avoca_googledocs

  Google Apps - cmb:formalization of Google Docs as a platform for the Avoca District to use in classroom activities

1. **The problem or question.** What is the problem (or opportunity) you wish to address with your project? Describe what you wish to change, for example, aspects of content (e.g. test scores), process (e.g. ability to collaborate), climate (e.g. morale), or tech use (e.g. embedded use of technology in instruction). Be as specific as possible in describing what you want to change.  cmb: improve the fluidity of data collection for students, provide student collaborative space, move away from dependency on Office products, reduce paper purchasing in district rk: I like this idea, because it is moving in sync with the momentum to get away from individually licensed software on each computer to a multi-application platform that is accessible from the 'Net on on any computer with an Internet connection. I think this is where the world will eventually end up. The problems are: 1) need for increased bandwidth; 2) not all students have Internet connections away from school. KJ: making student research more efficient; facilitating group work; giving teachers a way to move toward "paperless" work environment NS: My new PLP/ning friend tricia buck (who teaches hs English) says she has given out only 2 hard copies of anything this year. She is not only reducing paper usage, she is rethinking the meaning of class "materials".

ddp: cmb made a pretty good point with that Google Docs may may not be here in the future. On the other hand, I think that NS hit this one on the head when she pointed out the idea of __rethinking the meaning of class "materials"__. At the middle school level I think that Google Docs would be the biggest challenge as far as getting students and teachers using it. First, we would all have to learn it and then decide where and we would use it. -- Would it really be the best tool? Would it reduce paper = YES! But I am not convinced yet that, at the middle school level, reducing paper trumps convenience of teaching a lesson. These comments come from someone who is not really familiar with this application so they may seem one-sided but my educated guess would be that some teachers would have the same opinions here. Maybe knowing more about it would help my buy in.  jm: What I enjoy about using Google Docs, which may also apply for the middle school level, is that students are tending to work quicker, neater, and with more detail--even those who can't really type very well. For example, they took notes the other day on a student presentation. Comparing those notes to what they do when they work by hand was enlightening. Not only was there more information, but they could read it. I haven't assessed them on the presentation content yet, but when I assessed on the previous presentation for which they took notes on Google Docs, they retained more than I would have thought. It is easy for me to comment on even something as ephemeral as a set of notes, and if we went one step further and were doing projects or essays using the info they could share easily. Just reducing paper isn't the point--at least not for me.

2. **Objectives and Assessment** Develop objectives and authentic assessments for determining what you want learners (adults or students) to be able to know and do after the project and how you will determine they have indeed mastered the objectives your project laid out.   cmb: expectation would be to increase(specific number) the amount of grade levels using google docs with students, reduce paper purchasing in district   SG: My concern with this would be that it seems as if it would be difficult to use with our youngest grade levels. Is this true? It's very possible that I just do not know enough about google docs yet. SW: I have to agree with Susan. I don't see this being very practical for K-2 for use with students. The teachers might use it, but then it would be one more thing the staff has to add to their plate, and I can see a lot of resistance. Something like this might be applicable with 2nd graders in very small groups, but the day doesn't always lend itself to that. rk: Perhaps this is one of those things that spreads incrementally down to the younger students. I was at the Apple Store over the weekend and saw a three- or four-year old kid playing on a demo computer while her parent was at the Genius Bar. Also, I'm sure the guys at Google will soon (already?) be tailoring the Google Apps stuff for younger audiences. KJ: I see direct and immediate application and, more importantly, RELIEF, to upper grades. Efficiency of time, materials, communication. Younger? Not exactly sure. But I do know that my 3rd grader will do anything with zeal that is connected to the computer, whether in Word, email, or a browser.  NS: @KJ Isn't one 5th grade at AW already almost completely paperless? SR: I like this idea for 3rd and up. I have used Google Docs this year and was happy with the results. It was actually easier for me to view and edit their projects with them as I could look at what they were doing from my OWN computer. I could even check on their progress from home which was nice. I have heard, too, that there is soooo much more to Google Docs than any of us know. I think it would be nice to focus on one thing for a year instead of many things... especially because this one thing has so many opportunities to explore. I think from a teachers perspective it would be nice to focus on one thing instead of many (like the 37 things project would have us do). Teacher would most likely be more receptive to this.

