My Google is Broken...

s   Hutchdocs (Google Apps for Education) was a new addition to our district this year.  Initially it was meant to roll out for grades 7 - 12.  Teachers and students were quick to recognize the possibilities of Hutchdocs when they saw that they could use any computer or iPad to connect, they could get on their accounts from home effortlessly, they could share lessons and projects with each other which made collaboration simple, and that everything saved automatically so students’ work was never lost!   As things usually happen when technology is concerned, word spread about the ease of use with Hutchdocs and the increase in efficiency, collaboration and engagement in the classroom.  At that time grades 4 - 6 were added.  Finally, some very interested, tech-savvy  third grade teachers asked if they could pilot Hutchdocs with their students, so 3rd grade was added to the list as well.   Wow!  Needless to say, I was and still am thrilled with the reception Hutchdocs has received.  Being invited into so many of your classrooms to introduce it to your students has been rewarding as well.  Teacher and students in our district have impressed me with their willingness to try something new!  Take a look at the usage and collaboration reports below and you will see the steady gain since October ‘13.  Brilliant! As with all new things there are bound to be a few glitches.  I get emails, occasionally, asking if Drive is down  or saying that  “Drive is going crazy today”, etc.  The bad news is that if things are running slowly or you send me an email telling me things are “wonky”, there is nothing I can do to help you.  I can troubleshoot if you have shared with someone and they can’t see it, have lost your password, need a new account, want new ideas for collaboration or classroom use, but I cannot tell you why an error message is coming up.  Like you, I can guess and then I have to investigate.    The good news is there is a website where you can look for some answers.  No, you are not diagnosticians, nor do we want you to attempt to fix any hardware on your computer!  These websites  will simply tell you if GOOGLE is having any sort of problems with any of their apps, offer suggestions if you are getting error messages etc.  If you have investigated and are still having problems with your COMPUTER, a call needs to be made to TSC @ 5640. Google Apps Status Google Apps Status is a no frills webpage that shows a chart of all Google Apps  and if there has been service interruption, if service is down or if there are no current issues at that time. Is It Down Right Now? The link here takes you directly to a Google drive page to show you if the site it up and running.  When the page loads, if you are curious about another website, you can enter the URL address in the upper right corner and search for it.  Very handy! Common Errors in Google Drive This website gives a list of the most common errors (ie: syncing won’t quit), and tells you how to fix them.  This has been a lifesaver for me, too many times to count. It can be extremely frustrating when you’re working with a group of students and Google  decides to “go crazy”, “not play nice”, “have issues”, or my personal favorite from a recent email: “I think my Google Drive wants to see other people.”.  I’ve been faced with the same sort of thing myself.  There is nothing worse than walking around a classroom filled with rowdy 14 year-old's whose technology doesn't work.  Oh wait, yes there is.  I think it’s standing in front of a rather large group of teachers or conference attendees ready to present,   and MY technology doesn't work.  I’ll admit it, it stinks.  However, we as teachers know that being flexible and ready for anything comes with the territory.  Hopefully the sites above will act as additional tools when minor errors occur with Hutchdocs. Also, please remember that summer professional learning is available for Hutchdocs on June 6 at the PLC.  From 8:30 - 11:30 we will start with Basic Hutchdocs.  Basic would mean creating folders, sharing, collaborating, creating contact groups, converting MS Word docs,  Presentations (like PowerPoint), Draw (like Publisher), and Forms introduction.  From 12:30 - 3:30 we will move to Hutchdocs Advanced.  This class will dig deeper into collaboration, classroom application, forms, add-ons, research and more.  Space is limited...sign up in MyLearningPlan to attend.