Google+Documents



=What is Google Documents? =

Google documents is a website that allows users to share documents and work collaboratively. Users can upload documents already created from a word editor, upload PowerPoint presentations, share PDF files, or create a new document on Google. The most useful feature of Google Documents is that it lets users edit the same document simultaneously. Users can see the editing as it is happening or after it is done along with who is doing the editing.Google Documents is extremely easy to use and is free.

Google Documents provides a platform for communication and collaboration outside of email. Users can work together on projects or edit group documents while chatting on the side of the screen or there on the document. It eliminates the need for multiple emails between members of a group or the formation of several versions of the same document.Below is an image of several Google Documents. Notice how there are spreadsheets and other types of documents than specifically Word documents.(Google, 2011)

 

media type="youtube" key="TYPjJK6LZdM" height="315" width="420" align="right" =How can Google Documents be used in a classroom? =

Teachers can use Google Documents to share files with students or to have students work collaboratively on a project. Students can sign up for individual accounts but still work together in groups and submit one document to the teacher. Students would be able to work together at the same time from their homes rather than needing to be in the same location at the same time as in traditional group work. Google Documents also allows students to work on a project on a school computer and then go home and open it there to continue working on the project (emailing or using a flash drive would not have the most up-to-date version if others in the group were editing it). To the right is a video that explains how Google Documents is so valuable in the classroom. It describes the benefits in terms of assessment, convenience, and opportunities for learning. (Google, 2008)

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=Advantages & Disadvantages =

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Advantages
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Free
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Easy to use
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Collaboration independent of time and space
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Ability for multiple people to edit the same document simultaneously
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Easy for teachers to assess participation

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Disadvantages = =
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Not necessarily a secure site for young children
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">No class homepage available, only individual student accounts and home pages

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">How can teachers hold individual students accountable? =

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Teachers can view individual contributions from students to assess their participation and value of their revisions. There is a feature in Google Documents that allows users to view all of the revisions made to a document: what changed, who changed it, and the time/date of the revision. This allows teachers to see which students are working on a project as they should be as well as see the progress of the document over time. Below is a sample image of a revision history. (Google, 2012) Notice how each user has their own color for contributions. Yellow highlighted material is added while words with a strike through were deleted. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> = =

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Navigation = = = <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Check out the next collaborative tool, KidBlog. = =
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Chapter 4 Introduction || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Bubbl.us || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Collaborize Classroom  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">CrocoDoc  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Edmodo  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Google Documents  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">KidBlog  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Skype  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">VoiceThread  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">WikiSpaces  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Chapter 4 Conclusions ||

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">References =

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Brown, S. (2011, November 13). //Google Documents Logo//. Retrieved January 28, 2012, from Real Smart Support Blog: http://help.realsmart.co.uk/sharing-google-docs-with-teaching-groups-best-practice/

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Google. (2008, August 5). //Teachers and Principals Talk about Google Docs.// Retrieved March 17, 2012, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYPjJK6LZdM

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Google. (2011, September 22). //Google Docs Tour.// Retrieved March 17, 2012, from Google Documents: http://www.google.com/google-d-s/intl/en/tour1.html

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Google. (2012, March 17). //Revision History.// Retrieved March 17, 2012, from Google: http://support.google.com/docs/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=190843

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">//Open clip art// (2011). Thumbs [picture]. Retrieved from Open clip art, @http://openclipart.org/