03 December 2008

Using Google Documents

This blog response is due before class starts on Monday, Dec. 8

For the last two days, we've utilized Google documents in class to put together a working definition of good literature. Occasionally, we struggled with the technology and the best way to use it.

The assignment was simple enough - brainstorm some criteria for what makes good literature and then write a more coherent paragraph definition. However, you had to complete the assignment as a group and you had to use Google documents to collaborate and work together. Educational experts have identified collaboration as a vital skill in today's society.

For our purposes in class, I'd like to know your reactions to the activity and the use of the technology. In your answer, consider the following guiding questions: What was difficult about using Google documents? In what ways (if any) did the technology help make the process easier? How did it challenge you? How could collaborative tools like this one could be used in our English class? Give some specific examples. How do you imagine that Google docs tools will be used in your future as a college student or as a member of the work force? What do we need to know and understand to be able to effectively use digital tools like this in the future?

31 comments:

Nando said...

The only thing that is difficult about using it is when you have mutiple people editing 4+ it gets confusing when you dont know what the other person is doing. It did make the process alot easier when you had small groups and working closly together. Helps getting ideas because you get everbody in the class rooms idea. Doing projects and things along as group essays aswell as doing essays online so we can share them with you and not worry about printing them out. It could be used in the same way we use it now for colleges and collaberation. A intro on how to use it for the less computer savy people.

Anonymous said...

I think that this was both a difficult, but also a very helpful activity. The reason why I thought this activity was difficult was because many people were editing and revising all at the same time and my writting was being deleting. The reason why I think this activity was helpful was because i like working in small groups and that is what this activity consisted of. I also like the idea of being able to do this activity on laptops during class. I get my work done easier and faster this way.

Anonymous said...

The difficult part about the Google documents was when I saved my document as my own and still other people were on mine and sometimes I couldn't type things. It made it easier because I didn't have to send anything to my partner we just wrote the info on seperate lap tops and it all was written in the end on one computer. It challenged me to get the hang of using it and to adjust to when other people typed while I was. We could use this when we are brainstorming on a topic or need ideas for a certain essay or piece of writing. It will be big for companies that need documents that can be accesed and changed easily. We need to understand that there shouldn't be so many people editing one document at a time and to let people take a certain time in order to make the document successful.
-Dan P5

Anonymous said...

the difficult thing about google couments was how someone elses work could be saved over yours or your work to just be deleted. But when we paired up in class it was a lot easier because not as many people were editing at the same time. Everyones comments or edits would be on the page and those would give examples and would challenge us to do to better. this application will be big for companies that have people doing work from their home or a different location from office building, etc..

Mark B P5

Anonymous said...

When using google docs i thought it was both hard and easy. One thing that makes it hard to use is when you write something, it saves for you before you're even done writing a sentence. Also, people change what you write before you get a chance to fix it. Its easy to use because you get your own document so other people cant type on yours. Also, its easy because when your with you're partner in the group they can edit or fix it with you. I think in the future with some changes it seems very useful for other schools and collages.

ian period 5

Anonymous said...

I think that you just need to take the time to adjust to the program. What I found the most difficult about the project we did in class on Friday was that when we were trying to write the two paragraphs as a group, we were all writing at the same time and it would all for into the paragraph at different times, making the paragraph not flow very nicely. And we had the occasional glitch where say two people are typing at the same time, the other persons sentance would appear in the middle of yours. But overall i think it is a pretty nifty program that can really help up work as "One" when we are talking about a class topic. It really lets everyone contribute not only oraly in class, but now on the computer using Google Documents, which, in the future, can be very resourceful.

-Tom- Period 2

Anonymous said...

It wasn't very difficult to use the google documents, i got used to it pretty fast. The thing that did make it hard was most of us had never used it before so we had to read directions and ask for help, instead of going straight to the place we needed to. It was better using technology because you can save your work and work in groups and have everyone working together on one document with 3 different computers. i think google documents will become much more popular in school because it lets you communicate with your classmates easier and work together in a group better. We should use online things more often, it is more fun and is easier to save your work and such.




-roryyyyyyyyyy

Anonymous said...

I dont think that it was very difficult to use google documents. I am usually bad with directions but i got these ones and liked them. One thing that helped make the process easier was the step by step directions and learning how to use the google documents. Google documents will be used a lot in the future because it is so easy to save things and you could communicate with your classmates and you can get things done easier with it because u could work with someone else and it could help you both out. For the future the only thing i would need is step by step directions besides that nothing else at all.

brianaaaaa - period 2

Anonymous said...

