Using Google Docs and using Google Docs Education Edition

First of all let's take a look at what Google Docs offers.  Google Docs allows the user to create documents, spreadsheets, presentations and forms -all online from any computer with an Internet connection - preferably with a high speed connection.  This allows students to access their documents anytime, anyplace without the need of plugging in USB drives to school computers in order to download homework.

You can invite others to collaborate on your document and can make changes together at the same time.  A record is kept of the edits and owners can revert back to an earlier version if the need arises. 

Sharing a document is as easy as sending a link.  As the owner of the document you have the ability to set restrictions on document sharing and viewing and can set up viewers and/or collaborators.

You can even upload an existing document, spreadsheet or presentation in order to work on it online.  There are size limitations however.

Google Docs - the Education Edition works a bit differently in that your school board can set up a google educational site with google using your own domain.

Once you have established your educational account with Google, your administrator would have the ability to set up user accounts for staff and students.  According to the terms of use students must be 13 or older.

Advantages of using the educational version are:

• the teacher can monitor the student accounts and content
• easy to reset forgotten passwords
• accounts can be deleted once the semester or school year is done
• no personal information needs to be given about the students
• users have access to Google Docs, a shared calendar, google talk and google sites.  These features can only be accessed and shared by others with accounts in your "own" Google domain.
• no advertising

For more information on using Google Apps - Education Edition go to:

http://edu.googleapps.com/tutorials-and-tips

Lesson plans can be found here:

http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/lesson_plans.html

Keep updated with the latest features that have been added.

from the official Google Channel - Google Docs in Plain English

In a nutshell - the key features of google docs are:

• Create and share your work online