Google Docs Can Cure Classroom Headaches

Presenter: Cindy Lane, a Google Certified Teacher

Description: Let Google Docs cure classroom collaboration problems. The presenter will model presentations, spreadsheets and documents for attendees in real time. Encourage students to write, assess and design their own without the need of a flash drive, disc, or home directory.

My Notes:

Did you know that there are 46 Google Apps? Cindy is a Google Certified Teacher and shared that she went to the "mothership" in Sunnyview, California, where she was trained in all things Google.

Have you heard of "Cloud Computing"? Cloud computing is the notion that one does not need to lug around a laptop or a storage device anymore. We can upload our files and pictures to the web - where they go up "in the clouds". We have no idea where they are stored physically on the globe, but we can log in to our account and access all of our stuff from any computer with Internet access.

Google Docs includes 3 types of documents: spreadsheets, word processing documents and presentations. These are like Excel, Word and PowerPoint. Click the play button to watch an overview of Google Docs from Common Craft at YouTube.


BTW, YouTube is owned by Google. So is Blogger.

Google Docs is the answer for collaborating on projects. For example, since you can have 10 people at a time collaborating on a document, start a document with the prompt, "I am unique because", and then have each student add 3 things.

With presentations, 10 people may also collaborate at a time. Here's an idea - start a presentation with a theme, such as a snow picture and 6 words. Invite students to participate and have them add to the presentation.

You can even create assessments using Google Docs. Here is a video about how you can create a quiz in Google Docs using "Forms":


More ideas for using Google docs:

• Upload existing files into Google Docs (note that there are size limitations)
• Publish documents and give students the URL for the document. They don't have to have a Google account to see your document.
• Check out Google Apps for Educators
• Do you know any Google Certified Teachers? They will come to your school and conduct a "Google Learning Institute".
• Check out Google Docs for Teachers