Thing 16

Google Docs can be used in my personal life when I work on a collaborative document. The ability to access a document through the Internet from different locations and to be used by multiple users simultaneously is a time saver. Google Docs would be convenient to use when planning a family reunion and family members were compiling attendance, events, or menu items. Having one document for everyone to work on would stop the deluge of email attachments.

At school Google Docs could change how a computer applications class is taught. A component of a computer applications class is to use an identical assignment for all students in order to teach them how to use the Microsoft software. It is not a collaborative effort. With Google Docs it would be possible for students to have a completed assignment saved in Google Docs with other students having access to it. The Google Docs document could be accessed and saved by any invited student in the format used by Microsoft products and handed in as their own work. The students could create a group using a home computer and their own email addresses.

Also, with Google Docs being readily available and free will Microsoft products become obsolete? Although Google Docs does not possess the advanced features of the Microsoft products, it has a good selection of the basic features most people use. In addition, it is accessible from any computer with Internet access. School districts are facing budget cuts and software licensing for a district is expensive. This could be seen as an inexpensive solution.