Accessing Your Google Drive Offline

In most cases, Google Drive is a great spot for creating, storing and sharing documents, spreadsheets and presentations. The only time it is inconvenient is when you don't have an internet connection and would like to access your Google Drive files.

Given that summer is upon us and many of you may want to access your documents from the cottage, the boat, the campsite, or even planes or trains, here is how to sync your documents so that you can still work offline!

The following information is provided by Google about using Drive offline:

• You'll first need to set it up. Enabling offline access is easy, and it takes just a minute. As soon as you do, all of your Google documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings will be made available for offline viewing and editing. Follow the directions below to enable your offline access.
• Set up computers individually. If you want to enable offline access on both your laptop and desktop computers, you'll need to set it up twice — once on each computer.
• It's Chrome-only. Offline access is unavailable in other browsers. But if you haven't already, give Chrome a try!
• It's not currently available for all of your stuff. Check out the chart below to see what types of files you can view and edit while offline.
• It only syncs files that are in "My Drive". Any documents that have been shared with you and you haven't dragged into My Drive will not be accessible offline.

Enabling Offline Access

1. Open the Chrome browser and go to drive.google.com.
2. Click "More" on the left sidebar part of your screen. Select "Offline".
3. The Chrome browser has apps just like your smartphone or iPad. You need to install the Google Drive App within the Chrome browser. Click the blue "Get the App" button. If the app is already installed, it will say so and you can skip this step.
• You will be taken to the Chrome web store. Click Add to Chrome to add the Google Drive App to your Chrome browser.
• Return to your Google Drive - select "Offline" under "More" in the left sidebar
4. On the right side of the screen, click the blue "Enable Offline" button. It may take a few minutes to sync your files.

Once you have enabled offline access, you can access your Google Drive files straight from your Chrome browser. You will notice that you are offline because all icons in Chrome's new tab will be greyed out except for the Google Docs and Drive icons.

  If you have any questions or would like some help setting up offline access, just ask!

Screencasting 101

Technology can be used to:

Consume content e.g. read, research, access multimedia

Create content e.g. share original writing, audio or video recordings

Curate content e.g. organize content created by yourself or others in a way that others can also access it

Screencasts are one way that both students and teachers can create online content.

What is a Screencast?

Screencast

noun
A screencast, also known as a screen capture, is a digital recording of what is happening on your computer screen and enhanced with audio narration to create a movie that can be shared with others to explain something.

Not to be confused with a screenshot which is just a picture of what is on your computer screen or podcast which is strictly audio.

Some examples of screencasts:

• A screencast created on a laptop for this blog to explain how to add a Chrome extension that removes distractions from YouTube windows:
  

   
• A screencast created by a grade 4 UCC student using an iPad to explain how to determine the area of a rectangle:
  

  
  

  
  
  
• A screencast created by a PD organization using an iPad to explain how Google Drive and iPads can be used as a Portfolio:

Screencasting in the Classroom

Possible uses of teacher-created screencasts in the classroom include:

• providing "just in time" lessons - students can watch videos that describe how to do something at the time that they need to know
• "flipping" the classroom - students could watch a screencast for homework and then discuss or apply it in class the next day
• differentiation by “cloning the teacher” - record a lesson for only part of the class to utilize while you work with another part of the class
• part of a “sub plan” - leave directions for students when you are away

Possible uses of student-created screencasts in the classroom include:

• demonstrating their understanding of a topic
• assisting peers with understanding a concept
• reviewing what has been learned

How to Create a Screencast

The easiest laptop application that we already have on our laptops to create a screencast is Quicktime Player - it's a misnomer, it's a recorder as well as a player. This video is a explains how to do it.

There are several iPad apps that make creating screencasts very easy. In general, they all look like a white board and allow you to write on them and record your voice at the same time. It all plays back like a movie. In addition some allow you to import images and other videos. In this review for Appolicious.com, Jennie Magiera compares some of the pros and cons of some popular screencasting apps. Some how-to videos and classroom examples can be found below for the following apps:

• Explain Everything
• DoodlecastPro
• Show Me
• Educreations
• ScreenChomp
• Knowmia Teach
• Doceri

As always, if you would like to explore any of these applications with someone, please do not hesitate to contact us. Also, feel free to add your thoughts about these applications, other screencasting apps you know or possible classroom uses in the comments section below.