Shortly after the word processor we moved over the actual computer and I used Microsoft Word. I used this engine through all of my high school and under grad career. I have recently started using Google docs and am currently enjoying the benefits of it. I love that I can work on my papers from any computer and not have to worry about flash drives or emailing it to yourself if you want to work from another location. My favorite part about Google docs is that it is completely free, however, if I need to turn in a paper in MS Word form, it is incredibly easy to transfer information.
However, no program is perfect. So far, the main concern I have with Google Docs is the inability to use auto correct. While there my be an option that I haven't found yet, it is not something that is showing up automatically like with Microsoft Word. When typing in Word if I hold the "shift" key for just a moment too long, which I tend to do more often that I should at my age, Word will automatically change my MIstake into mistake. This is an easy fix in Google Docs, because it does have a spell check, and words will be underlined when they are spelled incorrectly. So although this feature is a little inconvenient, I have grown up in a world where the computer will naturally fix things for me, so I grow frustrated with this when I am trying to type a paper in a timely manner.
According to my text book for class, Google docs has many uses for a teacher to use in the classroom. It has the ability to share documents with each student and even let them edit the document while they are all on a different device. The book also mentions what I found to be my favorite part of Google Docs, and that is the fact that it can be accessed from any device, without having to lug around a USB. This in incredibly important for students because at a young age they tend to forget things, or come up with excuses why their homework was late. If the homework is all on the same Drive, then the teacher can simply look up what they child has (or has not) completed. This gives the students the drive (pun intended) to actually complete their homework on time because there will be no room for excuses.
Having the ability to interact with each other not only touches on the Common Core book, but also reaches a part of the ARCS Motivational Model that was discussed in another book by Gunter and Gunter. One of the areas that the ARCS Model mentions is attention. Children living in the age of technology need to have something constantly moving in front of them at all times in order to fully focus on the task at hand. Having them be able to be on different devices and interact with one another is a way to let them work collaboratively and gain a better understanding of the subject matter they are studying.
Overall, I am enjoying the many uses of Google Docs and I have only touched the surface with my own practice. This is a drive that I am hoping will be available in my future classrooms so I can find new and "savvy" ways to reach my students to help them learn and enjoy learning.
However, no program is perfect. So far, the main concern I have with Google Docs is the inability to use auto correct. While there my be an option that I haven't found yet, it is not something that is showing up automatically like with Microsoft Word. When typing in Word if I hold the "shift" key for just a moment too long, which I tend to do more often that I should at my age, Word will automatically change my MIstake into mistake. This is an easy fix in Google Docs, because it does have a spell check, and words will be underlined when they are spelled incorrectly. So although this feature is a little inconvenient, I have grown up in a world where the computer will naturally fix things for me, so I grow frustrated with this when I am trying to type a paper in a timely manner.
According to my text book for class, Google docs has many uses for a teacher to use in the classroom. It has the ability to share documents with each student and even let them edit the document while they are all on a different device. The book also mentions what I found to be my favorite part of Google Docs, and that is the fact that it can be accessed from any device, without having to lug around a USB. This in incredibly important for students because at a young age they tend to forget things, or come up with excuses why their homework was late. If the homework is all on the same Drive, then the teacher can simply look up what they child has (or has not) completed. This gives the students the drive (pun intended) to actually complete their homework on time because there will be no room for excuses.
Having the ability to interact with each other not only touches on the Common Core book, but also reaches a part of the ARCS Motivational Model that was discussed in another book by Gunter and Gunter. One of the areas that the ARCS Model mentions is attention. Children living in the age of technology need to have something constantly moving in front of them at all times in order to fully focus on the task at hand. Having them be able to be on different devices and interact with one another is a way to let them work collaboratively and gain a better understanding of the subject matter they are studying.
Overall, I am enjoying the many uses of Google Docs and I have only touched the surface with my own practice. This is a drive that I am hoping will be available in my future classrooms so I can find new and "savvy" ways to reach my students to help them learn and enjoy learning.
Well done!
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