Lecture on Google Docs by Elissa Smith

Introduction

• Presenter: Elissa Smith, Software Applications Facilitator with 20+ years of experience
• Course Focus: Guided tour of Google Docs
• Platforms: Windows PC, Google Docs web application
• Additional Resources:
  • Certifications and ad-free videos available on a learning subscription service
  • Exercise files linked in video descriptions
  • Off-site community for Q&A with instructors

Creating a New Document

• Getting Started: Access Google Docs home screen
• Starting a Document:
  • Click on the 'Blank' icon or choose a pre-made template
  • New document auto-saves to Google Drive
• Interface Overview:
  • Untitled documents can be renamed
  • Toolbar with common buttons and dropdown menus
  • Collapse/expand toolbar for more screen space
  • Sharing and presenting options

Dropdown Menus

• File: Open, print, make copies, rename
• Edit: Undo, redo, cut, copy, paste, find and replace
• View: Toggle ruler, page breaks
• Insert: Images, tables, charts, headers, footers
• Format: Basic text formatting, page orientation
• Tools: Spell check, word count, translation
• Add-ons: Extend functionalities of Google Docs
• Help: Search option, documentation

Getting Help

• Help Menu:
  • Search function for quick access to help topics
  • Keyboard shortcuts specific to Google Docs

Navigation and Data Entry

• Navigation:
  • Using scroll bars
  • Key shortcuts (Ctrl + Home, Ctrl + End)
• Data Entry:
  • Click to place cursor
  • Double-click to select and replace text
  • Inserting new text by clicking and typing

Voice Typing

• Voice to Type: Enables typing via speech
  • Access via Tools > Voice Typing
  • Supports multiple languages
  • Basic commands like 'new line' and punctuation

Paragraph and Line Spacing

• Basic Adjustments: Single, double, and custom line spacing
• Alignment: Left, center, right, justified

Indents and Tab Stops

• Indenting Paragraphs: Using Tab, adjusting via ruler
• Tab Stops: Adding left, center, and right tab stops from the ruler

Bulleted and Numbered Lists

• Creating Lists: Select text and use toolbar buttons
• Sub-bullets and New Lines: Tab and Shift + Enter for indentation
• Checklist Option: Convert items into checkable list
• Numbered Lists: Different styles available (numbers, letters, Roman numerals)

Copying and Moving Text

• Copying Text: Select, copy (Ctrl + C), and paste (Ctrl + V)
• Moving Text: Cut (Ctrl + X) and paste to new location

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Useful Shortcuts:
  • Control + B/I/U for bold, italics, underline
  • Control + A to select all
  • Control + Home/End to navigate document
  • Control + Shift + V to paste without formatting

Spell Check and Proofing

• Automatic Checks: Red for spelling, blue for grammar
• Manual Checks:
  • Right-click for suggestions
  • Tools > Spelling and Grammar for a thorough check

Personal Dictionary

• Creating a Personal Dictionary:
  • Add words manually via Tools > Preferences > Substitutions

Find and Replace

• Finding Text: Ctrl + F to find, vertical ellipsis to replace
• Replacing Text: Enter new text and hit 'Replace' or 'Replace All'

Using Templates

• Accessing Templates:
  • Docs home screen > Template Gallery
  • File > New > From Template for quick access

Printing Documents

• Printing Options:
  • Print shortcut button, Ctrl + P, or File > Print
  • Various settings including print to PDF, print range, and color options

Emailing Documents

• Email Directly: File > Email > Email This File
  • Choose format (PDF, Word, etc.)
  • Send as attachment or within email body

Publishing Documents

• Publishing to Web: File > Publish to Web
  • Create a link or embed code
  • Preview and share via social media or email

Storage and Access

• Google Drive:
  • Default storage in Google Drive (15GB free)
  • Access via Google Docs main menu > Google Drive

Adjusting View

• Zoom and Layout:
  • Zoom options in the toolbar
  • View > Print Layout, Full Screen mode
  • Control zoom with Ctrl and mouse wheel

Managing Headers and Footers

• Adding/Editing Headers/Footers:
  • Insert > Header or Footer
  • Options for different first page headers, even/odd headers

Column Layouts

• Adding Columns: Format > Columns
  • Adjust width and add lines between columns

Breaks (Column, Page)

• Inserting Breaks: Insert > Break > Column Break or Page Break

Conclusion

• Google Docs offers a robust suite of tools for document creation and management.
• Encourage practice using exercise files and exploring additional features on your own.

Additional Resources

• Check out live classes and more detailed tutorials on office applications and professional development at learned.com

Note

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