1 - How To Create "View" Links In A Blog Post

This method of sharing files will work ONLY if the student will be connected to the Internet where they will be working on their assignments.

Your file must be uploaded to your Google Drive.

1. Right-click on the file and select "Share". A pop-up window will appear.

2. In the "Get Link" section, click on "Change to anyone with the link" to change who can access it. The permission will change from "Only people added can open with this link" to "Anyone on the Internet with this link can view".

3. Click "Copy link". Click "Done".

4. Take the link and paste it into your blog post.

5. Before you publish this post, left-click the link and click on "Change". Change the "Text To Display" to "View the name of the assignment". Click on the option "Open this link in a new window" and then "Ok".

2 - How To Create "Download" Links In A Blog Post

I know that one issue we will have is our students who will rely on our WiFi to access our assignments/activities. If the assignment document, video, image, or audio clip cannot be downloaded onto their devices or their screenshots of our blogs are not very sharp, they will have to stay in front of our school for a MUCH longer time to get their work done. I have found a way (albeit a multi-step way) of allowing our students to be able to download and save assignments onto their devices. This will be forced on anyone who attempts to view the document, video, image, or audio clip. If they don't download and save the file, they will not have access to it. They can delete it at a later time.

Your file must be uploaded to your Google Drive.

1. Right-click on the file and select "Share". A pop-up window will appear.

2. In the "Get Link" section, click on "Change to anyone with the link" to change who can access it. The permission will change from "Only people added can open with this link" to "Anyone on the Internet with this link can view".

3. Click "Copy link". Click "Done".

4. Open the Notepad app and "Paste" the link into the blank document. Strike "Enter" two times.

5. Copy this link into the same Notepad document.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=REPLACE_THIS_PART

6. In the first link, copy the section after "d/" and before "/view" and paste where "REPLACE_THIS_PART" is in the second link.

i.e https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cG7GL1NlyPS6JWnpAwsHSY5Biqzzl5jN/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1cG7GL1NlyPS6JWnpAwsHSY5Biqzzl5jN

7. Copy the new link.  Highlight the word (download) and click the "Link" button.

8. Paste the link into the "To what URL should this link go?" area. Click on the option "Open this link in a new window" and then "Ok".

3 - Sample Blog Post Using "View" And "Download" Technique

"Perspective" Activity

(view)     (download)

**Make sure that you give your students instructions on what each of these options mean.

Use "View" if you will be connected to the Internet where you will be working on the assignment.

Use "Download" if you will not be connected to the Internet where you will be working on the assignment. It will ask you to save the file. 

• On an Android phone or tablet, you can choose to "Download" this activity and save it onto your device when prompted. 
• On an Apple phone or tablet, you can save this activity when you are prompted to "Open In" (in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen), by selecting "Save To Files".

4 - How To "Embed" Files From Your Google Drive In A Blog Post

Think... sharing images of photos taken of the pages from textbooks... sharing the assignment you've already typed to hand out to your class... saving paper!

Instructions on how to share your Google Drive files:

• Set the share settings to Public.

• Please follow the below steps to obtain the PDF embed code for pasting into the post editor.

1. Double-click the file.
2. Click the "Hamburger" icon (3 vertical dots).
3. Select "Open In New Window".
4. Click the "Hamburger" icon again.
5. Select "embed item".
6. Copy Code in the pop-up window,
7. Paste Code in HTML post editor