What Is Google Docs/Drive?

Google Docs/Drive

What is Google Docs/Drive?

Google Docs is a suite of products that lets you create different kinds of online documents, work on them in real time with other people, and store your documents and your other files -- all online, and all for free. With an Internet connection, you can access your documents and files from any computer, anywhere in the world. This guide will give you a quick overview of the many things that you can do in Google Docs.

Creating Your School Account

1. Go to Google Docs

2. Sign in (your account has already been created)

Username is your student ID# Last Name.First initial @woodstown.org

(Example: )

Password is woodstown

3. At the Google Accounts Welcome- Type the Spam Word and click on “I accept. Continue to my account.”

4. Change Password: Click on email name in right corner, then click on Account. Click on “Security.” On next screen, click on “Change password”

Documents List

Your Documents List is where you'll find all of the Google Docs you've created, files you've uploaded, and anything that's been shared with you. It's also where you can manage your Google Docs settings. Here's what you can do in your Documents List:

●  Create Google documents, spreadsheets, other file types, and collections.

●  Upload (from your computer, if you'd like), manage, and store files and folders.

●  Share Google Docs, files, and collections.

●  Preview your docs and files before you open or share them.

●  View images and videos that you've uploaded to your Documents List.

●  Search for items by name, type, and visibility setting.

Google documents is an online word processor that lets you create and format text documents, and collaborate with other people in real time. Here's what you can do with Google documents:

●  Convert most file types to Google Docs format.

●  Add flair and format your documents, with options such as paint format, margins, spacing, and fonts.

●  Invite other people to collaborate on a doc with you, giving them edit, comment or view access.

●  Collaborate online in real time and chat with other collaborators.

●  Download Google Docs to your desktop as Word, OpenOffice, RTF, PDF, HTML or zip files.

●  Email your documents to other people as attachments.

Google spreadsheets

Google spreadsheets is an online spreadsheet application that lets you create and format spreadsheets, charts, and gadgets, and simultaneously work with other people. Here's what you can do with Google spreadsheets:

●  Import and convert .xls, .csv, .txt and .ods formatted data.

●  Export .xls, .csv, .txt and .ods formatted data and PDF and HTML files.

●  Use formatting and formula editing so you can calculate results and make your data look the way you'd like.

●  Chat in real time with others who are editing your spreadsheet.

●  Create charts and gadgets.

●  Embed a spreadsheet, or individual sheets of your spreadsheet, in your blog or website.

Google presentations

Google presentations is an online presentations editor that allows you to show off your work in a visual way. Here's what you can do with Google presentations:

●  Share and edit presentations with your friends and coworkers.

●  Import and convert existing presentations in .pptx and .pps file types.

●  Download your presentations as a PDF, a PPT, or a .txt file.

●  Insert images and videos, and format your slides.

●  Allow real-time viewing of presentations, online, from separate remote locations.

●  Publish and embed your presentations in a website, allowing access to a wide audience.

Google drawings

Google drawings is an online drawings editor that lets you create anything from a scribble to a flow chart while working collaboratively with other people. Here's what you can do with Google drawings:

●  Share and edit drawings with your friends and coworkers.

●  Download your presentations as a PNG, JPEG, SVG, or PDF file.

●  Insert images, shapes, and lines, and format them to fit your preferences.

●  Real-time collaboration with other people, no matter where they are.

●  Insert a drawing into a document, spreadsheet, or presentation.

Create, name or delete a Google document

Create a Google document

To create a new document, go to yourDocuments List, click theCreatebutton, and selectDocument.

A window with a new Google document will open, and you'll be able to edit the document, share it with other people, and collaborate on it in real-time. Google Docs saves your document automatically, and you can always access it from your Documents List.

Name a document

When you create a new document, Google Docs will name itUntitledby default.

To choose a name other thanUntitled, click theFilemenu, and selectRename. From here you can choose and confirm your document's title. You can also edit the name by clicking the title displayed at the top of the page, and making your changes in the dialog that appears.

Delete a document

Delete an item that you own from your Documents List

1.  From your Documents List, select the item(s) you want to delete.

2.  From theMoremenu, chooseMove to trash.

3.  If you're deleting a shared doc that you own, you'll see an option tochange the ownership of the document.

4.  The item will be moved to theTrash.

5.  To purge individual items from Trash, select them and chooseDelete forever. To purge all your items clickEmpty Trashin the upper left.

If you delete a shared doc that you own, it will be completely removed from the Documents List for all collaborators, and they will no longer have access to the document. Before deleting a doc, you may want to make someone else the owner of the doc so that your collaborators can still access it.

Remove an item that you don't own from your Documents List

1.  From your Documents List, select the item you want to delete.

2.  Go to theMoremenu, and selectUnsubscribe.

Edit and format a Google document

Change text and background color

To choose a text color for the text in your documents, highlight the text selection you'd like to modify. Then, click the 'A' toolbar menu and choose a color.

To choose a background color for a text selection highlight the text selection you'd like to modify. Then, click the toolbar menu with a highlighter pen and choose a color.

Text size and spacing

To change the size of the text in your document, simply select the text and click the text-size drop-down menu in the toolbar. This menu is set to11ptby default. Choose a new text size, and the changes are applied to the selected text.

