Technology Tips: Create a Google Document Online

Google Documents is an extremely useful free service from Google that lets you create documents, spreadsheets, and slideshow presentations online. You can access these documents from any computer. You can publish your document as a webpage, you can selectively invite others to view your files, and you can also give permission to others to edit the file, too. There are also great import and export features. For this Technology Tip, you will create a Google account (if you do not already have one), and then you will create a GoogleDoc that you can use to keep track of the Technology Tips you have completed this semester.

STEP ONE: GOOGLE ACCOUNT. You will need a Google account. If you have a Gmail address, that means you have a Google account. If you have a Google account linked to another email address, that works, too. If you do not have a Google account, go to Gmail.com and click on the "Create Account" button.

STEP TWO: CREATE A DOCUMENT. Now go to Docs.Google.com, and log in with your Google account, if you are not already logged in. Then, take a look at this Tech Tips Checklist GoogleDoc that I made. You need to create something like this for yourself, which you can use to keep track of the Tech Tips you complete during the semester. So, from the main Google Docs screen, click on the Create New button, and choose Document. Then, you can just copy-and-paste the contents of my sample or you can type up a quick list of the weeks remaining in the semester, with a blank where you can fill in the Tech Tip you are completing. Be sure to click SAVE in the upper right-hand menu when you are done. For each Tech Tip you do, record it here - and that will let you know which week's Declaration you should do for your extra credit point.

STEP THREE: PRACTICE. Now, create another document just for practice and make sure you understand how to use the spellcheck and word count features.

STEP FOUR: When you are done, send me an email just to let me know that you have successfully created your Tech Tip Google Doc and also that you know how to spellcheck and do a word count. In addition, let me know if you have used GoogleDocs before, or if this is something you are using for the first time! Please use this subject line for the email: TechTip GoogleDoc.

When you have sent in the email, you can do the Gradebook Declaration for Extra Credit. Here is the text of the Gradebook Declaration you will complete: