Guide to Google Docs Interactive Writing

Guide to Google Docs Interactive Writing

In order to keep all our hard work in one place, in order to reflect along the journey, in order to show our progress at the end of the year, we will adopt Google Docs to help us make the portfolio of our Chinese writing. Hope everyone will have a thick folder to show everybody at the Year End Performance event.

1) First of all, you should have a Google account. If you haven't got one yet, please create one. It's simple and easy.

2) Go to Google Docs. After signing in your Google account, on the upper right corner of your Gmail, there is an icon looks like a facet of a 3 by 3 rubric cube, click it, then you will see the icons of different Google apps. Click the icon of Docs.

3) Create a Google Docs file to share with Chen Laoshi. Open a blank untitled document, click on the file name "untitled document" on the upper left corner, and rename the document to "YourFullChineseName ACLS MLP6 2016-2017". Now you are ready to enter content in this file.  As you enter content, Google saves it for you every few seconds. With the file open, click “Share” button on the top right.  In “People” box, add your teacher’s email address junchensh@gmail.com, and your parent’s addresses if they have Google ones and if you want to share with them. Please make sure Chen Laoshi "can edit" your document.

4) Remember to put the latest work on top, which means Chen Laoshi can always find your current entry at the beginning of the doc. And don't forget to type out the date of the homework, for instance, "Homework for the week of 4/23/2017-4/29/2016", "Class work for 4/9/2017".

5) Use "page break" to separate essays from different weeks. To insert a page break for a new week, click "insert" on the menu bar, select "page break".

6) When you are ready to submit your draft, you use notification function.  To notify teacher to check your work on the file that is already shared, click on 'File' on top left, choose 'email collaborators’, type a note, then send. (DO NOT use ‘email as attachment’)

7) When finished, save before closing the window.

8) Don't panic when you think you 'erased' or 'overwrote' anything and lost your latest work.  You will never lose anything in Google documents.  Just click on 'File', choose "see revision history", you will be able to return to any of the many prior versions of your file and select which version you want to go back to. You can go back and forth to retrieve all of your changes. That's the beauty of writing in Google interactive file!


Please also note,

• The teacher's comments and suggestions will be in colors, so never format your writing in any color except black.  Always read the teacher's comments and revise your draft as suggested so as to improve your writing.
• When the teacher finishes reviewing and marking with comments, the teacher will notify you.  You should review as soon as possible and make corrections where necessary.
• When you think you messed it up or lost everything, read the last tip above.