TWT+2012-+Session+38

=TWT 2012 - Session 38: Google Docs in the English (or any!) Classroom=

Jane Mellow jmajewski@northcountryschool.org Dean of Learning Support Services North Country School Grades 5-12 Subject areas: English/Language Arts,Foreign (World) Language,History/Social Studies,Science Level of experience recommended: Basic

//Piles of papers and lack of time for writing conferences have burdened many an English teacher. Witness how in less than a year, Google Docs transformed how one teacher and her students experience the writing process. With Google Docs, you can access your students' writing any time -- including while they write -- and have a real-time exchange about the task at hand. Google Docs allows a teacher to make more substantive and specific comments that mimic a chat room, creating an e-version of dialogue, and students are more responsive to this. In addition, students feel a greater sense of ownership and accomplishment; THEY create their documents and collections, THEY organize e-portfolios. With the student as owner, they must ask the teacher to edit and share their work, and this alone has brought a more collaborative tone to the teacher-student relationship in the writing process. Google Docs allows the previous night's writing to be viewed prior to class and the planning of that day's lessons. It is not always foolproof, but Google Docs is worth a look! //

//After taking this workshop, participants will create documents, collections, and templates, understand the roles of owner/editor/ viewer, set sharing parameters, share, comment using a comment strain, create/use editing marks, access and view revision history, publish to the web, and learn other assorted tips and tricks. //

Instructions for attendees: No prior preparation or experience necessary! Be sure you have a Gmail account to participate fully.