Google Model

Google offers a way to send content to students in a variety of communication formats. Students already know about Google as a powerful search engine. Once a student has Gmail she can set up an iGoogle homepage where information can be arranged in a way that is personal to her with her choice of artistic themed headers. Gadgets for calendars, calculators, dictionaries and more can have colorful headers. RSS feeds and hyperliniks to teachers blogs in blogger are are set up on the iGoogle home page.

There are more tools available with connect us to our Internet information sources. Each of these tools merly requires a click to add. Google Reader provides a way to send students the latest presentation on Google Doc that has been uploaded to the web. Word processed pages can be created by a specified group of students and shared like a wiki in this digital commons. There is no need for software. Opensource Internet tools makes this kind of collaboration possible.

Google search can now be customized per research project with a gadget on the homepage.

Google book search is like Librarything in that a librarian's favorite books can be displayed, yet Google book search will search for a book and if it is in public domain deliever to you for download. If the copywrite prohibits more than a look inside Google provides links to libraries and bookstore where books can be found.

Renee Varnadore