Week 8: Thing EIGHTEEN

I opted to register with Google Docs rather than Zoho Writer, for no other reason than because I already have an existing Google account. I like Google Docs for the fact that it permits the user to create documents that are readily transferable and allows for easy sharing and collaboration. In fact, on the same day that I was creating my own Google Doc, I was invited to use the application to collaborate on a group document for a presentation I am giving at the upcoming Alaska Society for Technology in Education (ASTE) conference. The document was originally created as a loose agenda for the presentation, and then it evolved into something of a discussion board. In this regard, I got to experience firsthand the usefulness of Google Docs.

As mentioned above, I created a document in Google Docs; it is a rubric for an activity I do with my Integrated Science classes called the Periodic Table of Fruits. First of all, one of the most impressive things about Google Docs is its versatility. Documents are not the only items that can be created in Google Docs -- other options include presentations (like Powerpoint), spreadsheets (like Excel), and questionnaire-type forms. The features that I like about Google Docs are that many of the tools in the toolbar resemble that of Microsoft Word. I also like the fact that the document can be created from scratch, or uploaded from either your computer or from the internet. One of the most convenient features is having the ability to convert the document to HTML, email it, or post to it a URL for sharing.

For all of its convenience and simplicity, Google Docs does have some drawbacks. When uploading a document, many of the existing formatting features are lost. Likewise, for as many features that Google Docs has which parallel Microsoft Word, Google Docs offers a very limited toolbar. I felt as though I couldn't create a document with quite as much creativity as I am used to.