Hooray for Google Docs

I am obsessed with using Google Docs for collaboration and my daily work, but the greatest contribution made by Google Docs to K-12 education is the gift to all students of a suite of tools and space to save files. Many of our student don't have a personal home computer, but they do have access to someone else's. It may be at their grandparent's house, at the public library, at the Boys' Club, or at the after hour school computer lab. Students no longer have to carry a flash drive or worry about software compatibility outside of school. Teachers can finally make assignments requiring spreadsheets, documents, or a slideshow with the confidence that every student has the tools outside of the classroom. Teachers can also stop using "lack of home computers" as an excuse to not include 21st century skills in their classwork.