Google Docs in K-12

Many of my graduate students, whom are teachers, have concerns/issues when I discuss implementing google documents into the k-12 classroom. This post is aimed at alleviating some of those fears. Here are some common questions and answers:

Is it secure?

Yes! Google docs is very secure and is used by many schools already. It can even be installed on your schools local server by you technology coordinator, so its not on the WWW.

Do kids need a gmail account?

No, no one does. In fact, you can create a fake login for each student so they cant be identified by anyone but yourself.

How can a teacher manage student documents?

The teacher can create each document and invite the students to collaborate. The teacher can then also see which document, and what part of that document, each student edited.

Google docs is a very easy tool to use and I am amazed at how much students enjoy using it. I usually get a lot more questions than just three, however, those are the main ones. For information on using google documents in the classroom check out: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2009/09/day-in-life-of-docs-student.html

Can Google Wave Replace Email?

Google wave is a new tool designed to help us communicate better….hmmm google controlling us once again:) Seriously, google wave seems really interesting at this point. check out this video to learn what this tool is and how it can help you:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8wXnVRnYdc]

How to download videos from the web

Have you ever been in a presentation and tried to show a youtube video and were embarrassed when the video wouldnt load because the internet connection was terrible? Well this tutorial will show you how to put those videos onto your desktop to avoid those problems. This is something I have been doing for all of my presentations lately and have had much success.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5CyUBcKg-Y]

What is Twitter?

This is a great video explaining the phenomenon of “Twitter”. This video will help you understand exactly what this web 2.0 tool that everyone is talking about is:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o]

Free online photo editing tool – Pixlr

Check out pixlr.com. This is a free photo editor that is online, so you don’t need to install anything on your computer to use it. It has a similar look and feel as photoshop. here is a video which shows the interface:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmWGCnop2iA]

Google Docs, brought by Oxycodone

What are google docs? This is a question heard a lot, according to oxycodone. I also hear, how can I implement these into my school district? Well, first of all, i suggest you check out this great video explaining what google docs is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA

Then, the next question most schools, says oxycodone,  are concerned with deal with security. Rest assured google has implemented this into many many school districts already. Here just a few of the ways they make it secure:

1. give each kid a temporary (fake) email address made up by the teacher

2. the teacher can control who can edit/modify etc the documents and also see who has edited what (just in case some students post inappropriate things)

3. If the school is very concerned about security, google allows them to install google documents on their own servers, meaning the school has total control and can put it on a local intranet that is not accessible to anyone outside of the schools network.

Now, about oxycodone, all we have to say is that it has helped a lot of patients, or students in this case, to cope with pain, wheter it comes from a decease, a bad surgery or an accident since it helps with a wide range of pain. You can buy oxycodone with e-checks among other payment methods and receive it at your house or enywhere with no extra charge.