Sub plans from the snowbank, thanks to Google Drive

I have been a Google Docs guys since before there were Google Docs. We used "Writely" in my online graduate classes back in 2005. On Friday, Google Docs got me out of a real pickle...well partially.

When I left my house for the typical 30 minute commute to Bentheim Elementary School there were strong winds and a little light snow was falling.  All area schools were open because when officials had made their early morning checks conditions were good with what forecasters called "light snow" slowly making its way to the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan. As I got closer to the open farmland to the east, those winds had kicked up the worst white-out conditions I have experienced during my thirty-plus years of living in Michigan. When I got to M-40 I witnessed a jack-knifed semi and cars plowing into each other. After some of the chaos cleared I continued my journey and made harrowing crossing after crossing through intersections with no visibility and no stop signs for cross-traffic. Two miles later I would find myself smacked up against a snowbank, having been clipped by a Ford F-150 that was completely invisible in the storm until I was in the middle of the intersection and it was approaching from 10 yards to my right.

First thought: I am okay.

Second thought: What about the other driver? As I got out to check on him, he and his wife were headed my way to see how I was. Luckily we had all come through the collision physically unscathed.

Third thought: Uh...those emergency sub plans I have been meaning to get to since September sure would be nice to have sitting on my desk right about now.

After calling police, my wife, and school to inform them of the incident and that we were all unharmed I went into McGyver-mode and started digging into the Google Drive app on my iPhone. Within just a few minutes, I was able to cobble together enough activities to keep 5 grade levels of kids engaged for the rest of the day. I emailed them to our fabulous librarian who helped set up the substitute they were able to secure for me.

Google Drive does so much for me as a teacher. I know some people can't get beyond how sterile the documents are (Foof them up with fonts and borders in Word later.) but  I never worry about work not being saved. Students share with me to turn in documents. We have classes collaborating on presentations and the list goes on and on. On Friday, Google Docs kept the learning going even when my Ford Escape and I weren't able to go anywhere.

Now if Google could somehow figure out how to do extensive body work with just a few keystrokes....