Real Time Collaboration in Pages and Word Online

For those of us who have loved the real-time online collaboration that Google Docs has offered us,we now have additional tools we can use for the same results!  Once an iPad is updated to iOS 10, and Pages is also updated, students can collaborate in real time on their devices!  This is an wonderful feature for which many of us have been waiting a very long time!  Although it is an AWESOME upgdate to Pages, there is one drawback.  The person who creates the original document to share must have iCloud storage available.  Many students and teachers have limited or no iCloud storage space, so that is going to be a challenge.  The good news is that only the person who originally creates the document needs to have the space.  The collaborators do not have to have iCloud storage available.

To start collaborating in Pages on the iPad, start a new document (or open an existing one) and tap in the upper right hand corner on the three dots.  Tap on "Collaborate With Others."  Tap continue and then choose how you would like to send the invitation to your collaborators.  Email is a great option! Type in the email addresses of the people you want to share with, and send the invite!  Once a collaborator receives the email, all he or she needs to do is tap on the link in the email.  That link will open the document in Pages, and the collaboration can begin!  It will be important for everyone to have a chance to practice, as collaborating on a document in real time can be a challenge.  Giving each person his or her own space on the document helps a lot!

In addition to real-time online collaboration in Pages, we can also collaborate in Word online.   Students need to login to their Office 365 account. They can use the webclip on their iPads or go through Safari.  Beneath where it says Collaborate with Office Online, they will need to click on Word. Be sure to tell them not to click on Open Now to open and work in the app.  To collaborate online in real-time, they need work in their browser, not the app.Now they can start the document by choosing New Blank Document. When they are ready to share, they simply tap Share. Now they begin to type in the name of the person with whom they would like to share. Names will start to pop up as they type. They should select the person with whom they would like to share. Then hit share again at the bottom of the screen. The invited person will receive an email with a link to the document.  They should click on the link and choose to edit in Word Online.

Real-time collaboration brings many awesome possibilities into the classroom!