The
previous posting discussed collaboration and what it may look like in education
– people working together face-to-face.
This week, I take a different approach, collaborating using technology. I watched a well-done YouTube video on how to
implement “Google Docs.” The video
mentioned that rather than sending out hundreds
of emails with updated versions of the same document, think of “Google
Docs” as multiple emails going to one document that is always current. “Wikis” may also be thought of in this light. What an extremely useful idea for the
educational world!
Polling “Google
Docs” and “Wikis”
Curious,
I decided to poll people to see if they actually used features such as “Google
Docs” or “Wikis” in their work place. It was very insightful conversing with
others and I found very few people who actually used these features. Everyone had heard of them. However, after listening to explanations on
the videos (for both processes), all I could think of was greater efficiency,
sustainability (less trees being cut down), and less meetings.
A Short Side
Note
During
my career, I have been fortunate to attend many professional development sessions
and frequently engage in current research reading. However, these sessions or readings may truly
be pertinent, if action follows.
Research shows that time-wise, the closer the implementation is to the
actual learning, the more likely an individual will turn that skill or knowledge
into practice.
Wondering: Which Is Better, “Google Docs” or “Wikis”
I
loved the idea of “Wiki.” Perhaps it is
the cute name. Thus, I decided to try a
fun project collaborating with a colleague for a book study we are leading next
month. Since it is so difficult to find
time to meet, a sketch of the meetings with activities, book quotes, and
reflections were written in the “Wiki” for easier tweaking of the upcoming
meetings. Although my colleague is not a
“techie,” she is willing to humor me with the idea. This then reminded me of working with
students. Students (young and older) learn
and remember a new skill or strategy better when they engage in the new skill
or strategy and teach it to someone
else.
Then,
I took the big leap, entering a very large document into the system using
“Google Docs,” with faith from my “invitation receivers.” We will see how this goes since this is due
next week and again, I am sharing this idea of collaboration using technology
with others. If all goes well, I already have another, mini project in
mind. Again, less emails and less
meetings.
Finally
I
will end by leaving you with a question, what educational applications have you
utilized using “Google Docs” or “Wikis?”