Sunday, February 20, 2011

Google Docs

         At the beginning of this TPTE class, Dr. Obannon showed us how to use and share assignments through google documents also known as "google docs" for short. Although I have a gmail account, I never knew about google docs and what you could do with it. It is basically a place for you to upload documents such as homework assignments, powerpoints, etc and then these documents can be shared with other people. The only way you can share the documents though is by putting their gmail email account into a shared tab and then the document is successfully sent/shared with your receiver. Therefore, for the sharing of documents to happen you must have a gmail account (which is so easy to get by the way if you don't have one!) The reason I am discussing google docs in my blog is because google docs was a very useful tool in another one of my classes, and if it weren't for this TPTE class and Dr. Obannon teaching us about google docs I would have never known how useful it actually is.
       In an Educational Psychology class I am, I recently had to do a group project with one other girl on a specific topic that we were going to have to teach to the class. For our group project, we decided that we wanted to do a powerpoint because we felt that was the best way to teach our topic to the class. As we were discussing our schedules, we realized that we were both extremely busy with our schedules and really did not have that much time to meet up. We put our heads together, and decided that we could share a powerpoint over google docs and just add our part of the project to the powerpoint whenever we wanted. This was the best idea ever and believe it or not we did not have to meet up once. Through google docs and email, we successfully made a powerpoint that we were able to present in class together. The only negative thing about sharing a powerpoint over google docs is that you can not make the powerpoint colorful and exciting like you can with a regular powerpoint.
         After we were done with the powerpoint on google docs though, my partner just transferred the powerpoint back over to a regular powerpoint and then added some color and a background to it. Although we couldn't add the color and excitement on google docs, this was still such a useful and reliable way to do our project together.  I was also excited that I got to transfer my knowledge of google docs from my TPTE class over to my Educational Psychology class. I really recommend using google docs if you do not already-It could be a great way for your students (most likely older students) to share homework assignments, presentations, spreadsheets or pretty much any assignments with you!

Want a tour of google docs to learn more? Click here!

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