My Top 10 Free Google Resources for Education

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Dave's Top 10 Lists
Google Resources
I've been reading a lot of "top 10" lists lately and decided that I would do a few this week.

The third top 10 list I'm doing is "My Top 10 Best Google Resources." Even though I listed Google in the first two lists, I wanted to point out some more features and uses for Google resources in education. They are in no specific order of preference. Click on the links for more information about each one and it's use in education.


1. Gmail - free email for students and teachers. Gmail also organizes your contacts and your tasks with a built in task list. Many smartphones, including Android and HP/Palm webOS can sync to your Gmail account and sync your contacts.

2. Google Calendar - free calendar app system to keep teachers and students organized. You can also sync it to many smartphones, access it from anywhere, and even share calendars with other people. This makes scheduling much easier and a teacher could share a class calendar and give the students read only access.


3. Google Docs - free office suite with word processing, presentation, spreadsheet and drawing apps. What's nice is that everything is stored online and backed up, accessible from anywhere, and you can even share documents and have multiple people edit them at the same time. This makes student group projects easier - no more emailing multiple versions.


4. iGoogle - iGoogle is a customizable homepage. I have my Gmail, Google Docs, Evernote, weather, Calendar, Reader, and bookmarks all on one page. It is a great way to have quick access to all of your information on one page and makes it easy to get and stay organized. Great for students and teachers.


5. Google Reader - Google Reader is a way to use RSS feeds to subscribe to your favorite blogs and websites. Instead of needing to visit the sites to check for new articles, Reader brings you the new articles. I use class blogs with my students and they subscribe to the blogs so that they get updates when something new is posted. It's great having news and new articles come to me.

6. Google Earth - Google Earth is a 3D interactive view of the Earth. It is a great way to learn geography as well as explore our planet. There are different features that can add different layovers and information for different areas on earth. There are 3D buildings, historical images, and even street views. A great, free way to explore our world.

7. Google Sketchup - 3D modeling software. Students can create 3D models of buildings, objects, and much more. Great for science, math, and art classes.

8. Google Chrome Browser (and OS) - Google's Chrome browser is a fast, secure, and very well designed web browser that I find superior to Internet Explorer and Firefox. It works great with all of Google's apps and has some great features. The address box is also the search box and makes using the browser very easy. There is not much for menu or toolbars so more of the screen is devoted to the webpage. There are some great extensions that make you more efficient, such as "clip to Evernote", "Google URL shorten", and "Aviary". The extensions are apps that work in the browser and add functionality.

Google Chrome OS is a new OS for laptops that is basically a web browser. Nothing really resides on the device and it looks just like using the Chrome OS browser. I have been using one of the beta units, the CR-48 laptop, and found it very easy to use and love the fact that it starts up in less than 5 seconds. This is still being developed, but I think it would be great for educational use because there is really nothing for IT to do with them. They self update and students and teachers don't store anything on the device.

9. Picasa - Picasa is free photo editing software, photo organizing, and web storage. It can also search your computer for all photos and graphics. This is great for students and teachers who are working on photos and graphics for school projects.


10. Blogger and Sites - create free blogs and web sites using Blogger and Sites. Students can create blogs and sites as part of their classwork or as an ePortfolio. Teachers can create web sites and blogs to use with their classes. I use blogs with my classes to post assignments, have discussions, post resources, reminders and much more. Students subscribe to the blogs with their email or an RSS reader to stay updated. I use the website to post class rules, syllabus, and files for them to download.


Google's resources also have great tutorials and help for using them. There are also a lot of sites and blogs that talk about Google apps and how to use them in education. These resources are useful, easy to use, and very reliable. 





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My Top 10 Free Web Resources for Students

Posted in Labels:

Dave's Top 10 Lists
Student Resources

I've been reading a lot of "top 10" lists lately and decided that I would do a few this week.

The second top 10 list I'm doing is "My Top 10 Free Web Resources for Students." These are resources that I believe can they students in their education. They are in no specific order of preference. Click on the links for more information about each one and it's use in education.

1. Evernote - take notes, collect web clippings, share notes with classmates, get organized.

2. Trackclass - is a great, free resource for students. The site allows students to track their classes and assignments, and even will send reminders (email or SMS) for upcoming assignment due dates and test dates. There is also a note taking utility so students can take notes on it if they have a computer in school.



3.Dweeber - is a homework collaboration site that also has tools to help students learn better. It is described as a homework social network. Students sign up, for free, and can add their friends, known as "dweebs" to their network. Students can work on homework together and help each other out. It even as a virtual whiteboard so that they can work together just as if they were in the same room.



4. Drobox - is a service that allows you to sync your files on your computer with their system as a backup. This also allows you to access the files anywhere. You can also sync the files across multiple computers. No need for USB drives anymore. 

5. Cybraryman  - Cybraryman has a great web site with tons of resources, sorted into different categories. The student section is excellent.



6. Digital Literacy - Our students live in a digital world and need digital literacy and how to be safe online.


7.  Google - Docs, Calendar, Gmail, Search, Tasks, iGoogle, Bookmarks, Reader, Google student blog, Blogger, Sites, Picasa - info, research, organizing, portfolios...

Google is an excellent resource for students. They can create and collaborate on projects using Docs, stay organized with Calendar and Tasks and iGoogle, save their Bookmarks, create a blog or website, upload and share photos, create e-portfolios, do research, and so much more.


8. OpenOffice and OpenOffice for Kids - OpenOffice is a free office suite that is a great alternative to Microsoft Office (and free!). LibreOffice is a new version that is being released by the same group that started OpenOffice. OpenOffice for Kids is a scaled down version targeted at kids, ages 7-12.

9. Smartphone Experts - More and more students use smartphone's these days. Smartphone Experts is a group of websites dedicated to smartphones. There are different sites for each smartphones, from Android to iPhone to Blackberry to HP/Palm webOS. They offer tips, reviews, app news, and much more, helping people to make the most of their smartphones. Since our students have these pocket computers, why not give them a resource to help them use them more effectively.

10.  Their teachers. Teachers are the single best resource for students. We can lead them to other resources like the ones above and we can help them use them. We also can help them understand and use those resources.

Share your favorite student resources with us.


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