Google Docs & Collaboration

Collaboration is now available without meeting!
With transition of support members each year and teacher turnover, site-based support has the potential to always start at “Ground Zero”- always reinventing the work. Google Docs & Spreadsheets has the capacity to assist support teams to move from reactive to proactive by providing a way to collaborate with peers on written documents without the barriers of scheduling meeting times for every stage in the collaborative process.

A school that collaborates on being plan-centered can have:
*written criteria for the selection of the support staff
*specific responsibilities of each support team member
*developed a written list of expectations for every staff member
*scheduled time, opportunity, and resources to support staff members
*developed written induction protocols

Google Docs can be used to collaborate on a document online in real time without the need to download additional software or pay for a license fee. The Google Docs interface is similar to Word and supports tables, images, and the ability to revert to older versions.
If you have a Google Account, you are ready to begin. At Google.com select MORE (found above the search window) and then select EVEN MORE. In the Communicate, Show, and Share section click on the Docs & Spreadsheets.

By utilizing Google Docs & Spreadsheets as a collaboration tool, what possibilities exist with your support team that was not available before?

A tour of the service is available at the following address: http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html
User information can be found at the following address:
http://docs.google.com/support/?hl=en_US

Source: Randall Deich, NESS Program Facilitator