The difficult part of using Google documents was I wasn't always able to type because of other people using it simultaneously, even when we were in small groups. Though it was helpful for my group members and I to write at the same time because we worked and helped each other on the topics. It easy to log in on a website instead opening up emails. This could be use instead of people going up to the board for when we do chalk talks. It would be easier to see what different students think when we look and discuss different ideas. I think this will be easier in the future to use instead of attached emails because once your write a document, you can just share it with whom ever you want too. We need too know how convenient it would be for a whole class to be using anything at once so it would run smoothly.

Fardin
Per 6

Anonymous said...

There was a lot of difficulty in being able to colaborate our group's ideas without having thoughts that did not match or work well together in a paragraph. When multiple people are editing the same thing at once a lot of difficulties can come up! I think the google apps was a good learning experience and a good kick start when trying to incorporate the laptops in class, but trying something more simple may be better for group activities.

Margaret P.5

Anonymous said...

as of right now it is some what difficult. I am sure thought that the more we use it, the more we get better with using it. The only part i found difficult was when everyone was trying to type on the same document at once, I found that very confussing along with frustrating.

chris
p-6

Anonymous said...

The thing that was difficult for me was that everthing you would typ would get erased. I don't think this technology helped make the process easier. It was challengeing to because everyone was eraseing what you put down. I don't know what it could be used for english class. I imagine that the google docs will be used for college because I can chat with my friends and we can get our work done at the same time. I think you should know that some stuff you put on there will get erased.

Michele C. P.5

Anonymous said...

I think that it was fairly easy while working with 2-3 people but not when a group of about 20 was extremely difficult. I think that if the group got organized and took turns one by one writing a sentence or two it work out a lot more.
Raquel per.5

Anonymous said...

The thing that was bad about the document was that we had to look for it and sometimes we go the wrong one. This did make the prcess easier because we all put our input then we came up with one big idea and put all of our respondes in as one. This challegened us because we had to make a good paragraph with all of our imputs. We could brake up into groups and try to tallk about the book we read. We could work on our vocab words to make a sentences that will halp us in the furture. In the furture in college we would use this in a group to talk about things that go with that class. We need to know that it is crazy with more then 4 or 5 people. This is for a small group.


jovanny P.5

Anonymous said...

one diffaculity was that too many people typing at once. it made it easer since it was like a chalk talk, but not on the board. it bearly challanged me.it can be used if you needed to get everyones appion in the work force. we need to know how many people can use it at once.


Steven P6

Anonymous said...

it seemed to me that the main problem with google docs was the confusion involved. No one quite knew what they were doing. Everyone had the same problem, that box which came up, proclaming that someone else had overwritten your work. without realzing it, everyone begain deleting everybodys elses work. No one understood that the programs were connected and we were all contributing towards the same document, not our own.
Jake.c Period 6

Anonymous said...

I though that it was weird and fun for all ages. I t got on my bad side a few times when i was in the middle of tipping and it just cut me off and put someones eises words there. So ya well thats all i hope we use it more and more so i can get better at it so i guess bye? oh and i liked how every one contributes in the assingment thjat are givin in for this. ok now bye
Nick L
per:6

Anonymous said...

The one thing that was kind of difficult about using the Google documents was that it saved so quickly that you couldn't even finish what you were writing and sometimes it erased what you said completely and other peoples answers would pop up. It was just all a little confusing. It made it kind of easier because we didn't have to send it anywhere or worry about it not saving or anything. Because it saved on it's own. We could use it when we get in our groups for notes when we read books like we did for A Separate Piece. They would probably be used in college for classes that have to write notes so the teacher doesn't have to look at each persons paper. We just need to know how many people can use it at once without it all getting confused and stuffffffff .



michaelaaa :]
p. 6

Anonymous said...

I really like working on the computers. I really enjoyed doing this activity. The only thing i did not like was how my sentances kept getting deleted. I think that this was a great activity on getting to know the book better. This also helped me understand what good literature really is. Now that i know what good literature is, i will look for it in future book i read. Overall i really enjoyed doing this activity.

Randy p2

Anonymous said...

It was difficult using google documents because it kept saving over and over again. Everytime you were in the middle of a sentence it was just save automatically. Technology helped make the process easier because all you had to do was put the email address in of you and your partner and the teacher and it was easy for all three to access the document. The collaborative tools were like when we got into our groups and would talk and dicuss different topics, it's the same thing but more fun. I feel that in college everyone is going to be using it for discussions. We need to know/understand following directions.

Jill per.6

Anonymous said...

The difficult thing about using the Google documents was that it was hard to write down what you wanted to say with everyone else in the class trying to do the same thing. Every time i would type someone else comments would erase mine. I think that the Google documents will be used a lot in the future. Technology has come a long way, and I think that teachers in college will put all assignments and notes on the computer and will expect every student to do their homework and essays on the computer as well.

