Embracing Your Inner Google

There is no doubt that Google has changed the face of the internet. It started with a search engine that could find anything. It expanded to include all sorts of new tools and gadgets from Google's web-based email to Google Docs to Blogger.

I am not a big fan of lumbering monopolistic companies who take over markets, stifle innovation, and set back technology for a buck. Google is not that though. Google consistently has provided converged, innovative products for free to the user. Principles aside, I am all for getting stuff for free.

In homeschooling I have found many of the Google tools very useful for managing and running a curriculum. Here's my list for embracing Google:

• Google search is great for finding resources. Other home school groups, online homeschooling guidelines for your state, online worksheets, videos all can be found with Google search.
• Google Calendar is awesome for putting together assignments. Each assignment can be put on a schedule with deadlines. Repeating activities can be scheduled. You can share the calendar between teachers and students.
• Gmail is a good communications device between teachers and students. It also integrates GoogleTalk chat capabilities.
  
• Blogger is a great place to have your student explore multimedia for reports and themes. They can write and integrate pictures and video in one place. You can read it from anywhere and comment. Permissions can be used to either hide or share content with the rest of the world.
  
• Google docs is a great place for writing reports and doing spreadsheets in a more traditional word processing environment. Documents can be shared.
• Google video and YouTube are great places to find content. I found old videos of speeches by Ronald Reagan and was able to share those with my daughters. They could see and hear President Reagan say to 'tear down this wall'.