I’m a big fan of free Google applications (programs or services). I try almost every application Google releases and a lot of them I end up using daily such as iGoogle, Gmail, Analytics (website statistics), Wave (claims to be the future of email), Google Books, Google Groups, Picasa (photo software and online storage and sharing), and Google Maps. But, this post is about how I use Google Docs in my homeschool.
Background
First things first, this resource is directed at assignments that can and should be typed. I’m a big advocate of writing assignments out in elementary school, with the exception of the occasional report or long story. But, as students grow older, I believe it is imperative they are taught computer skills. There is no way to avoid computers in our society. I personally believe that if you avoid computers in your homeschool, especially with high schoolers, it’s the equivalent of refusing to use a telephone because you think writing letters is far superior. Yes, letter writing is still needed but a telephone call takes care of a lot of things in a much more timely and personal fashion.
How I Use Google Docs in my Homeschool
Google Docs is basically a simple online word processor. It has all of the same very basic functions as Microsoft Word. The difference is that a document is stored and edited online. This is what makes Google Docs a powerful tool in my homeschool:
Google Docs are accessible on any computer or internet device
My student’s work isn’t locked on one computer. They can go to any computer in my house or any other place with an internet connection and retrieve their document. This is still safe because you have to have a login and password to access your Google Docs. No more excuses about the file being on a computer someone else is using. No more excuses about not being able to finish an assignment because your student is at Grandma’s house.
You can “share” a Google Doc
By “sharing” you send out a link to the document to specific people. You can give these people “read-only” access or you can add them as a collaborator. You can share the document with multiple people. If your student has a story they want to share with their friends and family, it’s as easy as adding those people to the share list.
Collaborator feature
The collaborator feature is where I find the most power in using Google Docs. When my student writes a report or submits an assignment, I have them share the document with me as a collaborator. Then I can go in the document and comment, highlight problems and much more. This way we have an active editing and correcting process. There are no lost papers or lost corrections.
So How Do You Get Started Using Google Docs?
First, you and your student(s) need to activate a Google Docs account. The account is completely free. If you already use another Google service such as Gmail, your user name and password will be the same. If you have never used any other Google application, you will need to sign up with your user name and password.
This is the link for Google Docs: http://docs.google.com/
Please feel free to use the comment feature on this post to ask any additional questions you may have about using Google Docs in your homeschool.
