[Year 12 IT Apps] RE: Google docs issue

Sun Dec 7 11:56:22 EST 2008

Hello Royce
I use google docs quite a lot and would love to use them more with my students and also with my fellow staff. They are free, online, 
shareable and can be worked on collaboratively. The forms in google docs give me an easy option to set up surveys with my 
students and other global students and the results are dumped immediatley into google sheet for my students to work with, 
manipulate and chart. They can be embedded in blogs, wikis etc It means that they can be worked on for project work within the 
class and as I work on a lot of global projects with students in other countries.
As to firefox, my year 9 girls were part of a flatclassroom project run by teachers in Qatar and USA. They shared a wiki where they 
developed web pages on various topics relating to web2.0 and internet use in science, education, health, entertainment etc. The final 
outcome of the project was to produce a video on their topic. However part of the video had to be outsources to their fellow class 
mates in USA, Qatar, Oman, Spain or Ethiopia. The students overseas, uploaded their video clip onto the ning and my students had 
to grab them from there to put into own video. Firefox was the only one that had a toolbar that would enable us to grab their videos 
down. We find IE can be very unstable at times but firefox is far more reliable and has wonderful toolbars. Therefore, as we use the 
internet so much in my classes, I would love to be able to have the option of firefox and google docs to ensure those powerful 
learning outcomes can be gained by my students for true 21st century learning.
I also have problems with virtual classroom software in that internet explorer cannot be displayed when attempting webtours. This is 
due to some firewall restriction as well and really hampers our journey into this field.
Anne Mirtschin
Hawkesdale P12 College
http://murch.globalteacher.org.au

Quoting Royce Williams <Royce.Williams at billanook.vic.edu.au>:

> So will one of you give me educational reason that is so pressing
> that I must divert technological resources to reconfiguring the
> firewall to allow google docs through. The fact that you "like"
> firefox and google is niether educational or technical justification.
> It is really worrying when IT teachers in particular do not
> understand the technological underpining and resource shortages that
> control the managment of ICT in schools.
> 
> Royce Williams
> Sent from my AppleBerry
> 
> On 06/12/2008, at 11:29 AM, "Robert"
> <robert at yinnar.com<mailto:robert at yinnar.com>> wrote:
> 
> Thanks Ros.
> 
> The curriculum, the education and needs of the students are
> paramount.
> 
> There may well be some things we "cannot do" on a school network. But
> the whole technical "tail" needs to put its best efforts into
> supporting the curriculum and make sure that the dog wags the tail.
> 
> Robert Hind (Semi-retired)
> Ashwood and Traralgon
> <mailto:robert at yinnar.com>robert at yinnar.com<mailto:robert at yinnar.com>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Ros Meadows<mailto:ros.meadows at gmail.com>
> To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing
> List<mailto:itapps at edulists.com.au>
> Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2008 9:19 AM
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] RE: Google docs issue
> 
> Once again a case of the tail (ie the techs) wagging the dog (ie the
> curriculum)!!
> 
> There is NO sound reason why you can't have firefox and google
> images, sometimes I wonder if it is just plain laziness, lack of
> ability or just a hunger for power on the part of techs.
> 
> Cheers
> Ros
> BentleighSC
> 
> <mailto:murch at tpg.com.au>murch at tpg.com.au<mailto:murch at tpg.com.au>
> wrote:
> 
> We have some issues with google docs as well. Google images are
> blocked at our school so this presents problems with the appearance
> of google
> docs. I also want firefox on our computer network but was told we
> cant have it. We are supposed to be a leading 21st century school!!!
> I love using
> google docs and use them extensively both with staff and schools in
> other countries etc. Means it is difficult to use them with my
> students. It is most
> annoying.
> Anne Mirtschin
> Hawkesdale P12 College
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> 
> --
> Roslyn Meadows
> TONS
> ros.meadows at gmail.com<mailto:ros.meadows at gmail.com>
> Bentleigh Secondary College
> Vivien Street, East Bentleigh, 3165
> Phone 9579 1044
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> 