Google Docs

Want to do a really cool group project, but you need to add some pizazz to this venture? Google docs is the answer. Google docs is an online application where students can collaborate on the same piece of writing from anywhere there is a computer with internet access.

When you think Google Docs think Word, Powerpoint, and Excel only on the web. When I trained my students on this awesome resource all I did was put the interface on the board and say, "What does this remind you of?" and "How do you use this?"

I have used it for a essays with some success. The caveat is that if students do not have their own Google account, they must use yours (or somebody elses). In my case, I let those students use my account and I changed the password for them...it ended badly. One of my students deleted my entire Google account, all of my blogs, docs...everything.

But there is hope...Google just announced a new way to use Google Docs called Google Apps. At this point I don't know enough about it to give it a thumbs up or down or to relay any caveats.

Google Docs Tour:

http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html

A Blog devoted to Google Docs usage:

http://www.commoncraft.com/video-googledocs