CT GAFE #4 - Sharing

Sharing Files

Now that we have covered organizing files, let’s talk about sharing files. Google Drive has made it so that users can access and edit the same files at the same time. No longer do you have to search emails for the most updated file or work alone in a silo. Together, using Google Drive and the Google Apps for Education suite, you can share and work on the file at the same time. This has great use for students in classrooms and teachers on planning periods.

With a tool like Google Drive, you can share curriculum and lesson plans that are up to date and accurate. Students completing group work can all work without having to physically meet. It allows for much more collaboration in everything that we do.

This post is specifically going to cover how to share files in Drive, not how to share documents in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, etc. It will only show the Drive side.

To start with, select the file or folder that you wish to share. Once you select the file, you will see that the top navigation bar changes slightly to provide you with more options. There are two icons to focus on, the chain link and the person with the plus sign. These two will control that sharing. (You can also use a right-click, two-finger click, or ctrl + click to access the menu and select share).

If you click on the chain link icon, it will ask if you want to share the link to your folder or file. Click the switch to turn on link sharing and copy the link to share with colleagues. Need more control, click on the “Sharing settings” link to control what collaborators can do.

You can also click on the person with the plus sign to bring up more sharing options. This will also allow you to get to the advanced options to have even more control over the documents.

Once you are in the share menu, you have control over what your collaborators can do. Start by adding their email to the box and then selecting just how much control the collaborators have. You can decide if your collaborators can edit or view your document.

If you clicked “Advanced” you will be able to see some more details, including controlling what your collaborators can do with the file.

Once you are set, simply click “Done” and your collaborators will get an email notifying them that you have shared a file.

Word of Warning
Be careful who you share with and what you are sharing. If you have confidential data or information, double check who are you actually sharing the files with. Also, be sure to check the entire folder as if you decide to share a folder, all files within the folder will also be shared. This also includes anything that you create within the folder even after you have shared it.