Riverbank Unified School District

Teacher Resources

3 Ways to use the Google Docs Explore Tool

The Google Docs Explore tool provides users with quick access to the Drive and the web without ever having to leave a document.

1. Click on the Explore tool icon (bottom right corner of your Doc) and perform a search.  Click on the hyperlink to open a page to a new tab. Want to use an article or website for research? Clicking on the quotation mark adds a footnote with a citation in MLA, APA, or Chicago format. 

2. Adding images to a document has never been easier. The Explore tool's machine learning assists users in finding images that are relevant to a search.  Clicking on the plus sign instantly embeds an image on a document. Want to know the source of the image? Click once on the image (after it's been added to the document) to view its source. 

3. By clicking on the DRIVE tab, users can search for related files in Drive. This could be a real time saver in the classroom. 

The Explore tool is also available in Slides and Sheets with different functionality.  How might your students use the Explore tool this week?