What will I learn?
- What is Google Apps, and how it is different from just searching Google?
- Exploring what is in Google Apps, and how to access it
Watch this
When people think of Google, they think Search Engine, or maybe Gmail. There is so much more these days however, and because of their success in advertising, Google is able to provide most of their services for free. Here is a very brief demo of the main Google Apps available:
Google Apps Quick Tour (1:57)
Read this
What better place to start than Wikipedia for an overview?
For an educational perspective, browse through this short article titled 7 Things you should know about Google Apps by Educause. An Educause (2008) summary of Google Apps:
“Google Apps is a collection of web-based programs and file storage that run in a web browser. The applications include communication tools (Gmail, Google Talk, and Google Calendar), productivity tools (Google Docs: text files, spreadsheets, and presentations), a customizable start page (iGoogle), and Google Sites (to develop web pages). Google stores all of the files and content centrally and keeps a record of the different versions of a file. With Google Apps, sharing content is as simple as granting someone access, which facilitates collaboration, peer review of academic materials, and the collective generation of knowledge.”
Now, what do I have to do?
- Look at the different applications available in Google Apps and explore each feature. Create an account and view the range of free organizational and collaboration tools available to you, including Google Docs, Gmail, iGoogle, Calendar, Notebook and Google Reader (which you will see in the RSS Thing).
- Post your opinion about Google Apps below - has anyone had good or bad experiences to share? What is the reaction from your IT department if you suggest it as a preferred office tool? Why?
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