As our summer term Google Docs project drew to a close I asked the children in my class to reflect on what we had done. I asked them to record the one thing they found the biggest challenge about working together with Google Docs and the aspect they enjoyed the most.
No I didn’t set up a Google form with a spreadsheet to pool our thoughts – I just asked them to write them on some paper speech bubbles. Some of their responses formed part of our Geography display.
Below I have transcribed them as they are, which provides a revealing picture about the project.
Biggest Challenge when working together in Google Docs:
- When everyone gets a laptop and everyone delets stuff.
- The hardest thing for me is when were in groups and we are all sharing the same document.
- Delite stuff what we need.
- My biggest challenge is problems happening on google docs like things what I cants solve for myself.
- Putting up with arguing with other people.
- The thing I find hardest is when two or more people are on the same document and are writing in the same space.
- When we are all not talking and people move stuff and people shout.
- I find it difficult when the whole group work on the same document.
- It is hard to work with other people.
- The biggest challenge is to stop arguing.
- The thing I find hard would be the working together.
- When thay move things around.
- When you are trying concentrate on your work.
- I think it has bin a tough challenge getting use to working together because you have to talk then work and then talk etc.
- Probably if somone eles deleats your work.
- It is a challing when other pepole are writing where you are,
Most enjoyable part:
- The most thing I enjoy is that we work as a group.
- What I injoy the most about Google Docs is being able to see what other people are doing.
- I’ve enjoyed it because I like doing research about india becasue there is a lot of things about india.
- I like working this way because we can chat on the computer.
- The best thing is that one person has a laptop.
- I like the fact that we can chat on google docs.
- I have enjoyed working in this way because it gives us a chance to use the laptops more and get to work in partners more.
- I’ve enjoyed it about google dogs like researching and doing a presentation.
- I enjoy working as a group.
- That we get to talk and wright on the same doc.
- I like the chat.
- We get more ideas down.
- I enjoy working on google docs and wth other people.
It is very important that these comments help to define what we do with Google Docs in the new academic year.
The children have clearly told me here that the biggest challenge is working as a group. Before we began using Google Docs the class struggled to participate collaboratively in group activities, I knew this. Working on a document at the same time as someone else is new classroom behaviour and in my opinion needs to be modelled. Just as we would model the correct way to use a hacksaw or modelling how to write in a particular style – we can facilitate the group dynamics by modelling collaborative authoring in Google Docs. But the tool is not a magic answer to communication and working in a group as you can see from the children’s comments. When you undertake a Google Docs project, if you are working on a shared doc between a group, communication and talk must be the most important focus – not the tool.
The chat has been a popular part of the work we have done, although it is only in the presentation tool that you can instant message. This did prove a very powerful learning activity and I would recommend a reflective backchannel that collates feedback to be part of future presentation projects. Comments about seeing what other people are doing and getting more ideas down are interesting as children perhaps become more accountable for their contributions in a group – reminding me of the way Voicethread allows you to see the efforts of others.
There have been many positives from this project and I have been really pleased how Google Docs has performed so reliably under classroom conditions (30 laptops 1 wireless access point) and I would strongly recommend the two following elements to focus on if you are undertaking a similar project with your classes.
- Model good practices – much of what the children will experience with synchronous document editing is totally new. They may have never done anything like it before and it is a new way to work in the classroom. We found that the children had a better understanding both functionally and socially/collaboratively when we modelled good practice, and gave a commentary about what we were doing as we worked together in Google Docs.
- Communication is key – beyond learning about the functionality of Google Docs (which they picked up very quickly) the children need to understand why communicating as a group is so essential. Spend time talking with the children about what to expect and how best to approach different situations. Troubleshoot groups going off track and work as a class to help solve and suggest solutions. I asked my children are you making your work C.L.E.A.R – Communication with your team, Listening to what is going on around you, Eye contact when we are talking, Ask about problems or issues and Review what is going on in the team. (Once again number 1 can apply a great deal here)
I wish you success with your own classroom Google Docs projects and hope that some of these insights help you to better use the tools to impact children’s learning. Please drop me a line to say what you are up to.
Other relevant posts:
- Google Apps in School – Week 1 , Week 2 , Week 3 , Week 4 , Weeks 5+6
- Creating an emotion graph using Google forms
- Marking work in Google Docs
Hi Tom,
Great observations of the challenges of group work. Like you I have found that modeling good practice is a great help – actually allows the kids to see it first hand – cooperation, negotiation and shared editing. I can remember drafting a ‘movie proposal’ with Kerron, a colleague of mine in front of our classes. We were used to working together on presentations for conferences, so working on this class activity came very naturally. The students (about 60) were quiet and glued to what we were discussing and drafting. Kerron and I were taken aback with just how powerful this modeling was.
Thanks for sharing,
Helen
Fascinating reflections from the kids. Like so much of life, the things that we find annoying are ofte the same things we love (as illuminate by your students). Collaboration has its headaches and joys, often separated by a mighty thin line. Congrats to your kids on telling it like it is!
Tom, I enjoyed and appreciated your feedback and lessons learned. Did your students give any feedback as to what THEY would change or recommend for future projects? 🙂
I have some of the same issues your students describe. The one thing I love on Google Docs, as a teacher, is the Revision History. You can go back and check to see who made changes. Just the other day I was doing a workshop on using Google Docs. I wanted to use a poetry project one of the teachers I worked with earlier the year did with her students. We used Google Presentation and had each student put their poem on a slide. When I went to review the project before the workshop, I saw that one of the slides had been modified–and not in so nice of a way. By clicking on Revisions, I found out right away who did it–it was not the original author. Can’t wait to see the student on the first day this year.
Great work using Google Docs. I think it’s one of the easiest/best way to introduce online collaboration to our students and to our teachers. Also, there’s a chat feature in Google Spreadsheets–I’m hoping they add it to Docs and Presentation (in edit mode). Take care.
Tom, well done. You have highlighted the need for good communication skills, an integral part of the ICT we teach.
Our yr6 pupils (11 yr olds) also had a go at this collaboration using one note (MS) and again it was the idea of deletion that really got some of the users annoyed.
This does need looking at and I’m sure more collaborative projects, such as simple ones : like building the tallest tower with 5 sheets of newspaper, can begin to teach the children collaboration.
On another tack I’m also sure that many schools will be watching your 1:1 ratio with envy, I’d love that sort of ratio here.
Hopefully with the work you are doing it will become more of a mainstream concept and things will improve nationally. More funding from Government?!
Enough of that, thanks for sharing the projet with us all, now make sure you have a great summer break.
Its amazing to see the reflective comments – but better lean now about the frustrations of group work than later! You’re completely insane doing this with such young learners. But see just how much they learned – about learning and people. Thanks for sharing!
Insightful student comments that will be a great guide for teachers. Like the bubble comment idea. could even sort them by similarities and graph. Thanks for the valuable post.
Hey…
Another great post. I work with high school students (14 – 18 year olds) and even used google docs in a grad-school class this winter. My students, and my colleagues all had the same problems as your kids. Google docs certainly requires, and teaches individuals how to work in groups!
I wonder though if there is a critical mass of contributors for a document and whether this changes with the document being created… lists seem to work with large numbers, a technical document or paragraphed document has not worked well with more than 4 of my students (interestingly the same as with working in real life groups in class!).
What do you think?
I do group ICT projects with my year 8 students. It’s tough work, results vary and it’s hard to assess. But it’s such good practice for the students and most love working in groups even if they are not skilled in it.
I also do thinkquest web design competition and every year we struggle to get anything in (and most teams don’t) as they struggle working in groups. Your project is teaching them an essential skill that is so lacking in many students’ work ICT or otherwise.
Our students raised similar reflections following a spreadsheet activity that was moderated by students.
We will certainly look for ways to incorporate more collaborative projects with our younger students next year!
I’m pretty sure you can also chat using Google Spreadsheets, but I think you were just using Docs and Presentations in the class.
Thanks for your thoughts Tom. You continue to inspire, and I’m really keen to try something collaborative with Google Docs in the new academic year. I think I need to spend some more time playing with it over the summer break though.
@Steve Thanks for all the comments over the last few weeks – great to see more of your posts featured on the GDocs blog. Well done.
@Ben – I have written quite extensively about the uses of GDocs in my classroom as we went, take a look at my blog categoryGoogle Apps in School In short the children were working on a research project in groups of 5-6, one research doc shared and one presentation doc shared.
This is really interesting, especially to read the students’ opinions “unedited”. Would it be possible for you to post more about your methodology, what exercises you had the kids do, etc.? Seems like great stuff, just wondering, since a lot of the kids seemed to have issue with the collaboration aspect, if that was a major part, how many simultaneous editors was typical, etc.
Thanks!
Great work Tom! Everything you’ve done this year has been a real inspiration in the classroom. I can’t wait for next term to start so I can get stuck in using some of your ideas – thanks for sharing.
Steve