Week 7: Google Docs

This week we focused on Google Docs. I was first introduced to Google Docs by a friend last summer when we were trying to share lesson plans with each other from across the country. Google now offers so much and it is all free and available on just about any device (iPad, iPhone, Computer). Over the last year, I have worked on transferring and organizing all my school files into my Google Drive. I have not done too much with Google Docs except as a word processor.

This week opened my eye to all that Google really does offer. I had no idea I could create slide shows in Google. I easily made a band PowerPoint that included pictures and YouTube videos. The videos were very easy to insert because all that is needed is the video’s URL. The bank of templates is great to get quick and easy slides that look nice.

Other features used this week were Google Calendar and the word processor. As I said earlier, I typically use the word processor for all my documents and love how simple it is to use. The calendar is very much like iCal, which is the calendar I currently use. Google Calendar has some nice features, including the fact that it is very easy to share and edit.

My favorite new Google tool is the forms tool. I have never enjoyed creating quizzes, because it takes forever to get them to look good and line up correctly. I like that the quiz can look nice and not take a lot of time. I also like the idea that students can take the quiz online instead of using paper and pencil. I hate having piles of paper everywhere; it just feels like a waste. Plus, most of my students through their quizzes out after they have been graded. The only issue I have with the online test is that I don’t have access to a lot of computers, so I was thinking I cold make taking the quiz as a center activity.