Google is known for having a powerful, effective search engine. In fact, the word has morphed into a verb, slipping into everyday speech, meaning to search the internet using Google. “In June, Google won a place in the Oxford English Dictionary, while "to google", with a lower case "g", was included last month in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, America's leading reference book” (Foley, 2006). However, the company has expanded from a search engine to include other effective applications that can be used in a variety of arenas, including personal, business, and education. According to the Google site (2008), “Google Apps gives everyone at your organization a custom email address, tools for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, a shared calendaring system and access to a flexible intranet system” (Welcome to Google Apps).
Wikipedia (2008) describes Google Apps as “a service from Google for using custom domain names with several Google products. It features several Web applications with similar functionality to traditional office suites” (Google Apps). The Google Apps this chapter will be focusing on are: Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Google Talk.
Gmail is Google’s email application. While Gmail has standard basics expected in email (contacts, attachments, drafts, forwarding, filters, vacation settings, signature, etc.), it is unique from other free email services in several ways. One that is very noticeable to heavy email users is the large amount of free storage space. “All users get at least 6.831311 gigabytes of storage” (Gmail Overview, 2008). It incorporates the Google Search Engine, allowing the users to quickly and effectively search email. It allows the user to create groups (labels), and then apply labels to emails. In contrast to the folder organization system that most email applications use, this allows the user to include an email in multiple groups instead of just one.
Gmail also includes a chat application that allows you to see when your contacts are online to chat, automatically saves chat conversations, and also allows you to send chat messages when people are offline that they will later receive. If a user has more than one Gmail account, they can be set to allow you to only log into one, but send and receive emails using the other accounts’ addresses. Users can also create their own custom email addresses, using “your own domain name, like jsmith@example.com” (Gmail Overview, 2008). It has powerful virus, spam, and phishing protection, IMAP, POP, and mail forwarding, mobile access, and integrated calendar features (Gmail Overview, 2008).
Google Calendar is an online calendar that can be accessed from anywhere the user has internet access. The information is stored online and not on a user’s hard drive or mobile device, so if a computer or device crashes, breaks, or gets lost, the information is still available. Multiple users can access and edit the same calendar from different accounts, depending upon granted permissions. The integration of the calendar with Gmail allows the user to “invite others to meetings and events, and keep track of RSVPs” (Google Calendar overview, 2008). It also has a level of interoperability, “your schedule automatically syncs between Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook Calendar” (Google Calendar overview, 2008). According to Wikipedia, “It sports a variety of view modes, such as the weekly, monthly and agenda views. Users can "quick add" calendar events by typing standard English phrases, such as "Dinner with Michael 7pm tomorrow" (Google Calendar).
“Google Docs is a free, Web-based word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation application offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users” (Google Docs, 2008). There are several appealing advantages to Google Docs, most notably the free price for effective office programs, the opportunity for collaboration on one document, and online accessibility. “Simultaneously work on documents together with others that you invite, even if you're not in the same place” (Google Docs overview, 2008). It is another program that integrates readily with Gmail and other Google Apps, allowing easy emailing of documents, collaboration, and revision. The documents created are saved on Google servers, so documents can be accessed from anywhere there is an internet connection. However, documents can also be saved to a personal computer and then opened using the software on that computer. “Open documents are automatically saved to prevent data loss, and a full revision history is automatically kept. Documents can be tagged and archived for organizational purposes” (Google Docs, 2008).
“Google Talk (GTalk) is a Windows and web-based application for voice over internet (VOIP) and instant messaging” (Google Talk, 2008). It integrates with other Google Apps, such as Gmail, automatically showing contacts, saving chats, group chats, and allowing offline messaging. It is a free service that allows you to call PC-to-PC anywhere in the world, exchange files, and even leave voice mails if the person is not online. However, it is limited to Windows machines unless another tool is used. “The Google Talk client is currently only available for Windows (2000, XP, Server 2003, and Vista). With the release of the Google Talk gadget, users of all platforms supported by Adobe Flash Player can also use Google Talk” (Google Talk, 2008).
