Google Slides - Training

As you go through each of the buttons on this interactive page, some may ask you to practice editing a Google Slides file from the beginning of the lesson. To access this practice file, click on the Google Slides logo! As always, please let Popple know if you have any questions!

Welcome to the Google Slides training page!

Slide Master, Layouts, & Templates

Collaboration Features

I have made a copy of the practice Slides, and I am ready to start my training!

Slide Master, Layouts, & Templates

need help?

Feedback

Collaboration Features

need help?

Creating Slides

Creating Slides

What is Google Slides?

What is Google Slides?

Accessing Google Slides

Basic Editing Tools

Accessing Google Slides

Offline Access

Basic Editing Tools

Offline Access

Slide Transition & Animations

Privacy & Security

Publishing & Forcing Copies

Slide Transition & Animations

Privacy & Security

Publishing & Forcing Copies

Inserting Media & Links

Inserting Media & Links

Slide Notes & Speaker Notes

Slide Notes & Speaker Notes

Speaker Notes

Master Layouts & Templates

Collaboration Features

need help?

Feedback

Creating Slides

What is Google Slides?

Accessing Google Slides

Basic Editing Tools

Offline Access

Slide Transition & Animations

Privacy & Security

Publishing & Forcing Copies

Inserting Media & Links

Google Docs is like a free, online version of Microsoft Word. It's a simple tool you can use on the internet to write and edit documents. You don't need to install anything, and it automatically saves your work. Plus, you can easily share your documents with others and even work on the same document at the same time. Your work is safe because it's stored on the internet, and you can access it from any device as long as you have your Google account details. It's a handy way to write, collaborate, and never lose your work.

What is Google Docs?

Grammarly - grammar & spelling check add-on

GDoc.io - free templates

Superside - free templates & useage ideas

The Good Docs - free templates

If you're not sure where to begin, here are some templates and add-ons that can help:

I need help getting started. What do I do?

Yes! To view a previous version of your Doc, click on the rewound clock symbol in the top right corner of your page. Any previous versions will be stored here, and any changes will be color-coded by author. To see the activity dashboard (who has viewed your Doc, viewing trends and statistics, sharing history, etc), go to Tools and select Activity Dashboard.

Can I see who has accessed and edited my Doc?

click on any of the yellow menu buttons that move when are hovered over

click on the black circle in the top right corner of the window

to close an information window:

Page Navigation

to open an information window:

click on any of the blue menu buttons that move when are hovered over

click on the black circle in the top right corner of the window

to close an information window:

Page Navigation

to open an information window:

Google Slides Example - Interactive Notebook

Go to the practice slides you made at the beginning of this lesson and follow the written directions to practice inserting media!

Let's Practice!

The following can be found under the Insert menu at the top of the Slides page:

Image: add a picture to your slide, either from your Drive, computer, or the internet! Text Box: add a box that you can type in to add words to your slides! Audio: add an audio (MP3, WAV) file for background music, narration, or sound effects! Video: add a video (MP4, YouTube link) to visually enhance your presentation! Table: add tables to organize and display data neatly in your slides! Chart & Diagram: add charts, graphs, and diagrams to visualize data and information! Word Art: add word art to enhance and decorate any titles or important words! Link: add a link to an external website or to another slide for in-presentation navigation!

What can I add to my slides to visually improve them?

Go to the practice slides you made at the beginning of this lesson, change general access to "Public", and share it with Mrs. Popple!

Let's Practice!

Public - if you see this icon in the top right corner of your file, anyone with the link can access it.

School - if you see this icon in the top right corner of your file, anyone with a Gretna school email can access it.

Private - if you see this icon in the top right corner of your file, only you can access it.

Yes! Under the share settings (top right corner of the slides page), check the general access to see who can access your folders and files: By default, any Slides in your personal Drive are private and only accessible to you. If you create or move any Slides into a shared folder, it will give access to whoever the folder is shared with by default. You can also lock your Slides from being edited to!

Can I share my Slides with other staff members?

This is where you can adjust your text formatting:

• Bold, Italic, and Underline
• Font Color (color of the text)
• Highlight Color (color of area surrounding the text)

This is the font size adjuster, where you can change the size of the fonts in your doc. Larger numbers indicate a larger text size. To change the size of any text already in your doc, make sure it is highlighted first!

