Google Drive in the Spanish Classroom: Don’t Make These 5 Mistakes

Mistake #1.

Share the same Google Drive PowerPoint with two different classes.  I’m not really sure why that didn’t work.  Maybe some students in the first class forgot to “make a copy” or do something they needed to do which made it difficult for the next class. The next time, I shared a separate copy of the PowerPoint with each class, and the activity went off without a hitch!

Separate class copies can help you stay organized, but the most important step is protecting your original. If students have Editor access to the same file, they can change its contents—and one another’s work.

Mistake #2:

Forget to tell them to click, “shared with me”.  Otherwise you will be walking around helping students who cannot access your PowerPoint.

“I can’t find it!” Sound familiar? Before students begin, show them exactly where to open the activity.

If you shared the file directly with their Google accounts, have them look in “Shared with me” in Google Drive. If you posted it in Google Classroom, direct them to the assignment in Classwork.

If a student gets a “You need access” message, first check that they are signed in to the Google account you shared the activity with. Students who use both personal and school accounts may have the wrong one open.

Mistake #3:

Forget to tell students to make a copy.  If they don’t make a copy, they will be modifying your copy, which makes more work for you because you have to go back and fix it.  Also, the student will not be able to move the pieces or modify the PowerPoint.

Students need an editable copy to type answers and move the movable pieces in a Google Slides activity. What happens when they open your original depends on their permissions:

• With Viewer access, students can see the activity but cannot change the original. They will need to make their own copy, provided copying is allowed.
• With Editor access, students can change your original. That creates extra work for you and can interfere with other students using the same file.

If you are sharing through Google Drive, give students Viewer access to the original and show them how to select File → Make a copy → Entire presentation. Make sure your sharing settings allow them to copy it.

Using Google Classroom? There is an easier option:

1. Create an assignment and attach the Google Slides activity.
2. Next to the attachment, choose “Make a copy for each student.”
3. Finish your instructions and assign the activity.

Google Classroom creates an individual editable copy for each student and adds their name to the file title. This saves you from having to walk everyone through the copying process.

Mistake #4:

Forget to tell them to replace the title of the Google Slides with their own name.  If they do not write their name in, you will not know whose work it is and, therefore, will not be able to assign a grade.

If students make their own copies, show them how to rename the file so you can identify their work easily. Include both their name and the activity title. For example:

María López – La comida

That is much easier to recognize than a collection of files called “Copy of La comida”!

If you use Google Classroom’s “Make a copy for each student” option, their names are added automatically.

Also, explain how students should submit their work. Making a copy in their own Drive does not automatically give you access to it. Have them turn it in through Google Classroom or share their completed copy with your school account, according to your classroom procedure.

Mistake #5:

Put the Google Drive PowerPoint on the school system and then try to access it for another purpose.  If you would like to access your PowerPoint for another purpose outside of the class (to share it with someone not affiliated with your school) your system may not allow you to do so.  You CAN download it as a Power Point and upload it again, but it is a hassle. Put it in your personal Google Account, and that way you can share it with your students and anyone else you want.

Need Help Sharing Activities in Google Classroom?

Do you use Google Classroom? Here is a video tutorial that shows you how to share digital activities on this platform.

How to Upload Files to Google Classroom

Before assigning your next activity, check these four things:

• Can students open it with the correct account?
• Will each student have an individual editable copy?
• Do students know how to name their work?
• Do they know how to submit it?

If you missed the previous blog about how to use Google Drive Interactive Activities in your class, click here: Google Drive Activities in the World Language Classroom

If you don’t want to make your own Google Drive Activities, save yourself some time and take a look at the digital activities I’ve created.

Click the following link to see the French Google Drive Activities Bundle.

A few minutes of preparation can save you a classroom full of raised hands and cries of “It won’t let me!” Before starting your next Google Drive activity, check the sharing settings and show students how to make and name their own copies. Once those routines are in place, you can spend more time helping students with Spanish or French and less time helping them find the right file!