Collaborative Projects and Publishing

Collaborative Projects and PublishingWhether it is someone working remotely from home or a group of people sitting around a table collectively creating a presentation, collaborative tools are significantly enhancing the opportunities and redefining how people work together.This page is a guide to tools teachers and students can use to enhance collaboration in and out of the classroom.Google SitesAre you interested in creating a website or having your students create websites, but intimidated by html / writing code? Well, Google has made it a lot easier with Sites. It is as simple as editing a word processing document. If you have a Google Account or access to Google Apps then "Create a Site." Sites allows you to work individually or share a site to manage it collaboratively. You can also insert information from other Google Tools (Docs, Calendar, YouTube and Picasa).

Teacher Website Examples

• Reuben Hoffman
• AP World History @ West Hills

Student Project Examples

• Sub/Counter Culture Presentations (Small Group)
• Ratters | Cyber Goths | Steam Punk
• Gender Stratification (Entire Class)
• Period 2 (2011)
• Student Web Sites (Individual)
• Global Studies Example | Sociology Example | Sociology Example
• AP World History Review Project (Multiple classes and schools)
• 2009 West Hills HS / Hercules HS Collaboration

* Now Google Sites is actually a wiki, but they don't call it that - probably because it would scare people away. You know, with Wikipedia being the end of civilization and all. So, if you are not convinced that Google Sites is the way to go, but you like the idea. Well, try these other wiki engines. They most work the same, doing somethings better and something no quite as good.

• Wikispaces
• PB Works

Google Docs

Have you ever had to work on a Word document with a group of people or have you forgotten your laptop or thumbdrive containing document you need right now? Well, those days are gone! Using any number of FREE online tools, you can create word processing documents, spreadsheets, forms and presentations with just your browser. Most of the tools available also allow you to collaborate with others.

Here are basic benefits to using Google Docs:

• Ability to access files anywhere with an Internet connection
• Collaborate with one other or 100 others on a document
• Save your files to your hard drive as Microsoft, Open Office, or PDF (not stuck with proprietary file type, i.e. Microsoft)
• Embed and/or share finished files with others

Limitations of Google Docs

• Must be connected to the internet
• Can't format as precisely as with Office

Class Examples

• Student Groups Discussing Gender Roles (Forms/Spreadsheets)
• AP World History Essays (Documents)