Digital Teaching Academy
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Print-optimized layout — use Ctrl+P or the button above

Google Workspace Quick Reference

Digital Teaching Academy — Educational Technology

Keyboard Shortcuts Key Tips 6 Tools Covered

Printing Tips

  • • Use Ctrl+P or the Print button above. Set paper to Landscape orientation for best results.
  • • In print dialog, enable "Print backgrounds" to preserve the colored card headers.
  • • Set margins to Minimum or None to fit all 6 cards on 2 pages.
  • • Select "Save as PDF" as destination to create a shareable digital version.

Google Docs

Word Processor

Full Guide

Shortcuts

Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+YUndo / Redo
Ctrl+B / I / UBold / Italic / Underline
Ctrl+KInsert link
Ctrl+Alt+MInsert comment
Ctrl+Shift+CWord count
Ctrl+HFind and replace
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+HVersion history
Ctrl+Shift+FFull screen editor

Key Tips

Switch to Suggesting mode before leaving feedback on student work — your comments appear without changing their original text.

Voice Typing (Tools > Voice typing) lets students with writing difficulties dictate their responses hands-free.

Version History keeps every change ever made — restore any previous version in seconds if something is accidentally deleted.

Google Slides

Presentations

Full Guide

Shortcuts

Ctrl+MNew slide
Ctrl+Shift+F5Present from beginning
N / P (in Present)Next / Previous slide
B (in Present)Black screen
Ctrl+KInsert link to slide/URL
Ctrl+Alt+GGroup objects
Ctrl+DDuplicate slide
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+HVersion history

Key Tips

Presenter View (View > Presenter view) shows your notes on your laptop while students only see the clean slide on the projector.

Edit Slide Master (Slide > Edit theme) once to add logo, font, and colors — all slides update automatically across the whole presentation.

Tools > Q&A lets students submit questions from their devices during your presentation — great for shy students and live formative checks.

Google Sheets

Spreadsheets & Data

Full Guide

Shortcuts

Ctrl+HomeGo to cell A1
Ctrl+Shift+VPaste values only
F2Edit active cell
Ctrl+D / Ctrl+RFill down / Fill right
Ctrl+Shift+LToggle filter
Ctrl+SpaceSelect entire column
Ctrl+Page Down/UpSwitch sheets
Ctrl+Shift+1Format as number

Key Tips

Freeze Row 1 (headers) and Column A (student names) via View > Freeze — they stay visible no matter how far you scroll.

Conditional formatting auto-colors grades: red <70, yellow 70-79, green ≥80. Updates instantly as you enter new grades.

=IF(Z2>=90,"A",IF(Z2>=80,"B",IF(Z2>=70,"C","F"))) — auto-calculates letter grades from your numeric average column.

Google Forms

Quizzes & Surveys

Full Guide

Shortcuts

Ctrl+EnterSubmit form (students)
—Click eye icon to Preview form
—Responses tab → Sheets icon = link to Sheets
—Settings → Make it a Quiz for auto-grade
—Three-dot → Get pre-filled link for templates
—Add Section for branching/multi-page forms
—Import questions from existing Form
—Settings → Collect email for auto-responses

Key Tips

Toggle "Make this a quiz" in Settings to enable auto-grading for Multiple Choice, Checkboxes, and Dropdown questions.

Link Forms to Sheets: Responses tab → green Sheets icon. Every submission auto-populates a row with timestamp and all answers.

Use "Go to section based on answer" on any question to create branching paths — different content for different student responses.

Google Drive

File Management

Full Guide

Shortcuts

/ or Ctrl+FSearch Drive
Shift+ZAdd file to another folder
Ctrl+ClickSelect multiple files
—Right-click → Get link for sharing
—Star a file for quick access
—Change folder color: right-click → Change color
—Right-click → Manage versions
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+HVersion history (in Docs/Sheets)

Key Tips

Change any share link from "/edit" to "/copy" — students get their own copy automatically without you distributing individual files.

Color-code folders by subject. Right-click any folder → Change color. Visual scanning finds things 3x faster than reading names.

Search operators: type:document owner:me after:2024-09-01 — find exactly what you need in seconds using Drive's advanced search.

Google Drawings

Visual Diagrams

Full Guide

Shortcuts

Ctrl+C / Ctrl+VCopy / Paste objects
Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+YUndo / Redo
Ctrl+Alt+GGroup selected objects
Ctrl+Shift+Alt+GUngroup objects
Arrow keysNudge selected object 1px
Shift+ArrowNudge selected object 10px
Ctrl+ASelect all objects on canvas
Ctrl+DDuplicate selected object

Key Tips

Use Connector lines (Insert > Line > Connector) for concept maps — they snap to shapes and auto-re-route if you move them.

Arrange > Align & Distribute makes rows and columns of shapes perfectly spaced with one click — no manual positioning.

Insert Drawings into Docs with "Link to source" — update the Drawing once and all Docs that embed it refresh with one click.

Digital Teaching Academy — Educational Technology  •  digitalteachingacademy.edu  •  For full in-depth guides, visit the Tutorial Reference Library