Google docs

Google docs

Google documents or Google docs is an application that can be used on any device that has an internet connection. For example it can be used on a cell phone, computer or pad and it does not have to be downloaded. Google docs. is a part of Google apps for education and is totally free of charge for anyone to use. Basically Google docs have the same functions as a document in for example word. The difference is that this document is saved online and students can access it from any computer or other device with an Internet connection. Students can collaborate online and write in a document together, or work on their own. 

The teachers

Google docs. can be a useful teaching tool for a teacher in many ways. For example you as a teacher can give your pupils a writing assignment, divide them into groups and invite them to write in different group documents online. You can give them access to see what the other groups are writing or choose to only let them see their own documents. A positive thing about this is that the teacher will be able to see what the pupils are doing along the way. When your students work in a normal document, lets say in word, you probably only see the results that they hand in. With Google docs you can follow the process and by giving the students different colours to write with you can also see who is writing what.

Another positive thing about Google docs, from the teacher point of view, has to do with the easy access. Let us say that you are working one afternoon when the pupils have gone home for the day. You realize that you need or want to know how far your class as a group have come with their writing assignments. Then you just have to log on to the website and there you have all the pupils work so far. Which would be more or less impossible to do if they where writing in a normal document. Or let us say you are working and have some time over to help the pupils with their writing assignment but you have no lessons with them that day. Then you can log on to the website and give them some feedback directly in their document in writing.

It also makes it easier to give the pupils homework where they have to collaborate. Maybe your pupils do not live very near each other and have a hard time finding a way to meet. That problem is solved if they get to use Google docs where they can work from different places but in same document at the same time.

The pupils

The possibilities that this tool gives the pupils have in some ways already been made clear above, but I will summarize them for you and add some new perspectives. The pupils can work together in an effective way. Think about how many times you have seen three pupils sitting around the same computer and trying to collaborate, it just is not an effective and good way of working. It usually ends up with one pupil doing all the work and the others just sitting there. Since the teacher now can follow the process and see who writes what it assures the pupil that the amount of work they each put in will be noticed.

I have only written about assignments where the pupils work in groups so far, now I will move on to working on their own. If the pupil gets an assignment that they have to write on Google docs. and at the same time gets access to all the other pupils work they can help each other. There is a chat function built in with every document and they can also leave comments for each other. If we go back to the group situation the chat function also makes it easier for the pupils to communicate while working on their text and discuss ideas. Because of the ability to leave comments the pupils can also get direct written feedback from the teacher and the teacher can even mark things in the actual document.

The easy access form any computer, cell phone or pad also makes it possible for the pupils to find their work from any place. They do not have to email their work or bring a usb (portable storage device) around to have their work available to them. I have been working with pupils that have forgotten their usb at home and therefore cannot work with their text during the lesson. This can also be a way for the pupil to follow what is going on if they get sick and have to stay at home for a couple of days. If they feel up to it they can work from home and they do not have to miss what is going on in school, and fall behind on their work.

Some things to consider and have in mind

There are some things that you need have in mind if you decide to use this tool. First off you need to look over your devices, for most of the schools I would guess they would be working on computers. You need to check that you have the right amount of computers so that the pupils can get on with their work during your lessons. And if you give them an assignment to do as homework you have to make sure that all the pupils have access to a computer at home. You might think that every kid today has a computer connected to the internet at home but that is not always a fact.

You need to decide what you want to get out of using the tool, as you would have to do while planning any activity for your pupils. You need to think about what kind of writing activity is suitable for this kind of work situation. As mentioned before you need to decide what the pupils will have access to. They can get access only to their own document or have access to all the other groups documents as well. Worth mentioning is that their ability to see each others work can be changed at any time during the work process. For example if you want the pupils to comment on each others work but not see that document until it is finished you can change the arrangements when it is time for the pupils to make their comments.

Cyber bullying is something that many kids have to deal with every day. Because this is a tool where the pupils could be able to comment on each others work the teacher has to be careful about how to handle this. Once again you need to think about what access the pupils will have to other groups work and frequently read what the pupils are writing to each other. As a teacher you would work as an administrator for the documents so you will be able to delete anything that is written and also see who wrote it. You can also choose to have all the chat conversations saved so that you can see what is written there.

Because this is a tool that gives you access “all the time” there is a possibility that you as a teacher might take on to much work. Since your pupils know that you can read the document at any time they might expect you to do so. I think you need to be clear about what time you are going to put in and make sure that the pupils understand that as well. Access all the time does not mean that you are suppose to read and comment the documents during your free time. 

More information

This is not a difficult tool to work with, both pupils and teachers will be able to handle it given the right instructions. To read or see more of what google docs. is actually capable of you can visit www.google.com/a/help/intl/sv/edu/index.html or visit youtube and type in "google docs in school" then you will find videos like the one you find following this link http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=goggle+docs+in+school&oq=goggle+docs+in+school&gs_l=youtube.3...17454.19791.0.20373.10.10.0.0.0.0.73.540.10.10.0...0.0...1ac.1.pcMguzzxQvk