Key Tips

Using Google Drive and File Stream to upload network folders

(Scroll down to view the full doc or hover and click the icon in the top right to open full screen in a new window)

Using Google Drive and File Stream to upload network folders

Create a Mobile-friendly Google Form

If creating a Google Form that you anticipate your audience will be accessing on a mobile device (phones in particular), consider using the Drop-down option in place of Multiple Choice to save screen space.

Insert an intro video in Kahoot

Many teachers in the district (and around the country) use Kahoot in their classes for engaging reviews and assessments. Consider elevating your Kahoot by inserting an intro video from YouTube that plays in the background while students are logging in with their username and game PIN.


Intro videos can capture students' attention while they wait for their peers to finish logging in. They can also be a great motivator to login if the YouTube video happens to be repetitive/mildly irritating: "The faster you login, the faster it stops playing!" The video should obviously pertain to the questions in your Kahoot or your subject area, of course, but perhaps it keeps repeating a particular concept that you REALLY want your students to remember :)


--For instructions on inserting an intro video in your Kahoot, click here.

--For instructions on how to create a Kahoot, click here to Get Started or contact our friendly Technology Coordinator!

APP HACK - Create a digital "Take Home" folder using Google Drive

While the addition of mobile devices has provided many benefits to staff and students, one important piece of education that must remain intact is the school-home connection, particularly with parents. This week's Tech Tip proposes a bold concept, for which I am seeking "test pilots:"


--Create a digital take home folder for students by having them share their Classroom folder (in Google Drive) with their parents' email address.--


Any student enrolled in a course in which the teachers uses Google Classroom will have a "Classroom" folder automatically generated in their Google Drive. If the student shares this one folder with his/her parents, Mom & Dad will have access to ALL work within that child's digital portfolio.


While parents can be invited to "join" a Google Classroom, all they really see is a snapshot of upcoming assignments and missing work. Parents cannot see what the student actually produces online or any teacher feedback without having access to the files themselves. A single share of the Classroom folder will create a digital take home folder of sorts that will exist until graduation (at which time the student can download their work to a personal account). If any teachers are brave enough to test this out, I suggest having students give parents VIEW ONLY access.


Please see this video for more information and let me know if you have any feedback regarding this idea.

Organizing Your Google Drive

First, go to tinyurl.com/gdrivetips and save a copy of this document in your Google Drive! (File, Make a copy...)


Some helpful keyboard shortcuts before getting started:

(use Command instead of Ctrl on a Mac)

Control + C = Copy

Control + V = Paste

Control + Z = Undo

Control + Y = Redo

Control + F = Find (click […] for Find/Replace)

Control + L = Highlight URL of a webpage

Control + K = Insert hyperlink

Control + W = Close window/program


Let’s get organized!

Think of your Google Drive as a digital backpack. It stores all your stuff, but if you don’t organize it, it’s tough to find things. Unlike a backpack, however, you can easily sort and search for files. Another difference between the two is that you can search for items others have shared with you and store them in your own “digital bookbag” (My Drive).


Major folders in Google Drive:

  1. My Drive - can store ANY file, not just Google, whether created by you or someone else

  2. Shared with Me - you CANNOT organize this folder but you can drag items to My Drive

  3. Recent - displays files you/collaborators have recently opened, as well as items shared with you

  4. Google Photos - automatically syncs with the Google Photos mobile app

  5. Starred - for your “favorites”

  6. Trash


Sorting your files:

  1. By name

  2. By owner

  3. By last modified

  4. By file size


Searching for files:

  1. By filetype:

  2. By filename/keyword

  3. By owner

*TIP: Before getting started on a search for files, you may want to change your view:

Grid View List View

Moving items:

  1. While in Google Drive, drag a file/folder wherever you want it to go

  2. While in Google Drive, right-click on a file/folder and select Move to…

  3. While in a Doc/Sheet/Presentation/etc, click on the folder in the Top Left and select location:


Creating new folders: Click on New > Folder

  • Tip #1: If you are going to place a new folder in an existing one, first open (double-click) the folder you want to move to, then create your new folder there.

  • The new folder gets the same sharing permissions as its “parent” folder.

  • Tip #2: Locate your Classroom folder and create subfolders for each school year: 2015-16, 2016-17, etc. Move your existing Classroom folders to the appropriate school year.


Sharing folders:

  • Just like files, you can share whole folders: single click on folder and click the Sharing icon

  • Everything that is placed in this folder gets the same sharing settings, so you don’t have to edit the share settings for every file.

  • STUDENTS: Share your main Classroom file with your parents to create a digital “Take Home” folder