Making Your Change Project AWESOME!

Making Your Change ProjectAWESOME! Using Docs and Spreadsheets

With Google Docs you can… • Create documents just like in Word • Save your documents online to access anywhere • Share documents with group • Collaborate on a document at the same time as your group • See: http://www.youtube.com/docs

Starting a Google Doc • If you don’t have one, create a free Google account. -www.google.com -Sign In -Sign Up (red button) • If you already use Gmail, sign in.

Tips… • Choose a PROFESSIONAL EMAIL ADDRESS -Should be some version of your name • Choose a SECURE PASSWORD: -Not too short, not too long -Contains at least 1 letter & 1 number. -Special characters make it even stronger -BUT don’t make it too hard to remember!

More Tips… • You don’t need to enter the cell phone as long as you “verify you’re not a robot” • You do need to have a prior email account (or your parents’) to use for security and verification • You don’t need to change your toolbar to Google or allow them to collect info

Google Drive: The New Google Docs! • Cloud storage : http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing/cloud-storage.htm • You can download Google Drive to your computer • Syncs computer docs folders with online docs • Looks different from old Google Docs • BUT you can still use it without downloading anything

Starting a new Google Doc • www.google.com/docs • Create • Document • Saves automatically as you type

Under File, you can… • Rename file • Make a copy (drafts) • Print

Does lots of the same stuff as Word • The Insert menu is a good example: • Headers • Page break • Images

Sharing Your Doc • Click on the blue Share button, upper right: • Enter someone’s email address, and choose their level of access: • Can edit • Can view

Google Docs + Microsoft Word • You can upload a Word doc to Google Drive • Start from your Drive Inbox • Click the upload button (box with arrow) • Click “Files” and find the document

Google Docs + Microsoft Word OR: • Save a Google Doc as a Word Doc, under FileDownload As:

Google Spreadsheets & Forms • What is a spreadsheet? • Google Spreadsheets is like Excel • Collect data with a Form or type it in yourself • Sort your data • Create graphs and charts with it • Embed charts and graphs in a document

Creating a new Spreadsheet • Go to your Google Drive • Create • Spreadsheet • Give your columns titles (important later for charts!) • Fill in your data

Tips • Try a “test” chart before you enter all your data

…Or Create A Form! • Go to your Google Drive • Create • Form • Write questions • Send URL at the bottom to the people you are surveying • BUT be careful!!! VERY hard to write Qs to get data in the right format

Sorting Your Data • Click on a column • In Spreadsheet, under Data • Sort column A-Z • OR: Filter to sort by certain types of data in that column

Pie Charts Use when you want to compare percentages of a whole • Example: Number of people who recycle, compost, do both, and do neither Image from: http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00018S

Bar Graphs • Use when you want to compare two or more categories based on the same measure to see most, least. • Example: • Of all items that can be e-waste recycled, Fremont recycled tons of TVs tons of batteries, tons of computer parts, this yr. • Number of each type of lightbulb (LED, fluorescent, etc.) at people’s houses

Line Graphs • Use when you want to show change over time • Example: • Decrease in honeybee population from 2005-2010 • Increase in acres of a local park that are covered by invasive Himalayan blackberry plants from 2008-2011

Creating A Chart out of a Google Spreadsheet • Start with your data in the spreadsheet • Select the cells with the data you want • Insert  Chart • Choose type of chart

Putting the Chart in a Doc • Right-hand corner of the chart, click the arrow • Choose Save As Image • In your doc, choose Insert Image • Choose your chart file • You can do this in a Word doc also

Any Questions?

Making Your Change Project AWESOME!