Friday, September 22, 2017

Newsletters Using Google Slides



Communication is important. One of the easiest ways to keep parents informed is to send out weekly newsletters. Although it is easy to create fancy newsletters (especially with all the templates available in MS Office) those of us who live in a Google World have often been left in the cold without all the formatting options (text boxes, image placement, etc.). There is an easy workaround that also includes all the benefits of a Google file (collaboration, ease of online availability), as well as the ability to see all previous editions.



Create a Newsletter:
  1. Create a new Google Slide.
  2. Change the page format:
  • Click “File” then “Page Setup”.



  • Click on and choose “Custom” and then type in 8.5 by 11 and click “OK”.



  1. Create your newsletter format with text boxes, images, and links as you want.


Share Your Newsletter:
  1. Click “File” then “Publish to the web…”.



  1. Click “Publish”. I would suggest leaving all the boxes unchecked so it doesn’t autorun.



  1. Click “Ok” on the popup that asks if you are sure you want to publish.

  1. Copy and share the link or use the embed code to embed on your class website.








Create the next week’s Newsletter:
  1. Click on the top newsletter slide.
  2. Either Control+D to duplicate or click “Slide” then “Duplicate Slide”.
  3. Edit the top slide to be the current week. This will allow parents to see previous newsletters that may have important information for them.


By keeping the most current newsletter at the top, it allows parents to just click the link to see the one they want to see. If they want to see previous all they have to do is move through the slide deck.


If you want these steps in a Document click HERE!



Monday, September 4, 2017

Alternating Row Colors in Sheets



One of my favorite Google tools is Sheets. I use it for much more than just data spreadsheets. There are many tweaks that make Sheets extra cool. Conditional formatting, charts, cell formatting, and more. One of the things that is easy to do but can be labor intensive is alternating row colors for a whole sheet. The good news is that there is a quick and easy way to do this with just a couple of click! Follow the steps below to alternate colors for rows in an entire spreadsheet.



  1. In Google Sheets, click on “Format” and then click on “Alternating Colors.

  1. You can select a range in the “Apply to range” field if you only want part of the sheet to have this formatting or leave it as the whole spreadsheet.

  1. If your sheet has a header or footer select them in the options to make them bolder by default.

  1. You can use the default color options if they work for you, or you can make custom color options below.

  1. Click “Done” when finished!

  1. If you change your mind you can click “Remove alternating colors”.
  








Open up a Google Sheets and give it a try!

If you want these steps in a Document click Here!