I admit to being VERY disappointed that I can't get Lee Lefever's In Plain English Videos on Tags or Flickr. Oh, the videos are there, but they are private. I even tried going around and in through YouTube-no luck. So, I tried to get through a different author's video on tags, and it just wasn't working. I am definitely spoiled by LeFever's simple, concise explanations. I guess I will have to come back to Tagging and Flickr later. I need to learn about Google Docs anyway, because we use it at school, and I have no idea how to use it.
After watching my favorite explain-it-all guy - I discovered another link to google docs for educators http://www.google.com/educators/p_docs.html
This above web page contains 4 different links on how to use Google Docs including the In Plain English video, and also how teachers and principals are using Google Docs in their schools.
I really like Google Docs; it's free and you can use it to create and share online documents. Instead of emailing around files and having to deal with confusion and extra work in managing different file versions, anyone (that you send a link to) can edit the document online from anywhere. This has great applications for me. I was just thinking about our school library's web page. I guess no one has looked at it in a long time because it is very out of date. Since I hope to be working there full-time soon, I really want the web page to reflect well on the library...and it doesn't. The page boasts a "t-Line" internet connection, when we have hi-speed comcast now...I'm sure you get the picture. So, in thinking how to use Google Docs, I could take the scan the original web page into Google Docs, upload it, put in my updates to the web page, and then send it to the Principal, Dean of Students, the Tech guy, and the Web Page person. All could see it and make changes without every having to leave their office or classroom. Cool...and no meetings.
Interesting post. Google docs make it really easy to collaborate with a lot of people quickly and easily. For instance, in a classroom, instead of having to pass sheets around for student contact info, you can just have them go online and enter all of it into a spreadsheet themselves. This would also be useful for showing students how to easily collaborate on powerpoint presentations, or even research papers from their individual homes, rather than having to be at the same location to work on something together. This way, students can effectively work together without having to be on the same schedule and without relying on their parents to coordinate their study sessions.
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