Google has alot of powerful tools, which makes it not-so-surprising that it has become the #1 place on the web. Among these different tools includes Google Docs and Google Reader. I have known about these for a while now... but have done very little interacting with them. I know some of the staff on our campus has already put Google Docs into use in their classrooms. These have always looked like potentially useful tools, just things I hadn't ever fully investigated.
The ability to collaborate and share these documents between users is something I've always found interesting and what sparked my, previously unacted on, interest. With no current experience of it my own, I can neither confirm nor deny any allegations regarding it. Google discusses how you can edit and share the documents with other users at the same time. However, I have heard sometimes there are a few issues when editing these documents with others in real time. While the occasional difficulty may be an irritant, it should not be a deterrent, as figuring out what issues any piece of software may have can make it easier to successfully work around them.
As you are working online, there is one other concern whenever working with an online application. If you have a less than stable connection or are currently having connection/network issues; any changes or updates to the document could be lost. For this reason it would be important to keep a backup or some other sort of local copy of the document on your machine as well.
The different applets all seemed pretty standard and familiar. The ones think seem a little more interesting to me (not saying they are more or less useful, just more interesting to me) are the drawing, form, and from template.
Drawing> Drawing tool to create a diagram of 3-Point Perspective
Form> Mock Art Quiz
From template> Scrap Book> Australian Scrapbook
From Template> Flow Chart> Australia, Texas, or Elsewhere?
Haven't quite finished the scrapbook, but you get the idea.
If you're really into RSS feeds, google reader could be a great asset and time saver. However, I'm really not. I can't see myself using this one much personally, but it could certainly have its use in the classroom. It provides an easy way to keep on top of news or posts from different outlets of your choosing. While I don't see myself using this much personally, it was very easy to find RSS feeds for my content area. This is really probably the strength in Google Reader, allowing students to find related current information and articles based on topics of their searches.
RSS Feeds Found Through Google Reader
About.com's Graphic Design
Guardian's Art and Design
Planet Photoshop
You The Designer
All hail the Spaghetti Monster!
ReplyDeletelove the spaghetti mixed in to the google sign.
ReplyDeleteTry google docs next year and see how it works out with your students. I really like the idea that kids can work from home with each other using google docs.