Google Tips & Tricks
Below you find shortcuts, tips, tutorials and tricks that can be helpful when utilizing all that Google Drive has to offer. Be sure to check back as this page will grow!
Encourage Complete Sentences.movHow to Encourage Complete Sentences or More Detail within Response Questions in Forms
Check out this quick video tutorial on how to use Response Validation in a Google Form to encourage students to write in complete sentences, or at least, provide more detail or information when answering short to long text answers. Simply set a minimum character count as noted in the video. I hope you find this helpful!
How to Add Boldfaced, Italics, and Strikethrough Type in Your Google Comments!
If you ever want to add emphasis to comments in any Google Doc, Sheet, Slides, or Drawing just do the following before and after the word you wish to add emphasise to. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to do underline at this time. See the video as well!
*bold* = bold
_italics_ = italics
-strikethrough- = strikethrough
Redesign Lessons with Google Drawings - Google Slides.webmCreating a Drop-Down - Google Sheets.webmHow to Create a Drop-Down List in Google Sheets
A drop-down list in sheets is a nice way to make sure what is being entered into your spreadsheet is exactly what you want. It also gives users a more efficient way of recording their input. Open up Google sheets and follow these directions!
An Easier Way to Freeze Rows/Columns
The short clip to the right shows an easy way to freeze rows/columns in sheets without ever having to access the navigation menu! This allows you to see top "Title" rows when you have a long list of rows to scroll vertically, and/or allows you to see lefthand "Title" columns when you have multiple columns and scroll horizontally.
Simply grab the thick gray horizontal bar and drag it past the desired row(s) to freeze it, or grab the thick gray vertical bar and drag it past the desired column(s) to freeze it.
Mar 23, 2017 1:38 PM.webmOct 25, 2018 8:29 AM.webmForce a Copy of a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide
When you open any Google document, you will notice the URL will end in the word "edit." Simply change this to "copy" to create a link to send to others that will "force" them to make a copy rather than change your doc altogether.
Send a PDF Format of Your Files with a Simple URL Change
By changing the ending of your URL from where it says "edit" to "export?format=pdf", you can send your files to others in a PDF format. Check out the video below!
Oct 25, 2018 8:34 AM.webmUsing Presentation Mode for Virtual Q & A During Presentations Using Google Slides
Google Slides allows individuals to be able to present their Slides so that students can visit a Q & A feed page where they can ask questions during the presentation. This allows students who may be shy, or who may not want to interrupt, the opportunity to ask questions, and at the same time allows the presenter to field questions and answer them when ready.
Presenter mode can also be very useful with large audiences when a simple raise of the hand may be hard to facilitate. Check out the tutorial video to the right--we hope you find this helpful.
Mar 23, 2017 1:54 PM.webmGoogle Docs Explore Icon..webmUtilizing the "Explore" Tool
In most Google Apps (Docs/Sheets/Slides), there is an explore tool that makes creativity a breeze. For example, in Google Docs you can click the Explore icon in the bottom right of the document and it will open a side menu with items related to your piece of work. In addition, this tool will give you citations, images, and related articles focusing on topics in your paper. See video for a more detailed tutorial.
Creating a Password in Google Forms
If you wanted to make sure students could not take a Google Form until you wanted them to, then I hope you find the thee minute tutorial helpful. Using data validation in Google Forms will allow you to make a password that students need to enter before taking an assessment.
Password in Google Forms.webmAttachments in Google Forms
Did you know that there is a way for students to add an attachment to a Google Form? This is significant because instead of reading a extended response in the Forms/Sheet, format students can now attach a file (From the computer or Google Drive)! See the gifs below for an example. (Note: the first is the teacher view and the second is the student view.)
Create New Files Quickly with These Simple Keyboard Shortcuts!
From your Drive (drive.google.com) or whatever folder you want to create the new file in, simply press and hold the "Shift" key and one of the following letter keys and your file tab will instantly appear for you to start editing and creating. We hope you find this helpful in streamlining your production.
- Doc: Shift + t
- Sheets spreadsheet: Shift + s
- Slides presentation: Shift + p
- Drawing: Shift + d
- Form: Shift + o
- Folder: Shift + f
Take a Screenshot or Partial Screenshot on a Chromebook
To take a screenshot or partial screenshot on a Chromebook, use the commands below found on your keyboard:
Extra Keyboard Shortcuts for Google!
When in Chrome:
- Ctrl+T to open a new tab
- Ctrl+Shift+T to open a tab you recently or accidentally closed
- Ctrl+W to close a tab
- Ctrl+Shift+W to close an entire windo
- Ctrl+Tab to toggle between tabs
- Ctrl + a number 1-8 to toggle to that specific tab
- Ctrl+9 to jump to the last tab
- Ctrl+hyperlinked text to ensure it opens in a new tab
- Shift+hyperlinked text to open in an entirely new windo
- Ctrl+L to jump your cursor/highlight the URL to type a new search
- Ctrl+R to quickly reload a page
- Ctrl+F to open the find bar to perform a keyword search for that page
- Ctrl+D to bookmark a page
- Ctrl+J to open the "downloads" page
- Ctrl+N to open a new window
