Evaluation of Communication Tool:  Google Docs

CRITERION	SCORE (1-3)	NOTES
Learning Effectiveness	2	- Provides real world experiences - When combined with teaching, the application extends the student’s learning
Reliability & Support	3	- Student is able to access the program with minimal support - Efficiency in speed and design - Easy to correct errors
Ease of Use	3	- Program automatically saves work - Students at all levels are able to learn the tool easily - Student can use several applications within one tool (video, communication, presentation, audio)
Safety	3	- Ad free - Academic links can be embedded - Individual login - Secure environment - Able to share work & interact with other users
Technology Requirements	3	- Unlimited free student & staff  accounts - Simultaneous collaboration on projects, documents - Web-based - Use on multiple platforms:  laptops iPads, iPods
Curriculum	1	Non-applicable

Google Docs is a wonderful communication tool for my students.  It’s a word processor that has the ability to allow my students to interact with each and the teacher.  I love being able to have virtual teacher conferences on their writing by leaving comments and ideas for the students to work on during class.  In the time it used to take me to meet with one or two students, I’m now able to leave numerous comments on 20 stories.  Peer conferencing is more meaningful because students write to each other offering suggestions to make their peer’s story better.  Time is focused on the story and not the socialization aspect.

Google Docs is also a format I can use like TodaysMeet.  If I post a prompt about a lesson, students can reply to me either publically amongst their classmates or to me privately.  I’m able to receive their feedback and direct my instruction.

The only necessity is for students to have a Google email.  Since all of my students have Google emails, Google Docs is a plus in my classroom.  I have to agree with the teacher noted in Web 2.0 who shared that the most effective and influential one (Web 2.0 tool) has been Google Docs.