OfficeFunctions


 * The Cloud: Google Docs**

Google Docs essentially offers a Microsoft Works suite, for free, online, in the cloud. Rather than read a lot of description, this __[|video]__ helps you understand what it is about.

Although this video is barely more than a year old, two new features have been added to the word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation documents mentioned here that are particularly exciting:
 * "Forms" allows you create online forms and gather responses - similar in functionality to Zoomerang or Survey Monkey, if you are familiar with one of those services.
 * "Drawing" give you a graphics drawing package. This feature appeared only about a month before class, so I haven't investigated it, or used it, as much as the other features - but having a good drawing package is very useful.

While the video is directed at educational applications, the concern at this point is less using Google Docs with students than using it yourself. Clearly the collaborative aspects are potentially significant as you do group work throughout your graduate experience here at JBC. If you want a more detailed instruction set there are Atomic Learning tutorials for __Documents__, __Spreadsheets__, and __Presentations__.

Having said that we are not concerned in __this__ course about using Google Docs with students, I do want to address a point made in the video so that you do not dismiss using Google Docs in the classroom too quickly. The video does note that students under 13 are not really intended to have independent Google accounts, but there is mention of working around this situation using something referenced as Google Apps. Google Apps opens a suite of services beyond Google Docs and Gmail - going into calendars and wiki services for defined groups. Some schools have established a Google Apps site, but, if not, you can establish a Google Apps site by purchasing a domain for $10/yr. It may be that you can set up a free Google Apps site just for your classroom, as well. The term "Docs" can be used for the whole suite, or just for the word processing component of the suite.

Here is a __[|video]__ on how to use Forms. The Drawings portion of Google Docs is very new. Here is an __[|announcement]__ that mentions it.

Feel free to experiment with Forms and Drawing in an "exploratory" mode. Both could be particularly powerful in your teaching (and personal) endeavors. __Chinese Option__If you anticipate spending time teaching in China, Google Apps are not likely to be available there. Instead of Google Docs, take a look at the Zoho Suite of applications. Zoho is structured differently than Google. While Google Docs is a subset of the array of Google options, Zoho does not have a comparable subset, although it does offer most of the apps contained in Google Docs. - Zoho Docs is a file sharing app, but apparently without the simultaneous collaborative nature of the file sharing incorporated within the Google Docs apps. - Zoho Writer is about like Google Docs: Document - Zoho Sheet is about like Google Docs: Spreadsheet - Zoho Show is about like Google Docs: Presentation - Zoho Polls is about like Google Docs: Form - Zoho does not appear to have a drawing app comparable to Google Docs: Drawing

Unfortunately, I do not have any prepared tutorials or guides for Zoho. For this assignment, though, we just are looking a the core Office Functions: Word Processing, Spreadsheets and Presentation software. We will be looking at Polls/Forms and drawing functions in separate TECH experiences the next couple of days. See what you can glean from Zoho by comparing the features with comparable Microsoft software.

There is a huge amount to look at in the class time we have to consider Google Docs/Zoho Suite. I would expect you to have some experience with some sort of word processor coming into this class. Compare the word processing function to whatever word processor(s) you have used in the past. What are strengths and weaknesses of Google Docs/Zoho Writer as a word processor in that comparison? You may have less experience with spreadsheet software, or presentation software.. Please try to work with at least 1 of these remaining 2 functions within Google Docs/Zoho and describe, briefly, what you find about how they work, along with your analysis of the word processing function, in the email you send as your Performance Record for this segment of TECH.
 * Performance Record **