6 Powerful Google Docs Features to Support the Collaborative Writing Process

Sharon J. Washington, executive director of the National Writing Project, said:

“Today’s young people are using a range of digital tools to compose and create in new and exciting ways. It is a game-changing moment for teachers of writing. The very notion of what it means to write is shifting, and educators are faced with adapting their teaching practices to integrate new technologies while redefining writing and learning for the 21st century.”

Google Docs is an online suite of digital tools that provides teachers with some powerful features to help students develop 21st century writing skills. Since Docs are collaborative and available 24/7, the tool is well-suited for facilitating digital writing workshops that combine peer editing with cooperative grouping and small group fine-tuned writing instruction.

Writing Workshop at a Glance

Teachers start by defining cooperative grouping jobs for peer editing that are appropriate for the the level and needs of the learners in the class. While students are writing drafts, teachers take advantage of opportunities to work with small instructional groups to focus on specific job-related writing tasks to prepare students to put their new skills to work and contribute to the peer editing process. Here is an overview of some of the integrated writing supports available in Google Docs to include in small group instruction to that will empower students and help redefine the writing process.

Sharing and Commenting for Collaboration and Immediate Feedback

Document sharing and comments provide students with opportunities to receive immediate feedback in the 24/7 classroom. Since Docs are stored online, students can work at school and at home from any computer with an Internet connection and they are more likely to revisit their work if they know someone else will be commenting on it. To insert a comment, just highlight some text in the body of the document and the comment will appear on the right side of the page. Click on any comment and watch the highlighted text in the document change color to quickly pinpoint the suggested revision. Comments are smart and they disappear after the issue has been addressed by the author so students feel a sense of accomplishment as they work their way through the suggestions of their peers. In addition, Docs provide support for collaboration in real time so students and teachers can have a virtual mini-conference about the work in front of them from any location if the timing is right.

Research Tool

Perhaps the most impressive Google Docs writing support to date is an integrated research tool that’s available right on the page. A basic search yields results relevant to the document and displays a variety of types of information beyond text  Useful content-specific buttons allow users to insert links, images,  maps, and citations into a document with the click of a button. Users can narrow a search to find only images, scholarly information and quotations. This powerful research tool provides students with convenient access to information in manageable chunks that are ready for use.

Smart Spell Checker with Grammar Support

A built in smart spell-checking system that uses the Google Search helps students to easily identify spelling and simple grammar errors as they type. Google’s online spell-checking service is more comprehensive than a typical dictionary because the Googlebot constantly crawls the web for new and popular definitions. The spell-checker actually grows and adapts with the web and it gets smarter all the time.  A context-sensitive grammar checker can distinguish between words like “too” and “to” in a sentence and make appropriate suggestions for corrections. While Word uses color coding to make distinctions between spelling and grammar errors, Google sticks with one color, but the suggestion box offers smart and appropriate suggestions.

Integrated Reference Tools

A built-in dictionary and thesaurus supports 12 languages and allows user to look up words without leaving the document. In addition to providing a thorough list of definitions and synonyms, web definitions provide users with examples of words in context with links to the full article.
Revision History & Autosave
Continuous autosave to the “Google Cloud” virtually eliminates saving issues, while digital documentation keeps track of every addition and edit that is made. Use the revision history to review, compare, or revert to a prior version of the document at any time. Track contributions made by collaborators or identify the source of changes made to the content of a document. It’s easy to see what each individual student contributes to a document because Google Docs assigns every contributor a unique color. The revision history will keep student comments and revisions honest and focused on the task.

Templates

Provide students with a starting point for digital writing and take advantage of a virtual copy machine by creating templates. Save time and guide the learning by providing students with a consistent page format which can include links, images, directions and support by using and creating your own templates to jump start the learning. Just create a Google Doc then save it as a template. Students can pick up a copy of a template and instantly store it in their own list of Google Docs.

Final Thoughts

Google Docs is a great tool for helping teachers thoughtfully incorporate digital writing into the curriculum. It can help connect the gap between writing in school and writing in the real world. Try it today!