embedding Google Slides into Bb

I use Google Slides quite often. I also share these slides with students. It turns out that embedding Google Slides isn't as straightforward as one would think. There are two methods for embedding Google Slides: 1) publish your presentation to the Internet and use the provided embed code or 2) don't publish your slides and modify the url.

The difference has to do with the permissions. 

• Public on the web means that it will be available to anyone. Public documents and files can show up in search results, and anyone who finds the web address of the doc can access it.
• Anyone with the link is like an unlisted phone number. Another person can only view it if they have the exact URL of the doc, file or folder.

Here's a great, clear and well-written explanation of the permissions: Visibility options in Google Drive: Difference between Private, People at Blake School with the link, The Blake School, Anyone with the link, Public on the Web

Option 1: Public on the web

Of the two methods, the first is the easiest. That's because when you publish your slides to the web, you create a copy of your file as a unique webpage with its own URL and Google provides the embed code. So embedding your slides is as easy as copying the embed code and pasting it Blackboard or any website.

Option 2: Anyone with the link
But what if you didn't want your slides to be that public or show up in search results? That's when you might want to go with the second option of making the presentation available to anyone with the link. But if you choose this option, there are some things you have to do before you can embed the presentation so your students can see it. The reason is because when you choose this option, you don't actually create a webpage that can be embedded. The way around this is to create a "preview" option of your presentation.  

How to make see the "preview" mode of your presentation:

Step 1: Make your slides public by changing the permissions to Anyone with the link can view.

Step 2: In the presentation's URL, replace the highlighted section with "preview".

• https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1XO1C6ygsiRUhjj5ahhhajZQaALiqQNAQPf2IRzPG874/edit#slide=id.g88e2a4cae6_0_94 
• https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1XO1C6ygsiRUhjj5ahhhajZQaALiqQNAQPf2IRzPG874/preview with some numbers after it

Step 3: Copy the new URL.

Step 4: In order to use the iframe code, you will need to use the HTML editor in Blackboard. Click the HTML button to pull up the html editor:

Step 5: Copy the iFrame code below and paste it into the html editor in Bb. Don't forget to paste your own preview URL into the highlighted section! 

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<p> <iframe width="476" height="338" src="enter Preview URL between quotes"> </iframe> </p>

Notice that I specified the size of the iFrame; I find that a width="476" and height="338" are perfect for slides set at 16:10 ratio.

Here's a good video for showing you how to share your slides.