(Cross-posted from Instructional FAQs for Yukon Public Schools)
“Appointment slots” are a feature in Google Calendars which allow calendar owners to let other people “sign up” for specific appointments on different dates and times. This can be handy for resource checkout calendars, like a mobile laptop cart or a computer lab. It can also work for things like parent/teacher conferences. The Google support article, “Using Appointment Slots” provides information and steps for using this feature. In this post, I’ll list and show the steps for creating calendar slots on a calendar you’ve created. It’s a good idea to create SEPARATE calendars for each resource you’d like to check out, but that’s not required. When you create an appointment slot on a Google Calendar, Google will create a unique “Appointment Slot Calendar Link” you can share with others to sign up. People can sign up for open slots and delete their own reservation, but can’t edit or change reservations made by others.
The steps for creating “calendar slots” on a Google Calendar are:
It seems that time slot is currently most common, but that doesn’t prevent you from adhering to more (or less) traditional approaches. Here is the google n-gram of the variants in use since 1940. And it is always worth browsing at more venerable sources such as The New Yorker ’s inimitable Comma Queen, Mary Norris, or, indeed, Wiktionary. Here’s how you can set up an online sign up sheet: First you’ll need to sign into your Google account. Next, click on “Drive.” The screen you see will look something like this: Next you’ll click on the orange “CREATE” button and select the type of document you want to create. Appointment slots can be distinguished from your other events by the grid symbol in the upper left corner. Users who do not set their timezone in calendar (e.g. Users who have never signed in to calendar), will see appointment slots in pacific time. Please ask users to set up their time zone in calendar to avoid this prior to selecting an. Time slot definition: 1. A time when something can happen or is planned to happen, especially when it is one of several.
1- In the left sidebar, choose to view only 1 calendar (click the arrow beside the calendar)
2- Select Week or Day View (NOT month)
3- Click on a day you want to schedule
4- Click APPOINTMENT SLOTS at the top of the window
5- Click to “offer as a single appointment slot”
6- Click EDIT DETAILS
7- Make sure the correct calendar is selected beside “Create appointment slots on calendar”
Sign Up For Time Slots Google
8- Copy the link to the “calendar appointment page” and paste it in an email (or somewhere else)
9- Set the times as desired
10- Type a title for the appointment slot (Mac Cart 1)
11- Enter any extra information you want teachers to see in the “Description” field (how many computers are available, do they need to plan for extra checkout time, etc.)
12 – Click SAVE at the top of the page (upper left corner).
If you don’t already use the free Google Chrome web browser, I highly recommend you download it and use it for your Google Apps tasks including calendars. Google websites should function fine in all web browsers, but I’ve noticed Internet Explorer particularly seems to not function as well with Google Calendar. IE opens many links in new browser windows instead of opening them in new tabs, as happens with Chrome.
After you’ve created your calendar slots for other people to use, you can share the direct link (which you copied in step 8 above) via email and/or via a link from your website.
Good luck using appointment slots in Google Calendar!
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