Looking for an easy way to convert printed text documents to editable Google docs? Then try this trick with Google Drive.
You'll need a Google account, the Google Drive app installed on your mobile device, and access to the web-based version of Google Drive on your computer.
This trick works best with text-based documents, such as worksheets, reading passages, workbook pages, and textbook pages. It'll even work with worksheets that include blank spaces for students to fill in. Using this trick to convert math worksheets doesn't always work well though.
Note: These instructions were tested on Apple devices.
- On your mobile device, open the Drive app
- On the Home tab, tap the + sign to create a new Drive item
- In the "Create new" window, tap Use Camera
- If needed, tap OK to allow Drive to access the camera
- Take a picture of the text document
Notice that the image is not perfect and the paper isn't flat—that's ok. - Tap Use Photo
- If needed, tap OK to allow Drive to access your photos
- Once the photo has been uploaded to Drive from your mobile device, open Drive on your computer
- In Drive on your computer, locate the .JPG image you just uploaded from your mobile device (try clicking Recent to find it quickly)
- Right-click the image file, select Open With, and then click Google Docs
- Once the image is converted to a Google Doc, edit it as needed
Notice that a copy of the image is inserted at the top of the Google Doc, but you can delete it. Also, note that the blank spaces in the question stems were converted from the image to the Google Doc. - Once you're done editing and formatting the Google Doc, you can share it electronically with your students
To create a multi-page Google Doc, take pictures of all of the text documents you want to include, open them all in Drive on your computer, and copy and paste the content into one Google Doc.
