Google+Documents


 * Google Documents

Imagine, if you will, your regular process for sharing documents with people in different locations. Generally speaking, people will either send a document as an attachment via e-mail, or save multiple copies of the document and distribute to people individually on thumb drives, CD-ROMs, or DVD-ROMs.

Now, imagine that all of that confusion, revision and redistribution, lost copies, and possible lost documents have all gone away. This is the advantage of using Google Documents.

Google Documents allow people to create, edit, and distribute documents to one central location where access can be controlled by the owner of the document. This allows multiple users of that document or documents to access them without having to worry about copying, distributing, or losing their valuable material.

For example, our class this semester uses Google Documents as a way to distribute course materials. Our instructor can post the syllabus, assignments, grading rubrics, or whatever else she chooses, and not have to send individual e-mails to each student in the cohort.** ​ Video on Google Documents

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 * This opens a vast realm for educators and schools alike. Teachers could post class lists, supply lists, summer reading lists, homework assignments for students to complete, and any number of items that need to have a wide distribution. Schools could share documents concerning school policies, letters home to parents concerning important dates, class schedules, permission slips. The implications for distributing documents without wasting paper are endless.**

[|Click here] **for one example of a Microsoft Word document that is published in Google Documents**. **As you can see, a course syllabus can be sent out via an e-mail and link to a document, thereby reducing the bandwith used by attaching it to several e-mails.**

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