We are using Slack and Google Drive/Docs to simplify the dissemination of information and assignments for class.  Both platforms are free, and there are mobile-friendly versions of each.  I will distribute assignments and other class materials through Slack, which we will also use for discussion between class meetings.  

	SLACK
Slack is essentially our online class space. Think of it as being our class Blackboard, but not sucking. Once you have joined our class Slack channel, you will have access to shared materials and a means to contact me or your classmates.  I recommend adding the app to your phone; the desktop app version is fine, but you can also just access it through your browser. If you turn off notifications, you should get into the habit of checking Slack daily, but I would encourage you to set “do not disturb” hours and keep notifications on.  There are two places for conversations in Slack, team channels and direct messages.
I will share Google Docs, which means that you can click and view in Docs without downloading. Larger, more complex things might have to be downloaded, but I will always indicate that. One bummer: the Share from Google Drive extension isn’t great, so you’ll want to share links instead.

GOOGLE DRIVE/DOCS

I recommend that you add your shared folder and class docs to your own Google Drive, just so that they are easier to find; you can also access through the Shared with me option on the left-side menu.  Shared Folders and Docs: Anything that you add to your own Drive that I have shared will still be “my” document. You haven’t made a copy, you’ve just merged our clouds or something.   To save things to your own Drive, you will need to be signed in; you should also sign into Drive before adding to any collaborative docs so that your work is attributed to you.   Sharing: You can share things easily with whatever audience you choose, and give whatever editing permissions to that audience you wish for them to have. I will always clarify, in class and in writing, if I want you to share materials through a shareable link or by granting access to a specific person or persons. To share, click the blue “Share” button on the upper left corner of an open document. If you want to share with a person or persons more securely, and require that they be signed in to access the document, you can share with their email addresses. Just add them in the space provided. If you prefer to share via a link, click the button that says “Get shareable link” in the upper right corner of the Share window. Anyone with the link will be able to access the document (this is how I share course docs with you on Slack or via email).  Be sure to select the permissions that you want them to have via the drop-down menus. General Information: Many of you are probably already familiar with Google Drive/ Docs. Google Docs is essentially a stripped down version of MS Word, and Drive is the storage space and entire suite of programs similar to those in MS Office: there is a version of PowerPoint (Slides) and of Excel (Sheets), and there are also fillable Forms.  You can do pretty much all of the same things in the Drive versions that you can in MS Office (although some formatting takes extra steps, and some advanced features may not exist), and you can complete all work for class through Drive. My favorite thing about using Drive is that everything saves constantly, and you can also look at the revision history of any document or restore to an earlier version.  This video walks you through standard formatting on Docs.