From Secured PDF Files to Interactive Google Slides

28 Distance Learning

Teachers are trying to figure out how to take materials they already own and use them for distance learning. One question that I have seen repeatedly is, “How they can pull out single pages from a secured PDF file to assign to my students?” Even though the file is a secured PDF, there is a workaround to get individual pages to add to Google Slides.

Teachers are also looking for ways to make these PDFs interactive on Google Drive. This post will walk you through using the Windows Snipping Tools to capture screenshots of the secured PDF pages. It will also show you how to turn these screenshot images into interactive Google Slides.

 

Step 1  – Setting up Google Slides

Tutorial for Creating Interactive Google Slides from Secured PDF Files  

Open up a new Google Slides Presentation.

Close the Themes window and delete the text boxes so you have a blank slide to work with.

Change the size of the slide to a standard piece of paper 8.5 by 11.

 

Step 2 – Open the PDF File on your Computer

Tutorial for Creating Interactive Google Slides from Secured PDF Files

 

 

Now that your Google Slide Presentation is ready, you need to find the page(s) you want to use from your PDF.

Open the PDF to the page you wish to copy. Be sure the entire page is visible on your desktop, so you can copy it. You may need to downsize the PDF by changing the viewing percent from 100% to Fit Page. This percentage will vary depending on the size of your screen.

Step 3 – The Snipping Tool 

Using the Snipping Tool to Grab Portions of a Secured File

 

If you have Windows 10, 8.1, or 7, a Snipping Tool is included in your program files.

The easiest way to find your Snipping Tool is to do a computer search. Click on the Start button. Type Snipping Tool in the search box. The tool should be an option you can open by clicking on the link.

A pop-up box will open with tools for using the Snipping Tool. Be sure your settings are set for the rectangle. Click the New button.

Using the snipping tool, draw a box around the part of the PDF file you want to save. The rectangle will open in the Snipping Tool.

Save the ‘snip’ to your computer.

Step 4 – The Snipping Tool 

Using the Snipping Tool to Grab Portions of a Secured File

Now that your PDF image is saved, you need to add it to Google Slides.

Go back to the Google slide you set up earlier.

On your toolbar, click Change background.

Click Choose image.

Search for where you saved the image or open the folder where the image was saved and drag the image onto the slide.

Click Done.

If you inserted the image as a background properly, you will not be able to click on it and drag it.

Test to see if your image moves. 

Step 5 – Method 1 – Setting up Google Slides for Typing

Using the Snipping Tool to Grab Portions of a Secured File

Draw text boxes in the places on the slide you wish for students to type their answers. Make the text boxes visible by typing question marks inside them or changing the color of the boxes.

Step 5 – Method 2 – Setting up Google Slides for Typing

Using the Snipping Tool to Grab Portions of a Secured File

Another method for making places for students to type is to put a table over the page. Tables work well for a series of multiple-choice questions.

Click Insert Table. Choose how many rows and columns you want to add. 

Drag the lines of your table to make them line-up with your questions.

Highlight the table with your mouse. Change the font style, size, and color to make it easier for students to see their typed answers.

Please share the pages in a secure location such as email, through Google Classroom, or a password-protected website, and not on the Internet where they could be publicly found and downloaded.

 

Check out this great tutorial video that explains how to take text and convert it to Google Docs. 

 

Good luck with distance teaching!
Using the Snipping Tool to Grab Portions of a Secured File

 

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1 comment

    • julie scott on April 27, 2020 at 8:45 am

    Thank you so much. This was so helpful…I have been trying to find a simple way to change my PDF files so that my students could write on them. I can’t thank you enough for sharing this.

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