Turning in Papers and Other Major Assignments

by | 30 August 2015 | Project, School Posts, Tech Tips | 0 comments

Using Google Drive

In general, I will comment on and score assignments in the same format in which I receive them.  Moodle assignments on Moodle, hardcopy with handwritten comments, email in response to email, etc.

 

Even so, the best choice for turning in assignments is always to upload to Drive. However, doing so does not come without a few requirements to make it all easy!  It is most secure, most efficient, and easiest to verify that an assignment was received.

 

To turn in assignments that make it easy for everyone, there are several steps:

 

  1. Set up a Google Drive Folder and Share it with me at steven.chisnell@royaloakschools.org.
  2. Upload files that are editable; Google Docs, etc. are best.
  3. Name the file correctly and use proper MLA format.
  4. Monitor the file/folder for my comments.
  5. Made a revision to a graded assignment? Re-share to me with a message!

 

Setting Up Google Drive

The video on the right shows the easiest way to create your Google Drive folder for class.

  1. Create a Course Folder:  AP Lit, ELA11, ToK, etc.  Label LastName FirstName, Course (Jones Marvin ELA11)
  2. Share and Save the Folder with steven,chisnell@royaloakschools.org.  Be sure I have Edit privileges.
  3. NOT IN VIDEO:  If you’re using Chrome (and you should be), add the Notifications for Drive add-on to your Google Drive and you will know when I have made comments.
  4. Every time you add a document or make changes to it, I will be notified that your assignment is ready to be scored!
  5. Because of #4, I recommend you now make a new Drive Folder with the same name with the added word “DRAFTS.”  Then you can work on your assignments as you wish and move/drag them to the main Course Folder when you’re done.
 

 

 

Using Editable Files

Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc. are the best choices for assignments.  MS Word and similar word processing documents may be saved to Drive as well or translated into a Google Doc.  PDFs are secure, but I am unable to edit these.  The idea is that we collaborate over documents you place in the Drive.

 

 

Formatting Assignments

All documents, even when in your own folder, should still be properly labeled and follow MLA rules for the inside and outside of the assignment:

  1. Give the file itself a unique file name (i.e. Jones To Kill a Mockingbird Essay), even if it’s just in your Drive.  If it is ever moved, copied, downloaded, etc. it may still be identified that way.  Calling it Essay #1 is a genuinely bad idea!
  2. Follow MLA rules for labeling:  Start with Name, Date, Assignment, Hour, and offer a Title of the Assignment, all on the document page.  This protects your assignment if it is printed.  For the rest of MLA format, see the Related Post on MLA.

 

 

Monitoring the Assignment

Don’t just drop the file in the folder and never come back to it!  If I make comments about its readability or ask for a revision by a particular date and you don’t see it, that could be bad news!  There are a few easy ways to do this:

  1. Click the circled “i” icon in the upper right of your folder view to see all the recent activity in your Drive
  2. Add the Chrome Extension Google Drive Folder Notifications Free and then select the folders you want to receive emails on when they are updated in any way.
  3. Come back every few nights as a routine/habit and look at the documents.

 

 

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