week+3+excerpts

I have been experimenting with Google Docs. I have had a gmail account for some time now, and whenever I try to open an attachment to a gmail message I have the choice of opening it 'as a google doc'. Now I know what this means! A surprise! I found many of the past attachments lodged in my Google docs space. Logging in to gmail gives automatic access to g docs, and also to my Picasa account. Google docs includes an app for making spreadsheets and forms which could be useful for surveys and quizzes. So through Google docs a trainer could give students access to a range of resources. This access could also be really useful for community organisations and dispersed families. You mention forms, and this is something we hadn't touched on but is worth mentioning. Last year I ran a large, 2 day conference and needed an online form for presentation submissions...something for 'would be presenters' to fill out giving their contact details and information about their proposed presentation. Enter....Google Docs!
 * from deirdre brown - re google docs - gen**
 * from marlene - re google docs forms**

When you are in Google Docs, there is a link on the left hand side which says 'Create New'. It's a drop-down list...and one item on the list is 'Forms'.

So I created a form on Google Docs which looks just like any online form, with fields for others to fill in and a shareable link to put in an email or on a website. It is attached to my Google Account and all the data that was added via the form, was automatically fed into a Google Spreadsheet...which of course, was downloadable to Excel.

I think the most valuable tool for me will be Google Docs as I can it being very useful with students working collaboratively on a presentation or document, this allowing them to all be in their own homes or choice of place to do the work. I am about to create an account and upload a document, look out who I ask to collaborate. I also feel that slide share will be quite valuable for placing powerpoints from class in one spot for absentee students to view
 * from pam wood - google docs & slideshare**

 My first choice to try was Slideshare however I couldn’t as it required a website or blog to register which I didn’t have to give. ans from marlene The request for a website or blog in Slideshare is just to ensure you belong to a 'real' organisation or are a real person...and not some spammer or nasty person You just need to put in the URL of your organisation and it will accept this. Thanks for that, I just put in the general Tas Gov website address and it worked.
 * from patricia corby - slideshare

I can see that this would have some editing uses if collaborating on a document, especially handy if travelling and wanting to access material or share it easily. Not sure tho’ that I would use it in teaching as whilst my current courses are within an LMS, it is better to keep resources just in there not spread. However, I would possibly mention it to students who don’t have USB sticks to carry work from home to school or who currently send things back and forth using email. This method could be easier for them.
 * from patricia corby - googe docs**

**from pam wood - starting copyright thread** However I have a question regarding intellectual property. If I create a powerpoint for a class and place it on slideshare can anyone other than those I give the link to view it??? Does it become part of public space. This same question is posed for wikispaces. I interpreted the Wiki Permissions that it would not be a free resource if I selected Private use. If I select protected everyone can view but only I can edit. ** ||  ||~ Wiki Permissions || Public (free) Everyone can view and edit your pages. Protected (free) Everyone can view pages, only wiki members can edit them. Private (first 30 days free) Only wiki members can view and edit pages. ||

Now I am not sure of the legal ramifications of class content being in a public space and what TAFE as my employer would think. Does anyone have any answers for this. If I am not able to use the site as a repository for handouts, ppoints, etc then it seems that it could only be used for discussion which there is possibly another tool like 'quicktopic' which could be used.

the Framework's Copyright Kitchen? Generally the teaching materials that a TAFE teacher creates, the copyright ownership will belong to the organisation that they work for. So yes, the IP of the PowerPoint’s does belong to the employer (for ease of explanation the TAFE). The first thing will be to check the TAFE’s policy on managing its own IP/copyright. In the absence of anything, yes, you would need the TAFE’s permission to put learning resources up in a public space.
 * copyright - from vanessa

This is why learning management systems are popular because they are a ‘safe’ way to get material up and available to students. Remember also it is not just about your TAFE’s material, putting anything up on the internet in a public space, also means you cannot use any third party (other people’s) material, as you lose all your educational rights and licenses. For the protections to apply you must have your material behind some type of protection like login and password.

For wiki’s I have always recommended that they are not public wikis, but ones that students are given access to (protected). I am not sure how slideshare works, so cannot advise on this one.

Many TAFE’s have been concerned about the legal ramifications of teachers putting learning resources up on the Internet (both from their own resources and being sued by other people), and have been hesitant to allow it, but there has been a softening lately because you can use the material in one sense like ‘advertising’. If the resource is good, and well branded (has TAFE’s logo, and a copyright statement, (could be a Creative commons, or AESharenet free for education)), and has no third party material, then why not put it up in a public space, it promotes the TAFE.

Ultimately I’m afraid the decision is the TAFE’s, so check your TAFE’s copyright policy on this, in absence, you can put your work up, as long as it is behind some type of protection, that only teachers and students can access. ** ||