Any changes made to the document are automatically saved and can be viewed by other users. Documents can be saved on a user's local computer in a variety of formats to include HTML, PDF, Open Office XL, and ODF. Files shared may not exceed 1GB.
Below is a tutorial on how to create a google doc.
Some of the benefits of using google docs in the classroom are:
- Teachers can use this tool to provide feedback on written assignments
- Students have the opportunity to collaborate outside of the classroom
Examples of ways to incorporate google docs into your lesson:
- Collaborative Writing-groups of students can use google docs to write, share, and edit their stories
- Collaborative Brainstorming-students can use google docs to brainstorm
- Self-Grading Quiz-Create a quiz with multiple choice questions. Take the quiz and submit the correct answers. Create a simple formula into the spread sheet end to let technology do all the grading for you.
Personal Thoughts:
My experience with google docs is that it was a great tool that provided an excellent opportunity to collaborate my group in the comfort of my home. All we needed to do was set the document to edit and decide on a online meeting date and time. The only con that I found with the tool was that at times, some parts of the document would be deleted by other group members without being alerted first. Overall, I encourage and recommend this tool, especially in a day and age where time is money.
Image, Information, and Video Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Docs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKt3-fruLyE
http://gettingsmart.com/2012/12/5-ways-to-use-google-docs-in-the-classroom/
http://gettingsmart.com/2012/12/5-ways-to-use-google-docs-in-the-classroom/
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WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most of the information is found on the web. Students work in collaborative teams to actively explore and navigate through online resources while completing tasks generated by the teacher. These resources are pre-selected by the teacher that emphasizes the information being viewed rather than information gathering by the student.
The lesson format includes six essential parts:
- Introduction-introduce the unit, lesson, or topic to be covered
- Task-what students will produce
- Process-steps students must take to accomplish the task
- Resources-what online resources students will use to process information
- Evaluation-the way in which student's performances will be assessed
- Conclusion-time for reflection, discussion, or extension activities
Some of the benefits of utilizing a WebQuest in the classroom are:
- Keep students engaged while online
- Encourages higher order thinking such as analysis and creativity rather than just acquiring information
- Supports critical thinking and problem solving
- Provides a differentiated learning environment for all learners
To assist you in designing a WebQuest for elementary and secondary grade levels click on the link below:
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestwebquest.html
Personal Thoughts:
My first experience in creating a webquest was during my undergraduate technology course. Since then, I've relied on the web for ones already created. I found my students to be engaged throughout the activity as they moved through each steps. One challenge that I faced while implementing my activity was that I needed to make sure that I had computers with internet access for students to use. I would suggest reserving the library or computer room in advance as well as ensuring you have a back up plan in case there is no internet access on that day.
Image and Information source:
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Wordle is a tool that generates "word clouds" which is a picture of words made from any text provided. Words that appear more frequently in the text source appear larger in the word cloud. Users have the opportunity to use different font styles, layouts, and color schemes when creating a wordle. Wordle is a great tool to use in the classroom and serves many purposes.
Some of the advantages of using wordle in the classroom are:
Personal thoughts...
Although my students were more familiar with this tool than I was, it was great using this in the classroom to introduce and review a lesson. It serves as a good anticipatory activity to get students excited about a lesson.
Some of the advantages of using wordle in the classroom are:
- Free, easy to use with your students
- Students don't need an account to access this tool
- Very attractive and stimulates visual learners
Some of the disadvantages of using wordle in the classroom are:
- not controlled therefore students may be exposed to inappropriate content
- students/users are unable to save their creations directly as an image
Examples of ways to incorporate wordle into your lesson to support literacy:
- Reflections-students compile a list of terms or main ideas and "weight" the list based on the familiarity.
- Predictions-teachers create a wordle based on a topic or concept to be studied and have their students guess what the lesson will be on.
- Stories/Poetry-students create a wordle for the poem or story they created or are reading in class.
- Introduction of vocabulary words using word clouds
- Main Ideas-students create a wordle to summarize the main ideas of the day's lesson.
Click on the link below to access some interesting and creative ways of incorporating this tool into your classroom.
Personal thoughts...
Although my students were more familiar with this tool than I was, it was great using this in the classroom to introduce and review a lesson. It serves as a good anticipatory activity to get students excited about a lesson.
Image, Information, and Videos sources:
http://www.slideshare.net/murcha/using-wordle-in-the-classroom-presentation
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Personal Thoughts...
I will consider using weebly for education in the future. After setting up an account, I realized that it was similar to edmodo. Edmodo is also free and very user friendly and has a design very similar to facebook. What I like about weebly is that you have the option of personalizing your website and designing it to tailor your content area. Edmodo does not provide that option. However, I would probably stick with using edmodo because you also get to collaborate with other professionals by "joining a community" and share lesson plans, activities, etc. Another big plus with edmodo is that it has a neat feature for editing essays that makes it much more convenient for you to provide feedback to students.
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Weebly For Education is a tool used for
- creating classroom website,
- creating student e-portfolios,
- creating websites for projects,
- accepting homework assignments,
- update parents on classroom/school happenings
Classroom Benefits:
- Free
- User-friendly
- Provides students with new and engaging ways to express themselves creatively
- Students gain new exposure to new web technology and services
- Showcase work through e-portfolio
To find out how you can start building your classroom website, click on the video tutorial below.
Personal Thoughts...
I will consider using weebly for education in the future. After setting up an account, I realized that it was similar to edmodo. Edmodo is also free and very user friendly and has a design very similar to facebook. What I like about weebly is that you have the option of personalizing your website and designing it to tailor your content area. Edmodo does not provide that option. However, I would probably stick with using edmodo because you also get to collaborate with other professionals by "joining a community" and share lesson plans, activities, etc. Another big plus with edmodo is that it has a neat feature for editing essays that makes it much more convenient for you to provide feedback to students.
Information and Image Source:
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