In the first phase of introducing Google Docs, students worked together to collaborate ideas about a hero in Google Docs that was shared with all the users. This was their first exposure to Google Docs. They loved it! They were excited that they could see other working and really liked fixing the mistakes of each other. Then I used it to help guide them in their own writing piece about a hero.
In this phase of Google Docs, the students will take more ownership of their writing pieces. Today, they chose a topic, and a partner to create a collaborative paper on a given topic from start to finish. This week we will focus on getting everyone to the computer to practice signing in and finding their shared document. Next week we will begin digitally commenting using the peer conference questions used in previous writing prompts to help provide constructive feedback as we transition from the first draft to the final draft process. The wiki was reintroduced today as an important part of our writing to communicate their ideas while also considering their audience, using formal register and providing complete thoughts about their side of the issue.
