More teachers using Google Docs

I’m happy to report that there was a lot of progress last week as teachers returned to school for professional development.

After a yearlong campaign, Google Docs has gained some momentum.

If there’s one good thing about teacher turnover (seven teachers this year), it’s that new teachers are more open to trying Google Docs.

It’s not just because they’re usually younger; it’s also that they want to fit in.

I’m happy to see my colleagues moving away from Microsoft Office to Google Docs. Teachers are now initiating Google Docs without my prompting. Here are some examples:

• Shared office hours chart so everyone knows when teachers are available to help students after school;
• Shared common curriculum for Advisory Retreat;
• Shared substitute call list that will always stay current.

These sound simple, but it’s the little things that make schools run more efficiently. Undue, unnecessary stress emerges when information is outdated, inaccurate, or duplicated. At my school, there are versions upon versions of Word documents, saved in different locations on the server, with no one knowing exactly which is which, and with everyone nervous about deleting another person’s work.

Now it’s time to take this energy and build off it. What’s important this year will be training staff to use Google Docs so they feel confident in using the applications and incorporating them into their teaching.