Showcase: Google Docs and Calendar

Google Docs
I only recently started working with Google Docs, and the more familiar I become with it, the more possibilities I begin to see about its application in teaching. When I first started with it, I only used it to view documents... but with a little bit of playing around, I have discovered many other uses for the application. I really like that the application is unique in its ability for collaboration. This feature can be soooo useful in classroom! Neil talked about using Google Docs as a peer editing devise which I think is a great idea! Moreover, as seen during our showcase, it can be used to create a collaborative presentation to introduce a topic, a open canvas for sharing ideas, or even a way to generate discussion among the class.
I'd have to say that my favorite thing about it though, is that it allows me to collaborate with my peers. The teaching profession and especially the MT program allows for many different opportunities to work with colleagues. Not only does this tool save time, it is so much more efficient than email when it comes to putting together a powerpoints / handouts / reference lists, etc. I think this might be a very valuable tool to show students when assigning group work. Now students can conveniently add and edit their peer's work without having to physically meet up outside of the classroom. This might just be the solution to overcoming the excuse of "We didn't have time to get together as a group."
I find myself often using Google Docs as a storage devise as well. I have uploaded PDF's , homework assignments, handouts... everything that I would like to have online access to. The advantage of using Google Docs for saving major files to is that it is easily accessible from any computer with internet, and that in order to view the file, I don't have to download it to the hard drive. This is especially helpful when dealing with sensitive files on public computers. Also, it eliminates the need for flash drives, etc.

Drawbacks to Google Docs
I found it quite difficult to get everyone in the class to sign up for Google docs and then getting everyone invited into the collaboration process. Although I realize that this is a one time process, it is still something that needs to be considered when deciding to embark on the use of Docs.
Also, you might have noticed, copying and pasting in Docs is not as simple as a mouse click. It is not equipped with click-copy / click-paste abilities, so one has to use keyboard commands (crtl+ c / ctrl + v. Although this is not a huge problem, it is still something that takes a little bit of time to get used to.

Google Calendar
One of the teachers at my field placement showed me how she used Google Calendar in her classroom. She had one calendar for every class she taught, and updated all of them on a daily basis. She added information regarding what they did in class as well as the homework that was assigned. Some teachers prefer to use a "Homework Blog" for this, but I find it quite tedious to navigate blogs looking for information for a specific date. Calendar is a great way to make these blogs more user friendly. I was so excited when I learned that the calendars were embeddable! It eliminates the step of having to invite everyone to view your calendar... which means it opens up the accessibility for all parents and students. I also like the fact that once the calendar is embedded, students can navigate through it to view what happened last week/month/year.
Teaching requires a LOT of organization! I think that Calendar, although a small tool, can really help in maintaining sanity in the classroom!

I think Google has come up with wonderful applications, and when used correctly (or shall I say creatively) these tools can greatly benefit our profession. It is just about finding the right program and applying it to your individual classroom needs.
I am so happy that I explored the topic of Docs and Calendar, and think that I will most likely use it in my everyday teaching life.