Week+5

=Week 5 - Online Productivity Tools (2 activities) = =January 31 - February 4 = = Activity 9 - Online Documents: Google Docs In Plain English=

media type="youtube" key="eRqUE6IHTEA" height="405" width="500" The availability and use of online productivity web-based applications (think word processing and spreadsheets) has exploded over the past several years and for good reasons! These powerful applications provide users with the ability to create and share documents over the internet without the need of installed desktop applications.

One large benefit to web-based applications is that they eliminate the need to worry about different software versions or file types as you email documents or move from PC to PC. Another bonus is that they easy accommodate collaboration by allowing multiple users to edit the same file (with versioning) and provide users the ability to easily save and convert documents as multiple file types (including HTML and pdf). And, you can even use many of these tools, such as Zoho Writer and Google Docs to author and publish posts to your blog. It’s this type of integration with other web 2.0 tools that also makes web-based apps so appealing.

For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to take a look at the web-based word processing tool Google Docs create a simple document and then document your discoveries in your blog.

With Google Docs and web-based applications, the possibilities are endless. =** Discovery Resources: **= A short list of web-based productivity applications The Google Docs Tour  A Google Docs Tutorial For Teachers

=** Discovery Exercise: **= 1. Sign-In To  Google Docs (you will need a gmail account). 2. Explore the site and create a few test documents. 3. Create a blog post about your discoveries. Think about how you could use any of the Google Productivity Tools (Docs, Presentation, Spreadsheet, Form) in your classroom/work. (If you are participating in a group, remember to visit your colleagues’ blogs and comment.)

= Activity 10 - Other Web 2.0 Tools= Throughout the course of this program we have explored just a small sampling of these new internet technologies and websites that are empowering users with the ability to create and share content. But given time there are so many more we could explore. Current estimates place the number of web 2.0 tools at somewhere between 500 & 1000 with only a handful emerging as market dominators. And although time will only tell which of these new collaborative, social networking and information tools will remain on top, one thing is for sure, they're not going to go away (at least anytime soon).

For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to select //any // site from this list of [|Web 2.0 tools and applications]and explore it. With so many to choose from, it might be handy to first select a //category // that interests you (like //Design // <span style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">or //<span style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">Fun //<span style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">) and then simply select a tool/site to explore. Be careful to select a tool that is //<span style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">Free // <span style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">and that doesn't require a plug-in or download. The majority of these free, so this shouldn’t be a problem. (For teachers, check out [|Kathy Schrock’s Ed/Web 2.0 tools].)

=** Discovery Exercise: **= <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">1. Select any site/tool from the list of <span style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">of web 2.0 tools and apps. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">2. Explore the site you selected. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">3. Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about the tool? What were the site’s useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a classroom or school setting?

** Web 2.0 – with so much to explore, just start with ONE. :) **