I work in a "Google School" - we use Gmail rather than Outlook; Google Docs, Sheets and Slides rather than MS Office; Chrome to browse the internet1; we have Chromebooks for students; and we collaborate using Google Drive. My line manager meeting notes go on the Drive, all staff notices and minutes and procedures and what-nots go on the Drive. I am fortunate to work in a collaboration-friendly environment.
That's not to say I'm a Google master, or that I've got best practice in the bag, and that there is nothing I can learn from this Thing - on the contrary, since I started thinking about this Thing, I have organised my Google Drive so I can easily find what I'm looking for, and I am using the Drive for my work much more than I was before.
Doodle, the other tool discussed in the this Thing, I have used a couple of times - 5 or so years ago - to organise some events (I forget what) between a number of people (I forget how many). Doodle is a simple tool for scheduling meetings - create polls to find out when people are free to meet. My memory is of a simple and effective tool that did its job well. Playing with it now, there seems to be more functionality to the app, but the underlying simplicity is still there. I like that Doodle does not require you (or your fellow collaborators) to create an account to use, and that the free-to-use parts of the app do enough to meet most needs. This is a tool that I can see myself using from time to time (such as to organise visits from local authors), but it won't be a part of my day-to-day workflow at the moment.
There is one more collaboration tool that I would not like to be without: Wiggio. It is like a social network for groups. I use it with my local school librarians network to communicate, schedule meetings, ask for advice, give advice, share files and vent. I don't use this as often as I use Google Drive, but it is a valuable tool and it's a comfort having quick and easy access to a support network across the city.
In conclusion: Collaboration, yeah!
Hi. Great to hear of a Google School in action. We are moving our system over to Outlook at present, and we are deeply embedded with the MS Office suite of software....not my personal preference, I'd have preferred the Google approach, but I had no choice. I'll "second" your recommendation for Wiggio, too. I've only used it a few times, but it seems to be very good, and it would be my first choice after Google apps.
The Rudai23 Team