Google Docs is a revolutionary application that lends itself beautifully to promoting student learning both inside and outside the classroom. There are many ways that teachers and students can use Google Docs to facilitate learning. This blog-post will describe three obvious uses.
First, Google Docs can provide a collaborative record of classroom learning. Students and teachers can take notes on the daily activities and learning in their classrooms. Teachers can then monitor and correct the students’ notes so that a correct common understanding is established and agreed upon. This communal record of learning will be invaluable both for students who miss lessons as well as for all students as a study guide.
Second, Google Docs can serve as an active collaborative learning tool. In our 7th grade Humanities class, Ms. Williams and I have had students choose a country and then do individual research about the food security/insecurity and hunger issues for that country. Then, in groups of four, the students set up a Google Doc and post a comment about their findings. Students then comment on the findings of the other students in their group. When each student uses a different color script for his/her comment, it is easy for the students and teacher to track and monitor each individual’s contribution or lack thereof. This method has generated a lot of discussion and understanding for our Humanities students.
Third, Google Docs is an invaluable tool for the writing process. When writing essays, students can post their first draft, the teacher can make corrections/comments in another color and then students can revise and correct for further teacher review. By using Google Docs for this process, the teacher can work at school or at home and the student can then immediately access the teacher’s comments. Google Docs makes the entire writing process much more efficient for both students and teachers.
In summary, Google Docs offers a platform available 24/7 for sharing individual or collaborative work. Students, teachers, and any and all collaborators are now free from geography and time constraints in having their work available for the widest possible audience. With Google Docs, today’s students are getting an introduction to a technology and real-time collaborative method of sharing work that will certainly be a hallmark of the future.
Three fantastic ways to use Google Docs Steve! Using different color fonts is a great strategy to use. It's also possible to track changes, just like you can in Word, and to see all previous versions of one document (every time you save your document it holds onto that revision forever). Glad you're making good use out of them (with Jean) in the classroom!
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