Collecting papers. Marking on papers. Returning papers. Taking up second drafts. Rewrites. Edits. Corrections. All on paper. Lost papers. Damaged papers. Sloppy papers.
In the "dark" pre-Google-Doc ages, I started trying to circumvent that with emailed word documents. Then when our school's Moodle opened, I had students upload files to a page on the Moodle where I could open and read them. After a few edits, I could post the new file back for the student to download.
Still too many files floating around.
Now I'm experimenting with Google Docs. I distribute papers to student via Google Docs. They work on the tasks, mostly writing tasks, and I see their work while they are doing it. Best of all, I can leave feedback on the draft-in-progress. I feel like my feedback gets more attention than when I write comments/corrections on students printed drafts.
Here's an example of a student's work that I gave feedback to. Her work addresses my feedback, but the feedback has not been deleted. She changed the font color of the questions so they would stand out from her answers. I used a third and fourth color for two separate feedback sessions.
Then there's the student-student wiki function of a Google Doc that works so well. In the example below, I asked students to populate a table with presumed identities of mystery mixtures and with evidence from lab tests they used to come up with their conclusions. Students could compare conclusions and evidence from their classmates. Some identities were ambiguous. After sorting the data in the table, we were able to have a class discussion around the discrepancies. (Unfortunately the formatting of the table was lost when uploading the file to SlideShare, but you get the gist.)
I've already reduced paper usage and paper management issues by going to Google Docs for student work. Below is a screen capture of Google Docs' file management box. As easy as any Windows Explorer system.
Looking forward to next year's 1-to-1 program and using Google Docs full-time for all its advantages.
Fantastic! So glad to see you making use of Google Docs - it is so much better than all of that paper or all of those files! Just for the searchabilty and revision history, let alone the collaboration potential!
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