I Heart Google Docs

Those who know me understand that I take a very utilitarian (and cautious) approach to technology. I am not into the latest bells and whistles. I don’t have a smart phone, and abhor texting. I believe that we should explore the strengths and weaknesses of all technologies before we adopt them. 

Now, with that said, let me tell you, I love Google Docs. I love Google Docs so much I am thinking of having t-shirts printed "I Heart Google Docs" (not really, but you get the idea).

I am going to explore why more fully in future posts, but let me just tell you that it has changed the way I work. With Google Docs, I can, and do, collaborate will colleagues around the world with great ease. We never have to send documents back and forth, but instead work in the same document, synchronously or asynchronously. We can meet in the document, watch each other work, and chat about key aspects of an article. I have learned so much by watching colleagues write; it is almost as if I am able to step inside their minds and explore their thinking about an issue. Fascinating stuff.

Here is a Google Docs tutorial on YouTube to get you started.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMqdex3KDQM

I will write more about how we use this wonderful tool in a subsequent post. In fact, next week I am going to create an open-to-all Google Docs file that will serve as an example (you can keep Google Docs documents open to everyone, to anyone with the link to a specific document, or open only to those you invite).


Give this powerful collaborative tool a try, and check back for more.