Google Docs Offline

Did you know you and your students can use Google Docs, Spreadsheets, and Slides without a network connection?

Before I ramble too far, let me be clear about my thoughts on EWG's network. EWG's computer network is something special. Really, the bandwidth is phenomenal, and the amount of data that actually moves through the pipes is astounding. I have been in classes at Metcalf where a doubled class resulted in over forty concurrent connections through one room and kids pummeling the bandwidth meter. That's a lot of devices to handle with the efficiency and ease typically enjoyed by users.

I also know firsthand what happens when a network connection drops mid stream. Kids get restless and sometimes angry. Recently, a colleague and I had students rearing to move on a video project only to have the network blink out as they started working. I offer the following video as encouragement to get your students and yourself on board with Google Docs offline. Google Docs offline won't replace network connectivity, and it might not dovetail into the planned activity, but it does offer options for continuing meaningful progress on many projects. In the case of our online video editing session, my colleague and I might have redirected students to refine their projects' scripts which were created a few days earlier in Google Docs. You are likely to encounter many similar uses for Google Docs offline.

Google Docs Offline is super easy to setup. It takes a couple of mouse clicks, and you're device - and the devices of your students if they follow your lead - may hum smoothly throughout the next network interruption. In fact, when Google Docs Offline is setup, you might not even notice when your network connection fails if writing a document, editing a presentation, or considering a spreadsheet. The video below offers directions on enabling Google Docs offline and a glimpse at using Google Docs offline.

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