Scribd

The resource for today is called Scribd.

What is Scribd?

Scribd is an online library of many resources. It's a place to share, publish, and discover entertaining, informative, and originally written content across the Internet and on your own mobile devices. The topics for upload can be anywhere from documents to schoolwork to how-to guides. It can also be books, non-fiction resources, presentations, and spreadsheets. You can allow others to download, print, and embed your work, too, which makes it versatile in many ways.

Is it free?

Scribd is free for all users. The only plan offered is a free subscription. You just need an e-mail address, a username, and a password in order to access all the different features of Scribd. 

What will Scribd bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to upload number books to using it in 8th grade classroom to upload a spreadsheet on numerical data to a college student uploading a unit for their student teaching projects. This tool brings an easier way to create "presentations" and visual aids, allowing others to download or print for FREE.

How do I use Scribd?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Scribd.

Step 1: Click the upload button to begin uploading documents.

Step 2: Choose where you want to upload your document from. It can be a file, from GoogleDocs, to sell your documents, text, or desktop uploader. I use the SELECT FILE button most.

Step 3: Upload your document. When the file has finished uploading, enter your information such as the title, categories, tags, and description. 

Step 4: Here's your finalized product! Any other users can now download or print or add to their collection. You, as the owner, can edit, upload revision, delete, or make public & private. You can also see how many people have read, readcasted, or viewed on an embedded product (blog, Wiki, etc.).

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How can I use Scribd in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Load science process projects
-Create how-to guides and upload
-Upload stories created by students
-Have students publish a magazine article
-Use for parent presentations at conferences
-Locate reputable sources for research projects
-Use to share files between classroom teachers
-Create brochures for country visits and upload
-Homework help for students to download at home
-Add all worksheets for the classroom to go paperless
-Create art work and load on to Scribd to show parents
-Upload essays to share with other students for peer editing

-Use for resumes for college students to send links to others
-Make up scripts for a play and upload to download from home for practicing
-Create permission notes for parents & upload instead of sending home a paper copy

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Scribd in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Google Drive (Formerly Docs)

The resource for today is called Google Drive.

What is Google Drive?

Google Drive is a cloud storage system. You can store documents, photos, music, videos, and all sorts of other things on this drive. You can also create documents (like Word), presentations (like PowerPoint), spreadsheets (like Excel), forms (which are where kind of like surveys), drawings, collections, fusion tables (which are experimental), and scripts. 

Is it free?

Google Drive is free for up to 5GB of space. It's best to have a Gmail account for this, but it's not required. If you would like to upgrade and receive more space, it's $2.49 per month for 25 GB, $4.99 per month for 100 GB, OR $49.99 per month for 1 TB. 

What will Google Drive bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to collect information on families in a poll to using it in 11th grade classrooms to make a spreadsheet on mathematical statistics to a college student creating a presentation on a business proposal. This tool brings an easier way to create store your files in a cloud system for free, giving you access to your files from school to home to on-the-go. 

How do I use Google Drive?

Below, I will show you the various features of Google Drive.

On my own Google Drive, I have lots of files that I have accessed. Therefore, I have a wide variety of types of files. I have documents, forms, spreadsheets, PDF documents, and presentations. Below, I will show the front page of each type of file for you to see what it looks like. How to use each document is relatively simple and (at least, I do not believe) does not require a walk through description of how to use each one. Therefore, I will only show examples rather than detail how to use each type of format.

This is an example document.

This is an example PDF.

This is an example presentation.

This is an example spreadsheet.

This is an example form. The first one is what we see, the second is what they see (those who fill it out).

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How can I use Google Drive in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Allow pier editing with the documents
-Create a presentation on a virtual field trip
-Assign homework using the document feature
-Collect website evaluations in a spreadsheet format
-Use documents to create a brainstorming document
-Presentation on oneself to allow others to 'get to know' you
-Use the drawing feature to brainstorm for a research project
-Use google forms for surveys on what students want to read next
-Write a poem in the documents section to share with other classmates
-Use spreadsheet to share data on fitness (heart rate, blood pressure, etc)
-Use spreadsheet for reading response documents for student questions during reading
-Create a commercial about a new product that you want others to buy using presentation
-Assign homework that is collaborative due to the ability of Drive being accessed anywhere
-Vocabulary words - describe word, definition, how you use it, part of speech, etc. using spreadsheet

-Work on phonics/grammar instruction by creating a document with many errors for students to correct

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Google Drive in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!