As with other online resources, there are some concerns.
Viability of the Vendor. Will the vendor be around in the future or will it and your data disappear? Data Privacy. [I]t would be fairly easy for someone to post an application to compile email lists or even infect a users computer with spy or adware. Speed of use. High speed computers and high speed connections work best. (Descy, 2007)
However, as Google is one of the big players, “we don’t seem to worry about this” (Descy, 2007), but they should be taken into consideration when considering implementation. These applications require the internet; they would not be as valuable to an institution that did not have good, stable, high speed access or computers that would handle the work.
Relevance to education
The Google Apps are not new in terms of technology that is used in education. Education already makes use of email, calendars, chat/phone, and office programs. The advantage of Google Apps is in their ability to integrate, to allow multiple editors, to access anywhere there is internet, and to manage permissions using easy to use, budget friendly applications. This allows instructors and students to collaborate, to use basic tools of technology, and to create “information spaces.” Google Docs also show the revisions that have taken place and allow creators to revert to earlier copies without having to save multiple copies.
“The world of the Internet is getting larger, more complex, and overwhelmed with information. Kids, teens, and adults increasingly need skills to manage that space because it can overwhelm any of us at any time. Since it is not going away, we either manage it or are overwhelmed by it” (Loertscher, 2007). Computers become a part of life at a very young age, and as soon as schools begin to integrate computers into the class, Google Apps could be used. And, as the level of education increases, so would the usefulness of the apps.
The skills of collaboration and organization are valuable as a student, and are skills that will continue to serve and be of value after formal schooling is complete. Collaboration can be difficult at all levels. Not everyone has transportation, work schedules and obligations vary, and there is always the question of who does thee typing for the entire group, or combines all of the pieces. The logistics often interfere with the learning – it is more work to get together and figure out the pieces sometimes than to just do everything yourself.
We usually think of productivity in terms of output of goods and services, but the same concept applies in digital space. Those who are well connected are proficient and productive. For example, a teacher's assignment, along with help from the teacher-librarian comes instantly to our desktop, is available 24/7, and connects us to the tools we need in order to accomplish that assignment. Those not in the loop, suffer. (Loertscher, 2007)
Other reasons supporting the use of online collaboration allowed by these apps for education include (Loertscher, 2007):
It is the nature of digital space as it is currently constructed to vie for our attention, the major currency of this generation. Psychologically, all of us need to manage rather than be managed.
To survive in a flat world, kids and teens need to realize the advantages of learning and knowing the major tools of productivity, both as individuals and collaboratively in groups.
In constructivist theory, if kids and teens build their own space rather than have others build it for them, they will acquire management skills, both of the space itself, and more important, management of themselves within that space. We teach kids how to manage themselves as they cross the street even though streets are a very dangerous place. The same care needs to be taken in the digital world. Adults need to assist kids in developing management skills because the adults cannot be there every moment.
In the world of differentiation-varying abilities, differing learning styles, and individual skill levels [novice to expert)--kids can construct basic spaces to manage their work and then construct more complex systems as they develop the management skills to handle those spaces and themselves. For example, from the digital school library students can pull onto their own pages a subset of tools and information sources rather than have everything--much of it irrelevant to them--at any given time.
Another benefit of Google Apps is the potential savings (101 Smart Revenue Generators, 2006) .
Arizona State University has partnered with Google to deliver Google Apps for Education to its 65,000 students. Google Apps include Gmail to manage ASU student e-mail accounts, as well as Google Calendar and Google Talk. The system will save the school an estimated $500,000 a year. And students get indexed e-mail search, enhanced spam filtering, calendaring, tagging capabilities for tracking e-mails, and a 2GB quota per student for storage. Under the terms of the agreement, Google will provide e-mail, calendar, and instant messaging services free of charge to the university, allowing ASU to refocus resources to accelerate the research and learning enterprise.
