How to share files with students Follow
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How to share files with students
The Share files feature in Teacher Dashboard offers an easy way to share documents with students.
1. To start, click the Share files button, on the top right in Teacher Dashboard.
2. To select an existing file from your Google Drive, click Select or upload file.
Search for your file and click Select. To learn more, read Google's Find files in Google Drive.
3. To create and share a new file, click the icon for the type of file you want to create. The options are Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides and Google Drawings.
4. Next, use the existing file name or type a new file name.
If you select an existing file from your Google Drive, its title will automatically be placed in the text box on the top left. Changing this will change the title for the copies your students receive, but doing so will not rename your original copy of the file.
For a new file, type a name into the text box to replace the default name of "New document."
5. Check the box next to Append name to add student names to their files.
6. Select a file permission type from the drop-down menu.
7. If you want to replace a file with the same name, select Replace existing student file(s). Replaced files will be moved to Trash in students' Drive.
If a student already has a file with the same name as the file you're sharing, Share files can either replace the existing file or stop the copy process for that student and leave the existing file alone.
Replacing the file is useful when a teacher has copied a file in error.
To do so, simply check the box at the bottom of the Share files settings.
To successfully replace an existing file a few conditions must be met:
- The original file and the new file must have the same title.
- The original file and the new file both need to be shared with permissions set to Copy.
- Both the original file and the new file need to be shared to the same folder.
8. Click to share with classes, individual students or groups.
9. Select the class(es), student(s) or group(s).
10. After reviewing your settings, start Share files by clicking the blue button at the bottom.
The length of time required for file sharing will vary based on the number of files and students selected.
Checking the status of a Share files job
1. While your file sharing is processing, an arrow will animate to the right of the Share files button.
2. To check on the status, click on the button, which may have dots next to the lines to indicate files shared.
A spinning circle indicates a job is in process
A green circle with a white checkmark indicates a job has been completed successfully
A circle with a white background and a green checkmark indicates a job has been completed with errors.
Click Details to review files that are being shared and to review any errors.
Share files errors
If you see a circle with a white background and green checkmark () next to a Share files job, it means an error occurred while sharing. One or some of your students may not have received a file.
When this happens, click the Details button for that job. You will be able to see which files had errors and for which students they occurred.
Some error messages you may see include:
- File was not shared with students.
- File was not shared due to file owner's permission settings.
- Shared drive files cannot be shared with students, only copied.
- File sharing cannot be confirmed, please check status with student.
When you see the error file was not shared with students, you can:
- Wait a few minutes and try sharing again.
- Reset your class folders on the Class Info page and then share again.
How to undo Share files
If you accidentally share a file to students you didn't intend to, you have the option to undo a Share files job.
The ability to undo shared files is available for five minutes after the job has completed.
1. Click the button to the right of the Share files button.
2. Click the Unshare button, if available.
When you click this button, you will be asked to confirm that you want to unshare all of the files in that job (you cannot unshare individual files if you shared multiple files in the same job).
3. When files have been successfully unshared, you will see a gray circle with a white checkmark next to the share job.
If there was an error with unsharing the files, you will see this message: