Weekly Report & Reflection Blog Post #7

Technology is increasingly changing and enhancing the workplace and the learning environment; transforming today’s methodologies and analogies replacing them with new and efficient ways to connect, interact, learn with and from each other.  The skills obtained from digital literacy programs within educational environments, are finding themselves in the working world by the very students who were trained to master them. 

I have been using Google Docs for sometime now as it is a convenient way to collaborate on presentations and documents with my colleagues in real time and across distances.  Additionally, it provides the flexibility to easily store and access files on the “cloud” to eliminate the need to carry around USB keys, have compatibility issues with various versions, or the need to have MS Office installed on any device I decide to use, such as my smartphone or iPad.  Of course, I would need to ensure that I would have access to the Internet in order to retrieve my files on the “cloud”. 

In this course, we were asked to use Google Docs to collaborate on our group presentations and Today’s Meet to brainstorm ideas.  The ability to share documents and ideas in real-time with my peers on a shared cloud allows for seamless collaboration, editing capabilities, brainstorming fluidity and much more. 

Socially integrated web applications have already started to break ground in educational environments.  The inclusion of tools such as Google Docs into modern-day classrooms have the potential to facilitate collaboration amongst students, break time barriers, login with various mediums without the need of specific software, and log time contribution.  It also allows for one-on-one, teacher-to- student time, giving professors the ability to login, find active or inactive students to help monitor their progress and provide formative feedback, regardless of time.  In fact, from my Feedly Reader, I came across an article that talks about a tool that allows educators to leave voice comments on Google documents.  Google Docs can also be used to permit class wide access to all student projects, but limiting editing access within student groups.  Not only does this allow for continued out of class learning experience, but instills a best practice environment and culture –where students are able see and match the work of others or exceed expectations as group projects may become competitive in nature thus raising the bar.

In the past, access to technology was limited, expensive and complicated.  The future has many promising innovations and technologies that are going to make it easier to access, analyze, share and contribute information in our digital society.   New applications are constantly being developed; we are fortunate to have many independent open source developers (most of whom are students themselves) to ensure widespread use and affordability.