Search engine - a site on the World Wide Web that uses such software to locate key words in other sites
Domain - a subdivision of the Internet consisting of computers or sites usually with a common purpose (as providing commercial information) and denoted in Internet addresses by a unique abbreviation (as com or gov)
Domain Name -a sequence of usually alphanumeric characters (as Merriam-Webster.com) that specifies a group of online resources (as of a particular company or person) and that forms part of the corresponding Internet addresses
Chat - to take part in an online discussion in a chat room
Office suite - an office suite, sometimes called an office software suite or productivity suite is a
Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) - a protocol optimized for the transmission of voice through the Internet or other packet-switched networks. VoIP is often used abstractly to refer to the actual transmission of voice (rather than the protocol implementing it).
Constructivist theory/ constructivism - Constructivism values developmentally-appropriate facilitator-supported learning that is initiated and directed by the learner.
API’s - An application programming interface (API) is a set of declarations of the functions (or procedures) that an operating system, library or provides to support requests made by computer programs.
Open standards - An open standard is a standard that is publicly available and has various rights to use associated with it. The terms "open" and "standard" have a wide range of meanings associated with their usage. The term "open" is usually restricted to royalty-free technologies while the term "standard" is sometimes restricted to technologies approved by formalized committees that are open to participation by all interested parties and operate on a consensus basis.
Start-up Costs
Start-up costs are minimal for Google Apps. They work within existing infrastructures, requiring basics that most schools are already utilizing: computers and internet access. There is also no software that needs to be purchased or downloaded. As long as a computer has internet access, the apps can be used.
There are different editions of Google Apps available: Standard, Business, and Education. All editions include access and use of available Google applications: Gmail, Google Talk, Google Docs, Google Sites, Google Calendar, and Start Page. The differences come in terms of cost, storage, and advertisement. The Standard and Education editions both are free and have more than six gigabytes (the amount is dynamic, continuing to grow) of email storage, whereas the Business edition costs $50 a year per user, and has a 25 gigabyte account of email storage. The Standard account has “relevant, text-based ads alongside email,” where it is optional for the Business edition (Choose the edition, 2008), and there is no advertising for students, faculty and staff in the Education edition (Education Edition, 2008). Other advantages offered for the Business and Education versions that are not available for the Standard account are they are supported 24x7 (for administrators in the Education version), and they are ready to integrate with many APIs and use of Open Standards (Education Edition, 2008).
The Education edition is considered a Team edition. With a Team edition, the design emphasizes easy collaboration and communication with other people at that school, being automatically linked with all of the accounts from that organization (The User Dashboard, 2008). This allows the user to (The User Dashboard, 2008):
View the names and email addresses of all the Google Apps users in [his or her] group from [his or her] contact list.
Invite co-workers or classmates to collaborate on documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Share internal docs with [his or her] entire group with just one click, while keeping [the docs] out of public view.
Allow everyone in [the] group to view internal calendars.
Chat with any other Google Apps user in [the] group.
Customize the look and feel of Google services for [a specific] organization
"For an introduction to Google Apps Team Edition, and to see if it's right for you, watch the video" (Using Google Docs, 2008).
Google Apps can be used after a Google account has been set up. Education set up is free, but it requires that the user have a school domain that's name will be used for the services. If the user does not have a domain, a regular, non-education account may be set up without a domain. However, this would limit the use of all of the apps (Google Sites and Start Page). After the domain has been set up, the individual user accounts need to be created. Depending on the number of users, set up can take a few minutes to hours.
There are companies that provide set-up. LTech Consulting (2007) warns that "Google Apps is 100% free for educational institutions. However, there are significant configuration and customization requirements necessary to fully take advantage of this powerful suite." They offer setup starting at $1495, advanced configuration starting at $1995, online training for $750, and twenty hours of on-call support for $1995 (Google Apps for Education, 2007).
Getting started using Google Apps requires a Google account.
