Google Docs's Future in Education
Greetings All,
After a little break from blogging on the Fish Network, i have swum back full of the ideas that jumped into my head from playing with Google Docs (Beta) @ http://docs.google.com
As i look at our own school (Trafalgar PS, AUST), I can see so many ways that this new technology and those like it will help us in education to become more connected to and increase the use of ICT in the classroom.
I am thinking about never having your documents stolen or moved again. Not having to worry about what computer you were using last, be it at home, in the next classroom or in another country. Automatically moving your work from school to school and onto High school, as well as across computer platforms.
Teachers sharing your work in real time, and being given real-time feedback and editing with the share component, as well as students and staff working in groups on the same document while on different computers...
Tell me what you think and what ideas you have for Google Docs in schools....
After a little break from blogging on the Fish Network, i have swum back full of the ideas that jumped into my head from playing with Google Docs (Beta) @ http://docs.google.com
As i look at our own school (Trafalgar PS, AUST), I can see so many ways that this new technology and those like it will help us in education to become more connected to and increase the use of ICT in the classroom.
I am thinking about never having your documents stolen or moved again. Not having to worry about what computer you were using last, be it at home, in the next classroom or in another country. Automatically moving your work from school to school and onto High school, as well as across computer platforms.
Teachers sharing your work in real time, and being given real-time feedback and editing with the share component, as well as students and staff working in groups on the same document while on different computers...
Tell me what you think and what ideas you have for Google Docs in schools....
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Griff Wigley on
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Great post, Tristan. I googled around a bit and found some other people/projects who are exploring this just like you:
http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=196604379
http://hosmerot.blogspot.com/2007/02/google-docs-and-spreadsheets.html
http://www.google.com/educators/globalwarming.html
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Permalink Reply by Vicki Miles on
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Tristan,
I can feel your excitement.................can you feel my nervousness? Whenever you get an idea my initial response is to worry! I should however learn to let you go, from your head we have actually enjoyed many great changes. We will talk on Monday.
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Permalink Reply by Hanrey on -
Being able to have units of work, articles or teaching tools easily accessible and in one location online would be great. Not only would it give people the opportunity to share their learning or their thinking, it would be a great storage tool and would take away some of the necessity for relying on a single computer.
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Permalink Reply by Ben on
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This is a very old post Hanrey! My name is Ben, Tristan and I work together at Traf Primary school in Australia. We are currently using Google Docs with our Grade 5/6 students instead of MS Word in both the classroom and our recently completed Flexible Learning Centre. We have found that so so far it is a very accessible and useful tool for staff and students for a huge range of communication and office purposes. We are also looking into the use of Portable Apps and flash drives for students as well as this boasts a large range of Open Office applications that are equally useful to students on the go. Are you in education yourself?
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Hey Tristan! Sounds cool, I will check it out later today and Vicki... you know that most of Tris's ideas turn out for the best!! I will be great to have you back on board!! However, back to the topic, the notion of sharing files in real time and being able to edit them sounds very interesting. I know we all talk about sharing ideas about teaching and learning, but it doesn't always happen, even at a single school level, the main excuse being computer availability or people not having their laptop with them. Being able to have units of work, articles or teaching tools easily accessible and in one location online would be great. Not only would it give people the opportunity to share their learning or their thinking, it would be a great storage tool and would take away some of the necessity for relying on a single computer. If your computer dies your files live on in cyber space! It would also be a great way for kids and parents to access learning and/or activities, newsletters and notices from home. I like the idea! Ben.
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Ben,
After tonights meeting perhaps we should be trialing some maths resources............small start, related to our core business, involve the whole team?
I loved your new found enthusiasm for "work" and in particular the way you are exploring the technology aspect and on the pther performing arts...........you have so many talents in both. Perhpas you should direct some of our FISH friends here to your kids webpage at Trafalgar?
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Thanks for the positives illustrious leader!! Yes I do indeed feel on top of everything at the moment and over the past term or two the choose you attitude moto has really sunken in. I love technology and its varied uses and posibilities for use in the classroom and I want to delve more into it even more than ever this term, as for the p.arts stuff... well I just love it too! Music is one of the most powerful mediums for conveying emotion or for impacting upon your own emotions and is the thing that can really get me going and pumped up every morning on the way to school. There's nothing like a good sing song at the top of your lungs as you drive to school. I don't know if you remember the show Ally McBeal or not? A couple of the characters had their own 'theme song' that got them pumped up if they were feeling down, I have a few theme songs that work for me. The kids at school are brilliant and they are great to work with, I especially value this having taught 300 of them last year, it's great getting to know so many kids that you wouldn't necessarily get to know if you were limited to a single classroom or unit. This is why I am slightly okay at doing some things, the kids make me want to be good at things and put in the effort, it is an intrinsic thing too, but they inspire me to do better.
I would love to trial some maths resources too. Do you mean that we should 'share' some of our resources with others, or, work up/find some good resources to trial in our own classes or using technology???
Also, I am more than willing to share our class web page and the performing arts page with people in the wider world as I am proud of what the kids are doing. In fact here they are now for anybody who sees this! www.trafps.vic.edu.au/classes/la9 and www.trafps.vic.edu.au/classes/Performing_Arts please feel free to check them out and email me with questions and/or comments.
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Tristan, here's a short tutorial video that a colleague of mine did called:
Google Docs in Plain English
Although it doesn't related specifically to education, I though it might be helpful for those who try get their colleagues to consider something different!
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Griff,
Tristan and Ben, also have a great new proposal (and funding!!! yeh!!!!!!) to trial some educative uses of ipods in class. We have had some success with our reluctant readers with audio books and so "the boys" (as we fondly refer to them) have decided to explore ipods. We are hoping to improve both motivation and student learning outcomes........................any hints?
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Vic, let's carry on the discussion about iPods in education over in the discussion that Tristan started back in August: iPods as School Learning Tools
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Permalink Reply by Tristan Mether on
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Thanks Griff for that great video resource. What a great way to tell students, parents and staff colleagues about how google docs could work. Also what a great way of telling stories or instructive writing pieces, and so simple.
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You're welcome, Tristan. Be sure to see the other Common Craft Show videos.
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