Cloud Services

In common usage, “The Cloud” refers to the “The Internet”. There are many services that we can access to help us  with a variety of common tasks. Online productivity suites are excellent examples. We can have access to email, document creation, presentation software, spreadsheets and more through any of the following services, just create an account and you will be set to go.

Contents:

• The Cloud
• Using Google Beyond Gmail and Search – Google Account
• Google Docs – Google Account
• Google Sheets – Google Account
• Google Slides – Google Account
• iCloud – Apple Account
• OneDrive – Microsoft Account

• Description: The Cloud refers to services that you find on the Internet, instead of being located on your computer. We will provide an overview of a few Cloud services and how to use them. For example you can use a document suite through Google Docs, or OneDrive in the Cloud instead of having Microsoft Office on your computer.
• Audience: Comfortable with a computer.
• Duration: 4 hours in total

• Description: Google provides a wide variety of online services at no cost to the user, including Gmail, Google Docs and Google Maps. We will create a Google (Gmail) account, look at the Google Drive and create different types of documents. Documents in Google Drive can be accessed from any web browser and can be shared with others for collaboration. Finally, we will mention a variety of other services available through Google as time permits.
• Audience: Participants should be comfortable with computer and Internet use.
• Duration: 4 hours in total

• Description: Google Docs provides word processing capabilities for documents stored in your Google Drive account. We will examine, in detail, the tools for document creation, formatting and sharing. These documents can be exported in formats compatible with other word processing software such as Microsoft Office and others. Documents shared with others can be edited simultaneously in real time. Class exercises will involve creation and sharing documents with other participants.
• Audience: Participants should be comfortable with computer and internet use. You will need a Google (GMail) account to participate.
• Duration: 2 hours in total

• Description: Google Sheets allow you to create complex spreadsheets on Google Drive. In the class, participants will create and format spreadsheets; they will collaborate and simultaneously work with others on the same spreadsheet. We will provide an overview of some of the built-in functions to do calculations on cells. There are a variety of advanced features for formatting and calculation that we will cover as time permits.
• Audience: Participants should be comfortable with computer and internet use. You will need a Google (GMail) account to participate.
• Duration: 2 hours in total

• Description: Google Slides is a presentation creation tool similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. This is a web application and it allows you share presentations with others and simultaneously edit it with friends or coworkers. It also allows you to publish and embed the presentation in a website. We will give an overview of some of the tools for creation, editing and enhancing your presentation. The more advanced features for formatting and styling your presentation will be covered as time permits. Class exercises will involve creation and sharing presentations with other participants.
• Audience: Participants should be comfortable with computer and internet use. You will need a Google (GMail) account to participate.
• Duration: 2 hours in total

• Description: The iCloud productivity suite includes a word processor (Pages), a spreadsheet program (Numbers), and a presentation program (Keynote). We will begin with a discussion of iCloud features, and participants who don’t have an iCloud account will create one. We will then go through basic usage of all three programs in the iCloud environment. Access to iCloud will be through a web browser. There will be exercises creating text documents, spreadsheets and presentations along the way.
• Audience: People with a preference for Apple cloud space.
• Duration: 4 hours in total

• Description: We will discuss services available through the Microsoft account. We will look at OneDrive and services available there including email from Outlook.com and apps contained in Office Online. If you don’t own the Microsoft Office suite for your computer, you can access Word, PowerPoint and Excel online through OneDrive.
• Audience: Comfortable with a computer.
• Duration: 4 hours in total