If instructors and students want Standard accounts, the account can be set up by going to Google and creating an account. This acocunt is free, but requires that users create a user name, password, and accept Google's Terms of Service. After an acocunt has been created, the user has access to the Apps. For An advantage to this is that many students and teachers may already have Google accounts and so new ones would not need to be created. However, a Standard account does not include all of the features that an Education account includes and "isn't optimized for group use" (The User Dashboard, 2008).
Google asks for either a domain name or the user's school email address to create an Education account. If providing a domain name, Google will ask that the ability to modify the site be verified. If an account were being set up school-wide, the network administrator would be the one creating the account and creating subsequent accounts. As an instructor, it is possible to set up an account with only the instructor's school email address, but the instructor should know that the account may be accessible by the school's domain administrator in the future.
Once an account has been created, the user may log in and access the different apps from their My Account page or from links at the top of the page. Users will quickly adapt to the Apps as their formatting presents standard features. A proficient computer user familiar with similar applications will find Apps intuitive and easy to use. Google also offers extensive Help pages for each App. Help for getting started using: Gmail; Google Docs; Calendar; and Talk.
Google breaks down the steps for creating accounts for teachers and students (Using Google Docs, 2008) :
How to create accounts for your classroom
If your students have email addresses provided by the school
If your students are given email addresses by the school, all ending in the same domain, you may consider signing up for Google Apps Team Edition. This is a quick and easy solution, which will allow you to sign up, then add your students' addresses to one account quickly and easily.
If your students already have email addresses
If needed, have your students create a Google Account (http://www.google.com/accounts) using the email address they intend to use. Creating a Google Account is easy, and simply involves registering any email address and choosing a password specific to your Google Account.
While you'll need to compile a list of email addresses from your students, we recommend that you don't ask for their passwords, since these will now be connected with their personal Google Accounts.
If you need to create email addresses for your students
There are a number of free email clients (Gmail at http://mail.google.com being one) that will allow you to create accounts for each of your students, or allow your students to create an account for themselves.
Please note: Students must be 13 or over to use Google Docs, in compliance with Google's Terms of Service
Rebecca, you did a great job of defining each application. I found them to be very interesting and can't wait to start using some of them. The only problem I had was that I would like to have read more of when they were released to get an idea of how "old" or "young" these applications really are. Have they been around for several years but just now they are becoming poplular? or Are they new releases that have yet to show us how they can truly impact our "life as we know it"?
There's no such thing as a free lunch, so I'm guessing there's a cost associated with using these online products. Do users have to put up with ads, for example? Can their content be yanked--for example, if I attach dirty pictures (!) or some such unsavory to my e-mails, does Google reserve the right to ash-can them? Can they shut me down for violating their content rules, in other words? Am I forking over the use of my content to Google, should they choose to use it? On a related note, are these apps aimed mostly at the consumer/educational market? (Because I'm guessing most businesses wouldn't want the insecurity of their services held hostage by a usage agreement or their data held on some other company's server.) And finally, did you run across any hard numbers on how many people are actually using these products? What did people use before (or, now, instead of) these apps?
I'm asking these things because your intro does a great job of outlining the functions of these apps, it's not gving me a balanced perspective (too much like a marketing piece) or a sense of how these apps fit into the existing landscape.
The whole Google applications suit is being used heavily for person, business...and as of late, education. I use them quite often, and make it a point to introduce them to our new teachers and staff in my district. You did a great job of presenting the apps and giving their function. I do agree with Paola and would think that inception and release dates would be really nice. Good job. Google is such a richly diverse company, you could go on and on about them.
Great job on describing these applications. I agree with Paola and Kerry on adding when these came about. You could also touch on why they were developed. Your wikipedia definition said it had "similar functionality to traditional office products," so an educator who already feels like they have all they need and no time for new 'stuff' might benefit from knowing why Google Apps would be beneficial/useful. And to Emily's comment on the perspective being unbalanced - I wonder if you ran into the problem I did with VoiceThread. Being a relatively new application, was most of your available information only from Google?
