I’m digging Google Docs.
First of all, I think I’m going to have my newspaper students write ALL of their articles on Google Docs. One of the biggest challenges has always been keeping track of drafts, ones that students have edited and ones that I’ve edited. With Docs there will always be a version that reflects all editing and contributions. On a separate note, students will never have the excuse that they left the document on their home computer. Seriously, this could be life changing.
A second idea is represented by the Google “word” doc I created called “Building Sentences Using Phrases and Clauses.” Different students will be able to add on to short sentences, building increasingly complex and interesting ones. I suppose they could also edit “mistakes” they find in their peers contributions.
Finally, I could see using Google Docs and presentations for collaborative projects. The students are busy, busy, busy, so if they can perform their tasks individually and add to the same document, say a short presentation on some chapters from “House on Mango Street,” then they can avoid some of the scheduling hassles. Hopefully, this wouldn’t preclude them from actually discussing the source material as well as what they create together.
This was another THING that made me think. When I was creating the Building Sentences document I had to really think about how to word my instructions to take into account the collaborative, cumulative nature of the task. The PURPOSE is manifold. To give students a chance to BUILD on the work of their peers. To give students a chance to LEARN from their peers (oh, so that’s how you use an absolute phrase). To give students a chance to EDIT the work of their peers (hey, Jane, not sure that’s a complete sentence).
And did I mention how excited I am to use Google Docs with the newspaper. I did? Well, I’m saying it again.
