EET+Article

 =Collaborating with GoogleDocs=

H AVING STUDENTS WORK TOGETHER IN GROUPS can sometimes have its drawbacks, especially when working on group presentations. Traditional electronic presentations have involved students working together to create PowerPoint slide shows to showcase in class. This often requires a small group of students to huddle around a computer in order to create one presentation, and often results in some students sitting idle waiting for the group to finish. Now, GoogleDocs offers a better way to collaborate using software that is easy to use and accessible online. When properly planned, lessons using GoogleDocs can be and engaging and efficient way of creating group presentations.

Benefits of working with GoogleDocs
There are several benefits with working in GoogleDocs over other presentation software, such as PowerPoint or Keynote. The first benefit is that it is free to use. All students need to do is [|open a Gmail account] from Google if they do not already have one.

The software is online and accessible from any computer with an internet connection. No downloading or installation required. This function allows students who may not have software installed on their home computers to continue working on their presentations outside of school.

[[image:AnimatedGif.gif width="328" height="250" align="right" caption="Groups working with Google"]]
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It also makes it easier to work across platforms, since the software is on the browser, not the hard drive. Therefore, it does not matter it students are on PCs or Macs, or both. No more converting files or worrying about compatibility. Due to the online platform used by GoogleDocs, all work created is stored online. This eliminates the need to carry around storage devices.

The documents created are instantly available for editing on the web. Students can work simultaneously on one presentation from different workstations, allowing each group member to share responsibility for the final product.

With GoogleDocs, students do not need to email each other different versions of the same presentation. Instead, each member of the group is given access to the collaborative file and can make any changes that will instantly change the file for others to view. This allows for more efficient group work. One student can be working on uploading images while others are typing content.

Steps for successful group work
When working with collaborative groups, there are several things to keep in mind. The following are considered best practices for collaborative group work adopted from Marzano, Pickering and Pollock's //Classroom Instruction the Works,// with ways to adapt them to working with GoogleDocs.

> Pair students with different academic abilities as well as different abilities in working with computers together. Assign a task that will require students to work together to process information and create a slide show presentation using GoogleDocs presentation software. > Design group tasks so that each student is responsible for a different component of the presentation. Assigning each group member a slide, or assigning some members to add content, while others add images are two ways in which each group member is important in the creating of the final product. > Prior to having students create slides for their presentations, have students complete a series of tasks requiring all group members to work together to solve a problem or synthesize a reading. > Set a deadline and requirement for each group member to ensure that students are all held accountable for their work. Additionally, create a rubric for students to grade each other within their groups.
 * **Form heterogeneous groups of 3 or 4 students[[image:Process.jpg width="361" height="267" align="right" caption="Each member of the group should have a task to accomplish as shown in this example"]]**
 * **Positive interdependence**
 * **Group processing**
 * **Individual and group accountability**

Tutorial
The following tutorial will help you set up and share a collaborative document. media type="custom" key="3837145"