Google docs seems like it is a very useful tool. It seems very much like Dropbox because both are stored on the cloud. I guess the main difference is that google docs is for documents and Dropbox can store anything (music, video, pictures) Do I have that right?
I liked that google docs indicated that you can now upload entire folders, although I have not done it yet. It will also be nice not to have to e-mail things to myself or others and have multiple versions.
In terms of using it to collaborate with colleagues at school, it could be helpful. My grade level colleagues and I share almost every lab and document we create or revise. Now it is done by putting folders on the S drive at school, which works well when we are at school. It does not work if we want to access something from home, which is where google docs would work nicely.
For student work, collaborating on lab reports would be helpful. There are also projects for which students create brochures and combined work cited. They would be able to access their work from any computer and make changes, provide feedback to each other, etc. It can boost productivity because of this, and the fact that they can publish their work for a wider audience. Work can be easily shared with peers and parents.
You have a good grasp of Google Docs. Many schools have gone to Google for everything- calendars, webpages, documents, forms, etc. It is amazing what you get for free from Google. Microsoft Live does the same thing with Microsoft products. The difference is that you get the full and latest version of the interface. Google Docs is a bit more watered down version of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. At any rate, you clearly see the potential of sharing docs with students.
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