Thing # 20

Google Docs is something I never knew existed. I had never heard of the other sites before either; the Think Free and Zoho Office. This would have been great for me to be using all along since my computer is out of service since the first week of this 23 Things class. I've been using my son's computer. I like the fact that it can be accessed from ANY computer. You don't even need a flash drive to go from one doc to another.
This would be good for students that have a computer to be able to do certain homework or projects at home without having to have a flash drive or disc.
I wrote a letter to my aerobics class that I then forwarded to my school email and was able to send out all from google docs. I also played around with the spreadsheet (which I'm a little embarrassed to say that I have never used a spread sheet before - I tried and gave up and still am not sure how to keep 5 pages worth of the extra lines all the way to "T" or "Z" whatever it goes to from printing out. I just want the one document). I made a behavior points sheet where I can just add the students names and then place checks or tally marks for good behavior. The winners get prizes.
I could also use the Spreadsheet for classroom attendance, sign in for aerobics class, or any type of list with check off spot.
I also played around with the Google presentation and did a brief slideshow of my favorite things. Since I'm on my son's computer, I couldn't access any of my personal pix so I had to use the ones in my son's file. That's why there weren't as many as I would've liked on the slide show. (Like my husband, step daughter, and other family members). I did link some of the pictures from Flickr Creative Commons.
Students could use the presentations to do the same thing - share a few of their favorite things. This would be good for the beginning of the year for the kids to get to know one another - like an "All About Me" presentation.
I also uploaded a file from my documents to see what it looked like in Google Docs and was surprised at how easy it was to do that and how it looked the same as in Microsoft Word.
These apps can be used both in my personal and professional life. I can share Google Presentations with personal friends on email and just link the site. I can also type letters/flyers to parents/students from the Google Docs and send it through email.
It would be cool for my students to use the google docs in the computer lab with the regular classroom teacher and then email the finished product to me. (the MTA teacher). Then I could collaborate with the student and the regular classroom teacher.
I can see how the regular classroom teacher could use these in a gazillion ways. I'm a little prohibited in what I can do in the program I teach, so I will have to be creative in how I get to use these things I've learned for my dyslexic students.
I'm looking forward to seeing any collaboration that takes place with the Google Docs I shared. Although I couldn't find the button to click that was supposed to say "Invite Collaboration." I just typed in the email address and hit the Share button.
Here is the link to my Google Docs:
Summer Aerobics letter, Positive Behavior Points, A Few of My Favorite Things, and a quote uploaded from my docs.
I'm enjoying all the things I am learning. Thanks for teaching the 23 Things class. :)