Log 2 - Reflections on working collaboratively using Google Docs

Google Docs is another networking tool used on the internet; where you can create or upload existing documents. You can store, edit and share your work if you wish to with Google Docs.

I have found this networking tool a lot more useful than I thought I originally would; I felt that the idea of sharing your work amongst my peers like my project report would not benefit myself and that it may be of more use to others than me. But I as I went on I found that other documents which I could choose to share like workshop plans became more useful.

Google Docs has been a core communication method for Stephanie and I as we can work on and develop documents such as workshop plans and script work using Wiki. As Stephanie and I have other commitments like jobs and other projects within our workplace, time has become very precious and sometimes has been hard to arrange the time for both of us to meet. Using Wiki we can work and edit documents at different times.

Using Wiki in Google Docs has allowed for the smaller targets we have sent within the project to be achieved and also saved us time. Before we used emails to send documents to and from each other which worked but did not allow us to edit the one document instead we ended up with numerous documents which becomes unorganised and confusing. With Google Docs one documents is only needed which makes things a lot simple.

With Google Docs I can store my documents clearly and safely. In the last module my USB caught a virus and I lost all my work, fortunately I had one hard copy which I used to start all over again, but I did not want this to happen again. Google Docs has solved this problem as I can save my work to the site safely and know that it is secure for me to access at anytime. Like Delicious I can access Google Docs from any computer which allows me the freedom again to work from anywhere without lugging all of my things about.

Overall Google Docs has become a necessity for Stephanie and I to make this project move to each step of the process. It has given me piece of mind in knowing my work is secure and accessible when I need.

Log 1 - Commentary on sharing resources using resources using delicious

Delicious is a social bookmarking site, a networking tool; where I can store and also share my research findings that I have bookmarked with other people on my course. Delicious has made this module a lot more simple when saving research that I feel will be beneficial for my project by halving the time spent on normally doing this.

Last module I spent many hours finding material then copying and pasting the URL into a word document or writing them down on scraps of paper for me to use on a later date. When this later date had arrived I spent more time again trying to shift through the websites I had retrieved or pulling my hair out because I could not find them again. This process of bookmarking I had created last module was time consuming, not organised and not easy to access when needed.

Whereas Delicious is the complete opposite, it stores all your bookmarks in one place. There is a clear direct link to access the websites you have stored; you can also personalise tags to organise your bookmarks into
categories, to make the bookmarks more easier to access. For example I have tags such as Inclusive Theatre, Health and STI's.

So for this module Delicious has been of great benefit and very efficient to myself and my project. The fact that can access these bookmarks from any computer has given me the freedom of working anywhere. I have found myself with a spare 30 minutes when I can access Delicious through my phone and bookmark away. It has also been one of my main resources when researching as I can share and observe others bookmarks within my personal network on Delicious.

At first I felt that the majority of the network were bookmarking their specific project topics like dancing; which I felt had no relevance to my project and I did not see how this was going to benefit everyone, but as the time has gone on I have noticed and watched more members of the network becoming more in-depth within their research which has encouraged myself to this within mine; I have also noticed connections within others and mine projects through the bookmarking tags such as teaching.

Currently a lot of bookmarks are being added on 'research methods' and have been shared which I has been of grate use for my project and also others. I have found when shifting through other members of my network I have been intrigued and also learnt new things about others topics, which is only a good thing to empower my general knowledge.

Overall I am so glad that I have set up and effectively using Delicious to the best of my knowledge to help push forward my project.