Google Docs

after ulearn09, i've tried to take baby steps integrating some of the things i learned about. one of the most successful has been google docs.

i started using google docs before the conference, mostly as a secondary back up source, and for opening attachments and sending documents. i can tell you google docs is quick and easy, and the 1-document collaboration is terrific.

since the conference, i have created colour-coded folders and have put in all my planners, markbooks, lesson plans, and other miscellaneous items, and shared appropriate ones with my students. for example, my seniors had access to my planner for term 4 so they would know exactly what we were doing each day for the rest of the term, including homework and items to bring on each day. they also had access to my conference timetable so they could book themselves appointments rather than being called in whatever order.

my juniors have had a variety of options. in addition to worksheets, homework, etc, they have also had access to my "books read" list for our competition.  the student who:
1) reads more books than me since school started (not studied in class)
2) more total pages than me

will each win a prize on friday (end of the year). next year i will hyperlink pictures of all the book covers, and possibly reviews, and i'd like to see us all share our lists this way.

i've also used the forms option extensively, both online and embedded into our blog. once i figured out how to get back to the main form from the finalised one, it was super easy to create all kinds of surveys, quizzes, etc without having to deal with formatting.

all told, i reckon google has given me the most bang for my buck this year, and i am a real fan :O) if you haven't yet tried google docs, give it a go.  if you don't like it, no harm done!