If you'd like to change the line spacing of the document, or add a space before or after a paragraph, click the line spacing button on the far-right of the toolbar.

Then, select an option from the menu. 1.0 is single spacing and 2.0 is double spacing.

Paragraph styles and headings

The Styles menu in the toolbar displays the style of your text selection in a document, and lets you change the style or clear the formatting of your text. To view a list of headings available, click the menu that appears to the left of theFonttoolbar menu, or clickFormatand selectParagraph styles. Then, choose one of the styles, which range from 'Heading 1,' the biggest, to 'Heading 6,' the smallest.

Paint format tool

Google documents lets you copy the formatting you’ve applied to a specific section of text to another section using the paint format tool. If you’re familiar with thepaint format tool in Google spreadsheets, this works in a similar manner.

To use this tool, select the text that's formatted in the way that you want to copy. Then, click the paintbrush icon in your toolbar, and select the text to which you want to apply the formatting. The formatting from the original text will be copied to the selected text.

To change the formatting in multiple places within your document, double-click the paintbrush icon. You'll enter a mode that lets you highlight multiple text selections, and apply the same formatting to each selection. When you're done applying formatting to these selections, click the paintbrush icon again.

You can also use the paint format tool with keyboard shortcuts.Ctrl+Option+Cwill copy the formatting of the text you've selected, andCtrl+Option+Vwill apply any copy that formatting to a different text selection.

Save your Google Docs

Because Google Docs saves to a secure, online storage facility, you can create documents,spreadsheets,presentations, and drawings without the need to save to your local hard drive. You can also access your documents from any computer by signing into your Google Account. In the event of a local hard drive crash, you won't lose your saved content.

Since Google Docs continuously saves your work, there's noSavebutton or menu item. The last updated time shows near the menu bar.

Copy and paste in Google Docs

Google Docs lets you copy and paste text and images between all of your docs -- even if you're going from one document type to another. You can use keyboard shortcuts, the right-click menu, or the web clipboard menu to copy and paste in Google Docs.

Keyboard shortcuts

For most copying and pasting, you can use the keyboard shortcutsCtrl+Cfor Copy,Ctrl+Xfor CUt andCtrl+Vfor Paste (Cmd+C,Cmd+XandCmd+Von a Mac). This even works when going from one doc type to another.

There are a couple of exceptions when keyboard shortcuts don't work as well. In these cases, you should use the web clipboard menu:

●  If you're copying between presentations and another doc

●  If you want to copy on one computer and paste on another

●  If you want to copy something you aren't going to paste right away

Change the font in a document

When you create a Google document, the default font is Arial. If you'd like to change it, simply select a different font from the font drop-down menu in the toolbar.

If you'd like to choose a different font for a particular section of the document, select the text you'd like to change, click the font menu, and select a font. The changes are applied to the selected text.

At the top of your font list, you will see a section of your most recently used fonts.

Adding fonts to your font list

You can also add fonts to your font list if your Google Docs. Here's how to add a font to your font list:

1.  At the bottom of your font list, select “Add fonts.”

2.  A font picker will let you "shop" for web fonts for your font list.

3.  Click a font to add it to your "My fonts" list.

4.  Sort fonts in the list by using theSortandShowdrop-down menus, or use the search box to search for a specific font.

5.  ClickOKwhen you’re finished.

When you return to your document, your new fonts will be highlighted in your font list. Fonts you add to your list will show in collaborators' font lists.

Insert a link

If you want to insert a link to a website or an online document as a reference, follow these steps:

1.  Click anywhere in your document where you'd like the link to appear.

2.  Click theInsertdrop-down menu and selectLink..., or click the link icon in the toolbar. The 'Edit Link' window appears.

3.  Type the text you'd like to be displayed as the link (if you've already selected text, it'll already show in the 'Text to display' field). Leave this field blank if you want the full link to be displayed in your document.

4.  Select either 'Web address' or 'Email address.'

5.  Enter a URL (or an email address if you selected 'Email address') in the second text box.

6.  ClickOK.

Insert an image

You can enhance your document by inserting an image. Here's how:

1.  Go to theInsertmenu and selectImage.

2.  Depending on what image you'd like to add to the document, clickUpload,URL,Google Image Search, orPicasa Web Albums, and follow these instructions:

○  Upload: Choose an image from your computer and click theUploadbutton.

○  URL: Type the URL of a an image from the Web and clickSelect.

○  Google Image Search: Enter a search term to find an image using Google Image Search, and clickSearch images.Once you've found what you were looking for, click the image and theSelectbutton.

○  Picasa Web Albums: Click an album thumbnail image. Then, choose an image, and click theSelectbutton.

Add a comment

Comments are a handy way of adding notes to your regular document text and are visible to viewers and collaborators. These can be invaluable for communicating with collaborators about specific parts of the document, as well as making notes about changes you've made or would like to make. When you publish your document as a webpage or print it, the comments will disappear.

To add a comment to your document, follow these instructions:

1.  Place your cursor where you'd like your comment to appear or highlight text that you'd like to comment on.

2.  Go to theInsertmenu and select comment.

3.  Select theCommenticon. You can also use the keyboard shortcutCtrl+Alt+M(Cmd+ Option+ Mfor Mac) to insert a comment.