Anonymous said...

I really liked useing this program. but instead of having a lot of people on one document have a little group. with the big groups it was hard to write something because you would start it and the you write couple of words and they would be deleted.i think we should use this in class more just learn better how to use it.

Andrew p5

Anonymous said...

It was unfamiliar. It made it much quicker. It was difficult to understand the program at first. Tools like this could be used to share notes taken during class with someone that was absent. It could be used to share an essay with a teacher before it is do to get advice and it could be used to share a presentation with your boss before it needs to be presented. We need to know how to use the digital tools.

Kevin

Per. 6

Anonymous said...

I thought using this website or document was helpful cause you got everyone's ideas in one thing. The only trouble we had was when other people's work got deleted or replaced and it was confusing with the whole class. When we got into groups of 3 or 4 it was easier to keep track of your work and see what the others were saying. We could use this in english for big groups with short assignments and then the longer assignments that need a paragraph or more of writing should be for small groups. I have no idea if we'll use this when I'm in college or working someday. To use this i guess you have to understand that whatever you write it will be saved for whoever to see so what you write should be good.

katrina
Period 2

Anonymous said...

Using the Google document wasn't really difficult the only problem was that we had to wait for the other person to finish and sometimes it took a while for it to appear which kinda anoyed us. But yes it does make the pracess easier because everybody helps incorporate their thoughts. It challanged me because i had to not only think of my words but learn to incorporate them with my partner. And that was i little hard seens we both write different. It will be a great use for college incase they need to work on a paper similar to this, in wich you have to both incorporate your thoughts. Well to know this progrom we should experiment it more and use it more in class so when we need it inm the future we can know how to get this digital tools.

Carla p6

Anonymous said...

I thought it was a very fun and intersting way to do the assignment, but the technology was very confusing and hard to use. the google documents made it easier to access and use but i didn't like that it deleted wut you were writing as u wrote it i constantly got error messages saying sorry but your recent changes have been discarded. I would like to use these again in the future but i would like to have better knowledge on how to use the tools and applications first.

Josh per. 5

Anonymous said...

I thought it was easy using google documents however it didnt work out with groups of four i think it would be better with a partner. It made it easier to get out our thoughts so that you could talk and understand them as well as see them. I think this could be used in college if you are doing a project with someone but you cant be with them 24/7. I think that you need to just understand the basics like Mr.Miller taught us in the begging of class to get started.

jessica b. period 5

Anonymous said...

the google documents was alittle hard at first but it got easier. it would be easier if we just did it with a partner instead of the whole class doing it at once because everytime someone would save it would go back to the top of the page and you would lose what you wrote. This is because it helps you work together and see other peoples responses. In english this is a good program for you to ask a question and we all right our opinions. Its alittle tricky at first so you have to really understand the program to use it.
Kristy Period 6

Anonymous said...

The google document is very useful, but it is extremely difficult to work on esp. when trying to write large amounts of writing or when working with a lot of people. If there was a way to keep others work from being deleted and messed up with so many people working at the same time. So i do like this program, but it still has a few bugs to be worked out before it will be able to use easily and efficiently.

Michelle Elizabeth Pe. 5 :)

Anonymous said...

There was minimal difficulty when using Google documents in my opinion. It was a little confusing as to who was writing or editing and with a large amount of people the confusion just increased. It was a shock at first when others’ work popped up below mine. However, I do believe this was because we were all editing the same document at the same time. I did not find it particularly challenging it was just like writing on a word document except others were writing on the same document. The challenges I had were others deleting my work before I could save it. I think this would be extremely beneficial for use in the classroom for peer editing. It would make it much easier than making changes on a print out or the comments on the word document because it saves the writer an extra step; the document it self is changed. Another way it could be used in our classroom is for chalk talk brainstorms. Everyone could type in their own ideas. Its quicker and more efficient than using the smart board because more than one person could type at the same time. As a member in the work force, this tool could be very important when collaborating on a project with others. For example, this is a tool lawyers could use to approve documents and proposals with other lawyers on the case across the country. It would be useful because all changes would be on the same document, not scattered across 2 or 3 different documents. Its convenience is in that the edits are all together. It would be great for group projects in college. To be able to effectively use digital tools like this one in the future, we need to understand how they work (what we are supposed to do) and what size groups are best to utilize the tool.

Ella Period 6

Anonymous said...

The only set back is the confusion that can occur when you post up on the Google docs because you could be typing and out of no where you will have something pop up on your screen and it could get distracting. I also don't like how you can edit other peoples work with out there consent and its not good because they could fool around with your whole paper. But all and all its a pretty good idea and I'm glad that we have this for us to use and take advantage of.

Bryan

Per 6