How to Effectively Integrate Google Drive Tools into Student Projects

Many students think that Google Drive is all about creating spreadsheets and storing files. In fact, this powerful service has a huge variety of tools applying which can effectively optimize the learning process of students.

It can also simplify your life of a teacher since a lot of important classroom activities can get automated.

The great thing about Google Drive is that it effectively combines the functions of other services. For example, instead of Microsoft Word, you may use Google Docs. Slide presentations that are usually created by means of PowerPoint can be easily done in Google Slides. With the help of other Google Drive tools, you can also turn your material into a webpage, check your translation, draw a picture and convert PDFs to text or images.

All this and many more options are at one place so let’s have a look at those features that can become the most useful helpers in the classroom.

Docs

• Citations and annotated bibliographies. Gathering research and creating a bibliography might be challenging for many students. With the help of Google Docs, it is easy to insert citations and automatically format the bibliography. There are different citation styles available, from APA and MLA to Chicago. It is also possible to tweak the citations with a number of additional options such as a page or chapter number.
• Creating a book review. Instead of a typical book report, it might be more exciting for students to craft a book review in Google Docs. The thing is that the final version of the text can be enhanced by adding a picture or a link for the purchase of the book or the online reference to other works of the author. It is also possible to include links to the articles in which the same topic is discussed.
• Tables. Knowing how to analyze, display and organize data is an important skill for any student. Tasks that involve building tables in Google Docs can be very useful for the students as well as for the teacher. For example, instead of creating a class jobs schedule by yourself, delegate the task to your students. Let them practice their planning skills and supervise them only if necessary.
• Blogs. If you think that writing blogs may help your students in their learning process, Google Docs can help you with that. This tool might not be as advanced as some professional blogging websites but it might be useful for students who want to figure out what blogging is.
• Research papers. Compared to a typical research paper, the media-rich piece of writing can potentially make a greater impact. The instant links to the relevant sources paired with drawings, articles and images can really impress the reader. It can help convey the message and prove the author’s point more effectively.

Slides

• E-books and magazines. We all know how the standard assignment looks like but Google Slide service takes it to a new level. Crafting an impressive and unusual e-book, magazine, newsletter or personal art portfolio can really inspire students. It gives a lot of opportunities for them to show their creativity and helps express themselves more vividly.
• Short videos. With Google Slide, it is very easy to produce a short animated video as an alternative approach to answering a prompt. Students can express their reflections by creating visuals and adding the background music or even narrating with their own voice. Crafting your own stories might be an unusual and fun experience. This, in its turn, will make the learning process more engaging and effective.
• Video tutorials. This Google Drive feature might be very useful if you want your students to get access to the assignments and tutorials whenever they need to. Now you don’t have to repeat your explanations multiple times. All the information can be demonstrated in the form of a video tutorial, which is shared amongst your students and is accessible anytime.

As we can see, staying productive can be very easy with the help of Google Drive tools. Try to incorporate them into your teaching practice and academic achievements of your students may pleasantly surprise you.