for me. When searching for things we "google" it. When setting up a new email, many choose a gmail account. So when it comes time to collaborate Google Docs seems like a perfect choice. For my students to collaborate on a project they sometimes have difficulty merging too many different applications. Some students use Microsoft Office at home but may have an older version that has trouble opening or working with newer versions. Then we have Mac users and also others that don't have any software for word processing installed. Open Office appeals to those who didn't want to purchase a costly product but that doesn't provide the collaboration that Google Docs has to offer.
Not only can the students use Google Docs for word processing, they can use it to plan a
party, I mean learning experience. You can create a sign up sheet to get people to bring things for the event. The students can access the spread sheet from home instead of passing around a paper, signing up for something and forgetting what they said they would bring.
Next year I will use this tool to prepare for our New Year's celebrations.
Image Citation: Fireworks of Saint Ramon II (Spain) by cerovaci. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
