Collaborating+in+Class+&+Online+with+Google+Apps

=**Perspectives on Creativity and Productivity in the Cloud**=

__**Google Collaboration and Sharing ToolKit**__ Looking ahead:
 * Google Docs
 * Google Groups
 * Blogger
 * http://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/01/01/strategies-for-blog-powered-instruction.aspx
 * Google + (An introduction as a secure classroom learning environment)

Google Docs What is it? Google Docs is a free online word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation editor that allowsyou to create, store, share, and collaborate on documents with others. If you know how to use other word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation programs, you can easily use Google Docs. Instead of emailing files back and forth between collaborators, Google Docs allow people to work on a single version of a document together online. The chat feature on presentations makes it possible to create a “permeable classroom” by bringing experts into a lesson to interact with students online. You can also create web-based surveys to collect information from students, teachers, or parents.

Why use it? Students can use Google Docs to: Teachers can use Google Docs to:
 * Work on their files from any computer—all they need is a internet connection.
 * Get instant feedback on their work from multiple collaborators and their teacher.
 * Publish their papers and presentations on the web for an authentic audience.
 * Provide timely feedback to students at any point during the writing process.
 * Collaborate with colleagues on shared materials and assessment data.
 * Publish handouts and presentations online for students and parents

Activities:
 * Building and sharing a Doc, Presentation, and Spreadsheet
 * Creating a Form (Interesting Ways to use Forms in the classroom)
 * Understanding settings

Google Groups What is it? With Google Groups, you can set up your very own place to communicate and collaborate, safely and securely, with others online. You can use Google Groups to post important information such as student or parent contact information, host online discussions, and manage and archive multiple mailing lists. We designed Google Groups to be simple to set up and easy to use, so you can get started using it to share information with students and parents in a hurry. You can set up your group to be pubilshed for all to see, or you set it as a private group and share only with those of your choosing. And because you can customize Google Groups pages, you can make your group feel like a true home on the web.

Google Groups features like online discussions and real-time editing can make it simple for students to work together even when they're not in the same physical location, sharing research findings, collaborating on group projects, and comparing notes on classroom lessons. Because you can set up multiple groups, Google Groups can make it easier to communicate directly, and privately, with the parents of your students. And Google Groups can improve communication between parents, about topics like carpools or snack schedules.

Why use it? Students can use Google Groups to:
 * Share ideas, store documents, and organize web resources as they work in project teams.
 * Create a private group for school clubs or sports teams to share the latest news and announcements.

Teachers can use Google Groups to:
 * Make class handouts, reading materials, assignments, and web links available to students and their parents.
 * Send email announcements to parents.
 * Centralize resources and communication for professional learning communities.

Blogger by Google What is it? Blogger is a tool that makes it easy to instantly publish weblogs or “blogs.” Blogs are simple web pages, often made up of short, informal, and frequently updated posts. Blogger makes it easy to create blogs, post text and pictures, and start generating feedback in minutes.

As a teacher, Blogger can help you stay connected to your students, their parents, and the rest of the school. With Blogger you can update parents about their children's progress and keep them posted on upcoming events; publish a class or school newsletter; share photos and student work; post course documents, projects and results; and easily assign collaborative group projects online with an easy way to track students’ progress.

Students can use Blogger to communicate ideas, photos and class notes, improve their writing skills, and even jump right into web publishing without having to learn HTML. Free blogs, accessible from any computer that’s connected to the Internet, can help students easily create hubs for collecting information for both long and short-term projects; store information as unpublished drafts; collect feedback on their work from classmates, teachers and parents; and take on collaborative projects where multiple students can work and comment.

Why use it? Blogger makes it easy for teachers to: Blogger makes it easy for students to:
 * Post resources, lessons, and homework assignments.
 * Keep parents up-to-date on class happenings.
 * Reﬂect on their own teaching practices and share their ideas with other educators.
 * Share schoolwork with their peers, parents, and others.
 * Collaborate on projects and get feedback from others.
 * Keep a reﬂ ective journal throughout the school year

Aiming for the Future: Collaboration within a Social Platform Google + in Education LiveBinder on Google +