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Topic 2: Chromebook Introduction
What is Google Drive?
Watch the two videos below to get a brief introduction to Google Drive.
Why Google Drive?
Google Drive is productivity tool similar to the Microsoft Office Suite. With Microsoft Office, users can create documents with Word, spreadsheets with Excel, presentations with Powerpoint, and publications with Publisher. Google has created a similar experience with Google Drive that stores all your documents for FREE on the "cloud." With Drive, users can create sharable documents, spreadsheets, drawings, and presentations. One feature that until this point has set itself apart from Microsoft is the "Forms" function. Google Forms allows users to create and share surveys with anyone who has a Google Account. Data from the survey is collected and organized into a spreadsheet for easy reading. Click this link to read Google's Overview of Google Drive.
Sharing and Collaborating
Everything created in Google Drive can be shared with anyone with a Google account. (Many people have accounts and it is easy to sign up for those who do not.) Once a file is shared, users can collaborate in real-time (edit the document at the same time). When sharing a document, the creator can decide to give a collaborator full rights to edit, view only rights, or can open it up so anyone with or without a Google account and view the document. This link includes a tutorial on how to share in Google Drive.
File Storage
Besides creating files, Google Drive can also store any photos, videos or documents that were created on your computer's hard drive. Let's say you have a folder on your computer with documents created in Microsoft Word. With Google drive, users can easily upload these files so they can be accessed from anywhere. Instead of uploading photos to a cloud based storage system such as Flickr or Dropbox, Google Drive can also perform these functions.
Microsoft One Drive
Recently, Microsoft Office launched Skydrive which is now known as OneDrive. With OneDrive, Microsoft Office users can have an experience similar to Google Drive. Files can be stored in the cloud and can be shared with others. The main difference at this point is that documents that are shared can not be edited in "real-time." Two people can work on the same document at the same time but each user will not see the others contributions until the page is refreshed. With One Drive, Microsoft has also added a "Survey" function which is similar to "Forms" in Google.
Read this article to learn how OneDrive is trying to compete with Google Drive.
Google Drive and File Storage
This video will introduce you to Google Drive and its cloud-based storing capabilities.
Creating with Google Drive
Watch this video to learn how to use Google Drive to create files.
Collaborating and Sharing with Google Drive
One of the greatest features of Google Drive which sets it apart from many other Web 2.0 tools is its "Sharing" function. In all of the Google Drive apps (Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Forms, and Drawings), users have the ability to share a document with another user. Both users can be editing the document at the same time and the changes will show up in "real time."
Watch the video below or read this tutorial to learn how to share documents and open various editing options.
This function can be very powerful in the classroom as it allows two students to work on and edit a document or project at the same time. Google Drive is helping prepare students for the 21st Century by offering collaborative opportunities. If you are interested in learning more about additional 21st Century Skills, read this 21st Century Skills article.
Read one of the articles below for more ways Google Drive can enhance collaboration in the classroom.
Extend the Learning
If you are interested, there are many ways to take Google Drive's sharing functions even further. Teachers can share assignments and have students submit them through Google Drive.
Resources
Miller, M. (2013). 20 collaborative Google Apps activities for schools | Ditch That Textbook. [online] Retrieved from: http://ditchthattextbook.com/2014/02/03/20-collaborative-google-apps-activities-for-schools/ [Accessed: 6 Apr 2014].
Support.google.com. (1850). Chat and real-time collaboration - Drive Help. [online] Retrieved from: https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2494891?hl=en [Accessed: 6 Apr 2014].
Support.google.com. (1850). How to share - Drive Help. [online] Retrieved from: https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2494822?hl=en [Accessed: 6 Apr 2014].
Sci-tech-today.com. (2000). Microsoft OneDrive Works To One Up Google Drive | Sci-Tech Today. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=10300005M94P [Accessed: 6 Apr 2014].
YouTube. (2012). Google Drive and Docs: Sharing and Collaborating. [online] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsoa9skxVuk [Accessed: 6 Apr 2014].
YouTube. (2013). Google Drive Tutorial 2013 - Introduction (1/6). [online] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0ZvYRU1Y5Y&feature=youtu.be [Accessed: 6 Apr 2014].
YouTube. (2013). Google Drive Tutorial 2013 - Composing Google Docs (2/6). [online] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdtHjhJ_350 [Accessed: 6 Apr 2014].
YouTube. (2012). Going Google with Google Drive. [online] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4bh1qwTJw [Accessed: 6 Apr 2014].
YouTube. (2013). This is Google Drive. [online] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WTE6pa-EY4 [Accessed: 6 Apr 2014].
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