Tuesday 9 December 2014

2015 Pre-school Engagement Programme - Session 2

Dear 2015 Sec 1 Students,

Those who have NOT completed session 1 of the 2015 Pre-school Engagement Programme are encouraged to revisit the session before continuing this one.

For those who did, welcome back! It is encouraging to see the number of submissions in this period of the year. I understand that many may be going overseas for a holiday and might not be able to keep to the schedule spelt out in the overview post. Do try to catch up the missed sessions before school reopens.

Today, we will touch on the SST account, which is a Google Apps account which allows you access to a wide range of online services.

introduction to google apps


Essentially, your SST account gives you access to services shown below:



Among these apps, Google Drive is the home for Docs, Sheets, Slides and more. Watch the video below to get a better understanding on Google Drive




Activity 1 -  Getting started with google drive

For resources on Google Drive, a good site to start with is http://learn.googleapps.com/drive
Use the interactive tour to understand and get use to the interface. (Recommended time - 5 mins)
Then read and following the instructions on the "Get started with Google Drive" guide. (Recommended time -  at least 15 mins)

After reading the guide, you should be able to :
  • Set up Google Drive
  • Organize, find, and share files
  • Open and preview files
Depending on how fast and detailed you are,  this "Getting Started" guide will take you from 10 minutes to 40 minutes, with hands-on.


With basic familiarity, complete Drive Task 1:

  1. Create a folder named sst-your_full_name in this Drive folder  shared to you.
    An example is shown below, with the folder  sst-ang_ngee_keng.
  2. Create a new google doc named About myself and my learning style.gdoc in the folder created in step 1. (Google Drive does not mind the spaces in the filename. :-))
    You may use this gdoc as a template. Figure out how to copy the file and move it to the folder created in step 1. Go ahead, Google for instructions on how to do it.
  3. Replace and insert at least 2 original images to About myself and my learning style.gdoc.
  4. Access the following spreadsheet, and enter directly, in a row, the following information:

    NameFolder URLMy Resolution Gdoc URL
      An example is shown in row 2.



    ACTIVITY 2 -  introducing the members of google drive

    You had a brief encounter with Google Doc and Google Spreadsheet. Now let's introduce all members formally:

    Docs

    Google Docs is an online word processor that lets you create and format text documents and collaborate with other people in real time. Here's what you can do with Google Docs:
    • Upload a Word document and convert it to a Google document
    • Add flair and formatting to your documents by adjusting margins, spacing, fonts, and colors — all that fun stuff
    • Invite other people to collaborate on a document with you, giving them edit, comment or view access
    • Collaborate online in real time and chat with other collaborators — right from inside the document
    • View your document's revision history and roll back to any previous version
    • Download a Google document to your desktop as a Word, OpenOffice, RTF, PDF, HTML or zip file
    • Translate a document to a different language
    • Email your documents to other people as attachments

    Sheets

    Google Sheets is an online spreadsheet app that lets you create and format spreadsheets and simultaneously work with other people. Here's what you can do with Google Sheets:
    • Import and convert Excel, .csv, .txt and .ods formatted data to a Google spreadsheet
    • Export Excel, .csv, .txt and .ods formatted data, as well as PDF and HTML files
    • Use formula editing to perform calculations on your data, and use formatting make it look the way you'd like
    • Chat in real time with others who are editing your spreadsheet
    • Create charts with your data
    • Embed a spreadsheet — or individual sheets of your spreadsheet — on your blog or website

    Slides

    Google Slides is an online presentations app that allows you to show off your work in a visual way. Here's what you can do with Google Slides:
    • Create and edit presentations
    • Edit a presentation with friends or coworkers, and share it with others effortlessly
    • Import .pptx and .pps files and convert them to Google presentations
    • Download your presentations as a PDF, a PPT, or a .txt file
    • Insert images and videos into your presentation
    • Publish and embed your presentations in a website

    Forms

    • Create a Google form
    • Add and edit questions, headers, and page breaks
    • Add a theme to a form
    • Control your form's page-to-page navigation
    • Share your form with collaborators
    • Send your form to respondents
    • Choose a form response destination
    • View and manage form responses
    • Edit form responses after submitting
    • Deleting a form or form responses
    • Pre-populate form answers
    • Additional forms options for Google Apps users
    Use the Google Apps Document and Support site for learning resources on Google Apps. Specifically, learn the basics of Docs, Slides and Spreadsheet by following these links:

    Quick starts


    Google Apps Task - A Ho ho ho holiday and season greetings
    1. Open the shared slide - A Ho ho ho holiday and season greetings for all



    2. Insert a new slide. Add your name prominently using the text box feature.
    3. Insert a non-copyrighted image as background. Theme of slide is "Season's Greetings!".
    4. Add a comment to another slide created by someone else.
      Rules - No trolling nor spamming! Watch what you say online, and be nice!
    5. Add other design elements on your slide using any feature of Google slide.

    Bonus: Embed your slide in your blog created in Session 1, like how I did it below:



    That's all for Session 2. 
    Next up: 2015 Pre-School Engagement Programme - Session 3
    Title: My SST Account, Introduction to Google Apps (Part 2)

    More on Sheets and forms in the next session!