Have you become increasingly frustrated with all the paperwork and filing that grading essays requires? Do you get the feeling that students don't really understand what you want them to say? Google Docs is the perfect solution: it is interactive and allows documents to be shared at any time.
Isn't now the time to learn how to use Google Documents?
Google Docs or Documents are part of the Google family, it allows you to share a document you have written, and have it edited. Students can send their documents directly into Google Docs. This will eliminate the "My dog ate my homework" excuse. You will be able to access documents online and see in real time when it was last edited.
The first thing you need to do is set up a Gmail account. It should not be your personal account, but it can be the same address you use for your class. Take your class to the computer lab to go over the basics. Since most students are more tech savvy than their teachers, this may not be necessary.
The google components interconnect with each other so beware of Google chat and students thinking they can contact you at odd hours. Make your boundaries clear. Be firm.
You can present the thesis for an essay and share it with your students. This might take too much time, however, for you would have to do one individually for each student. It's best that they set up their own Google Docs space first and add yours to theirs. Remind students to add you to the document or they might "forget." Giving clear deadlines will end planned student miscommunication.
Once the assignment is created and the student sends you his work, proceed to work with advise and correct. Have students contact you when they are finished or set up a time that you'll be viewing their document.
When correcting, make sure you don't write the essay for them. Underline incorrect sentences instead of correcting them. Add italicized suggestions or highlighted comments to point students in the right direction. Make sure your advice is clear.
Establish firm due dates--for example rough outline due on the 20th, rough draft due on the 23rd, final copy due on the 28th. As you and your students learn how to use Google Documents, the process will be highly time consuming. Once you and your students feel comfortable with the technology, and once they improve their writing skills, use Google Documents for peer editing and revising.
Warning: You might become nostalgic for stale coffee, hunched backs, and piles of papers that magically disappear. Google Documents, however, may be the wave of the future