Using Google Apps to Collaborate with Your Team!
This webinar will show you how to get set up on Google Drive to work collaboratively with your staff
members on digital portfolios. Using Google Drive is completely optional. This session will cover:
• The importance of having one user as a file administrator
• Uploading and organizing your documents on Google Drive
• Adding collaborators for each document
• Assigning tasks to different collaborators
• Recovering your document and undoing errors
• Downloading your documents from Google Drive
• Submitting final documents on ShareFile for Provisional Accreditation
• Microsoft alternatives to Google Apps
This is a webinar designed for basic to intermediate computer proficiency and is aimed at program
staff who would like to know how to use Google Drive for online collaboration when working on digital
portfolios.
Final documents will still need to be submitted on ShareFile if you are participating in Provisional
accreditation for accreditation renewal or as a candidate in 2021. Digital portfolios are not required if
you are not in Provisional accreditation. However, it is optional for any other program to create digital
portfolios for all upcoming accreditation visits.
If you miss the webinar or can't attend, no worries! A recording will be placed on NAEYC website in
the coming weeks.
To access NAEYC Provisional Accreditation resources, click the link below:
NAEYC Resources for Provisional Accreditation
For a guide on how to use the portfolio templates provided by NAEYC, please click the link below:
How to Use the Portfolio Templates
If you missed the previous webinar, “Constructing Your Digital Portfolios”, you can access the
recording and handouts by clicking the links below:
Webinar – Constructing Your Digital Portfolios
Handout – Constructing Your Digital Portfolios
If you have any questions that were not addressed in the webinar, please email
accreditation.information@naeyc.org
The importance of having one user as a file administrator
• One user account should act as the file administrator or “owner” of the files
• Files are uploaded to this Google Drive account
• Editors are added to each file to allow editing access
• File “owners” can access the file history and undo edits
• All files are in one account, but can be shared with other staff
Uploading and organizing your documents on Google Drive
• Go to Google Drive (http://drive.google.com)
• Ensure you are logged into the correct account. In the top left corner, click on the circular icon
to see which account you are using.
• Create a folder for your templates by clicking New, then click Folder.
• Name it so it is easily recognizable, then click CREATE.
• Go to New, then click File Upload
• Select your template files, then click “Open”. You can select multiple files at once by holding
down the CTRL key (Command key on Mac) and clicking each file. Your files will upload to
Google Drive.
• Once uploaded, go to your portfolio file and right click, then hover over “Open With” and
click “Google Docs” or “Google Slides”, depending on which document type you have
chosen.
Adding collaborators for each document
• Open your document in Google Apps.
• Go to “Share” in the top right corner and add people as editors by typing in their email addresses.
Please note the editors must have Gmail accounts.
• Next to the email address, click the dropdown menu and select “Editor”.
• Check “Notify People” so they receive an email notification that they have been added as
editors, then click “Send”.
• Do this for each of your portfolio files, adding the appropriate staff members to each portfolio file to
allow them to work on the file.
• You can see who a file is shared with by clicking “Share” again at the top right corner of your
screen.
Assigning tasks to different collaborators
• To assign a standard to a staff member, click on the standard (or select it), then click on “Add
comment”.
• Start with "@” and then start typing your staff member’s email address. It should autocomplete
as you are typing. Check the box next to “Assign to…”, then click “Assign”.
• Once assigned, you will see a note on the side of the page showing who the standard is
assigned to.
• The person assigned can respond to the assignment and receive feedback through the
assignment box.
• The assignment can be marked as done by clicking the check box in the assignment box.
• Users may view all comments and assignments by clicking on the chat icon at the top of the
screen.
Share comments/feedback
here
Recovering your document and undoing errors
People make mistakes, and sometimes that can cause issues when evidence disappears in your
digital file. As a file owner, you have the ability to view the file history and go back to previous edits.
To do this, follow the steps below:
• Click on the last edit note. It should say something like “Last edit was two days ago”.
• From here, you can see different versions of your document and even name them. If you want
to go back to a previous version of the document (for example, to undo someone deleting half
of the file), just click on the version you prefer and then click on the blue button that says,
“Restore this version”.
File edit history
Downloading your documents from Google Drive
Once you have completed a portfolio, you will need to download the file as a Microsoft Word,
Microsoft PowerPoint, or PDF file in order to submit it on ShareFile. This is easily done through
Google Drive by following the steps below:
• Click on File, then Download, then select the appropriate format.
Do not attempt to share your document with a NAEYC assessor on Google Drive. Your file will not
be considered as submitted until you have uploaded it to ShareFile.
Submitting final documents on ShareFile for Provisional Accreditation
Now that you have downloaded your file, you are ready to submit it to NAEYC through ShareFile.
NAEYC has created a tutorial on how to upload your files. Please click the links below to access
these tutorials:
How to Use ShareFile Tutorial
How to Use ShareFile Webinar
How to upload to ShareFile handout
An alternative to Google Apps
If your program does not have access to Google Apps, Microsoft has some great alternatives that can
be used for collaborative editing. With Microsoft Teams you can create a free account to work
collaboratively on documents.
• Microsoft Teams and SharePoint
For larger organizations with paid Microsoft subscriptions, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint
actually have a lot of tutorials available on how to collaborate with your team in files, as well as
how to share files. Please have a look at the tutorials linked below:
How to sign up for Microsoft Teams for free
Collaborate on Files in Microsoft Teams
Collaborate in SharePoint
• Microsoft OneDrive
This option is free but has less features and only 5 gb of cloud space. This should be more
than enough space to work on your portfolios online with your team.
1. Go to https://onedrive.live.com and login to your Microsoft account. If you do not have
an account, it is free to create one. Click “+ New” and then “Folder” to create a folder
for your portfolios.
2. In your new folder, click on “Upload” then “Files” and select your documents you would
like to upload.
3. Once your document is uploaded, double click the file to open it in the online editor.
Click “Share” to add editors.
4. Enter the email address of the person you would like to add as an editor, then click
“Send”.
5. Alternatively, click “Copy Link” and you can email this to the appropriate staff members
to edit. Staff may bookmark this link to access any time.
6. To view the edit history, click on “Saved to OneDrive” and then click “Previous
Versions”. You can download a previous version of the file or restore the current file to
an older version to undo more recent edits.