Long time - no write. It's not because I have stopped producing, rather I have basically moved over to YouTube for most of my tutorials. However since some people prefer to have instructions written, as well, I will try to include my YouTube tutorials here, in my written blogposts, more often. 

I have started making tutorials I call "It's a Quickie" for little things that make all the difference and require only a few seconds to explain. This one takes 3 minutes. It's an extension to Chrome called Sir Links a Lot. What it does, basically, is it changes the URL of your Googe doc, Sheet, Form, Slides or Drawings in a way that enables others to make their own copy of it without letting them edit YOURS by mistake. ESPECIALLY in these COVID-19 days when choice boards built on Google Slides and using Forms are becoming more and more popular, it is SO important to know just how to share them properly with your colleagues!

Until now (this week, literally) I have been explaining to teachers to delete the end part of the URL, and instead to write the words "copy" or "template/preview" but not all teachers felt comfortable know EXACTLY which words to delete, and EXACTLY how to share the link. This extension takes all the guess work out of it for you! 

Step 1: Go to your Google Apps Web Store

Step 2: Find the extension Sir Links a Lot
Step 3: Accept and then pin it in your Chrome toolbar

Step 4: Set the sharing settings of your document to "Anyone on the Internet can VIEW"

Step 5: Click on Sir Links a Lot

Step 6: Choose the format in which you want to share (my go to favorite is template preview - it enables the person first to see what it is they will be making their own copy of before clicking on the blue "Use Template" button.

That's all! Now that doc/sheet/form/slideshow/drawing is THEIRS to use as is, or adapt. If it's a form, the responses will go to THEIR account rather than to YOURS by mistake. Easy peasy. Watch and see!

Hope you find that useful!

Digitally yours, 

@dele

Collect files through Google Forms!

It's something that many of us have been waiting for: you can now collect files in GoogleForms. Did you know that?

As a counselor, I often have the need for teachers to share files as part of the information I need to collect in Googleforms. If you don't have Google Classroom, this can be a workaround for collecting assignments from your students (as attachments) with feedback (in the form).

There are different types of files that can be uploaded documents, spreadsheets, PDF, drawings, images, audios and more. They can be either WORD or Googledocs. And it's really easy! Come watch how, and help me celebrate my first video in this series on my new YouTube Channel: "Digitally Yours".

I also noticed another new option in Google Forms, which is checkbox grids (in addition to multiple choice grids, which have been around for quite a while).  Just as with the difference between checkboxes and multiple choice answers, in the checkbox grid you can mark more than one option per row, as opposed to multiple choice grids, which allow you to only mark one per row. 

But it's always easier to show you rather than just tell you - so have a look, below!

Please check out my new channel, give your feedback, suggestions, requests, and SUBSCRIBE! The more subscribers I have, the more videos I will be able to make to help YOU with what you need- so that NO teacher gets left behind in the digital dimension of teaching in 2017

Digitally yours, 

@dele

PS - don't forget to subscribe to my blog AND my new YouTube channel! Wouldn't want you to miss out on anything! :-)