Productivity and Organization

Learning outcomes

Content

Students will...

  1. become familiar with using Calendar to see class homework and organize themselves.

  2. learn to use Drive to turn in homework to teachers.

  3. explore different Google Apps

  4. learn to use GMail

Technology skill(s)

Students will...

    1. subscribe to class homework calendars.

    2. learn to use Drop folder to turn in documents to teachers.

    3. create folders to organize their Drive

    4. create files using a variety of different Google Apps

    5. set up a GMail signature

    6. send an email

Google Calendar

Open Google Chrome and log in to your SAS Google account.

Click on the link below and follow the instructions to add your teachers' homework calendars to your own Google Calendar. Don't forget to add the MS Events and MS Days calendars as well as your elective (encore) class calendars.

MS Homework Calendars

Calendar Exploration

Explore Google Calendar and Google Drive. See how many of the following things you can figure out how to do. When you find something interesting or useful, please share with a neighbor.

First try these in Google Calendar

    1. Explore the different views on your calendar (Day, Week, Month, 4 Days, Agenda). Think about how each view is useful. Which will you look at for big events? Which will you look at to help manage homework?

    2. Explore setting up TASKS in the calendar. Check out the video below. Tasks are a GREAT way for you to keep track of your homework.

    3. Explore setting up REMINDERS in the calendar. Check out the video below. Reminders are a GREAT way for you to remember to do something.

Need Help?

Three Before Me

Ask three people before you ask your teacher.

One of those people can be Google!

Other links you might find useful:

Don't stay stuck, help yourself!

Reminder - During presentation or discussion time when you don't need your laptop, keep it closed to conserve the battery.

More things to try in Google Calendar

    1. Turn calendars on and off so you can see just the ones you want to see.

    2. Change calendar colors to customize how it looks.

    3. Add a calendar event to your personal calendar.

    4. Add a pop-up or email reminder to an event...one of your own or a homework you don't want to forget about.

    5. Add a pop-up or email reminder to an entire calendar.

    6. Unsubscribe from a calendar you don't want listed anymore.

* * Teachers : Please show students how they can view the MS Bulletin link from the MS Days calendar.

Google Drive & Apps

Google Drive is your online 'cloud' storage.

You can use Google Drive to organize and save all of your work in the cloud. You can turn in homework using your class Drop folders in Drive and some teachers may also use Drive to share documents with you.

Keeping your Google Drive organized will help you be more efficient and productive. You can create your own folder and color code them

Your Drop folders all begin with 'tm'. Never delete or rename your Drop folders. When you put files into your Drop folders you automatically share these with your teacher, so they can open and view them.

The following video will show you how to create a new document, rename it, and organize it into multiple locations using the 'Move' and 'Copy' functions.

For more tips on organizing your Google Drive, watch the video below.

Google Drive & Apps Exploration

    1. Create your own personal folder called 'Boot Camp'. Make the folder red so it stands out.

    2. Create a new Google doc. Name your file '6HB - Practise with Google Drive'.

    3. [Use the grade+subject code naming convention throughout middle school. This will help you search for documents]

    4. If your teacher want you to add anything in the Google doc, add it now.

    5. Move your doc into your tmHB Drop folder (does drag & drop work?)

    6. Teachers: Go to Teacher Dashboard and show students how their documents appear to you.

Now experiment with these Drive and App tasks

    1. Create a spreadsheet, presentation and drawing and see what you can do in each of them.

    2. Put each document into your Boot Camp folder.

    3. Put a file in two different folders.

    4. Add a new font in a Google document. Maybe a cool, scary Halloween font.

    5. Use "Insert Image" and add a Stock photo to a Google Doc or Presentation.

    6. Share a Google Doc with someone in the class. Work on it together simultaneously.

    7. Challenging: Use the headings and then create a table of contents.

    8. Challenging: Create your own Google Presentation theme.

Pick something useful that you have discovered and share with others. It can be something that isn't on the list above.

GMail

Your Google Mail (GMail) account is one of the main ways you will communicate digitally with your teachers and fellow students.

You should check your GMail account at least once per day.

What makes a good email message?

    • Write a meaningful subject line. The reader should have a good idea about what the message is about before they open it.

    • Keep the message focused.

    • Avoid adding attachments if possible.

    • Identify yourself clearly.

    • Be kind. Show respect.

    • Proofread before you send.

    • Don't assume privacy.

    • Distinguish between formal and informal situations. Use language and style appropriate to to the person(s) you are writing to.

You can personalize your emails by adding a message signature and also by adding a photo to your GMail profile.

Customize your GMail

1. Open Google Chrome and open your GMail account

2. Follow these instructions to add a photo of yourself, and set an email signature.

    • Click on the cog icon

    • Select 'Settings'

    • Under the 'General' tab, scroll down to the 'My Picture' and 'Signature' sections

    • Click 'Change Picture' to add an avatar image or photo (you need to take a photo in PhotoBooth and export it first!)

    • Type your email signature into the signature box. Your signature should be:

First & Last Name

Grade 6A student

Singapore American School

    • Scroll to the bottom of the page and click 'Save changes'

Share Your Learning

Write a short email to your homebase teacher.

Title it 'Productivity & Organization'

In the body of your email you should:

    • introduce yourself

    • share one or two things you have learnt today about improving your organization and productivity

    • share one thing that you are really looking forward to having your own 1:1 laptop

Address your message to your teacher and send.

If you need help, try the Google Calendar Help Site or Calendar Basics or Calendar Set Up and the Google Drive Help Site.

At Home

Do you have a mobile phone and want to sync your SAS Gmail and Calendars to your phone? Follow the instructions located here.