Exhibition and Google Docs

Exhibition & Google Docs

Google docs has helped all of us communicate and stay organized during Exhibition.  All students were set up with their own email accounts and were taught some basic lessons on using email and how to use google docs.  Our media specialist set up a template for research, the students organized themselves by color (when adding to the google doc) and they were off running.  

 Page 1 - Everyone has their Central Idea and lines of inquiry on the first page.  I am writing notes to them right on the top so they can see them when they open up their google doc.   

Page 2 and more and more and more-  Organized by line of inquiry with another section for bibliography under each line of inquiry. 

They have several pages of facts and it is all neatly organized!  They shared the google doc with me and with their mentors.  I can check on their research at any time from anywhere.  It was really exciting when one night last week, I checked in on their progress and there were 3 of us working on the google doc at the same time.  The students were thrilled to see my little icon pop up!

Students also  jumped into using the survey option on Google Docs and several surveys have gone out to other members of the school community. 

It just shows you that once they have the tools and know how to use them, they feel empowered and go for it!  

As students showed off their google docs during Student Led Conferences parents were so impressed with the tech skills and amount of work that has been done! 

Today they looked over the research on the google doc and each student chose a line of inquiry that they will write about. When they are finished, each group will write an introductory paragraph as well as a conclusion and put it all together.   Tomorrow we head to the media center to tackle the writing component.   Homework tonight is to generate a powerful topic sentence linked to the line of inquiry and be ready to share it with the class.  

*I have been to a few sessions on Doctopus and I am looking forward to implementing it next year.  A few teachers at our school use it and they love the way it  keeps things streamlined and organized.  Wish I could have had it set up for this year...