I'll start with what is the most useful, and that's Google Docs. If you don't know, Google Docs is a great way to store and share files online. If you're collaborating on a project with multiple people you can easily edit and share ideas quickly without the issues that come from emailing multiple drafts of a document back and forth. Its also a really simple way to share documents.
The way I've used here is by creating a collection in my Google Docs account and adding all TQ documents to that collection. You'll find a link to the document collection in my "Notable Links" gadget to the right of my blog. So, from my blog you can view my TQ Goodies collection and download/view any document I've stored there (since I've set the permissions to "anyone who has the link" and not private). You could easily do a similar thing but require sign in, just as you can with your blog permissions. I do wish (and we may see this in the future) there was an easier and more direct way to access your Google docs from your Blogger account. Here's the picture tutorial:
Go first to your Google Docs page and log in (unless it does it for you).
You will then see your Google Docs home screen.
To easily organize my docs into a collection specifically for TQ, I selected "Create New" and then "Collection" which I aptly named "TQ Goodies".
From there, I had to decide how to share my collection. By clicking on the arrow that shows up next to my collection's name, I get this drop down menu.
I chose share, and then have the option to select my options or simply email my collaborators.
For my purposes, I chose that my documents (for now) are public on the web, anyone can find them. That may change to a permissions basis once we get all TQ folks set up.
Once you play around in Google docs, you'll notice that it works really well for your standard Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. A great way to share files with students and collaborators.
Now for Monetize. Monetize is a way to make money on your blog. Google AdSense is one easy way. It simply places ads on your blog and you receive payouts based on the traffic those ads generate. I don't plan on a lot of traffic through my blog, so that may only give me a few pennies. Amazon Associates is another way, which seemed to make more sense for me. Clicking on the Monetize tab at the top of your page will take you through these options.
To activate Amazon Associates, you have to first sign up with Amazon and then link that account to Blogger.
Fairly painless (I do recommend not using the Blogger window to access the Amazon account as I had some issues seeing all of their webpage). Once it is set up, you do have to do some cut&paste html editing in your template (which can be scary) but it is simple as well. Just follow the directions they give you and you can't go wrong! Amazon gives you an account ID which you have to enter onto the Blogger page, and then you add the Gadgets you're interested in and you are good to go. So, if you come across a great book like . . .
you can link it into your blog where you rave about it, and when your readers purchase your suggestion using your link you get $$ from the sale! I chose to receive my payouts in the form of Amazon gift cards, that way it feels like Christmas every time!
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