EduTechie » Google

10 Reasons to Use Google Docs

Jeff — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:38:02 +0000

Robert McGarvey wrote a great article yesterday with 10 great reasons to use Google Docs. He even mentions me and the “Google’lize your Life” book!

1. It’s free
2. It’s easy
3. It does collaboration better
4. You don’t need the features Google Docs lacks
5. Free up IT to do higher-value work
6. What? Me worry about sercurity?
7. Google Docs are polished tools
8. Any device, anywhere
9. Free off site back-up
10. Google will integrate telephony into Docs

You can read the whole article at the link below.

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Google Fiber: The Fastest Broadband Internet Network Ever

Jeff — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 16:07:37 +0000

Google fiber is the latest in the great innovations of the search engine giant. It is the batch of ultra high-speed broadband networks, which the company announced earlier this year. The project aims to deliver one gigabit-per-second fiber connections for 50,000 to 5, 00,000 people. The consumers are expected to pay a “competitive price” for the access, said Google.

As defined by a Google representative in the recently launched website Fiberforcommunities.com, “Imagine collaborating with classmates around the world while watching live 3D video of a university lecture. Universal, ultra high-speed internet access will make all this and more possible.”

The company started to accept applications from cities and towns ever since its announcement of the project. The greatest suspense is that the winning municipalities will only be announced at the end of this year.

Google fiber has received a warm welcome from the people of U.S. As said by the company that has long been the king of innovations, it has received “1,100 community responses and more than 194,000 responses from individuals.” Google has posted a thank you video for thanking “every community and individual that submitted a response, posted a YouTube video, started a website, joined a rally or otherwise let their voice be heard.”

Google product manager James Kelly strongly believes that this project will surely have a great demand, as he says, “If one message has come through loud and clear, it’s this: people across the country are hungry for better and faster Internet access.”

Also read this interesting post: Google Fiber inspires WTF film festival.

Five reasons why Google is more than ready for the enterprise.

Jeff — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:38:02 +0000

Ryan Nichols had a great post today on Computerworld where he pointed out 5 reasons why Google is more than ready to take on Microsoft in the enterprise world. He bring up many of the points I am constantly repeating when people ask me if Google Apps is a viable alternative to Google.

1. Google does indeed know business.
2. Google is used to focusing on users, not pandering to buyers.
3. Google is used to enterprise-class security and availability
4. Google knows how we work is changing
5. Google benefits form a single, multi-tenant instance.

I am especially fond of his third point. So many people I talk to worry about the security of putting their information in the cloud. It seems we forget the massive redundancy and security that Google has. I think you would be hard pressed to find a business that could sustain the infrastructure Google does… and for a WHOLE lot cheaper.

Great article and read form Ryan. You can check it out at the link below.

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Chrome Productivity Extension Find – Gmail Compose

Jeff — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:19:02 +0000

I have been looking for a good extension that allows me to compose Gmail messages without having to open my inbox. I tried GmailThis! (http://contrapants.org/blog/2005/07/gmailthis.html), but it doesn’t keep my signatures. Not cool. Then I found Gmail Compose.

“Gmail Compose is used to quickly create new email messages straight from your Chrome browser. There are different options that allow you to customize how you use Gmail Compose. Quickly compose messages using the popup window and format from the Gmail iGoogle gadget, or compose messages using the fully featured format in a new window or tab.”

I have it set to pop open a new 600X600 window when I click the icon on the toolbar. Now I can keep my email closed and send from any email account (with the signature) with a click of the button! Awesome!

Install it on your chrome browser with the link below.

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Easily Create your own Android Apps with App Inventor

Jeff — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:57:03 +0000

Google announced the general availability of the Android App Inventor today. This is great news and pushing the envelope again. Remember the old days when we first all learned about making websites with WYSIWYG editors. Now a days very few people build entire sites in HTML any more. They all use content management systems like WordPress and Joomla.

I hope this is the next generation of editors for programming. Great move Google.

Go to the following link for more info and to register for your own account!

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Set up Multiple Signatures in Gmail

Jeff — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:19:02 +0000

This is a fantastic productivity saver. Google recently added not only the ability to have a rich signature, but also the ability to have different signatures for each account you have added to Gmail. I have at least 8 different accounts set up in Gmail so this will save me tons of time!

I have tried dozens of different ways to try an get different signatures set up on Gmail. Now they are built in, which means the signatures will be the same on all computers! This is awesome!

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The College Student’s Guide to Google Scholar

Jeff — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:57:02 +0000

There was a REALLY great article posted today on online classes about how to use Google Scholar. There are 100 links off to articles divided into the following areas.

1. Understanding Scholar
2. Explaining the Basics
3. Search Tricks
4. Helpful Links
5. Helpful Articles

Click the link below for more information.

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Colorado and Iowa Decide to Adopt Google Apps for Education

Jeff — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:33:50 +0000

Colorado and Iowa has planned to offer Google Apps to public schools across the states. Once the plan is implemented, more than 3000 schools will gain access to Google Apps (Gmail, Google Sites, Calendar, Docs, Groups, and Video).

As said by Google, Apps helps students in building web sites of their own, drop an email to their teachers to get their project-related doubts clarified, access their work from any location, and also get project assistance in real-time. It trains the students to adapt to a more tech-centric workplace.

TechCrunchIT reports that Google is also introducing a tool set specially designed for educators and teachers to get them accustomed to the cloud-based productivity suite. “Google is offering teachers and administrators a free online training center, a set of qualification exams for teachers, and a Certified Trainer and Partner program. The toolset is designed to offer a more self-service approach to adopting Google Apps, and includes in-depth resources on how to use Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sites, as well as tests to certify proficiency in using the suite.”

Google Apps for Education is a version of Google’s web based application that aims at enhancing the productivity suite of schools and colleges. It has to be noted that Oregon is the first state to sign on to Google Apps on April this year. Colorado and Lowa are the next two states that join the list.

Also read about “Google Apps Gets Education Certification Partner Program.”

Potential of Google Wave in Education – EDUCAUSE ECAR report

Jeff — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:10:03 +0000

Educause published a new report today entitled “Google Wave and Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: Impact on Higher Education”

I have long believed that Google Wave was going to be huge in the classrooms, especially as we move forward and Google integrates with more tools (like social networking and the google me news that is in the news right now). Google Wave is just suited so much better for collaboration than any other tool. As they say in the article Google-Wave is multidimensional and all about conversation, where email and webpages are one dimensional.

“This ECAR research bulletin is based on a 2010 study that was conducted as part of an examination assignment in the course “Introduction to Communication, Learning, and IT” at a Swedish university (Gothenburg). The study focused on the potential benefits and drawbacks of Google Wave for educational purposes. Study participants’ discussions were observed and analyzed in conjunction with literature on computer-supported collaborative learning and the social constructivist view on education.”

The article looks at practices, social issues, collaborative learning, pedagogical benefits, restrictions, possibilities, and questions to ask about moving forward among other things.

You can get to a page to download the PDF at the link below, but it does require an active Educause membership to read it.

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Google Apps for Education — Savings? Legal, Privacy and Security Considerations?

Jeff — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:50:10 +0000

“Due to recent member interest in Google Apps, particularly schools outsourcing their e-mail to Google, EDUCAUSE has collected many of the community’s questions and created a Google Apps FAQ wiki. http://www.educause.edu/wiki/Google+Apps+FAQ

The Google Apps FAQ wiki includes these sections:

- Financial
- Legal, Privacy, and Security
- Technical and Administrative
- Support and Help Desk
- Schools That Have Moved to Google Apps
- Schools That Have Made the Decision Not to Move to Google Apps

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