Course Overview

During this self-paced, online course, you will gain a basic understanding and overview of the primary FWISD G Suite for Education tools. These tools can be used for student learning and engagement outside of Google Classroom.

All FWISD educators are welcome to attend this beginner-level session.

Level: Beginner

FLEX ELECTIVE CREDIT: 1

CPE CREDIT: 1

Please note that there may be some practice steps included below. These are not required to receive credit for this course. Credit is granted to participants who score a minimum of 80% on the Course Assessment.

Course Objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to...

Access your G Suite applications through the Classlink portal
Add files and folders to your Google Drive
Create new files in your Google Drive
Identify the main functions of each of the main G Suite applications (Drive, Docs, Slides, Forms and Sheets)
Identify common features of the G Suite applications
Share files with collaborators

Guiding Questions

Which applications are included in the FWISD G Suite for Education?
What are the main functions of Google Drive?
What are the main functions of Google Docs?
What are the main functions of Google Slides?
What are the main functions of Google Forms?
What are the main functions of Google Sheets?
How do you share files with collaborators?
What do the G Suite applications have in common?
What are the advantages of using cloud-based applications?
On which devices can you access the G Suite applications?

Read the introduction to learn more about G Suite for Education and how to access your FWISD G Suite account.

Intro to GSuite for Education

"With G Suite for Education, educators can create opportunities for learning, streamline administrative tasks, and challenge their students to think critically--all without disrupting current workflows. G Suite for Education tools are powerful on their own, but work even better together. "

G Suite for Education Google for Education. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://edu.google.com/products/gsuite-for-education/?modal_active=none

FWISD G Suite

Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) has made available to all staff and students a Google Suite account. Within this account, users have access to tools that allow them to create content, schedule and conduct meetings, track data, and more.

Note: The Fort Worth ISD Google Suite account does not include access to Gmail. All staff and students have a Microsoft email account.

Applications Covered in This Module

Your G Suite for Education account includes many tools. In this module, we will focus on the five main tools listed below. Please note that Google Classroom, another G Suite application is covered in another module.

Accessing Your G Suite Applications

You can access each of the tools above through your Google Drive. Start by navigating to your Classlink Portal. Use the Classlink button below or type

fwisd.org/myfwisd

into the omnibox, or address bar, of your browser.

Classlink Portal

Click Sign in with Microsoft and enter your Active Directory credentials.

First, you will be prompted to enter your email address. For most employees, your email address is your first name, followed by a period, your last name, and the @fwisd.org domain.

first.last@fwisd.org

If you have already reset your password, enter your new one on the following screen. If you have not yet reset your password, you will use the default password. Note that you will need to use your Employee ID Number.

FWISD.EmployeeID#

You will likely be prompted to Stay signed in. If you are not on a shared device, you may select Yes.

Next, find the Google Drive icon and click on it. You will automatically be logged into your FWISD Google account.

Note: Your FWISD Google account has a different domain name. When you log into your Classlink Portal, it automatically links your Google login with your Microsoft login. If you are logging into Google Drive without going through the Classlink Portal, you will need to enter the following email address:

first.last@teachers.fwisd.org

To verify that you are in the correct account, check to ensure that you see the FWISD logo in the top right corner of your screen. You can also hover over it to see your FWISD Google domain name pop up.

Read the information and review the GIF to learn about Google Drive.

Google Drive

Google Drive is a free cloud-based storage service designed by Google allowing users to store files on their servers, synchronize files across devices, and share files. The EDU version provides unlimited storage and integrates seamlessly with the G Suite for Education productivity tools.

With a robust search engine built into Drive, users are able to locate files quickly through text and AI technology. In addition, Drive integrates with popular technology, such as Microsoft Office, allowing users to work in multiple platforms without converting files, formats, and edit and store files in a variety of file types.

Google Drive allows you to store, create, and share your files, making lesson delivery and collaboration a breeze.

Uploading and Creating Files

Uploading existing files and folders and creating new ones within the G Suite applications all starts with the +New button. You can upload any file type to store in your drive. This includes Microsoft files, such as Word documents and Powerpoint presentations. You can also upload videos, images, PDFs, etc. Additionally, with your FWISD G Suite account, you have unlimited storage in your Google Drive.