3. **Networked Design** Then think about how you will design your project so participants can share, connect, collaborate, or move to some type of collective action.  

cmb: collaboration can be done f2f or using this wiki to share and expand on ideas. KJ: I'd love to know the basic Google docs options/variables and then break it up for us to play around with one specific feature, and report back usefulness/probs/application in our own experiences. From there, equipping each other with what we learned, then equipping the staff.

4. **Set the Context** What have others done (at your institution or elsewhere) to address this problem? Do some research as a team to see what others have done. Get ideas. Divi up different research roles to individual team members. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> cmb: we have a number of good examples at Avoca already and connections with the GCT where we can find many others. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">

5. **Proposal** How will you plan to solve the problem or answer the question? Describe what you will do to address the problem/opportunity described earlier. Are you doing anything differently than others have attempted? Why or why not? Why do you propose that your approach will succeed better than prior attempts or will work better with your students or faculty? <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> cmb: distributed support is important here and possibly this is where collaborative tech environment would help - involving classroom teachers from this committee as expert voices will be important. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"> gls: I think we need to come up with appropriate examples for each grade level for uses/project ideas for Google Docs. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">KJ: great idea, Gail. Unfortunately for you, you're the Google expert! ;-) <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"> 6. **Evaluation** How will you determine the success and effectiveness of your solution and the impact of your project? Do you plan to determine pre and post results? How will you know that the behavior of your students/faculty has changed/improved? Note: You may not be able to obtain your results by the end of your year. However, you should have a plan in place to evaluate your project and report on the results. The idea is to develop a solid plan to share with others. If you implement this year or next is entirely up to you. When possible make this an action research project. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> cmb: amount of teachers/grade levels involved,  <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">   <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">gls: amount of student products created (not just a one time use) Should their be a minimum? rk: I agree with Gail. It should be based on the number of products/uses. We could have different expectations for different grade-levels, and then see how the number increases over time in each grade-level. In connection with #7 below, we could ask faculty to identify "x" number of student assignments or tasks that could be migrated to Google Docs in each trimester, with the expectation that it will gradually increase in subsequent trimesters.

In addition to the measurement of quantity, faculty will have to establish criteria to measure whether outcomes are better in terms of quality, process, collaboration, learning, etc. (Did I say "learning"?)

7. **Timeline** How will your project progress? Indicate the dates of project initiation and completion for each step of your design, implementation, and evaluation. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> cmb: focus in technology grade level meetings for initial instruction throughout the Fall, follow-up as needed, support from avoca expert voices. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">KJ: any institute day time?

8. **Documentation** How will you document your progress along the way? Will you share in your team group room in NING? Will you create a collaborative blog? A wiki? A Google Doc? Choose one and then everyone will use the document to make the process transparent. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> cmb: the online support environment would be a big part of documentation <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">

I've switched my class over to google docs for everything except spreadsheets and I love it for all sorts of reasons. Couple of notes--

--increased bandwidth definitely an issue --I'm not sure how useful any of it would be for our youngest students, but I've taught below fourth grade. --It is a bit unstable, even without the bandwidth issue. Technical problems come up much more frequently than with Office. --The word processing just isn't as good in terms of features, and the table feature is awful. --Collaboration is harder than you would think. Teachers and kids would have to learn how to set up projects and do their work so that they aren't constantly deleting other people's work. --Selling point for teachers--it is wonderful to be able to comment on student work online.

So, if we did this project we would first need the extra bandwidth and should have a lot of staff development focused on how to set up work for collaboration and on problem-solving.

--JM

<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> KJ: What a great help, Janis, to have your experience already here! <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">