Using Google Docs in the Classroom

I've been exploring Tom Barrett's web site and came across this presentation on using Google Docs. Wish I had seen just the first two slides before I attempeted to teach a collaborative document to the kids. In case you don't know there are limits on the number of individuals that can collaborate at the same time. I believe it is around 10 for a doc. Barrett points out it is 50 for a spreadsheet. So, an entire class can practice working on the same document at the same time.

Once again lots of good ideas. You should be able to find at least one you could use in your classroom.



[image captured from "twenty one interesting ways to use Google Docs in the Classroom"; http://docs.google.com/present/view?skipauth=true&id=dhn2vcv5_8323t58h3ft]

Embedding Spreadsheets in your website

The Google Docs Blog recently had a post about embedding spreadsheets in your website and include instructions on how to do the following:

• Schedule
• Calendar
• Reading List
• Countdown Timer
• Quote of the Day

There is also a link to instructions on ideas for twenty more embeddable spreadsheets.

[Image captured from http://www.vertex42.com/News/embedding-google-spreadsheets.html#ideas]

Embedding a Google Presentation

My beginning web students had a challenge before the end of the semester to build a new web site for our FBLA chapter. I graded them using a rubric for design and structure but the final site was picked by the FBLA sponsor and officers. It was a good life experience. If you don't listen to what your client wants and needs, you ain't going to get the job.

I wanted to post the front pages of their work and thought I'd experiment with Google Docs again. I put a image of each web page on a single slide of Presentations and then published the doc. I then embedded it on my class website. I also embedded it below. This was a simple process and I had no glitches or problems in setting it up. I think I will probably be using this more in the future as a way to easily display student work.

[Image: "bike,submerged": Flickr: Uploaded on June 18, 2006 by cactusmelba: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cactusmelba/169623777/]

Using Google docs as a file converter

Had an incident the other day where a student had a document that we couldn't open in Word. He knew it was made in word, just not sure what version. It had a .doc extension so I was pretty sure it was older than the version we use, which adds the .docx extension. I tried a couple of things to no avail. I then wondered if Google Docs might be able to read it. I uploaded it into my Google account. It came through perfectly. Then I downloaded it as a word doc and the student was able to open it in our version of Word and finish their assignment.

I mentioned this to a colleague and later that day he had a student with a similar problem. That document was in Open Doc format and he was able to do the same thing. Not sure how many different formats you might be able to convert using this method. But, can't have too many little tricks in that magic bag, can you?

[Image: Flickr: "Repetition": Uploaded on August 25, 2005 by shutupyourface:http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutupyourface/37273590/]

Google Docs Goofs! Techer goofs that is...

Here are two minor issues I've run into using Google Docs in my classroom. Not big things, but minor headaches none-the-less. I had my Multimedia students create a Google Site. It was the first time I taught this in class and my students did great. My two snags occured as I started to grade the projects.

First, I had one class make me a collaborator. I figured I could just go to my account and then open each Site at my leisure. This worked fine. What I didn't anticipate was the volume of Sites in my account with no way to organize them into folders. So, I've now got 30 plus sites filling up the Sites section of my Google account. Not a big problem, just a bother. I wised up for my next class and had each of them email me the link to their site. This was much more manageable. I'm also now wondering if I need to have all my kids un-share me to get those sites out of my list?

Second, as part of the Sites assignment, they had to embed several Google docs into their pages. This worked...kind of. If they don't also share the doc with me, I can't see it. I get a message that says I don't have permission to view the document. This never occurred to me until I opened the first Site to grade. So, once again, a minor problem that I can fix by having them share the doc with me, but still, a bother.

Next time I give this lesson, it will be perfect! OK. Maybe not perfect but better.

[Image: Mashup of a screenshot from my Google Site and some eyes with a good dash of Photoshop. No restrictions on this. Use it if you want with my blessing.]

Google Forms

By far the most popular part of the Google Docs with the folks I work with is Forms. They have started popping up in all sorts of ways ever since we demonstrated this at a recent staff inservice. Including a mock election on Nov 4th to coincide with the national elections. Our Social Studies teachers copied the entire Colorado Ballot into a Forms doc and then brought all the kids down to a computer lab that day to vote. The votes were tallied instantly. Everyone involved thought it was extremely cool.

Saw on The Offical Google Docs Blog that they had included some new Form templates including this Website Feedback Survey I've embedded below. Go ahead and take the survey and I'll post the results so you can see how the information is tallied in a spreadsheet. I'll also take a few snapshots of some of the analytic tools so you can see the different ways you can look at your data.

If you haven't tried Forms yet, I highly recommend it.
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Previous Post on this Topic: Quick Forms using Google Docs


[Image captured from the Official Google Docs Blog: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2008/11/new-forms-added-to-templates-gallery.html]

Google Calendar In Your Sidebar

I've been messing around with Google Docs a lot lately and stumbled across this great little tutorial on The Edublogger describing how to embed a small version of your Google Calendar in the sidebar of your web page. I had been just thinking about trying to figure this one out. I love it when someone saves me a few steps.

I'm working on getting my classroom pages organized in such a way as to be useful for my students and also manageable for me. I created them using Google Docs and have been playing with many of the built in features including embedded calendars. I'm experimenting a whole lot more than I might normally because I am also the resource person in my building for all things Google Docs. If you have looked at my pages the idea of me being a resource person might be a little scary. Right now my pages feel like a mish-mash of different gadgets. It's too much and I'm going streamline soon.

Maybe during the coming long weekend? A man can't spend 4 full days eating turkey. Can he?


[Image captured from "How to Embed a Google Calendar in Your Blog Sidebar": The Edublogger: http://theedublogger.edublogs.org/2008/10/27/how-to-embed-a-google-calendar-in-your-blog-sidebar/]

Using Google Docs in the Classroom

I've been using Google Docs in my classroom for a couple of months now and am still exploring how to best utilize it's capabilities. Saw this posting today and found several ideas I plan on trying including setting up a shared presentation like this one.




[via Google Docs Blog]
[Image captured from Google Docs Blog: http://googledocs.blogspot.com]