Google Workspace

Google Workspace – Email, Files and Online Tools

Google Workspace is the main suite of online tools used by students and staff at Eerde for email, file storage, creating and sharing documents, and collaborative work. Students and staff are provided with an Eerde Google account, giving access to Eerde email, Google Drive and a range of Google applications. The Eerde Google account is also used by students to sign in to some other school systems, including ManageBac through Single Sign-On.

Google Workspace is primarily a student and staff system. Parents and guardians do not normally require their own Eerde Google account.

Google Apps

Once signed in to their Eerde Google account, students can access the different Google applications using the Google Apps menu, sometimes called the waffle icon, in the top-right corner of the browser.

The applications most commonly used at Eerde include:

Gmail – school email
Google Drive – online file storage
Google Docs – documents and written work
Google Sheets – spreadsheets
Google Slides – presentations
Google Calendar – calendars and scheduling
Google Meet – online meetings and video calls

Students may use different applications depending on their age, classes and the work they have been asked to complete.

Eerde Email

Students are provided with an @eerdeibs.nl email address. Email is an important form of school communication, particularly for Secondary students. Students should check their school email regularly and use their Eerde account for school-related communication.

Students may receive emails from teachers and other members of staff, as well as notifications when documents or resources have been shared with them. Students should use their school email appropriately and professionally. School-wide email groups should only be used when a message genuinely needs to be sent to the whole group rather than to a small number of individuals.

Google Drive

Google Drive is Eerde's secure online file-storage system. Students can use Drive to store their school work and access it from different devices while signed in to their Eerde account. Google Drive also makes it possible for students and teachers to share documents and collaborate on work.

My Drive

My Drive is the student's personal online storage space. Students can create folders to organise their work and store Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and other files. Files in My Drive remain private unless the student chooses to share them with another authorised user. We encourage students to organise their Drive carefully, using clearly named folders and files so that work can be found easily.

Shared Drives

Shared Drives provide spaces where groups of users can store and work with files together. Depending on the permissions provided, members of a Shared Drive may be able to view, add, edit or manage files. Students may be given access to Shared Drives where these are used for particular classes, projects or activities.

Shared with me

The Shared with me section contains files and folders that other users have shared with the student. For example, a teacher may share a document, resource or folder with an individual student or group. Students may also receive an email notification when a file has been shared with them.

Recent

The Recent section provides quick access to files that have recently been opened or edited. This can be useful when a student needs to return quickly to something they have been working on.

Starred

Important or frequently used files can be marked with a star. These files will then appear in the Starred section, making them easier to find without searching through folders.

Trash

Deleted files are moved to Trash. Students should check carefully before deleting school work, as files in Trash may later be permanently deleted.

Google Docs, Sheets and Slides

Much of the digital work students produce at Eerde can be created using Google's online applications. Google Docs is used for written documents and assignments; Google Sheets for spreadsheets, calculations, tables and data; and Google Slides for presentations.

One of the main advantages of these applications is that work is saved online in Google Drive rather than only on the student's device. They also allow students and teachers to collaborate. Where a document has been appropriately shared, several people can work on the same file, provide comments or review changes.

Students should always follow their teacher's instructions regarding where work should be created, stored, shared or submitted.

Google Calendar and Meet

Students also have access to Google Calendar and Google Meet through their Eerde account. Google Calendar can be used for scheduling and organising events, while Google Meet provides video-call and online-meeting functionality. These applications may be used when appropriate for classes, meetings, projects or other school activities.

Keeping School Files Organised

Students are responsible for looking after their digital school work in the same way that they are expected to look after books and other learning materials. Good digital organisation includes:

using the Eerde account for school work
giving files clear and meaningful names
organising work into appropriate folders
keeping important work rather than unnecessarily deleting it
checking Shared with me when a teacher has shared a resource
using Starred for frequently needed files
ensuring that work is shared with the correct people when requested

Students should not rely on files being stored only locally on their laptop. Using Google Drive helps ensure that important school work remains accessible through their Eerde account.

Report abuse