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Draft Workshop Instructions

In order to take part in an online draft workshop, you'll need to take the following steps.

If you're unfamiliar with Google Drive, this might seem a little strange at first, but after you've had some experience, the process should become more familiar.

• The detailed step-by-step instructions are down below, but here is an overview of those steps:
  1. After you submit your workshop draft to Blackboard, upload it to GoogleDocs.
  2. Convert it to GoogleDocs format.
  3. Change the name of your draft.
  4. Share your draft with all of the Gmail addresses (including mine!) listed in the green box at the top of the "Peer Review List."
  5. Check "Peer Review List." to find your partners.
  6. Find the drafts you've been assigned.
  7. Provide feedback on 2 other drafts.
  8. Download your commented draft.
  9. Revise your draft.
  10. Submit your revised draft to Blackboard.

• If you haven't done so already, be sure to review the information available in Google Drive Help.

Step 1. After you submit your workshop draft to Blackboard, upload it to GoogleDocs.

You've probably used Microsoft Word to write your draft. Find that document on your hard drive and upload it to your Google Drive account.

• How do I upload a file to Google Docs?

Step 2. Convert your draft to Google Docs format

To allow others to make comments on your draft, the next step is to convert it to Google Docs format.

• How do I convert a file to Google Docs format?

Step 3. Change the name of your draft

So that the rest of us know which document is which -- and who wrote which one -- change the name of your draft using this format (where Lastname is your last name and AssignmentName is the name of the assignment):

Lastname AssignmentName Draft

• How do I rename a document?

Step 4. Share your draft with everyone in the class

To allow the rest of us to read -- and provide feedback for -- your draft, share it with everyone in the class, and make sure you've chosen "Can comment" from the drop-down menu next to the "Invite people" text box.

To do share, use the Gmail addresses listed at the top of the Peer Review List.

• How do I share a file with others?

Step 5. Check the "Peer Review List"

To learn which drafts you've been assigned, check the "Peer Review List."

• The "Peer Review list" provides
  • The address for each class member's Google Docs account, and
  • The essays that have been assigned for each class member to review during the draft workshop.

Step 6. Find the drafts you've been assigned

In order to find the documents that have been shared with you, click on the menu item that says "Shared with me" or "Incoming" in the lefthand column of Google Drive.

If you have difficulty finding the drafts you've been assigned, email the people whose drafts you are reviewing. If you don't hear back from them, choose 2 other drafts at random; look for drafts that appear to have not received much helpful feedback yet.

Step 7. Provide feedback to your peers

Provide feedback directly on the documents that you are peer reviewing by using the commenting features of Google Docs.

• How do comments work in Google Docs?

Step 8. Download your commented draft to your hard drive

After 2 students have provided feedback on your draft, download the document to your hard drive. Be sure to download the file as Microsoft Word document.

• How do I download a file from Google Docs?

Step 9. Revise your draft

Use the feedback you've received on your draft to make revisions. You should also make any revisions that you decide are necessary, whether or not those revisions are made in response to feedback from others.

Step 10. Submit Your Revised Draft

After you have revised your draft, submit it to Blackboard to be graded.