What is Google Apps?

Google Apps Education Edition is a package of Google applications. The applications contained in Google Apps are Calendar, Contacts, and Gmail.  One of the most valuable parts of Google Apps is Google Docs. Google Docs contains Documents, a word processing program like MS Word, Spreadsheets, a spreadsheet program like Excel, Presentations, a presentation program like PowerPoint and Forms, a program that lets you create online forms to collect data.

If you know how to use other word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation programs, you can easily use Google Docs. Instead of emailing files back and forth between collaborators, Google Docs allows people to work on a single version of a document together online. You can also create web-based surveys to collect information from students, teachers, or parents.

Students can use Google Docs to:

Work on documents from any computer with an internet connection.
Collaborate and share their work with other students.
Get instant feedback on their work from multiple collaborators and teachers.

Teachers can use Google Docs to:

Provide timely feedback to students at any point during the writing process.
Collaborate with colleagues on shared materials and assessment data.
Collect and review student work without having to use USB flashdrives or worry about file compatability.

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