Sunday, June 2, 2019

Google Summer Collaboration Challenge Week 1

Let's kick off week 1 of the Summer Collaboration Challenge by introducing Google Drive, or Drive for short.  Drive is part of your JasperNet account that provides virtually unlimited online storage space.  We'll explore various parts Drive as a foundation for future weeks.


Google Drive Basics
This animated gif explains how to select Google Apps through the app menu


Starting to use Google Drive is a simple as clicking the Drive icon from the Google Apps menu at the top right of any Google App including Gmail.  ITS provides documentation on getting started with Google Drive as well as answers to commonly asked questions. Begin by reviewing Google Drive Cheat Sheet:
Assignment:  Click on the Google Apps menu and open Google Drive.  Upload a file.

Sharing

Once you have added files to Google Drive, you can choose to keep the files private (default) or share with colleagues or friends.  Files are accessible anywhere, from any device.  Locate the file that you just uploaded or add another file to explore sharing settings in Drive.

Assignment:  Share a file that you've uploaded to Google Drive.  

Finding Files - Add to My Drive

Finding files is easy with Drive.  Drive uses Google's powerful search technology to find files that best match your search.  Drive also allows you to add files that have been shared with you to your Drive - not by copying the file, but rather giving you direct access to the same file that has been shared with you.  Simply click the "Add to My Drive" icon to make the file available whenever you access Drive without the need to search.

Assignment:  Find a file that has been shared with you and add to "My Drive"

Drive File Stream - Backup

Drive File Stream is a new way to access all of your Google Drive files directly from your Mac or PC, without using up all your disk space. Unlike traditional file sync tools, Drive File Stream doesn’t require you to download your files first in order to access them from your computer. Instead, when you need to view or edit a file, it automatically streams from the cloud, on-demand. With Drive File Stream, your team will spend less time waiting for files to sync, no time worrying about disk space, and more time being productive.
With Drive File Stream, you can:
  • Quickly see all your Google Drive files in Finder/Explorer (including Team Drives).
  • Browse and organize Google Drive files without downloading all of them to your computer.
  • Choose which files or folders you'd like to make available offline.
  • Open files in common apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop.


Assignment:  Install and configure Google Drive File Stream:
Google Drive

Once you complete reviewing the materials from the first week of the Google Collaboration Challenge take a few minutes to answer these questions: Week 1 Google Drive Questionnaire