Thank you all for the comments about adding dates - I agree, that would be a help, especially because they are fairly new (but what in technology isn't? ☺).
I should take out that they are free and address that in the start-up costs. Depending upon the use, they can have ads, a user cost, or nothing at all (educational users can opt out of ads). I also need to explore the issue a bit more. I don't remember some of them having ads or user agreements. I am sure the agreements are built in somewhere. I know Google is less intrusive than other services in terms of advertisements.
I appreciate the suggestions to address what was being used before and why the user would want to use these apps instead, and I also think I should go back and address how they are currently being used and by whom.
As for it feeling like a sales pitch, isn't that rather what this is? It was my understanding that we were supposed to explain what the products are and where they came from, not give a critique, and for that the source is often the best description. A lot of what I wrote was based on personal knowledge and experience, as well. And I will admit a personal affinity for Google. Perhaps it would be helpful to have another section of the chapter that addresses reviews, problems, difficulties, etc.
This has been an interesting challenge of trying to succinctly give background on four different products and not distract the reader with information that is off topic. Thank you for pointing out areas that I missed, I really appreciate the feedback!
Yes, Rebecca, you are right. It is rather like a sales pitch. Plenty of folks are out there talking about why it won't work - so focusing on how it is working for education is more helpful. Rather than cons, you can just add a section on things to look out for. (Easier to use if you have a gmail account - but even that is not much of an issue anymore. Other cons????) I haven't found much negative about using Google products - and they really do work to make them accessible for educators while letting the corporate world foot the bill.
There is some really great information there. I would agree that this is an amazing collaborative tool for college students and professors alike. Unfortunately, I don’t see this working for middle and high school. Google provides a great set of tools, but they are still tied into a search engine that has the ability to hit every subject the web has to offer. In order to make Google and its applications safe, you would have to squeeze it through a content filter that would inevitably render is unusable.
I re-read my comment, and I don't think that I put enough emphasis...The information was really good. Cost effectiveness would be right up there with usefulness in the eyes of anyone looking to buy into Google apps. Good job.
Kerry, I don't understand why it would not work for middle and high school. For example, the tool I think would be a great tool for multiple levels is Google Docs. How are they tied into the search engine? There isn't an internet search box on the Docs page, and you don't have to do a search to use it. How is it not safe? Why or how would you pass it through a content filter? I also have always used Google search with my students - is that out of vogue now?
At the base level, a student needs to have a Google account to access the Google Docs. But, this creates for the students, and unfiltered email account. Our schools in our district have very close to a 2 to 1 ratio of students to computers, and a vast network connecting all our schools. When you open up one hole in your network, let alone, one for every student, you are asking for trouble. I love the applications...believe me. I have carried a torch for Google since the beginning, but unless you can find a way to filter the traffic that Google allows in and out of your network, I can only see it being used by a more mature population.
Rebecca,
Great information and job so far on this topic. I think it would help to break the text with videos, images and screenshots where they make sense. For instance the following link has a video on google docs: http://www.commoncraft.com/video-googledocs.
David
Kerry, Couldn't the school just block the email account? You don't have to have the email account open to use the apps. Google Docs could be a way to save schools a lot of money - if you don't have to pay for software, that can save a lot.
Kerry, I believe our school does allow the Google apps while blocking gmail access. So the suggestion that Rebecca poses is possible if and when the school district wishes to do so.
Without Google, Live, Yahoo and others, colleges and universities would not even consider dropping student email systems.
Our college dropped our student email system 6 months ago, without a hitch. Students prefer their own personal email accounts. Gmail is now very popular. And Google Docs? Can't say enough good things. It's the answer for students with more than one workspace and especially those students who do not have Office.
Have you tried flickr yet? I use flickr for my moving photo album. Works great.
~ dawn
It's interesting to think about how a company can offer free services and still make money. I realize that Google sells advertising, among other things, but they are still able to offer services without advertising to schools. Perhaps if more businesses looked at ways of making products less expensive, or relatively free, especially for educational purposes, schools could put more money into other much needed areas. I know that there are educational discounts, but when it comes to even buying a very reduced software license costs can still be prohibitive.
