Using Google

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Subject: [PD 4839] Using Google
From: Jackie A. Taylor
Date: Thu Jul 15 09:37:46 EDT 2010

Good day or evening!

Yesterday, Helaine Marshall, Melinda Holt, Steve Quann, and others discussed some of the advantages and disadvantages of using Google Wave. The Wave is a live, online collaboration space that has discussion boards, photo and video sharing, maps, and other features (http://wave.google.com/about.html).

Google offers many social media programs, such as Picasa (photo sharing), Blogger (weblog), Google Alerts (targeted search function), Google Buzz (microblog), Google Docs (document sharing and editing), Google Reader (RSS feed reader), and more: http://www.google.com/intl/en/options/ . So what's the rave about Google? Why is it so popular? Which Google tools do you like and for what purposes? What are some of the advantages / disadvantages of using Google tools for teaching and professional development?

Looking forward,

Jackie Taylor
PD List Facilitator
jackie at jataylor.net

Subject: [PD 4844] Re: Using Google
From: Akira Kamiya
Date: Thu Jul 15 09:53:12 EDT 2010

Thanks Jackie for starting this.

I'd like to add a question to this list.

Which of these services are available to users not part of the gmail system? I find it a disadvantage when these services are available only to gmail users.

I don't like Google Docs due to this requirement. But perhaps this restriction has been removed now?

But certainly the list of features in Google Wave seem incredible, especially given that its free! So I am eager to learn more about it!


AKIRA KAMIYA
Adult Literacy
Resource Institute
Computer Field Technologist
Greater Boston

Subject: [PD 4848] Re: Using Google
From: Combs, Kay
Date: Thu Jul 15 10:20:57 EDT 2010

I could answer this due to the fact that our school district is not able to access or use gmail. However, you can go to the Google website and download the Google pack. This allows you to use all the features of Google free. Even though we cannot use gmail in our school system, I am able to use most of the feature of Google. No, I cannot e-mail, but I can use these features anyway in our school system. Don't ask me how. One of the neat features we found is Google Talk, which is an instant messenger system that allows me to talk with instructors and students at all times. This is not a new source, instant messenger, but I like the Google pack and products because it is like one-stop shopping. You can create a web page, blog, save to docs, etc. and not use other products.

But, I am a novice and just posting because of the question asked in regard to not being able to use gmail, but using the Google products.

Kay Combs, M.A.Ed.
Coordinator - GED/ESL
Center for Lifelong Learning
Georgetown, KY

Subject: [PD 4849] Re: Using Google
From: Richard Sebastian
Date: Thu Jul 15 10:33:08 EDT 2010

Akira

You aren't required to have gmail to register for Google Apps. I have had some difficulty using my university email to register, as VCU has it's own gmail student email server.

Richard

Subject: [PD 4853] Re: Using Google
From: Melinda Holt
Date: Thu Jul 15 11:30:27 EDT 2010

Google Rocks!

I've read the convo's regarding privacy issues. Food for thought: If its used online it is not private. That goes for any online app.

Below are some sites that are pretty useful in a classroom along with some articles regarding Google being used in education.

The Helpers and Sites are just a few that I have bookmarked or share with educators during workshops - there are many many tools and sites developed by others (not Google) to be used with Google.

Below those are some articles regarding sites that are taking Google on at their sites (Google Apps).

Hope this turns some on to Google. Its very easy to learn, use, and share!

Susan Gaer...help me out here!

>D

Melinda Holt
Project Specialist, Internet and Media Services
Sacramento County Office of Education

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