Google Docs

[Margie]

Who is using Google Docs? If you are, can you share what you've been
doing? Tips, tricks, trials? I have used it extensively over the past
several months, I'm amazed at the results for both myself and my
students. We have found some issues with the limitations of Google
Spreadsheets charts, but most everything else is pretty solid.

[Heather Toth]

I am not using Google Docs, but would like to hear from those who are. I
seem to remember the reason for using this is that it is free and compatible
with Word(which is expensive). Is this right?

[Margie]

Heather,
Google Docs is free and PORTABLE!!! Students love it, because they can
be on any computer, log in to their gmail account, and access their
Google Docs. It is certainly lacking many of the bells & whistles that
you get with MSOffice, but it's a great little package to take on the
road. Google Docs is also an amazing way to have a number of folks
collaborating on a document, spreadsheet or presentation with ease.

I advocate OpenOffice as a full-service alternative to MSOffice. It's
free, and it has everything you need and more.

[Connie Patton]

We were excited to use it and I found it easy to use within the district.
When we tried to use Google Docs from our home addresses we ran into
difficulties - finding the document, saving it, etc. We haven't gone back
to try again but will do some again soon as we want our College
Transitions students to try using Google docs this semester.

Connie Patton
Marshwood Adult Education

Connie Patton, Director
Marshwood Adult Education
260 Dow Highway
S. Berwick, ME 03980

[Ed]

There are two flavors of Google Docs out there. Google has the
"normal" accounts that people get into typically with a gmail account
that you get right from Google. Many schools are experimenting with
Google's Education set up. This is a stripped down version that offers
schools all the privacy and restrictions needed to fit the districts
needs. These education accounts are effectively mini Google servers
that are stored in a subset of Googles massive database system. These
education accounts can not be accessed from Googles normal site. The
users would have to log in to the education address set up by whomever
set up the education site with Google. Connie, I am not sure if your
experience is with the Education version, but looking at your address,
I highly suspect it is (Fort Kent for example has @msad27.net).
Accessing the Education accounts from home by going to the education
site set up instead of the regular google log in is one of the
setbacks from the education version. Sharing on the education version
does have some limitations depending on how the locals set things up.
Most limiting is the fact that Education version only includes the
basic Google applications. There is no Google Earth, Google Finance
(great for math), Google sketchup, and many other great tools that all
have some integration with Google docs and sites. Some adult ed groups
are choosing to go with the "normal" Google docs not only to allow
access to the other tools, but for learners to leave the program with
established resources (digital portfolios, resume, research...) that
easily integrate with the "real" world without any new accounts to
make when they leave. The Education accounts will require some
transfer of all the accumulated work which is very akin to just
plopping things on a flash drive and limits the true power of the
tool.

Heather, I would agree that Open office may be a more robust tool if
you are looking for a free alternative to word. What Google docs
allows is for the world of collaboration and sharing of resources to
be opened very easily by anyone. If you use Google docs and Skype
together, there is very little you can not create with people in the
next town, next city, state and even country. I have had experiences
creating podcast with people in Australia, Israel, and the
Phillipeans. The four of us jumped into a Google doc and wrote the
script together even though we were all on at different times. Each of
us used a different color to help identify who was suggesting what. As
things were completed, text was changed to black. We each took parts
of the podcast and created out audio tracts (using Audacity - awesome
free audio tool). I mixed all the tracts and the finished product
sounded just like we were all in the same room. With four of us
working on it, a full half hour audio production was accomplished in
only two days with each of us putting in a couple hours.
Anything you save to Google Docs can be shared with others is so many
ways as well. Teachers can edit student work any time and help create
the flow of creating finished writing. Current practice of handing in
a copy, waiting for review, then editing often breaks the flow. If the
student and teacher are both linked to the same document, either party
can contribute or participate at any time and as often as either party
wishes. Any changes are instantly shared to anyone signed into that
document.
Quick, easy to use collaboration tools like Google Docs will transform
the ways people look at literacy, cultural exchanges, publication, and
the way businesses will operate.

[Heather Toth]

Wow, thanks to all of you for the info on Google Docs. I will keep it in
mind. Sounds like the regular version is a great tool!