Collaboraive+Writing+Tools

Collaborative writing tools allow individuals to write together, typically in an online environment. Visit the websites below and choose one you believe to be the best; write your choice in the chart column labeled review (for example, if you believe Google Docs is the best choose the row in the Review column that coincides with it). Be sure and include your name with the review and the reason you have chosen the particular tool.

After visiting the collaborative writing sites, respond to the sentence starter below with a post to this page:

1. Writing collaboratively is a good/bad (your pick) idea because. ..

 * || =Collaborative Writing Tools= || =Review= ||
 * [[image:teachingoflanguagearts/Zoho.JPG]] || Zoho Writer ||  ||
 * [[image:teachingoflanguagearts/Writeboard.JPG]] || Write Board || Wendy: Writeboard is an easy tool to use. It has a simple format, similar to a Word Pad program. The main area where you are typing is very large and never ending. This tool could be used for several applications in any classroom. For example, weekend homework discussion board or a study board where kids can share ideas. One thing I did not like was the inability to change fonts with a simple button, instead you must add a special code. ||
 * [[image:teachingoflanguagearts/Google_Docs.JPG]] || Google Docs ||  ||
 * [[image:teachingoflanguagearts/Type_with_me.JPG width="164" height="96"]] || Type With Me ||  ||
 * [[image:teachingoflanguagearts/Writing_Collaboratively_1.JPG]] || Social Text ||  ||
 * [[image:teachingoflanguagearts/Writing_Collaboratively_4.JPG]] || Synchro Edit ||  ||
 * [[image:teachingoflanguagearts/Writing_Collaboratively_2.JPG]] || Quick Topic || Megan: Writing collaboratively is a GOOD idea because it allows writers to voice their opinion and thoughts while also being able to take in consideration others opinions, views, and ideas. Sometimes I think that we can either be set in our views or maybe we really don't have an opinion so being able to collaboratively write with others allows us to be more open-minded or even come up with our own view about a particular topic. First of all, after viewing all of these writing tools, I had never realized how many were available and how effective each one could be. I think that it all depends on what types of writing and the purpose of the writing that you are trying to create. I chose Quick Topic because I felt that it related to or would be more familiar to what the students may already know. Quick topic is a message board, much like the technologies or social networks that the students work with everyday (Facebook and Twitter), it allows you to set your profile to private with a password or public and you can also add pictures or videos. I think that this type of writing would be more informal but it would be a great source of communication that the students would already be familiar with.I think that this tool is very broad and you could use it to what ever extent that you would like. It could be very beneficial. ||
 * [[image:teachingoflanguagearts/Writing_Collaboratively_3.JPG]] || Edit Grid ||  ||
 * [[image:teachingoflanguagearts/Writing_Collaboratively_5.JPG]] || Please Review ||  ||
 * [[image:teachingoflanguagearts/Writing_Collaboratively_7.JPG width="216" height="81"]] || Sync In || Toni- I really like this one. The ease of use, the different options of live chat or notes, the fact that you can return to a previous version of your document at any time, and especially because the notes can be password protected. The password feature would make this a great way for the teacher to communicate with individual members on their contribution without others seeing the feedback.

Ashley Gaylor- I like Sync.in the best because it allows a group of people to collaborate to work as a team! Sync.in is an organizer of all of your work. It allows one to see what each indiviual has posted letting the instructor gauge the fairness of work load by a "who posted what to the document." Another cool feature is if you haven't acessed the page in a while it allows you to see past and other teammates activities.The site can be like Toni expressed public or private notes, is a secure site,and seems easy to share. ||