A few of their Archived Webinars:

Google Sites for Educators

Introduction to Forms in Google Docs

Managing Google Docs with Your Classroom

32 Ways to use Google Apps in the Classroom

There are many more available on this page:  Webinars – Google Apps for Education:

Take a look and share this with others who might be interested.  If you watch one and find it useful - post a comment below!

Google Forms for Principal Observations

Small Sample of Walk-Through Form

Kudos to Christy Izmirian, the Teacher Librarian at Carmody Middle School for putting this together! She worked with her principal, Scott, to create a Google Form that he could use on his iPad (or laptop or any mobile device) to quickly capture what he sees when walking through a classroom. (and then email it to the teacher)
She submitted it as a "Template" in Jeffco Google Docs, and created these directions.  If you use the template, you can add, delete or change any of the questions to include "look-fors" specific to your school UIP goals.
Instructions for Creating Online Walk-through Form
Questions? Thoughts? Other ideas?  Want to thank Christy and Scott?  Please add comments below.

New Look for Apps - What's New in Google Apps

New Look for Apps - What's New in Google Apps:
If you have a personal google account, you may have already seen these changes. 

The "new look" is mostly cosmetic and fairly intuitive, but just remember - Google is always changing and improving! Keeps us on our toes! 


Update:  It's here! http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com/2011/10/new-look-for-google-docs-and-sites-now.html
"You’ll see clean menus and toolbars, prominent action buttons, and colorful presence that pops when you’re editing with others.
Some of the changes:

• We made it clearer that your document is always saved, by showing “Saving...” right after you make a change and then “All changes saved” once it’s fully saved.
• We added an icon to the Share button so you can tell if your document is shared at a glance.
• If you’re looking for options that were previously under the Share button (e.g. “Email as attachment...”), you can now find these in the File menu.
• By default, the documents list automatically fits a comfortable number of documents on your screen (large desktop monitors show more, smaller laptop screens show fewer). We also added density options to give you more control."

Any thoughts or concerns about the upcoming new look?  Feel free to comment below.

New Contacts interface in Gmail

From Google Apps Blog. Google Apps update alerts: New Contacts interface in Gmail Note that this is about how Contacts works within Gmail, not necessarily when you open Contacts in a separate window.

As we roll out Gmail for students, this could be helpful information for students and staff.  How do you think this could help with using Gmail for instructional purposes?

Looking for some more resources for Gmail?  

Take a look at how to "Become a Gmail Ninja"

Communications Blitz about Jeffco Google Apps!

A huge thank you to the Jeffco Communications department who has been working with Ed Tech Services to spread the word about Jeffco Google Apps! How?

• To principals in the Leadership Memo, including these important Talking Points

• To all employees in the Messenger Weekly

• And to all district parents in Chalk Talk including the awesome video below.

Want to know more about how Jeffco Google Apps and Jeffco's Acceptable Internet Use Policies?  Click here for directions on how to find them.
And don't forget to dig around in (and share!) the information and resources on the left side of the Jeffco Google Apps Resource Site.

If the embedded video isn't showing:  Click Here for Windows Media or here for QuickTimeversion)

Blogger Buzz: Blogger’s fresh new look

For those of you using Blogger.

Blogger Buzz: Blogger’s fresh new look: Posted by: Chang Kim, Product Manager As you may have heard , things are starting to look a little different across many Google products—a...

Introducing Appointment Slots in Google Calendar

This might be a possible solution for some of you using Google Calendar to schedule resources and spaces in your schools. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

"Appointment slots in Google Calendar: Posted by Irene Chung, Software Engineer Google Calendar has become indispensable for organizing my own time and sharing my schedule with..."

"Every Google Calendar has its own personal appointments sign up page; you can embed it on your website or give the URL directly to friends and clients. You can find the URL for your appointment page at the top of the set-up page, which you can access via the Edit details link."

Docs Blog: Comment-only access in Google documents

Docs Blog: Comment-only access in Google documents: In the past several months, we’ve added new discussion and commenting features to improve collaboration in Google documents. As an engineer...

