Google+Docs+in+the+Classroom

=**Google Docs in the Classroom**= by Heather Mounts

Over the years Google has evolved from the search engine to an online presence with more and more offerings. One of the offerings they have created is a web-based word processor, called Google Documents, or Google Docs for short. This web-based program allows anyone with a Google account to "create, store, and share" an electronic document using their browser and an internet connection (Google for Educators). No additional software is required. As a teacher, I think it is part of my job to find ways to introduce students to different aspects of technology and how they can be used as tools to aid us in the completion of our work. Google Docs are one of the first collaborative Web 2.0 tools that I embraced and so I wanted to highlight some of the ways that Google Docs can be used in the classroom setting. Please feel free to highlight other ways you have made use of Google Docs (in the classroom or for personal use) in the discussion section of this wiki page.

While it is possible to use Google Docs without a Google account, limited features are available, so it is recommended that you create and sign in to a Google account when using the program. Documents created when signed into the program will be saved automatically and can be organized into collections or shared with others. This means that students can access their work anywhere they have internet access - no more worries that students won't have the correct programs to be able to complete an assignment!

Besides the price (free) and the minimal access requirements, there are a number of additional benefits to using Google Docs in the classroom. Using Google Docs can help promote the 21st Century Skill of collaboration as it allows for creators and contributors to work together to create and edit a document in real-time, despite any physical distance between the collaborators. Students can work on different components of the same project in one document. Since the collaboration happens in real-time on the same version, the burden of printing or emailing a document back and forth to share it is eliminated. Those collaborating on a document can see the changes to the document //as they occur// and can even use the Google chat feature to communicate while working. Google also keeps a revision history that notes when someone contributed to or revised the document and what the contribution or revision was. This documentation can be helpful for identifying student contributions.

Teachers can also use Google Docs to create a guided learning experience. For example teachers can import text to Google Docs for students to read, and then use the comment feature or type in line with the text to pose guiding questions for the students to consider. These questions can be used to redirect student attention to the passage they are reading, can be used to preview upcoming information in the story, or can be used to ask students to make connections between this reading and other content. Teachers could ask students to respond electronically to the questions as they read and could monitor answers in real-time to see if students are understanding the material or if more guidance is needed.

Teachers can use Google Docs to help promote writing as a process by having students write in a document that is shared with the teacher or their peers. As the students work on the piece, the teacher and the peers can help provide editing and revision suggestions using the comments feature. The continuous ability to comment and provide suggestions and modifications in real-time can help students to see that writing really is a continuous evolution of ideas and input.

Teachers can use Google Docs to encourage students to think critically and analytically. Teachers can pose a scenario or a problem on a shared document and can ask students to contribute to the document by posing questions or comments regarding the scenario. This requires students to identify important information and provides insight into how the students are thinking. The teacher could then read the questions and ask the students to find the answers to questions posed by their classmates.

Google Docs can also be published online with just the click of a mouse. This means that teachers can share assignments created in Google Docs with students and parents or that students can share their work with others. As students get to a point where they feel comfortable sharing their work, they can click the share button and Google will generate a unique web address that can be emailed or shared via social media services so others can view the document.

These are just some of the basic ways Google Docs can be used in the classroom. There are many more ways that Google Docs can be used. Here are some links to additional resources for using Google Docs (and other Google Offerings): Using Google Docs in the Classroom: Simple as ABC [|Using Google Docs in the Classroom: Tips and Tricks] [|100 Ways Google Can Make You a Better Educator] [|Blogs, Wikis, Docs: Which is right for your lesson?] [|Google Docs Ease Collaborative Thinking and Writing]

Heather: I am not sure what grade(s) you teach, but if it is elementary, I found an awesome youtube video that highlights the growth and development of a Google Doc as an Elementary School student takes you on a journey of how she collaborates with classmates and her teacher to create a finished piece of writing. The URL is:

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I recently shared Google Docs with my staff at our elementary school. Its a little difficult to use Google Docs with young students, but our teachers have really become interested in the tool. On several grade, levels the teachers are using it for weekly lesson plans. One teacher is responsible for planning one subject. Previously, each teacher planned their one subject and then emailed their one lesson to all of the other grade level teachers. This created a huge quantity of emails being sent out with attachments. Then each teacher would need to assemble all of the word documents into one coherent lesson plan. This was very time consuming. Google Docs allow for the grade level to create one document and then each teacher will log in and add their subject only. Once all subjects have been completed, the teacher can hit print and have one document with a week's worth of lesson plans. The teachers have also shared the document lesson plan with our principal who can view each weeks plan and see who added which subjects. Google Docs is saving our teachers time, which is in high demand. Kevin Roper