Teacher Tech blog with Alice Keeler

Paperless Is Not a Pedagogy

Alice Keeler

Do Not Panic: Take a Snapshot

Take a snapshot
Do Not Panic: Take a Snapshot

Take a snapshot

UPDATE: Google Apps have the camera option back! Below are some good options for snapshots regardless. 

Take a Snapshot to Google Apps

“Everything is digital when you can take a picture of it” –Jon Corippo

It is my opinion that one of the important features of G Suite is the ability to use the webcam to insert a picture into, for example, Google Slides. I recommend stocking your classroom up with quarter sheets of paper. These are the perfect size to hold up to the webcam.

No More Take a Snapshot in Google Apps

This week G Suite updated the interface of Google Apps for how you insert an image. Notice next to the image icon there is now a tiny triangle! You can just choose how you want to insert images.
Tiny Triangle next to image icon

CAUTION: Search the web is not filtered for free use, does not give image credits. THIS IS NOT OKAY! This is image theft. Even giving credit is not enough, you can only use pictures you explicitly have permission to, and then you ALSO have to credit. “Search the web” does neither.

Get It In Drive

The magic sauce here is to get it in Drive. That has basically been the magic sauce for everything. Just get it in Drive.

Change Download Location

By default, the download location is to the downloads folder on the Chromebook. You can go to the Chromebook settings and change this to “Google Drive.”
Change default downloads to DRive

iOS Users

If you have an iPhone or an iPad you can easily get your pictures into Google Drive. Use the Google Drive app. Open the app and notice there is a camera option within the app. This allows you to take photos straight into Google Drive. No upload necessary.

Android users, you need to take the photo with your regular camera. Then open the Google Drive app and upload the file from your camera roll. It’s an extra step but doable.

Sync to Google Photos

I have my Android phone automatically sync with Google Photos. Any pictures I take on my phone, including selfies, I can simply add to Google Slides, Docs, etc… using the Photos option when I click on the tiny triangle to insert an image. Doesn’t get much easier than that.

Chromebook Camera

Chromebook users can still use the webcam to add pictures to Google Slides (or other Google Apps). Use the camera tool natively built into your Chromebook. Click on the Launcher in the bottom left (circle icon) and type in Camera. This will allow Chromebook users to easily use the webcam to take pictures.

Pin Camera

Right click on the camera icon in the shelf and choose “Pin.” This will make the camera easily accessible.
Pin Camera to Shelf

Save Pictures

The camera pictures are not automatically saved on the Chromebook or Drive. After taking pictures the student will need to click on the gallery icon, select the pictures they wish to add to Google Drive and click on the “Save to disk” icon. When prompted, add them to Google Drive. Once it is in Google Drive they will be available to insert into Google Slides (or other Google Apps)

Click here for Google’s help page on the Chromebook camera.

Mac Users – Photobooth

Use Control Spacebar and type in “Photo Booth” to launch the Photo Booth app. Take pictures with the webcam. DRAG from the image tray into Google Drive or into Google Slides.

Alice Keeler Webcam Snapshot Chrome Extension

Try my Webcam Snapshot Chrome extension. Use your webcam to take webcam shots.  The images are automatically saved to Google Drive. That is the magic sauce, get it in Drive. Then from any Google App you can insert image and chose “Drive” and the pictures should be right there.

Install Webcam Snapshot from the Chrome Webstore

2 thoughts on “Do Not Panic: Take a Snapshot

  1. My chromebook is up to date, yet it doesn’t show the insert image icon which you display. Has this update not rolled out to everyone? This update would be great for my second graders. thanks

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