Source: Tweet from @tgray352

Thank to Tanya’s tweet, I was reminded of two instance of GoogleDocs. Earlier this week (what, yesterday?) I facilitated a short session–too short–on GoogleDocs (here’s the online handout, although you’ll need to login as a guest). I also shared some links to videos, and other resources, these in particular:

• Video- Why Teachers, Educators, and Students Should Use Google Docs (some familiar faces and names in this!). One teacher said after we’d struggled through logging in and captcha, “Could we see this video? I need to know why.” I had to chuckle.
• Video – GoogleDocs in Plain English.
• Student Uses of Google Docs at Stonewall Jackson HS
• Teaching Collaborative Revision with GoogleDocs
• Education Templates for GoogleDocs

Last Friday, one of my team and I urged an superintendent-type to use GoogleForms to capture data. Several examples come to mind:

“We need to collect all this PTA contact data, quick!” How was that going to happen?
“We’ll send an email with an MS Word attached form…can we attach an audio file explaining how to fill it out?” My teammate and I just looked at each other for a second. No! There’s is an EASIER way and every day, I pray that I’ll have the chance to share it with others (you know, isn’t that we ed-techies do? Pray for them to ask for deliverance so we can show up and…well…deliver them?)

So, in about 20 minutes, we had the concept and the work begun. My colleague worked on the project, becoming an instant folk-hero and garnering the praise of the people who would have had to deal with an avalanche of MS Word files. The survey is up, online, and collecting data–MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, or should I say, “SAVED! CAN I HEAR A HALLELUJAH?!?”

That was example #1. High level superintendent type gets GoogleDocs religion, is profoundly grateful to the techno-cult high priests who made it possible.

Example #2 – “I want to collect math data from every campus in the district. We need this right away because we’re applying for a grant. Please fill out this survey (attached in MS Word) and send it back to me ASAP.” GoogleDocs to the rescue.

Example #3 – In-house data collection tool used to track campus contacts screws up, and no one remembers how to fix the MySQL database and PHP connections well enough, fast enough to get it up in time for new school year. Solution? Set the survey up in GoogleDocs and ask folks to submit the info.

Example #4 – GoogleDocs to the rescue, but for a teacher.

A teacher working on a grant called me up this summer, “I’ve lost my pen drive! It has all my work on the grant on it!” While I sympathized with her, I encouraged her to get a GoogleDocs account and save her work online. That way, she could work on it from work and home without having to worry about losing a pen drive, emailing the document back-n-forth. She could also invite collaborators–like her principal and/or instructional guide–to check her progress. And, when the work was done, she could save her GoogleDocs document as an MS Word file that anyone in the district could read.

GoogleDocs…just plain nifty. Here’s another testimonial from Timothy, a principal (read his blog), sent to me via email:

Love you post on google docs… we have actually set up a google docs site just for our school and are using it a ton! Teams of teachers are communicating with kids, parents, and themselves. I am fortunate to have some lead teachers who are really our experts. Thanks for the post!

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