Google Apps

The webinar and Google Apps quick tour clearly defined the educational, business, and personal uses for this new and innovative technology. If I had known about this a long time ago, it would have helped me with getting my papers proofread, group projects, checking my children's homework from anywhere, and just plain old convenience and organization at my fingertips. I was most interested in how the apps are used for collaboration. In my classroom I could encourage teamwork by allowing the students to edit and finalize papers that they collaboratively wrote. They could all contribute to the process by selecting group leaders and planners for their project. Once the project is organized, each student will write a paragraph on certain sections of the project and submit to the leader through google apps where all information is shared with each student and the teacher. The leader edits and constructs the submitted info, then sends it back to the group for input and more ideas. I was most impressed with how the app could go back to a specific point in the editing process if need be. It shows editing as it is happening (live). I would give homework on a particular topic that would require social bookmarking. The students could locate their classmates through web choices, known or unknown tags, and shared interests. The object would be to see how many classmates you could find.