Organization

A naming convention references how you name your files.

Consistency is key for a clean Google Drive.

Keep file names short, but meaningful. Avoid extraneous words.

If you need to add a date, include month, day, and year.

If you need to abbreviate, use CAPITAL letters to help you remember.

Just like files, try to have a consistent naming convention for your folders and subfolders.

If organizing files by unit, have a unit folder with subfolders nested inside for each topic.

If you want to create a subfolder (a folder within a folder), select the parent folder first. This will save time clicking-and-dragging items.

You can view the details and activity related to a file or folder by first selecting the file/folder, then click on the “View Details” icon near the top-right.

Adding additional information, such as a more detailed description, a note to yourself, or whatever you need will help make your file more searchable.

Many teachers prefer to have a "master folder" for each school year. This can be helpful as you review older resources and make updates.

Adding color to your folders can help you visually recognize files faster and give you additional ways to organize your Google Drive.

Colors can have specific meanings as well, such as type of activity/resource or class period.

To change the color of the folder, right-click on the folder and select Change Color. Pick the desired color from the palette provided.

Numbering files and folders helps keep the most important folders at the top of the MyDrive section, no matter what the rest of the name entails.

Helpful when folders are organized by Mod or Period - they will automatically be placed in the correct order.

Emojis (👀🎈) and special characters (? #) can add extra fun to your files and folders.

Emojis and special characters can give you and your students visual cues and can help ELLs process information.

The easiest way to add emojis to your folders is to press the windows key and period key simultaneously on your keyboard. This will bring up an emoji window for you to search. You can also install the Emoji Keyboard extension from the Google Chrome webstore.

You can add files to multiple folders without having to make copies. This allows folders to act more like tags or categories.

To add a file to multiple folders, single-click the file in Google Drive, then use the keyboard shortcut, Shift + z. A pop-up will open and allow you to add that file to another folder.

Even thought Shared with Me may not be well organized, you can add these files (as shortcuts) to your MyDrive section for you to organize into your own folders.

When you have the shared file open, you will see a Drive icon near the top left. Once clicked, you can navigate your Google Drive structure and place it in the folder you wish for it to be stored.

You can also add these files by going to your Google Drive Shared with Me section, identifying the file and right-clicking and selecting Add to Drive

Note: This method is not making a copy. It is just giving you easier access to files shared with you.