This section of the toolbar has 3 different tools:

• Insert a link (link text to go to another website)
• Add comment (highlight text location first)
• Insert a picture (various source options available)

These next 2 tools are for spacing:

• Alignment (left, center, right, justified)
• Spacing (space between lines of text; a larger number indicates more spacing)

This is the font menu, where you can select what fonts you would like to use in your doc. To format any text already in your doc, make sure it is highlighted before changing the font!

These last 3 tools are for lists:

• Checklist (makes boxes that can be checked off)
• Bullet list (bullet shapes available)
• Number list (several format options available)

At the top of the Docs page, the editing toolbar (shown below) can be seen. Click on each of the tools, from left to right, to see what they are used for.

How do I edit/format a Google Doc?

Google Slides Example - Choose Your Own Adventure

How do I make a Google Doc?

open the doc you want to make a copy of and go to File, Make a Copy

making a new doc: making a copy of a prexisting doc:

There are two different ways that you may need to make a Google Doc...

go to docs.new OR go to your Google Drive, click on the New button, and select Google Docs

Forcing a Copy When you made a copy of the practice slides, did you notice how you it forced you to make a copy in order to access and edit the file? You can do this too! All you have to do is edit the link that can be copied from the settings in the top right corner. In the URL, just... replace the word "edit" to "copy"

Publishing to the Web This is a great way to share your presentation in a full-screen view and is accessible to anyone who has the link, no login needed. (By default, slides will advance every 3 seconds. This can be stopped by deleting that section out of the copied share URL.) File → Share → Publish to the Web

Beyond the Share settings in the top right corner of the page, you have two other options that may be helpful when distributing your presentation:

What are some advanced sharing options for Slides?

Example share link:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19_a8UxX49ZrjCaIEgU9scZ8PmvDqhwbhp5JIqSmQrYE/edit?usp=sharing change the word edit to either copy or present

Pro Tip: Force Present & Force Copy

Did you know that you can force a link to have someone make a copy and open slides in the presentation view?All you have to do is edit the share link: Share settings → Copy Link

Grammarly - grammar & spelling check add-on

GDoc.io - free templates

Superside - free templates & useage ideas

The Good Docs - free templates

If you're not sure where to begin, here are some templates and add-ons that can help:

I need help getting started. What do I do?

This is where you can adjust your text formatting:

• Bold, Italic, and Underline
• Font Color (color of the text)
• Highlight Color (color of area surrounding the text)

This is the font size adjuster, where you can change the size of the fonts in your doc. Larger numbers indicate a larger text size. To change the size of any text already in your doc, make sure it is highlighted first!

This section of the toolbar has 3 different tools:

• Insert a link (link text to go to another website)
• Add comment (highlight text location first)
• Insert a picture (various source options available)

These next 2 tools are for spacing:

• Alignment (left, center, right, justified)
• Spacing (space between lines of text; a larger number indicates more spacing)

This is the font menu, where you can select what fonts you would like to use in your doc. To format any text already in your doc, make sure it is highlighted before changing the font!

These last 3 tools are for lists:

• Checklist (makes boxes that can be checked off)
• Bullet list (bullet shapes available)
• Number list (several format options available)

At the top of the Docs page, the editing toolbar (shown below) can be seen. Click on each of the tools, from left to right, to see what they are used for.

How do I edit/format a Google Doc?

The cogwheel icon can be found in the top right corner of your Google Drive screen.

Google's offline access feature allows you to access and work on your files stored in Google Drive, even when you're not connected to the internet. This can be particularly useful when you need to work on your documents while traveling, during a flight, or in areas with limited/no WiFi. To turn this feature on, go to your Settings General, and scroll down to Offline. Important Note: Any changes made to your document offline will not sync until you are reconnected to the internet.

What if I have limited or no internet access?

Import from Apps: You can use information from Sheets or Slides by going to Insert → Chart → From Sheets or Insert → Slide → Import Slides.

Bookmarks: These are are used to mark a specific location in a document so that you can easily return to it later. Go to Insert → Bookmark or Insert → Link (either works).

Find and Replace: You can quickly find and replace text in your document by going to Edit → Find and Replace. This is useful for making global changes to your document.

Dropdowns: You can create dropdown menus in Google Docs by going to Insert → Dropdown. This can be used for creating interactive documents.