I do use flickr - I think that is a Yahoo product. There are several free photo albums out there. Google's version is called Picasa.
Rebecca
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Comments (16)
Paola Villalon-Perezsandi said
at 2:25 am on Jun 17, 2008
Rebecca, you did a great job of defining each application. I found them to be very interesting and can't wait to start using some of them. The only problem I had was that I would like to have read more of when they were released to get an idea of how "old" or "young" these applications really are. Have they been around for several years but just now they are becoming poplular? or Are they new releases that have yet to show us how they can truly impact our "life as we know it"?
-Paola
Emily Moore said
at 8:46 pm on Jun 17, 2008
Rebecca,
There's no such thing as a free lunch, so I'm guessing there's a cost associated with using these online products. Do users have to put up with ads, for example? Can their content be yanked--for example, if I attach dirty pictures (!) or some such unsavory to my e-mails, does Google reserve the right to ash-can them? Can they shut me down for violating their content rules, in other words? Am I forking over the use of my content to Google, should they choose to use it? On a related note, are these apps aimed mostly at the consumer/educational market? (Because I'm guessing most businesses wouldn't want the insecurity of their services held hostage by a usage agreement or their data held on some other company's server.) And finally, did you run across any hard numbers on how many people are actually using these products? What did people use before (or, now, instead of) these apps?
I'm asking these things because your intro does a great job of outlining the functions of these apps, it's not gving me a balanced perspective (too much like a marketing piece) or a sense of how these apps fit into the existing landscape.
-Emily
Kerry Bonugli said
at 9:24 pm on Jun 17, 2008
The whole Google applications suit is being used heavily for person, business...and as of late, education. I use them quite often, and make it a point to introduce them to our new teachers and staff in my district. You did a great job of presenting the apps and giving their function. I do agree with Paola and would think that inception and release dates would be really nice. Good job. Google is such a richly diverse company, you could go on and on about them.
CRod said
at 7:07 pm on Jun 19, 2008
Great job on describing these applications. I agree with Paola and Kerry on adding when these came about. You could also touch on why they were developed. Your wikipedia definition said it had "similar functionality to traditional office products," so an educator who already feels like they have all they need and no time for new 'stuff' might benefit from knowing why Google Apps would be beneficial/useful. And to Emily's comment on the perspective being unbalanced - I wonder if you ran into the problem I did with VoiceThread. Being a relatively new application, was most of your available information only from Google?
Rebecca M. said
at 8:01 pm on Jun 19, 2008
Thank you all for the comments about adding dates - I agree, that would be a help, especially because they are fairly new (but what in technology isn't? ☺).
I should take out that they are free and address that in the start-up costs. Depending upon the use, they can have ads, a user cost, or nothing at all (educational users can opt out of ads). I also need to explore the issue a bit more. I don't remember some of them having ads or user agreements. I am sure the agreements are built in somewhere. I know Google is less intrusive than other services in terms of advertisements.
I appreciate the suggestions to address what was being used before and why the user would want to use these apps instead, and I also think I should go back and address how they are currently being used and by whom.
As for it feeling like a sales pitch, isn't that rather what this is? It was my understanding that we were supposed to explain what the products are and where they came from, not give a critique, and for that the source is often the best description. A lot of what I wrote was based on personal knowledge and experience, as well. And I will admit a personal affinity for Google. Perhaps it would be helpful to have another section of the chapter that addresses reviews, problems, difficulties, etc.
This has been an interesting challenge of trying to succinctly give background on four different products and not distract the reader with information that is off topic. Thank you for pointing out areas that I missed, I really appreciate the feedback!
