Saturday, March 8, 2008

Week 8, Thing #18

Online Applications:
I've been using Google Docs for the past few months and have found it to be a very useful tool. First, I used it to create my weekly schedule. I then published the schedule and made it available for the staff to view by sending out a weekly e-mail with the link. It's been part of my effort to reduce paper and copying usage and be a little more "green". You can view a sample of the online schedule by clicking here.
I also use the same template that I created for the schedule to develop my lesson plans. However, I don't publish my lesson plans on the web. What I like about having my lesson plans accessible online is that I can adjust them easily as the week progresses. My schedule often changes and my lessons often need tweaking. Plus, I can place links right on my plans that lead me to online resources I might need for a given lesson.
My district library colleagues and I use Google Docs for collaborative documents. For example, we have been drafting a letter to the board of education regarding our need for a new library automation system. We find this an effective way to collaboratively draft a document, much better than sending and resending an attachment via e-mail.
I've also played around with the Google calendar. The calendar has a lot of great features. I especially like the way you're able to block time slots weekly, biweekly, or monthly for an extended period of time. It's also very easy to publish your calendar to a blog or website.

1 comment:

bibliofan said...

I support you in your efforts to be more "green". Publishing your schedule to the web is a great idea.