Pageless View: This feature allows you to view your document without page breaks, which can be helpful when working with elements that span multiple pages.

Voice Typing: You can use the built-in voice typing tool to speak and have your words converted to text. Find this feature under Tools → Voice typing.

Here are six more advanced editing tools and settings for leveling up your Docs:

I've got the basics. What else can I do?

Google Slides is a user-friendly, online tool that lets you make, design, and show slideshows or presentations. It's great for school projects, business meetings, or anytime you need to share information in a visual and organized way. It allows you to design individual slides with text, images, and other content, customize their appearance, and easily rearrange them. You can collaborate with others in real-time, share your presentations with just a link, and it's accessible through a web browser.

What is Google Slides?

Pro Tip: Transparent Navigation

Did you know you can make a transparent object and link it to go to different slides?This is an easy way to seamlessly blend in navigation and interactivity. Insert → Link → Slide #

How do I make a Google Doc?

open the doc you want to make a copy of and go to File, Make a Copy

making a new doc: making a copy of a prexisting doc:

There are two different ways that you may need to make a Google Doc...

go to docs.new OR go to your Google Drive, click on the New button, and select Google Docs

Use the button above to send Popple an email and let her know how she can improve!

Have Feedback?

I'd love to hear from you!

The cogwheel icon can be found in the top right corner of your Google Drive screen.

Google's offline access feature allows you to access and work on your files stored in Google Drive, even when you're not connected to the internet. This can be particularly useful when you need to work on your documents while traveling, during a flight, or in areas with limited/no WiFi. To turn this feature on, go to your Settings General, and scroll down to Offline. Important Note: Any changes made to your document offline will not sync until you are reconnected to the internet.

What if I have limited or no internet access?

go to docs.google.com OR locate the waffle icon in the top right corner of your Gmail page and click on the Google Docs icon

Fun fact: it's actually called a waffle icon because of it's resemblance to a square waffle!

download the Google Docs app from the App Store and open it

via web browser: via mobile app: (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc) (iPhone, iPad, Android, etc)

Google Docs can be accessed two different ways:

How can I access Google Docs?

Yes! When creating or editing assignments, you can attach Google Docs by clicking the "Google Drive" button, selecting your document, and sharing it with your students. You can share a document for as a view-only reference in a Classroom material, or assign each student a copy of your document to edit and turn in! Collaborative features, such as real-time editing, commenting, and suggestions are great ways to provide feedback for students and encourage development during any writing and drafting processes.

Can I post Google Docs in Google Classroom?

click on any of the yellow menu buttons that move when are hovered over

click on the black circle in the top right corner of the window

to close an information window:

Page Navigation

to open an information window:

Open up a new tab in your browser and type in the URL above to practice navigating to your Google Slides homepage!

Let's Practice!

Fun fact: it's actually called a waffle icon because of it's resemblance to a square waffle!

download the Google Slides app from the App Store and open it

via web browser: via mobile app: (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc) (iPhone, iPad, Android, etc)

Google Slides can be accessed two different ways:

How can I access Google Slides?

go to slides.google.com OR locate the waffle icon in the top right corner of your Gmail page and click on the Google Slides icon

To export and print a Google Doc, you can follow these steps: Exporting: File → Download →Microsoft Word (.docx) or PDF Document (.pdf) Printing: File → Print, and select the printer you want to use It's important to note that the formatting of the document may change when exporting or printing, so it's a good idea to preview the document before exporting or printing to ensure that it looks the way you want it to!

How do I export and print my Doc?

Pro Tip: Transparent Backgrounds

Level up your presentation by inserting images that have transparent backgrounds!Images must be a PNG file in order for a transparent background to work. These can also be made by using Canva's background removing tool..

To export and print a Google Doc, you can follow these steps: Exporting: File → Download →Microsoft Word (.docx) or PDF Document (.pdf) Printing: File → Print, and select the printer you want to use It's important to note that the formatting of the document may change when exporting or printing, so it's a good idea to preview the document before exporting or printing to ensure that it looks the way you want it to!

How do I export and print my Doc?

Yes! Here are some cool collaborative features that Google Slides has: Real-time Editing: Changkes made by others appear in real time! You can see who is editing the document with you, and changes are color-coded to indicate the author. Commenting: You can leave comments on specific parts of the document by highlighting the text and clicking the comment button in the toolbar. This is useful for providing feedback, asking questions, or discussing changes. Suggested Edits: Instead of directly editing the document, you can make suggestions for changes. To do this, click "Editing" mode in the top right and switch to "Suggesting" mode. This way, the document owner can choose to accept or reject your suggestions.

