IP 10 Unit 4.1: Getting Used to Google

Getting Used to Google

Today, an important part of getting used to the online environment means getting used to using Google Apps like Classroom, Drive, Docs and Slides.

Some of you may already be pretty familiar with these apps. Others may not be. Whatever the case may be, we are going to start with some introductions to help get you used to all of these as we go on. 

As well as this, you may notice that some of these apps will be used more than others as time goes by.

Now, the reason why we are starting with Google is pretty simple. 

For many, it is an affordable option that allows us to do many of the same things as traditional apps like Microsoft Office. While they are 'sort of' free, they also offer a lot of flexibility because they are cloud-based.

This means we can access them wherever we have access to the internet. The downside is that you need access to the internet to get things done. Yet for those who can afford it, programs like Microsoft Office offers other important things like privacy and a lot more options to get your work done whether you are on the internet or not.

There are a lot of good and bad things for both approaches.

So with this in mind, we start our tour of Google's apps. 

First, we will look at the Classroom app. This forms the backbone of many online learning environments today and will be something we will be using together in the months ahead.

Second, we will explore Google Drive and some of its benefits. If Classroom is where you get your assignments, Drive is where you will store them and hand them in.

Lastly, we look at Google Docs, which will be your notebook for many of the assignments you will work on and hand in. In fact, you already have been using Docs, by using Google Forms, which is a part of Docs.

When you are done watching the video, click on the 'number pad' icon in the top right corner of your browser and see if you can find the icons for Classroom, Drive and Docs.