So this week I checked out a tool some of you might be familiar with: Google docs. If you are not familiar with this do not worry. Like Evernote and Microsoft word Google docs allows you to take notes about any subject you want. But the difference with Google docs is that the notes you take can be shared with other people.
I know what you are thinking, "Michelle... I can do that with both Evernote and Microsoft word". Precisely you CAN do that with both those tools but can you share the notes with other people and see them add their own information in the notes? If you send Bob notes about a project idea you have, can you see him change some things you wrote and add his own pazaze? I don't think so! Google docs however lets you do that. So say you have notes on a topic of interest and you have done some research on that topic and want Bob's opinion. Well you can send Bob those notes and as soon as Bob receives your notes (if you are looking at the notes at the same time as Bob is) then you can see Bob add and remove information.
Don't understand? Do not worry, I am not the best at explaining. Hopefully this video will help you better understand what I am trying to explain:
Google Docs and My Collaborative experience
What I experienced is that I no longer have to continuously send and resend any edited version on a paper or ask my group member if “this is okay?”. Rather I can just have him look directly at what I have done and he can edit it (with me seeing what he is changing) right then and there. I have experienced speed and organization thanks to this document. Speed because it is fast. You see exactly when someone else is writing the moment they write it. Organization because of what I said above- I no longer have 10 different edited version of a paper but rather just one. This tool will be useful in educational activities because it enables digital communication in the class room. If you have a project with a group, everyone can just join the document “project” and write down their ideas and whilst other read what they are writing. It is especially convenient for university students because some of us live so far away from each other and many have no method of transportation other than an unreliable bus, so this helps us say what ideas we have while the other person can read and say heir ideas. Its like having a conversation with someone over the internet much like email but better!
Google Docs and My PLE?
I will try and keep this as brief as I have been. The main place I would add this under is in collaborating and socializing >communication. It could be considered a way to email someone, facebook someone, text someone because you are communicating your ideas with someone. It could also be put under organizing content> taking notes because you can take notes here and other people can add their notes/ideas as well. Plus it will decrease the clutter space in your emails or facebook massages because you are no longer sending message after message of edited version of a paper. With regards to removing parts in my PLE, I could remove the Hotmail aspect if I was not going to email anyone else but I won’t. I could also remove the Microsoft word one (which would be very logical) because I can take notes on google doc and they automatically save. Plus I will have access to these notes where ever I am (if I have access to internet) compared to Microsoft notes where I would have to send these notes to Hotmail then I would have access to my notes.
Check Out my Google docs Presentation
I have made a google docs powerpoint slide on ways to decrease work stressed based off of Stress management blog. Check it out and add your own information for helpful tips.
That is all for this week. Have a good day!
Cheers.
