1. Google EasePart II
Making the most of Googles
online resources
By Sara Dagen

2. And so we continue
Im assuming youve viewed Google Ease Part I and have a gmail account as well as a basic understanding of Google Documents.
So let me say, Good job!
And now a little more on Google Docs.
3. Good Google
While Google Docs is handy, I would not say it is overly pretty.
The choice of fonts are limited, for instance, and I get frustrated that my uploaded Word documents dont look or act like Word documents.
But as we move into Google Sites, all will be, well, mostly well. But I digress
4. 5. Google Docs
The page you just saw showed you the contents of my Documents folder. (Makes you salivate, doesnt it?)
Check out English Department Handbook, the largest document Ive produced:
6. The Table of Contents box lists all the section titles (formatted as subheadings). Clicking on them allows you to go directly to those sections.
7. Google glory
The file started as a simple document with links leading to other documents (Google Docs, for the most part) and an occasional website (keepandshare.com, etc.).
Let me show you how to make a link in a document.
8. I highlighted part of my text, then clicked on Link. That brought up this little box, which allowed me to choose what I was linking to.The document list only includes Google Docs.
I created a flyover and checked the box before clicking Insert.
9. More on links
I could have linked to a URL (web address), a bookmark (a place within the document itself), or an email address.
You handle those links the same way.
The Table of Contents at the top of the page, which you can Insert, includes bookmarks to every heading listed, making it easy to get through the document.
10. What I dont like
While Google Docs is essentially wonderful, I dont like that my uploaded Word documents dont necessarily look or act as Word documents.
Let me show you what I mean:
11. This shows you what my file looks like in Word, with columns, a header that I can change weekly, etc.
12. But this is what the same file looks like in Google Docs, and thats after I tidied it up a bit.
13. So what do I like?
I like that I can link to items outside Google Docs (URLs, email accounts, bookmarks, and Docs) using Docs.
I like that I can store files for free and share and collaborate with colleagues.
I like the various templates and abilities Google Docs offers.
14. Not a perfect world
But despite all there is to like about Google Docs, I found it didnt meet all my needs.
I needed Word documents to be accessible to me and my colleagues as Word documents, pretty and functional.
And my huge documents looked overwhelming.
15. Enough of Google Docs
After making my English Department Handbook masterpiece, I found it a bit cumbersome.
Thats when I discovered Google Sites.
Did you know you could have your own website(s) for free?
16. In gmail or Google Docs, you can see the amazing choices Google offers us.
Click on Sites.
17. This page displays all the sites youve already createdor none. But you can click on Create new site and start.
18. Type in your Site name, and it will appear in the URL box. Enter a Site description, choose whom you wish to have access to the site, choose your Site Theme, and get going!
19. Ta-daa!
20. Work that site
Now that youve got a site, start adding pages and having some fun (and getting some work done).
Consider what you might like to have on the site.
You can add numerous types of pages, attach files, link to URLs, and make it great.
21. The first thing Im doing is creating a page for homework assignments. Isnt that the first thing students will want?
22. This shows you the options you have for the page. I think because I want to upload the homework assignments as a file, Ill create a File Cabinet titled Homework/Forms.
Ill keep the quarterly homework assignment sheets there plus any forms students may need to complete that homework.
23. This is what the page looks like after I clicked Create Page. Notice the page name also appears under Home in the navigation bar.
Now I could add files, if I had any. But its summer
24. Create new pages
Anytime you want to add a page, click on Create Page and go through the choosing process.
If I choose to create a basic webpage, I actually get a lot of options.
25. Notice that when I create a webpage, I get a large text box, but Im not limited to just text. I can also choose the Layoutcolumns, sidebars, etc.
26. 27. After choosing a two-column layout, I wrote some informational text, then went to Insert and chose a document for one column and a presentation for another. But you could add so much more; just click on Insert and see!
28. See all the things I can Insert into a page? If you scroll all the way down, youll find the word Gadgets, and you should see how many of those you can add in.
29. Just be advised that Google is sometimes limited to all things Googlebut it also offers ways for you to create most things free.
30. For instance
I wanted to create a PowerPoint presentation to teach my teachers Google Ease. I also wanted to share it.
By saving my presentation in PowerPoint 2003, I could then upload it to Google Docs-Presentations and then add it to my website.
31. 32. Just one more thing
Links and attachments serve a great purpose within Google Sites. You can link to pages within your site or you can link to URLs.
The ability to attach files means your Word files maintain their integrity: they look and act as Word files.
33. To link, simply highlight text, click Link and then choose either Existing page or Web address. If you choose a Web address, youll need the URL to paste in the box.
34. To attach a file, simply go to the bottom of the webpage and click Attachments. Then click on Choose File and make your pick.
35. Be at Google ease
That should give you a taste of what you can do in Googlefor free!
If you want more, and I hope you do, then get your site and experiment.
Then come teach me what youve learned!