Google Docs and Digital Tools

     I was first introduced to Google Docs at the middle school where I was employed from 2009-2013. At the time, it was a requirement and the administration offered various "workshops" and encouraged teachers to incorporate the tool into classes. I didn't do a lot with the tool, however, as this was middle school and access to a personal computer or tablet was limited. I have found out, more recently, however, that this is a great tool for promoting collaboration among writers, security against system "crashes" and transient issues with technology.
    In the past, I have tried to incorporate collaboration into the classroom daily. Writing was no exception. I have tried to facilitate group writing the old-fashioned way, only to find it highly unsuccessful. Google Docs was the answer to that since students could co-author the same work through technology. This tool is a safe place for students to share their ideas, collaboratively work on a document and edit that document.
    Google Docs also offers the security of saving work in "the cloud". Rather than have students complaining about the file that was saved to their grandmother's computer, this is a place that can store it all. I can recall emailing myself every document I authored or created while in undergraduate school. I was so proud of how I could work on the document, revise, refine it from any location. This would have been helpful.
     In response to the article, " The Impact of Paperless Grading", by Houston, I must say that I have recently made efforts to create a paperless classroom. Our school does not have subscriptions to GradeMark or Turnitin, but I would be eager to try these if they were available. We do, however, use digital tools such as Edmodo, a site resembling Facebook with an educational twist, and Dropbox. Both tools offer students and instructors a way to digitally turn in and organize work. I typically allow students to email their work to me as an attachment and I use the "Track Changes" and "comment" tools from Microsoft Word to offer feedback. This has been more beneficial than the traditional method of turning in work.

   Overall, Digital tools enhance the classroom, particularly the writing classroom. By fostering collaboration through tools like Google Docs, and offering a secure deposit site, students are held accountable, instructors are more organized, and education moves with the future. One issue concerning digital tools and its impact on writing, however, is the issue of plagiarism. This issue requires dutiful attention from instructors and integrity of students. I work around this issue in my classroom by also implementing traditional writing on paper to familiarize myself with the student's writing ability. And of course, when a submission raises suspicion, it is easy to research it. In my class, it is often found at Spark Notes.