Drawing, Take 2

I have to take back part (not all!) of what I wrote about Google Docs drawing before. Although it is still not my favorite, after doing a bit of research I have discovered that it does have some more uses. One of the more effective uses is the templates feature. There are thousands to choose from, some created by Google, and others that people have created and made public. Why create something from scratch that already exists? There are lots of templates for charts, graphic organizers, and other business options. I also discovered the numerous file saving options for your drawing. Although I took some time to play with Google drawing, I did not understand all of the features that it offered until I did some extra research.

That being said, I probably will not use Google drawing with other teachers or my students. That's not to say that there are not potential uses for education or telecollaboration, however. Both with your students in the general classroom and for telecollaboration students could

• compare and contrast information using the numerous online templates and graphic organizers
• organize information with text, shapes, word art and more
• create a visual aid or simple talking points for a presentation
• design slides for Google Docs presentations or even PowerPoint
• create their own template or even a newsletter
• allow others to comment on drawings or other visuals to receive feedback
• design logos, plans, or sketch-ups to promote a product or idea
• fill in a pre-designed template or graphic organizer (for younger students)

 I still love the element of online collaboration, as with other types of Google files, but I am not sure that that outweighs the limited options of the program. In my search for more information, I did find a few sites where users had commented on what they wish Google Docs drawing offered, and a Google employee responded! They would love feedback and suggestions on all of their Google file types on their product ideas page. I am still not a fan, but I am more satisfied with the file type than when I started!