Thing 6: Creating and Editing Docs

Although I'm attempting this writing on my iPad I usually do longer writing (like a blog post) on a computer. Yes, I'm old...and I really like (and type faster) with a keyboard.

I love the idea of the recorder on my iPad's keyboard but I just haven't gotten the hang of dictating. Besides, I'm usually surrounded by students, teachers or family and I think I would feel silly dictating.  I do have a twenty minute drive home though. Hmmm, I wonder if I could dictate all the way? I might have to try that for one of my posts!

Getting back to the real topic: creating and editing docs. I usually use QuickOffice, which I like very much and highly recommend to students. The key, though, is not just the slick interface that mimics Word very well. It is the ease in connecting QuickOffice to your Google account. This allows you to immediately save any document, edit easily in QuickOffice, but save again into Drive, and then open later on a computer for further editing and, if necessary, printing.

I also have used CloudOn, and I find that it is a solid app as well. However, my go-to app right now is QuickOffice. I create a lot of tutorial or direction handouts for my staff and students. If they are uploaded into my Google Drive I can edit and share them very easily on the fly, without having to open the document on my computer. And of course, any changes I make are saved back into Drive so I always have the newest, most up-to-date document (and not multiple revisions) in my folder.

I downloaded and registered for a SignNow account. I really like this idea! I'm thinking of personal and school uses, and there are many, but since this is the time when students are applying for scholarships, and often those are posted in PDF, I'm wondering if this might be a way for students to complete them. 

I opened a PDF in SignNow. That part was easy. I then clicked in each space I needed to typi in. You can insert text, your signature, a check mark or the date. Each one appears in a little box, which you can easily move around and resize. 

Once I wrote on it I saved it into Drive. The little text boxes around each item are removed and the document looks beautiful! I cannot wait to share this with the counselor on Monday! One of our secretaries had been recreating each PDF into a word document that could be filled in. This looks so much nicer and will save so much time! Here is my completed document. Thank you 23 Things!!