This could be really useful for gathering feedback from people without needing to give them editing rights to your doc.

Fix those Google Security Certificate Errors!

Error I used to get in Google Apps

Tired of having to tell your browser that you really do trust Google Apps?  IT has provided a fix.  This will work on personal laptops, ipads, phones, etc. that staff or students use on the JeffcoGuest network.  In most schools, you should not see this security certificate problem on your Jeffco machines, but some users have reported problems with the Jeffco Firefox install - and this should fix that as well.

Open this link in the browser (and device) that has the certificate issues … follow the instructions and you're good to go.  (those instructions are different on different devices and different browsers - just click "okay" or "I accept" or "yes" or whatever it asks).

http://jeffcopublicschools.org/security/Root-ESC-CERT-SRV-CA.crt

Here are screenshots of what it looked like on my iPod Touch:

Error I used to get in Google Apps

The window that opened when I clicked on the above link from my iPod 

The next screen (after I clicked "Install")

And the next (after I clicked "Install" again)

After that my Ipod and Google Apps got along nicely.

When I clicked on the link in Firefox on a computer - the steps looked different - but the concept is the same:  I had to check 3 boxes and click a button - and then it was all good.

http://jeffcopublicschools.org/security/Root-ESC-CERT-SRV-CA.crt

Student Safety and Privacy on Google Apps

Received  an email from a school about a parent who was concerned about the type of information their student was being asked to post to a class project website.
Remember to keep the kids safe, follow policies and laws, and think about your parents and their potential concerns.


Safety and Privacy
There are certain things you (or your students) should never post to the web - especially as part of school projects.  The Jeffco Web Agreement - as linked on slide 11 of the Jeffco Google Apps Intro Presentation helps lay some of that out.  Look particularly at page 3, # 3 - Student Information and photos  "Above all, schools are urged to protect student safety and to be respectful of student privacy."


Use the power of "sharing" settings in your Google Site (and docs, etc.)
With safety and privacy in mind, you can set your site, and now your pages, to be shared only with specific people - as viewers or editors.

Better control in Google Sites with page-level permissions - Docs Blog

Going Google! Examples from schools

Lots of great stories from schools about how they are using Google Apps.  Ralston Valley High School is one.  They have some great examples of how to integrate several Google Apps tools into the classroom to help teachers and students do their work more efficiently.  Jen Jonson is the Teacher-Librarian and Jenny Braketa teaches math.  The links show examples of Google Forms and Google Sites, including embedded videos from Google Docs.  

Take a look at these examples and feel free to ask questions and shower them with complements below!

• Jen Jonson

Google Sites & Video

Google Forms for Online Work Collection

      Example Spreadsheet

• Jenny Braketa

               Blogging About Trig
               Math Pre-assessment
               Managing Student Govt.

"Teach Parents Tech"

http://www.teachparentstech.org/

Teach Parents Tech:
This is awesome!  It's built by Google, and meant as a tool for kids to help provide tech support to parents, but schools could use it as well.

One simple example - a YouTube video on how to use a Google Docs spreadsheet to keep track of frequent flyer numbers.

Calendar embedded in School Center

Did you know you can embed a Google Calendar on a School Center webpage (or any website or blog that accepts embed code)?

Two examples:  Swanson Elementary and Little Elementary. 


Here are some directions from Shannon Feely, the Teacher-Librarian at Swanson. 

• create your calendar in google and set it to public,
• you can play around with the colors to get it to match your school web page
• before you copy the embedded code, set it to agenda (the regular calendar weekly/monthly mode doesn't fit into school center well), 
• Step by step directions with screenshots from Google  linked here
• when you get it how you want it copy the embedded code 
• In School Center start a scrapbook page and label it calendar (don't use a calendar page)
• click the tool for the embedded code and copy it from google

"I love it because I no longer have to add all the events.  I gave editing rights to the principal, secretaries, and we had each grade level/team select a "Google Calendar Master" that is in charge of adding their events.  Huge time saver for me!!!  Parents love it because they can subscribe and get all the events right to their phone." - Shannon

Any other great calendar ideas?  Questions?  Join the conversation below!