Google+Docs

=Google Docs =

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Directions of how to use Google Docs

Why use Google Docs?
$$Cost$$
 * Personal Accounts (if you want to set up a non-school account for personal use)
 * Free

Account Management
 * Network Supervisor sets up all school accounts
 * Invite all users
 * All information is password protected.

Virtual Memory "Cloud"
 * Needs Internet Access
 * Google now allows for bulk file uploads
 * Any file format can easily be uploaded & shared (with administration, teachers, students, etc.)
 * Organize information with folders
 * Non-Google Doc formats may be uploaded and saved, just not viewed, turning the account into a virtaul hard drive for any purpose

Sharing
 * Choose whole folders or individual files to share with collaborators
 * After doing a bulk upload, sharing a whole folder will save time.
 * As you create files, you can share them.
 * Control options
 * Edit vs View
 * control who gets to share with others
 * In-line & real-time editing, so multiple people may work on the same document at the same time
 * Allows for ideal collaboration between teachers and student group members (students may all contribute on 1 slideshow, removing the need to have 1 "recorder")

Formats
 * Documents
 * Word Processing (such as Microsoft Word)
 * Has Spell Check!
 * Examples:
 * Meeting Agendas
 * Work Requests
 * Group Projects (Curriculum & Planning)


 * Presentation
 * Slide Shows (Keynote & PowerPoint)
 * Examples:
 * Student Presentations
 * Teacher Presentations
 * Tech Fair Presentations!


 * Spreadsheets
 * Similar to Excel, Appleworks, or NeoOffice
 * Examples:
 * Parent Meeting Schedule
 * Data Tracking (Student of the Month)
 * Calendar (keep track of meetings, share a team's activities, assignments)


 * Form
 * Information Gathering
 * Examples:
 * Internet Survey (Survey Monkey)
 * Student questionnaire
 * Quizzes & Tests


 * Drawing
 * It's fun, but I haven't really seen the educational purpose quite yet. Drawing is often a feature of office suites, so Google must have felt some peer pressure.


 * Calendar
 * Works similar to iCal.
 * Add events and tasks
 * Can have multiple calendars to help with organization
 * Can Sync with iCal
 * Can share calendars so you may see what other people have scheduled as well.


 * Sites
 * Great resource for more dynamic group collaboration
 * Finished products may be published for non-collaborators to see on-line without the ability to edit
 * Teachers not comfortable using Moodle may use this to post assignment descriptions and rubrics.


 * Other Features
 * Translate up to 40 different languages
 * (didn't work well the one time I tried it).