You can create any G Suite file from the +New button in Google Drive. All files that you create here will automatically be saved to your Google Drive in real-time, so you no longer have to worry about hitting the save button.

Read the brief description of each of the main G Suite applications.

The Basic G Suite Applications

There are many applications found in the G Suite for Education package. Here is a quick look at some of the most popular apps.

Google Docs

Google Docs is a cloud-based online word processing tool that automatically saves your work. Your documents are easy to share, making collaboration with colleagues and among students simple. As an application in the G Suite for Education package, it integrates seamlessly with Google Classroom.

Google Slides

Google Slides is an online collaborative and visual space that provides the ability for teachers and students to create , edit, and share presentations to demonstrate instruction and learning. It is designed to help you go beyond text and pictures, allowing you to easily add videos, drawings, equations, and images to share with an audience outside of the physical walls of your classroom.

Google Forms

Google Forms lets you create surveys and quizzes to gather classroom data and student responses. You can view that data in simple charts and graphs or as a spreadsheet. Google Forms is directly integrated with Google Sheets, so you can easily evaluate student responses or data to modify and differentiate your instruction.

Google Sheets

Google Sheets allows you to create spreadsheets, consisting of rows and columns, that allow you to easily enter and arrange data. You can use mathematical formulas to help you interpret the data and present it as needed. It also works with Google Forms to display your quiz or survey data.

Watch the video to learn more about sharing files and collaboration in G Suite.

Sharing in G Suite for Education

There are multiple ways to share files in the G Suite applications. The video below reviews each way and discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Read the information and review the graphics to learn about the common features of the G Suite applications.

Common Features and Characteristics

As discussed in the video, one advantage of using the G Suite applications is the ability to collaborate in real-time. Teachers and students can work on the same file simultaneously. You can even use the built in features, such as the comment tool or chat function, to facilitate that collaboration.

One of the most important commonalities amongst the main G Suite applications is that they integrate seamlessly with Google Classroom. Creating assignments within these tools allows you to assign work, track student progress, and facilitate student collaboration in Google Classroom. You can even create assignments within Google Classroom using one of these applications. In the screenshot below, notice that you can choose from Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drawings, and Forms.

In addition to the seamless integration with Google Classroom, another commonality in G Suite for Education applications is their ability to function offline on virtually any device. Students can begin working on an assignment in class and complete their work from home on another device, with or without an internet connection.

The Google Applications are all cloud-based, meaning that the files are saved on a network of remote servers rather than on a local server or personal computer. This allows you to access your files from any device at any time. The cloud-based feature also means the applications will automatically save your changes as you are working in a file.

Additionally, the G Suite applications are device agnostic, meaning that they can be used on any device. They work particularly well on Chromebooks but also function on desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices.

Lastly, G Suite has an offline function, allowing you to continue working on a file without internet access. Once you reconnect to the internet, all changes made to a file will be updated on your Google Drive.

Optional: Explore the resources in the choice board to learn more about the main G Suite applications.

You must answer all questions correctly and receive a score of at least 80% to receive credit for this course.

👉You may retake the assessment as many times as you need in order to score 80%👈

NOTE:

You must be logged into your FWISD Google Account in order to take this assessment. In another browser window, navigate to www.fwisd.org/myfwisd and log in. If you have not used your FWISD Google Drive before, you must click on Google Drive within your MyFWISD portal in order to activate your FWISD Google connection. Once you have initiated that connection, you will be able to return to this page and click on the image above to take the assessment.

Before taking the assessment, can you answer these guiding questions?

Which applications are included in the FWISD G Suite for Education?
What are the main functions of Google Drive?
What are the main functions of Google Docs?
What are the main functions of Google Slides?
What are the main functions of Google Forms?
What are the main functions of Google Sheets?
How do you share files with collaborators?
What do the G Suite applications have in common?
What are the advantages of using cloud-based applications?
On which devices can you access the G Suite applications?

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