Google Docs in the Classroom

Trevor BoehmMiddle / Senior Years Literacy with ICT

May 12, 2009

What is Google Docs?

Like Microsoft Office, but online.Three programs:

Documents = Word

Presentations = PowerPoint

Spreadsheets = Excel

Why Use It? Students can access their documents from any

computer with an Internet connection.

No worries about having the right software / version.

Multiple students can be invited to collaborate on the same document.

Teachers can see what students are doing, and offer feedback.

Can download documents onto your computer as a backup, and can upload documents you created in Office.

It’s free.

Example #1

• HITV Yearbook

• Student editors from 5 different sites.

• Collaborated to collect and organize ~150 student and staff write ups.

• Led to an 80 page yearbook with almost face to face contact.

Example #2

• Kansas State Professor created a Google Doc to facilitate a brainstorming session.

• http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/?p=119

• 367 edits made in one week.

• “Students wrote the script, suggested survey questions to ask the entire class. The survey was administered the following week.”

What You Need…

Computer with internet access

Web browser

Google account

Giving It a Try Signing up for a Google account –

choices: Use an existing email address

(like your prsd account) Sign up for a gmail address Create accounts yourself

Go to docs.google.com. Click “Get Started” and follow the prompts.

Open your email, and click the confirmation link.

Sign in to your account.

Demo 1 – Heart Rate Lab Goal is to collect and analyze heart rate data from a

class to see what effect exercise has on heart rate.

Idea is to have students take their resting pulse, then pulse after 10 jumping jacks, then 20, then 30.

Create a spreadsheet, and set up a table:

Demo 1 – Invite People Once you have your spreadsheet

set up, select “Save and Close” from the file menu. Call it something like “Heart Rate Lab”.

Now invite your students to share this document with you. Click the check box beside the document, and click “Share”.

You will need the Google ID of the people you want to share this spreadsheet with.

Once you’ve shared, ask your class to enter their heart rates as they take them.

Demo 1 – Live Graphing! As your students are collecting and entering their data, you are

going to set up a graph that will update live as they edit.

Select all of your columns, then choose “Insert” and “Chart”.

Select a line graph, check off “Use row 1 as labels”, and give your graph a title and axis labels.

Know Your Limits… 200 people can collaborate

on a single document

Access levels: Viewers (can only view) Collaborators (can edit)

Simultaneous editing limits (at one time): Docs & Presentations -10 Spreadsheets - 50 

Demo 2 – I Am Unique! This is a good activity to model the use of a shared

space and live editing, as well as a good “get to know your classmates” activity.

It can be done in any Google doc type. We’re going to use Documents.

Invite your class to individually work on a single shared Document. At the top of the document, you can put your instructions.

You want each student to type his/her name and then finish the sentence: "I am Unique because...“.

Demo 2 – I Am Unique! This is a good activity to model the use of a shared

space and live editing, as well as a good “get to know your classmates” activity.

It can be done in any Google doc type. We’re going to use Documents.

Invite your class to individually work on a single shared Document. At the top of the document, you can put your instructions.

You want each student to type his/her name and then finish the sentence: "I am Unique because...“.

Demo 3 – Provinces of Canada Presentation

Our third demo is an example of how you could have students collaborate on a group presentation.

To get started, you as the teacher probably want to create the overall structure of the Presentation and do a sample.

We want one slide per province. We want students to have the provincial flag, the name of the capital city, and the name of the current Premier. (for this demo… you could have them include whatever info you want of course).

Set up a new presentation with a title slide, one sample at the beginning (I did Manitoba) and then blank slides with the titles of the other provinces (so students know where to put their information).

Images in Google Docs Three choices to get an

image into a Google doc.

Select “Insert” and “Image”: Upload it (if you have a

copy on your local computer).

Enter the URL.

Drag and drop from another browser/tab onto your open Google document. (EASIEST)

Demo 4 – Writing Buddies Article “With a Little Help From My Friends” – Fall 2006

Weekly Reader.

Students compose their rough draft using Google Docs (or upload it).

Students ask questions in comments and invite their writing buddy to be a contributor to the document.

A writing buddy leaves them feedback on their writing and comments on Google Docs.

Fosters ongoing dialogue about students’ writing.

If the teacher is invited as a contributor as well, they can monitor, assess, participate.

Demo 4 – Writing Buddies To insert a comment, select “Insert” and “Comment”.

Use different colours for different commenters (right click on a comment to set the colour, and your preference is remembered for future comments).

Demo 5 – Online Quiz Click “New” and then “Form” on the Google Docs home

screen.

Give your form a title and an explanation.

Your first two questions should probably be “First name” and “Last name”.

Start adding questions to your form by typing the question text into the title field.

You can add several types of questions:− Text and paragraph text.− Multiple choice (also used for true / false).− Scale (1 to 10)− Check boxes (select all that apply).

You can also choose whether a question is required.

Demo 5 – Taking the Test You can share your

quiz…− Through emails.− By embedding it on

a web page (blog, wiki, …).

A sample quiz is up on the PRSD tech committee wiki: http://prsdtechcomm.pbworks.com/Sample+Form+-+May+12+LwICT

Demo 5 – Getting Results You can see your responses…

− As a spreadsheet of individual responses (useful if it’s for marks).

− As a statistical summary.

References / Resources Teachers and Principals Talk about Google Docs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYPjJK6LZdM&feature=player_embedded

Google Docs in Plain English – Common Craft http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA

Digital Ethnography – A Vision of Students Today http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/?p=119

Seventeen Interesting Ways to Use Google Documents in the Classroom http://docs.google.com/Present?docid=dhn2vcv5_8323t58h3ft

Using Google Docs in the classroom: Simple as ABC http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dcdn7mjg_72nh25vq

How to Use Google Docs as a Slick Survey Tool – Makeuseof.com http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-use-google-docs-as-a-slick-survey-tool/