Google Docs Blog
The official source for news, updates and tips about Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Keep.
Google Sheets: Do more with your data
June 15, 2015
When you’re working with spreadsheets, it’s important to turn your raw data into a story. With today’s updates to Google Sheets on the web, you’ll find even more ways to visualize and analyze your data.
Customized charts, made easier
Charts can make even the largest data sets digestible, so we’ve made a few improvements to help you highlight what’s most important.
Starting today, you can add
data labels
to display the exact value of bars or points. And when you’re using line or scatter charts, you can change the shapes of your data points. Choose from stars, triangles, pentagons and more.
Your data, your way
Today’s update also includes new tools for analyzing your spreadsheet data. For example, you can:
Preview formula results—instantly—as you type. This feature is especially useful for catching formula errors quickly and is unique to Sheets.
Filter
rows and columns by conditions, including “greater than” and “text contains.” This way you’ll only see the numbers, dates and text you need.
Add
calculated fields
to pivot tables when you want to apply formulas to pivot table data.
Use the
GETPIVOTDATA
function to more easily retrieve data from your pivot table.
Collaborate, confidently
The more the merrier when it comes to collaborating in Sheets, but sometimes you need to take extra steps to preserve your hard work from accidental edits. With Sheets, you’ve been able to restrict editing to a specific set of users and a specific range, but now you can also warn folks who try to edit certain cells. This way you can collaborate with others, and remind everyone (even yourself) to edit with care.
Try these updated
Sheets
features on the web today and start telling better stories with your data.
Posted by Dan Gundrum, Product Manager
Meet Alice Keeler: Google Certified Teacher, Author, and "Queen of Spreadsheets"
June 9, 2015
Alice Keeler is a mother of five children, a Google Certified Teacher, and the author of the book “
50 Things You Can Do With Google Classroom
.” Recently we sat down with the self-proclaimed “Queen of Spreadsheets” to learn more about how she relies on (and pushes the boundaries of) Google Docs both in the classroom and in her busy everyday life.
We want to know how you use the Google Docs family of products, too, so share your own examples at
+GoogleDocs
or
@googledocs
with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.
Tell us about yourself, the self proclaimed “Queen of Spreadsheets.”
I am a mother of five children, have a master’s degree in educational media design and technology and am working on my doctorate in EdTech with an emphasis in games and simulation. While working on my masters degree in 2009, I realized the power of games to motivate students, so I’ve been working on applying gamification techniques and games in my instruction, built with
Sheets
.
I’m extremely high energy and I really enjoy innovating and sharing with teachers. I also have a unique talent: I can make people love data and spreadsheets. When you can get the information you need in the format that you need it, it’s truly exciting.
How does Google Docs fit into your teaching?
Google Docs is essential for my instruction. I’ve been paperless for years and Google Docs makes that possible. If I were to choose one word that is most important when choosing tools for student use, I would say collaboration. Google Docs transforms group work from one student doing most of the work to a truly collaborative endeavor. Each student is able contribute concurrently to a single document; enhancing, adding, and editing work.
Tell us about one unconventional way you’re using Google Docs to teach.
I use gamification techniques to motivate students. Rather than assignments, students have quests they can choose from, in a Google Sheet. Once a student selects a quest, they use a Google Form, linked in the spreadsheet, to turn in their quests. The ability to collect quests and have it neatly organized in one place saves me hours and hours of time.
Collecting work this way allows me to give students choices in what they learn and to be more flexible with due dates, and grading and feedback become immensely easier. When having a classroom discussion, it’s important to give every student a chance to participate and have their voice heard. This is nearly impossible with a verbal discussion. Having students respond to discussion prompts in a
spreadsheet
not only allows me to hear from every student, but allows the entire class to hear from every student.
What are the three best tips you can suggest for teachers that are using Google Docs?
First, give feedback via comments to students before they submit their work. I highly recommend learning the keyboard shortcuts for inserting a comment (Control Alt M) and closing a comment (Control Enter) as this significantly speeds up the feedback process.
Second, a kid’s best day is when they can teach you something. Don’t be afraid to try something you do not know, embrace and celebrate help from your students. Challenge them to teach you something new about using Google Docs.
And third, if you use Google Slides or Google Sheets as a collaborative document with all of your students, this gives you only one document that you have to assess. Look for opportunities to do collaborative activities using Sheets and Slides.
You have a big family and a ton of extracurricular activities—do you also use Google Docs to take care of things outside of school?
I use Google Docs for everything. Woe to anyone standing next to me in the grocery line or driving me in a taxi—I will tell you all about Google Docs and how it will change your life. I have a passion for helping find creative solutions to whatever problem someone has—and educator or not, more often than not the solution is a Google Doc. I used to make wedding cakes and created a massive
spreadsheet
that calculates the number of servings, the supplies I need, how much to charge, creates the invoice and more. Really, what can you not do with Google Docs?
Do you have any handy docs to share?
Teachers may be interested in creating rubrics with Google Sheets. This
template
allows you to create a rubric on the second tab and set the percentages for each category. Insert your class roster on the first tab and use the “Create Rubrics” menu to create a copy of the rubric for each student in your class. This makes it easy to assess students using a rubric.
Updated mobile apps for Docs, Sheets and Slides
January 21, 2015
With Google Docs we want to help you work better, everywhere you are. So today’s Android and iOS updates for
Docs
,
Sheets
and
Slides
make it easier to get things done while you’re on the go.
Doing, not just viewing
You’ve asked for more editing tools on mobile, so today’s improvements include real-time spell-checking in documents, hiding rows and columns in spreadsheets, and grouping shapes in presentations.
Keeping your content safe
Online security is
really important
, so we offer functionality like
two-step verification
to protect your Google account. Starting today, Google Docs supports Touch ID on iOS, so you can unlock Docs, Sheets and Slides with your unique fingerprint.
Making everything more accessible
If you’re blind or have low vision, we have improved support and performance for
TalkBack
on Android and
VoiceOver
on iOS to create, edit, and share files in Docs, Sheets and Slides. The updated apps also respond well to screen magnification, in case you need to zoom in for a closer look.
These updates are rolling out now, so look for them on
Google Play
and the App Store (
Docs
,
Sheets
,
Slides
), and download the new versions as they become available. For even more news and tips, you can now follow Google Docs on
Google+
,
Twitter
and
Facebook
.
Posted by Jude Flannery, Engineering Director
Labels
accessibility
android
collab
collaboration
constitute
docs
google docs
Google Docs Blog
Google Docs in the wild
google for edu
ios
keep
mobile
mygoogledocs
nanowrimo
national constitution center
presentations
sheets
slides
teachers
writing
Archive
2016
September
Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides makes work a br...
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2015
October
September
August
July
June
May
March
February
January
Feed
Google
on
Follow @googledocs
Follow
Follow