Can multiple people work on Slides at the same time?

A slide transition in Google Slides is a visual effect that makes the switch from one slide to the next more interesting and engaging. This is where you can change/edit them!

Google Slides has many premade themes to choose from and also gives you the option to import your own. Themes can be edited by going to Slide → Edit Theme at the top of the page.

This button allows you to change the layout of the current slide! All premade layouts for your theme can be found next to the plus sign button on the far left, too.

This button allows you to change the background color of your slide. You can even add a picture as a background and apply your color/image to the rest of your slides/theme!

This part of the toolbar is for inserting text, pictures, shapes, lines, and comments into your slides (in that order)!

This button has two parts:

• Plus Sign: adds a new title and body text slide
• Drop Down: lets you choose the type of slide that is added

Go to the practice slides you made at the beginning of this lesson and follow the written directions to practice editing the slides!

Let's Practice!

At the top of the Slides page, the editing toolbar (shown below) can be seen. Click on each of the tools, from left to right, to see what they are used for.

How do I edit/format a Google Slides presentation?

Speaker notes are designed to be used by the presenter during a live presentation. They are displayed on the presenter's screen while the slideshow is running, making it easier for you to remember what to say during each slide. You can see your speaker notes in presenter view, which is typically on your computer screen while the audience sees only the slides. Speaker notes are not visible to the audience, so they don't see the extra information you've added. If you do not see this box underneath the slide you are working on, you can toggle it back on by going to View at the top of the page and clicking on Show Speaker Notes.

What are Speaker Notes?

go to docs.google.com OR locate the waffle icon in the top right corner of your Gmail page and click on the Google Docs icon

Fun fact: it's actually called a waffle icon because of it's resemblance to a square waffle!

download the Google Docs app from the App Store and open it

via web browser: via mobile app: (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc) (iPhone, iPad, Android, etc)

Google Docs can be accessed two different ways:

How can I access Google Docs?

Import from Apps: You can use information from Sheets or Slides by going to Insert → Chart → From Sheets or Insert → Slide → Import Slides.

Bookmarks: These are are used to mark a specific location in a document so that you can easily return to it later. Go to Insert → Bookmark or Insert → Link (either works).

Find and Replace: You can quickly find and replace text in your document by going to Edit → Find and Replace. This is useful for making global changes to your document.

Dropdowns: You can create dropdown menus in Google Docs by going to Insert → Dropdown. This can be used for creating interactive documents.

Pageless View: This feature allows you to view your document without page breaks, which can be helpful when working with elements that span multiple pages.

Voice Typing: You can use the built-in voice typing tool to speak and have your words converted to text. Find this feature under Tools → Voice typing.

Here are six more advanced editing tools and settings for leveling up your Docs:

I've got the basics. What else can I do?

Take it to the next level by downloading a premade slide template from SlidesGo! Click here to navigate to their website and browse their options!

At the top of the page, go to Slide, then Edit Theme. When viewed this way, you can see your slide layouts as a template, before any information is added. From here, you can adjust each of the layouts in your currently applied theme. Default font sizes, colors, and spacing can be set here, as seen in the heirarchy view (levels of text in a text box). Backgrounds can be changed for each slide, too. If you want to create a new layout slide, click the Plus Sign button and edit the slide as desired.

I've got the basics. How can I customize my slides?

Public - if you see this icon in the top right corner of your file, anyone with the link can access it.

School - if you see this icon in the top right corner of your file, anyone with a Gretna school email can access it.

Private - if you see this icon in the top right corner of your file, only you can access it.

Yes! Under the share settings (top right corner of the docs page), check the general access to see who can access your folders and files: By default, any Docs in your personal Drive are private and only accessible to you. If you create or move any Docs into a shared folder, it will give access to whoever the folder is shared with by default. You can also lock your Docs from being edited to!

Can I share my Docs with other staff members?

Use the button above to send Popple an email and let her know how she can improve!

Have Feedback?

I'd love to hear from you!

Go to the practice slides you made at the beginning of this lesson and follow the written directions to practice slide motions!

Let's Practice!

