We have 22 new laptops coming for our grade level in the fall. We were told that there's a good chance that the district will not be loading Microsoft Office on them. It was recommended that we use either Open Office or Google Docs, instead. Needless to say, I was really curious to see how these programs will work for primary kids, how to set them up, and how they will work with the existing programs on our old computer equipment.
Here is a link to Google for Educators, which has information for teachers that I found very helpful. It explains how to use Google docs in the classroom and how to set up classroom accounts. Each child needs an individual e-mail address.
Unfortunately, Google says children have to be 13 or older to use Google Docs. So it looks like this won't work for my students.
It can work for the teachers, though. The only downside I could find is that it cannot upload the animation features from PowerPoint presentations.
Open Office is a lot like Microsoft Word, only not as fancy. It does not automatically come with clip art. There are free clip art add-ons, but they don't even come close to Microsoft when it comes to quality and selection. I wonder if you have to add the add-on to each individual computer? I think 2nd graders will have no difficulty using Open Office.
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yes, the age requirement does affect plans often, but you are so comfortable with the wiki idea as you have written, couldn't you adapt this idea to a wiki...you create the wiki and each child has a "page" to work off of...adding his/her own pages as needed...documents, projects, etc can be uploaded or linked to each child's page.
ReplyDeleteas far as working space within Google Docs...could you have a generic class account and each student opoens up an individual document to work in or share with other class members. that way they would not write over each other's work.
there would need to be "rules" about how to name things so everyone would know whose is whose and respect for others things as in "not messing" with other work....
I think you really have your idea pretty much already in place despite the age thing!
Thanks for your input! I think the wiki idea will work.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what you mean about the Google Docs. Do you mean that if I set a generic class account in my name with my e-mail address, it is o.k. for the children to access it using my name and my e-mail address?
I would create a email address and account solely for hat purpose (or other class purposes as well) but not have it tied to anything personally of yours...
ReplyDeleteyou of course would be the Adm, but with a separate email that should keep things in different parts of your online world, don't you think?
emsail me and I will get you some more help!