Looking to learn more about Google Docs in the classroom?

Looking to broaden your understanding of Google Docs and ways to use it in the classroom?  You're in luck... over the next two months, I will be offering a series of short seminars on using this powerful tool in your classroom.  Each of these six classes will focus on some aspect of using Google Docs - from the relatively basic aspects to more advanced applications.  You can sign up for as many - or as few - as you'd like.

When and where?   They will run on Thursdays, starting at dismissal (2:35) and running until approximately 3:30.  I will hold them in my room, 309.  Just bring your laptop and have a Google Docs account (if you don't, or haven't accessed your school one, we can take care of that at session 1).  Once you take a session, I'll be available to answer any questions you may have, or to help you implement what you've learned in your classroom.  We can schedule some shared time to work on your lesson, or I can come down to help you set something up.

Here are the sessions:

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January 26:  Uploading, converting, and sorting files.  This session will focus on some of the basics - locating buttons on the Google Docs menu, what each one means, and how to use them. We'll look the various options for uploading files: when to convert them to Google Docs format and when to leave them alone; creating new documents and renaming existing ones, and the importance of using categories / folders to keep files organized. We'll also look at how to sort your files and how to find what you're looking for. Also, if any of you have two different Google Docs accounts, I can show you how to switch between them at the click of a button, without needing to log out / log in.

February 2: Sharing documents & folders - for editing or viewing. We'll look at the different ways to share documents, and the uses of each - specifically, when and why you'll want to give students permission to edit certain documents (or vice versa), and when you may want them to only be able to see them. Similarly, we'll look at sharing entire folders, and ways a team can benefit from this - from newsletters to discussing student progress, or sharing cross-curricular assignments.

February 9: Google Docs with the Copier-Scanner: For this session, we'll take an exciting field trip to the copy room - bring a flash drive and a document you'd like scanned... We'll go over how to scan a document onto a flash drive, and then upload it to google Docs. We'll then work on embedding your scanned document into a Google Doc, to make an exemplar for kids to view.

February 16: Student work - submitting through Google Docs: We'll go over the basics of student submissions through GD - setting up class folders, standard formats for naming and sharing documents with you, and when this tool is at its most powerful: during the writing process, as a quick check-in during drafts. We'll learn how to comment in drafts, and ways to use the revision history to check on student progress / contributions.

March 1: Google Docs for peer editing: This session will look at some of the benefits of online, live peer editing - moving peer editing from the classroom to the home, with teacher support. We'll go over how to set it up, including sample instructions and handouts, for multi-student peer editing and feedback.

March 8: The Virtual White Board in Google Docs:  This session will show you how to maximize the use of a few laptops to lead a class discussion - with each group of students using a single laptop to post their thoughts onto a shared document that you project onto a screen, using the LED projector.  With this, you'll be able to save the notes created by each class, and then make them accessible online, for students to either add onto later, or simply view.

You can sign up for any of the seminars by clicking here:  http://tinyurl.com/docsPD