Both of these can be edited and adjusted by using the Transition button in the editing toolbar at the top of the page. These can be a bit tricky at first, but it gets easier!

Animations: Google Slides animations are like little movements or actions you can add to your text or images in a presentation to make them appear or change in a fun and eye-catching way when you show your slides.

Transitions: A slide transition in Google Slides is a visual effect that makes the switch from one slide to the next more interesting and engaging, like a curtain opening or a page turning, adding style to your presentation.

What are Slides Transitions & Animations?

Yes! When creating or editing assignments, you can attach Google Docs by clicking the "Google Drive" button, selecting your document, and sharing it with your students. You can share a document for as a view-only reference in a Classroom material, or assign each student a copy of your document to edit and turn in! Collaborative features, such as real-time editing, commenting, and suggestions are great ways to provide feedback for students and encourage development during any writing and drafting processes.

Can I post Google Docs in Google Classroom?

Public - if you see this icon in the top right corner of your file, anyone with the link can access it.

School - if you see this icon in the top right corner of your file, anyone with a Gretna school email can access it.

Private - if you see this icon in the top right corner of your file, only you can access it.

Yes! Under the share settings (top right corner of the docs page), check the general access to see who can access your folders and files: By default, any Docs in your personal Drive are private and only accessible to you. If you create or move any Docs into a shared folder, it will give access to whoever the folder is shared with by default. You can also lock your Docs from being edited to!

Can I share my Docs with other staff members?

The cogwheel icon can be found in the top right corner of your Google Drive screen.

Google's offline access feature allows you to access and work on your files stored in Google Drive, even when you're not connected to the internet. This can be particularly useful when you need to work on your documents while traveling, during a flight, or in areas with limited/no WiFi. To turn this feature on, go to your Settings General, and scroll down to Offline. Important Note: Any changes made to your document offline will not sync until you are reconnected to the internet.

What if I have limited or no internet access?

Google Slides is a user-friendly, online tool that lets you make, design, and show slideshows or presentations. It's great for school projects, business meetings, or anytime you need to share information in a visual and organized way. It allows you to design individual slides with text, images, and other content, customize their appearance, and easily rearrange them. You can collaborate with others in real-time, share your presentations with just a link, and it's accessible through a web browser.

What is Google Slides?

Yes! Here are some cool collaborative features that Google Docs has: Real-time Editing: Changes made by others appear in real time! You can see who is editing the document with you, and changes are color-coded to indicate the author. Commenting: You can leave comments on specific parts of the document by highlighting the text and clicking the comment button in the toolbar. This is useful for providing feedback, asking questions, or discussing changes. Suggested Edits: Instead of directly editing the document, you can make suggestions for changes. To do this, click "Editing" mode in the top right and switch to "Suggesting" mode. This way, the document owner can choose to accept or reject your suggestions.

Can multiple people work on a Doc at the same time?

Yes! To view a previous version of your Doc, click on the rewound clock symbol in the top right corner of your page. Any previous versions will be stored here, and any changes will be color-coded by author. To see the activity dashboard (who has viewed your Doc, viewing trends and statistics, sharing history, etc), go to Tools and select Activity Dashboard.

Can I see who has accessed and edited my Doc?

Pro Tip: Object Guidelines

Tired of arranging objects and having them snap into place with the red guidelines? While dragging an object around, hold down command to stop using the guidelines.

Yes! Here are some cool collaborative features that Google Docs has: Real-time Editing: Changes made by others appear in real time! You can see who is editing the document with you, and changes are color-coded to indicate the author. Commenting: You can leave comments on specific parts of the document by highlighting the text and clicking the comment button in the toolbar. This is useful for providing feedback, asking questions, or discussing changes. Suggested Edits: Instead of directly editing the document, you can make suggestions for changes. To do this, click "Editing" mode in the top right and switch to "Suggesting" mode. This way, the document owner can choose to accept or reject your suggestions.

Can multiple people work on a Doc at the same time?

Go to the practice slides you made at the beginning of this lesson and practice making a copy of it by using the directions above!

Let's Practice!

How do I make a Google Slides presentation?

open the slides you want to make a copy of and go to File, Make a Copy

making new slides: making a copy of prexisting slides:

There are two different ways that you may need to make a Google Slides...

go to slides.new OR go to your Google Drive, click on the New button, and select Google Slides