Google Docs....Who knew?

A few weeks ago I discovered a gem, a treasure chest of gems.  In my district every student has a Google Drive and Google Calender account, who knew?  So I checked out our one laptop cart in the basement (yes, one for about 12 teachers to share) for as many days I could and had fun!  In the past two weeks I have had my students create their activities in Google Documents and take a summative assessment on Google Forms.  As a social studies educator,  I look more for the content targets in the writing, not grammar or spelling.  When a student turns in a handwritten writing assignment I find myself distracted grammar, spelling and sentence structures. My feedback on the assignment tends to lean more to the ELA side and the Social Studies target seems to be forgotten.  Trying to give specific and constructive feedback on a handwritten assignment becomes tendentious chore.  I find myself writing and rewriting the same feedback, over and and over again, (holy hand cramp!)   With Google Docs I can give specific and constructive feedback while the students are working, not after everything is turned in. Copy and paste have become my new best friends!   Google Docs allows me to highlight and question the ELA standards, but focus more on the content, the social studies, actual target the students are reach. I can guide students in their writing, not wait for the final product. I ask the students question about their writing, get direct questions back, and see the links in their learning.  Also it allows the students to see how their writing is a living thing, how it takes shape, how it forms and how it grows.  One piece of writing is never really complete.

Google Docs has allowed the students to collaborate together on their writing.  They share their document with each other which allows them to comment, help,question and push each other. The students have shared one of their assignments with Lisa Glenn (@educatorlisa, +Lisa Glenn ) from New Global Citizens.  She helped create and design one of their lessons.  The students were so excited to see these comments pop up. As Lisa would comment back and work with them students you could see their excitement on the activity grow.  The students would say "Did you see what Ms. Glenn commented?" "It is so cool that Ms. Glenn is working with us!" "Ms. Glenn on here right now!" They respond back to her and I believe they took her comments more seriously than mine.

When introducing a writing activity to the students was meet with groans and complaints "We write more in Social Studies than we do in ELA!"  But groans and complaints are no more.  The students are seeing the link between writing, expression, and social studies content. Google Docs in not just a gem, it is a treasure chest of gems.  It has unlocked potential and opened new worlds for my students.  Google Docs....who knows were it will take the learner next?