Using Google Docs with Year 13

I have wanted to use Google Docs for a while now but kept stumbling over how to do it.  I think sometimes you can over-think something, rather than trying to get it right, there is a case for just doing it.  It has been nearly a year since I attended the Google Academy and up to now I had only used Google docs in training teachers.

This week I found two rather excellent uses for it.  The first was an AfL task.  I had delivered an input on Virtue Ethics for my year 13 class and needed to be sure that they had all grasped the key points so created series of questions using Google forms.  It took me only as long as it takes to think of the questions but gave me an overall picture of everyone's understanding and also allowed me to identify where the work wasn't been done so I could issue a friendly reminder to those students lacking motivation.  It was by far the most useful piece of assessment work I have done with my students in a while.  The second task was a collaborative presentation on Modern Virtue Ethics.  I found myself off sick with flu this week - with exams looming, we really don't have time to lose.  I set up a presentation and invited each student to share it.  Each student was given a different source to read and had to log on and contribute to the presentation.  End result? My absence has in no way hindered my students progress and my students have been able to provide peer support to one another whilst learning new material.

So what have I learned this week?  I need to stop thinking in terms of how can I fit technology in and start thinking about how technology can solve existing problems.  I guess you don't have to start big, you just have to start.