Google Apps - What a Wonderful Thing! (Week 7)

Google Apps are great in terms of personal use, and they can also be very beneficial in the classroom!  I've used some aspects of Google Apps in the past, such as Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar and so forth.  However, before EDU 653 I don’t think I appreciated the full capabilities of the Google Apps that are available.  Google Sites, iGoogle, Google Reader, Blogger and many other Apps work so well together. The fact that a user can access these tools from anywhere with internet access is certainly a huge bonus.

The article from Educause “7 Things You Should Know about Google Apps” highlights another huge benefit by stating “In addition, Google Apps can work with existing single sign-on programs, and hardware (and hardware failures) becomes less of a concern.”  It’s great to have everything exist in one spot with one log-on.  The user doesn't have to remember multiple sites and passwords.  This could be very advantageous in the classroom for students.  The teacher and students can create central locations for resources, collaboration and assignment submissions.

However, a school district could also see this as a downfall.  The Educause article also states “The greatest concern about Google Apps and similar services is the loss of control. Because access rights are shared across the service, users rely—to some extent—on how carefully others protect their login credentials.” Students are often times careless when it comes to protecting passwords and not sharing them with others.  A teacher or district would need to be very careful if using Google Apps, especially in a day and age where internet bullying and misuse is so prevalent.

“7 Things You Should Know About Google Apps.”  Educause.com. March 2008.  Web.  Retrieved 7 June 2013.  <http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7035.pdf>