Comments on: What my class thought of our Google Docs project

By: Recent URLs tagged Behaviour - Urlrecorder

Recent URLs tagged Behaviour - Urlrecorder — Sun, 24 May 2009 16:01:12 +0000

[...] recorded first by nicknotned on 2009-04-19→ What my class thought of our Google Docs project [...]

By: helenotway

helenotway — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:00:11 +0000

Hi Tom,
Great observations of the challenges of group work. Like you I have found that modeling good practice is a great help – actually allows the kids to see it first hand – cooperation, negotiation and shared editing. I can remember drafting a ‘movie proposal’ with Kerron, a colleague of mine in front of our classes. We were used to working together on presentations for conferences, so working on this class activity came very naturally. The students (about 60) were quiet and glued to what we were discussing and drafting. Kerron and I were taken aback with just how powerful this modeling was.
Thanks for sharing,
Helen

By: Marianne Malmstrom

Marianne Malmstrom — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:57:39 +0000

Fascinating reflections from the kids. Like so much of life, the things that we find annoying are ofte the same things we love (as illuminate by your students). Collaboration has its headaches and joys, often separated by a mighty thin line. Congrats to your kids on telling it like it is!

Tom, I enjoyed and appreciated your feedback and lessons learned. Did your students give any feedback as to what THEY would change or recommend for future projects?

By: Jim E

Jim E — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:56:43 +0000

I have some of the same issues your students describe. The one thing I love on Google Docs, as a teacher, is the Revision History. You can go back and check to see who made changes. Just the other day I was doing a workshop on using Google Docs. I wanted to use a poetry project one of the teachers I worked with earlier the year did with her students. We used Google Presentation and had each student put their poem on a slide. When I went to review the project before the workshop, I saw that one of the slides had been modified–and not in so nice of a way. By clicking on Revisions, I found out right away who did it–it was not the original author. Can’t wait to see the student on the first day this year.

Great work using Google Docs. I think it’s one of the easiest/best way to introduce online collaboration to our students and to our teachers. Also, there’s a chat feature in Google Spreadsheets–I’m hoping they add it to Docs and Presentation (in edit mode). Take care.

By: Simon Bourne

Simon Bourne — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:23:30 +0000

Tom, well done. You have highlighted the need for good communication skills, an integral part of the ICT we teach.
Our yr6 pupils (11 yr olds) also had a go at this collaboration using one note (MS) and again it was the idea of deletion that really got some of the users annoyed.
This does need looking at and I’m sure more collaborative projects, such as simple ones : like building the tallest tower with 5 sheets of newspaper, can begin to teach the children collaboration.
On another tack I’m also sure that many schools will be watching your 1:1 ratio with envy, I’d love that sort of ratio here.
Hopefully with the work you are doing it will become more of a mainstream concept and things will improve nationally. More funding from Government?!
Enough of that, thanks for sharing the projet with us all, now make sure you have a great summer break.

By: Dean Groom

Dean Groom — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:04:25 +0000

Its amazing to see the reflective comments – but better lean now about the frustrations of group work than later! You’re completely insane doing this with such young learners. But see just how much they learned – about learning and people. Thanks for sharing!

By: n2teachingonline

n2teachingonline — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:54:51 +0000

Insightful student comments that will be a great guide for teachers. Like the bubble comment idea. could even sort them by similarities and graph. Thanks for the valuable post.

By: Richard Smart

Richard Smart — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:30:55 +0000

Hey…
Another great post. I work with high school students (14 – 18 year olds) and even used google docs in a grad-school class this winter. My students, and my colleagues all had the same problems as your kids. Google docs certainly requires, and teaches individuals how to work in groups!

I wonder though if there is a critical mass of contributors for a document and whether this changes with the document being created… lists seem to work with large numbers, a technical document or paragraphed document has not worked well with more than 4 of my students (interestingly the same as with working in real life groups in class!).

What do you think?

By: Daniel Needlestone

Daniel Needlestone — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:02:33 +0000

I do group ICT projects with my year 8 students. It’s tough work, results vary and it’s hard to assess. But it’s such good practice for the students and most love working in groups even if they are not skilled in it.
I also do thinkquest web design competition and every year we struggle to get anything in (and most teams don’t) as they struggle working in groups. Your project is teaching them an essential skill that is so lacking in many students’ work ICT or otherwise.

By: kristianstill

kristianstill — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:39:59 +0000

Our students raised similar reflections following a spreadsheet activity that was moderated by students.

We will certainly look for ways to incorporate more collaborative projects with our younger students next year!