TECH Gmail, Google Calender, iGoogle

I have only been using Gmail for a few months now, so although I am pretty good with the basic features, i have not actually had the chance to look into some of the other feature Gmail has to offer. For instance, I learned today that since my iPad that I use in class is connected to my Gmail account, all the notes I take on my iPad are saved to the notes section of my Gmail. Gmail also has a chat feature, which, if you choose, you can save all of our chats to your Gmail as well. Gmail also gives users the ability to prioritize their inbox, so mail sent from a priority person would be at the top of the list. Gmail also allows you to sort you contacts list into various circles such as family, friends, and acquaintances. One of the other things that I just learned about tonight is Gmail's task feature which allows the user to basically write a to do list. You can even add details as to what a certain task requires and can check it off as you finish each task.

Next I took a look at Google Calenders. I have used Google calenders a little at my internship last summer, however, I did not use them enough to fully understand what all could be done. Basically, i know that they can be accessed and edited by anyone who the page is shared with. Google calender gives the user the ability to set up a monthly calender, a weekly calender or an agenda for the day. One of the features i really liked about Google Calender was that no matter where you input an event, it will show up on all the other calenders. So if I input an event on the day calender, it will also show up on the weekly calender and the monthly calender. And vice-versa. You can also import another calender into your own, so for instance, I could import my friend Hannah's calender and see when she works and when we both have free days. Or I could import the calender of the Colts season and have all of their games placed in my calender. You can also print any level of your calender easily.

Finally I looked at iGoogle. iGoogle is basically a personalized homepage. I actually already had an iGoogle page, but i don't often use it. One of the best features about iGoogle is that you can personalize it to fit you personality and needs. You can add gadgets to the homepage that interest you, so for instance I have the weather for my hometown on my iGoogle homepage. Gadgets are easy to add and remove and there are a number of different Gadgets to choose from such as news, sports, games, facebook, Gmail, to do lists, and you can even have your Google Calender on your iGoogle. There are a variety of ways to make your iGoogle personalized whether it be just for your own personal use, or if you would want to create an iGoogle page that could be used as a homepage for your classroom. iGoogle would be a great way having everything your students may need right on one page. It's very easy to use, however it should be noted that iGoogle will only be around for about another year, so teachers and individuals should not rely to heavily on it at this time.