Module 10: Blog Reflection – iGoogle as a possible start page; how to make student on-line self-organization more appealing

A wide array of excellent tools for organizing one's professional/personal life and work in a more effective way is available online. My “start page” is iGoogle, which is a personalized Google home/start page. Perhaps, students should also be encouraged to use a personal organizer such as iGoogle as their start page to help them create organized collections of useful and interesting information, improve teacher-to-student and student-to-student communication, and to add other organization tools which will help them achieve a higher and more effective level of productivity.

Students can use these personal organizers as a substitute for the school agenda by using the To Do list, calendars, and the countdown clocks for homework assignment/project deadlines and forthcoming events. While involved in research on, or the analysis of a novel, students can have immediate access to RSS feed information to gather data for their work (via Reader), can easily access tools such as dictionaries and thesauri, can effectively utilize concept maps and mind maps that visually represent related concepts and ideas, and use bookmarks; students may also add Wikipedia Search, Crossword of the Day, Match Up (a fun vocabulary development activity), Online English Grammar, Grammar Vocabulary Game, Hangman, A Joke a Day, Inspirational Quote, Word of the Day etc. In humanities, students can link to a calendar, read news headlines, study weather forecasts, access to Google Maps, Google Map Search and You Tube etc., all on one page.

In fact, students who find it difficult to stay organized because of information overload can use iGoogle to manage their personal learning and schoolwork environment by organizing their favorites on their home page; for example, students can create their own dashboard on their iGoogle home page consisting of their Gmail, a Google Calendar, Google Bookmarks, Google Reader, and Google Docs and use each of these on a daily basis. In a nutshell, iGoogle is an easily modifiable home page which is highly adaptable for the students’ personal interests and scholastic needs.

MS 1:1 technology program

· What are the main differences between Gmail and any email you've used before?

At first, not being familiar with the layout of Gmail and finding my other email service satisfactory, simple to use and sufficient for my use, I was not motivated to change to Gmail; however, the more I am exposed to the different features available through Gmail, the more I realize that Gmail offers more effective means of communication, collaboration and organization to the user.

· What would you like to be able to do with Gmail? Responses here might inform future learning opportunities in this course

I would like to explore and to be able to utilize all of the opportunities Gmail offers, in other words, to gain an effective level of literacy in using today’s tools of communication and collaboration.

· How could one of the tools in Gmail be used to positively impact student or teacher performance at ISB?

At this stage of my experience in using the tools of Gmail, I feel that I could not possibly do justice to the amazing possibilities Gmail offers…possibilities that positively impact both teacher and student acquisition of knowledge and skills, and overall performance. I am aware, however, that Gmail offers its users different and more engaging means of communication and collaboration, and recommends efficient ways of keeping organized and staying on task.