Deleting from Google Drive

If you are unsure how to delete items from your Google Drive, here is a quick screencast of the process. When you first send them to the trash, they stay in that folder, so if you want to permanently delete them, you can do that from within the TRASH folder.

Simplifying Google Research

Don't We Already Know How to Search in Google?

People use Google every day for tons of reasons. How many people, however, search effectively and efficiently? I know that for some odd reason, lots of students search in Google as if they were talking to a person. They typically type in a question and hope to find the answer. They never think to word their searches systematically or specifically enough to find exactly the information they want. Anyone who was alive before computers ran everything probably doesn't search using questions, but we probably don't always search as successfully as we want either. I admit that I sometimes struggle with knowing what limiters to put in my search to receive the best results. This is why when our Chromebooks class looked at the Google Search Infographic, I knew I needed to spread the word about this information. I gathered what I think is most useful and formatted everything to fit on one simple page. Woohoo! If you want more information, you can always go to the infographic's source, and, of course, the source has some citations that might help, too!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NJ1ovOaIymKnVRc9PQEPpRqSs8NMrjVZ7Xi-O9von58/edit?usp=sharing

Housing Your Apps

Housing Your Apps

When I first looked at my apps, it was a little overwhelming and sometimes difficult to navigate. Once I added apps that I had investigated, finding the right app easily became much more challenging. Therefore, I think it's very important to know about your storage options on your Chromebook. Initially, I thought I might have to spend lots of time scrolling through all of my apps to find the ones I needed. However, this is not the case at all! Yay! I will discuss a few options that you have to organize your apps more effectively.

Using the Shelf

The Shelf is really another way to say your taskbar. It's that black part of your screen way at the bottom. It probably already has some apps such as Drive  and Gmail loaded down there. I typically keep apps I know that I use frequently on my shelf. That way I can simply click on them to open them. To add apps to your shelf, follow these steps:
1. Click on the magnifying glass icon or keyboard button.
2. Find the app you want to place on your shelf. You may need to click on ALL APPS to find it.
3. Two-finger click (place one finger on each side of your mouse) on the app's icon. This should bring up a drop-down menu.
4. Select PIN TO SHELF. Then, like magic, your app should appear on your shelf.

Creating "Folders" for Your Apps

This concept should sound familiar. You can group apps together, so you can easily find what you are looking for. For instance, you may want to put Google Docs, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Sheets into one folder. To create a folder for a group of apps, follow these steps:
1. Open your apps list by clicking on the magnifying glass icon or button.
2. Click on the first app that you want to group.
3. Drag the app over the second app that you want to group.
4. Release the app, and both apps should be linked together.
5. If you want to name the group of apps, click on it to open the group.
6. Click at the top, where you should have an icon, and add a name for your group.

Using Google Shortcuts (Extension)

One of the extensions you can add to your Chromebook and/or Chrome browser is Google Shortcuts. You can find this app in the Web Store.

After you install this extension, you will see it as a blue box with a white arrow beside your URL bar.

Clicking on the Google Shortcut extension opens a box with Google Apps that you use frequently. You can also customize which apps show up in your shortcuts.  Check out this short video clip.

The Web Store

Why Use the Web Store? 

This is where you will find all of the apps and extensions you want to add to your Chromebook. This is a very valuable resource because people create new apps and extensions quite frequently.

Where is the Web Store?

If you have not already found it, the icon to the left opens the Web Store. This icon may be in your shelf (bottom of computer screen), or it may simply be with all of your other apps. If this is the case, click on the search or magnifying glass button (either on the screen--bottom left corner--or the actual computer key--above SHIFT. This should bring up a box with most recently or most frequently
                                             used apps. If you do not see the Web Store icon there, click on ALL APPS.

What's in the Web Store?

Once you find the Web Store Icon, clicking on it opens a screen like this:

Search Bar--In the top left, you have a search bar. Here you can type in the name of an app or extension if you know what you are looking for. You can also type in general keywords if you don't know the name of the app or extension. For instance, you might type "file converter," which will return a variety of options from which to choose.

Apps, Extensions, and Themes--Below the search box, you have options for your search. You can choose to find only apps, only extensions, or only themes. If you don't select any of these three specifically, your search results will include all categories. If you are not sure of the differences between apps and extensions, check out my blog on that topic here. Themes change the look of your browser similar to wallpaper and themes on a desktop or laptop.

Types--You can also elect to find specifically Chrome Apps or Websites. Again, if you do nothing to this section, your search results will include both.

Categories--You can refine your search by selecting apps and extensions from specific categories. If you click on the drop-down menu for categories, it looks like this:

Some of the categories have subcategories also where you can further refine your search. Selecting a category only returns apps and extensions that fit into that category or subcategory. It may seem overwhelming at first, but take some time to explore what the Web Store offers you. 

Features--You can also limit your search by selecting certain features such as runs offline, by Google, free, available for Android, and works with Google Drive. While free is a feature option, be aware that most apps and extensions are free, so that selection does not weed out many apps or extensions in your search.

Ratings--You can choose to search only apps and extensions that have certain user ratings as well. These ratings are on a five-star scale.

Pre-sorted Categories--The Web Store's main page sorts apps and extensions into Featured, Recommended for You, New and Updated, Editor's Picks, and a few other categories. You can always browse these sections to look for apps, too.

Selecting and Adding an App or Extension

When you hover over an app or extension in the store, more information about the item appears. If you click on the app or extension, you see a box with even more information such as an overview, reviews, and related items. If you look at the information provided on this screen and decide the app is for you, then you need to select this app or extension. You should see a blue box in the top right that says ADD TO CHROME. Click on this button. Another box pops up asking you to confirm your selection. Select ADD, and your new app or extension appears with all of your other apps. You can leave it in your main apps section or place it in your shelf if you wish. Then, you are ready to go!