Writing Assignment One: Week Three

You've got one more piece of technology to learn how to use. Don't panic. I assure you, this new tech, google documents, is no more difficult to use than the class email list or google mail, which you are now using successfully. More important, you will find google documents one of the most useful writing tools available today.

Just as google mail allows you to access email from any Internet connected computer, google documents allows you to edit documents on any Internet connected computer. Not only does this greatly expand the number of machines and places from which you can do productive writing, having your work stored online creates a number of opportunities traditional word processors simply can't provide, especially in the realm of collaboration and having easy access to your work from almost anywhere. Here's a video tutorial to explain:

http://www.teachertube.co/view_video.php?viewkey=0c1b9311cb8f40eb4f25

Because you already have a gmail account, all you have to do get access to the google word processor (google documents) is log into your gmail account. Now look in the top, left hand side of the page. There you will see a line of links which will read something like: "Gmail Calendar Documents ... More." Click on the link for documents, and sign up for the new service. Notice the help link (top right hand line, next to your logon name). It will take you here:

http://docs.google.com/support/?hl=en

and allow you to read about the way google documents work.

In the future, anytime you need to go to google documents you can get there through the method above or use the following link:

docs.google.com

Now, to do some useful work using google documents...

Choose someone in your group to set up a new, google document called "YourGroupName: Contact Information." If they need help, they can contact me at 804-262-8585 to step them through the process.

Once this person sets up a document for your group's contact information, they are to add their name, telephone number, and email address as the first line of text. Then they they are to use the "share" menu to add everyone else in the group as a collaborator. They do this by clicking on the share tab and choosing the command, "share with others." A box will pop-up labeled "invite collaborators." To invite people as collaborators, all the original author needs to do is to type in every one's gmail address and hit the button "Invite Collaborators." Google docs will then send out email invitations to everyone invited to collaborate. Oh, whoever is the original author, make sure to invite me, prof.brandon@gmail.com, as a collaborator as well.

Once the original author creates the document and adds the group and me as collaborators, each of us will receive an email inviting us to collaborate. If we accept this invitation by clicking on the link to the document in this invitation, we will be taken to the contact information document the original author created. Since we are now collaborators, we can make changes to the document, and these changes will be saved. Add your name, gmail address, and telephone number under that of the original author, and then look to right hand side of the page. There you will see "Save and Close." This will save your work and close the document. If you want to continue editing and playing around, just hit "Save."

Notice that a whole new world of collaborative team work is now open up to you. Over the course of the semeser, you will be working with your group via google documents to practice some of the skills you'll be taught. For instance, this week you'll be practicing proofreading techniques on each other's analysis using google docs. More on this later.

Here's another video introduction to google documents:

http://services.google.com/apps/resources/overviews_breeze/DocsSpreadsheets/index.html

Don't worry about understanding every aspect of the introduction. Just as with most of technology, you'll pick up what you need to know as you use it.

As always, if you have questions, write or call. Remember, I am here to help.

PS I will post the proofreading assignment once everyone is signed up for google docs, your group has created the contact information document, and it looks like everyone is more-or-less comfortable using the new application.