-Rebecca
Janice Wilson Butler said
at 5:05 pm on Jun 24, 2008
Yes, Rebecca, you are right. It is rather like a sales pitch. Plenty of folks are out there talking about why it won't work - so focusing on how it is working for education is more helpful. Rather than cons, you can just add a section on things to look out for. (Easier to use if you have a gmail account - but even that is not much of an issue anymore. Other cons????) I haven't found much negative about using Google products - and they really do work to make them accessible for educators while letting the corporate world foot the bill.
Kerry Bonugli said
at 11:29 pm on Jun 25, 2008
There is some really great information there. I would agree that this is an amazing collaborative tool for college students and professors alike. Unfortunately, I don’t see this working for middle and high school. Google provides a great set of tools, but they are still tied into a search engine that has the ability to hit every subject the web has to offer. In order to make Google and its applications safe, you would have to squeeze it through a content filter that would inevitably render is unusable.
Kerry Bonugli said
at 11:31 pm on Jun 25, 2008
I re-read my comment, and I don't think that I put enough emphasis...The information was really good. Cost effectiveness would be right up there with usefulness in the eyes of anyone looking to buy into Google apps. Good job.
Rebecca M. said
at 8:33 pm on Jun 29, 2008
Kerry, I don't understand why it would not work for middle and high school. For example, the tool I think would be a great tool for multiple levels is Google Docs. How are they tied into the search engine? There isn't an internet search box on the Docs page, and you don't have to do a search to use it. How is it not safe? Why or how would you pass it through a content filter? I also have always used Google search with my students - is that out of vogue now?
Kerry Bonugli said
at 2:03 pm on Jun 30, 2008
At the base level, a student needs to have a Google account to access the Google Docs. But, this creates for the students, and unfiltered email account. Our schools in our district have very close to a 2 to 1 ratio of students to computers, and a vast network connecting all our schools. When you open up one hole in your network, let alone, one for every student, you are asking for trouble. I love the applications...believe me. I have carried a torch for Google since the beginning, but unless you can find a way to filter the traffic that Google allows in and out of your network, I can only see it being used by a more mature population.
David Plummer said
at 12:16 pm on Jul 5, 2008
Rebecca,
Great information and job so far on this topic. I think it would help to break the text with videos, images and screenshots where they make sense. For instance the following link has a video on google docs: http://www.commoncraft.com/video-googledocs.
David
Rebecca M. said
at 8:52 am on Jul 8, 2008
Kerry, Couldn't the school just block the email account? You don't have to have the email account open to use the apps. Google Docs could be a way to save schools a lot of money - if you don't have to pay for software, that can save a lot.
Rebecca M. said
at 8:53 am on Jul 8, 2008
David,
Thanks for the suggestion - I agree! Thank you also for the video link.
Rebecca
Paola Villalon-Perezsandi said
at 9:55 am on Jul 8, 2008
Kerry, I believe our school does allow the Google apps while blocking gmail access. So the suggestion that Rebecca poses is possible if and when the school district wishes to do so.
-Paola
Dawn Quinn said
at 2:07 pm on Jul 11, 2008
I attended The Chronicle Conference in April of this year. A big topic - Colleges get out of the email business.
http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i18/18a00103.htm
Without Google, Live, Yahoo and others, colleges and universities would not even consider dropping student email systems.
Our college dropped our student email system 6 months ago, without a hitch. Students prefer their own personal email accounts. Gmail is now very popular. And Google Docs? Can't say enough good things. It's the answer for students with more than one workspace and especially those students who do not have Office.
Have you tried flickr yet? I use flickr for my moving photo album. Works great.
~ dawn
Rebecca M. said
at 11:01 pm on Jul 13, 2008
Hi Dawn,
It's interesting to think about how a company can offer free services and still make money. I realize that Google sells advertising, among other things, but they are still able to offer services without advertising to schools. Perhaps if more businesses looked at ways of making products less expensive, or relatively free, especially for educational purposes, schools could put more money into other much needed areas. I know that there are educational discounts, but when it comes to even buying a very reduced software license costs can still be prohibitive.
I do use flickr - I think that is a Yahoo product. There are several free photo albums out there. Google's version is called Picasa.
Rebecca
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