Description: Google just announced, there are over 10 million students, staff, faculty and alumni that are actively using Apps for Education.
Source: The New York Times – Technology
Date: 10/14/2010
Just about four years ago, Google launched Apps for Education – a version of Google’s online productivity tools (including Gmail and Google Docs) that is geared towards K12 schools and colleges. Now, Google just announced, there are over 10 million students, staff, faculty and alumni that are actively using Apps for Education. With the beginning of the new school year, Google must have added about 2 million new users, as the company cited 8 million users until just a few weeks ago. Click for rest of story
Questions for discussion:
- What is the main attraction of google apps adoption in the educational marketplace?
- Do you feel that accessing software from the Cloud offers the same service and reliability as having the software installed on a hard drive?
- Why would an educational institution not adopt a “cloud” strategy for providing software for their campus?
Sarah Falco
Google Apps is a new innovative way of education. Although having new ways of learning are always being invented, I feel no matter what, there will always be a need for a teacher to at least some of the demographic. It’s proven that for some people human interaction is the best way for their particular learning style. I myself have had the opportunity to study in a University and also independently, and I know working with a teacher, being able to interact and ask questions, receive responses right away and not “get back to me by e-mail” works so much better for me. And I feel that lots of people are like me. Google apps is an excellent source for education, and I do use it often as well as many other Google applications, but google, nor any other internet learning source will every replace human contact for myself.
Katie
Google is my search engine of choice. Not because its fancy, or trendy, but because it is simple to use. It is no wonder that so many people are now turning to google to adopt it’s education apps-if the apps are anything like google, than they will be easily adoptable and straight forward to use. Also, having access to this software from the Cloud is just one more advancement the internet has made. I say, bring it on.
Kristin Q
I find this article quite interesting and timely as I have just signed up for a gmail account this past week to be able to utilize the google docs application. I had not heard of it until my partner and I were required to write a report together and she said we’ll just use google docs this way we can both work on it in live time. I think this is the main attraction for students, you can work on it from anywhere at anytime without having to try and arrange schedules to coordinate meetings.I am still a bit skeptical as this is my first time attempting to use this format so I can see how and educational system would not adopt a “cloud” strategy for the campus as there is no software installed to allow back up. One of my first questions was how do we save it? The response I got was it automatically saves ever 30 seconds or so. I will be backing up my google doc to esure that my work is not lost. I am interested to see how this issue develops.
Dulcie
Good on GOOGLE. They really know how to stay ahead of the game when it comes to technology. Because of there positive worldwide reputation, I don’t think they will have a problem in maintaining a competitive lead.
Jo-Anne
I think Google Apps is an interestesing educational tool, that is worthy of exploration by students and teachers alike in K-12 settings and in College and University settings. A main attraction of Google Apps for educational purposes is obviously the collaboration and communication tools it offers its users. I cruised around the Google Apps website, and read some of the FAQs on this website. I tried out a Google Docs demo. I was presented with a word processing document I could edit as I wish, and could invite others to edit as they wish. I was presented with a spreadsheet and a drawing application, as well. I thought this was interesting, and I played a bit with these applications. The drawing application does not work if a person uses Microsoft Internet Explorer as their web browser; a special software patch must be installed on a person’s computer for this browswer to work with the drawing application, or a different browser must be used. I did not think this was ideal since Microsoft Internet Explorer is a popular browser, and since applications like Google Apps should ideally work with this browser problem free.
Another concern I have about Google Apps, and about pretty much application like it, is privacy and security. I learned rapidly that this concern is not unique, and is one of the main concerns many people have about Googe Apps. I browsed through the privacy and security FAQ, and I browsed at the Terms of use of Google Apps. I do not think I would want to use Google Apps, due to my privacy and security related concerns about this online educational tool. I also question whether Google Apps would be as accessible and as reliable of a server as those at postsecondary institutions I work and study at. I qeustion how intellectual property ownership and copyright issues might be affected by use of an outsourced server such as Google for “free” storage of personally written documents.
I think communication and collaboration applications like Google Docs are interesting educational tools, and I would hope that educational
institutions I work and/or study at would consider installing similar applications on their own computer systems for use by their students, faculty, and staff. For security and privacy reasons, for intellectual property ownership reasons, and for access and reliability reasons, I do not personally feel that outsourcing such applications to servers such as Google is ideal, however. This is my 2 cents here anyway.
I posted this for a course I am taking, and, for privacy and security reasons, I am hoping this post can be removed from this blog when this course is over. 🙂 This is the first entry I have ever posted to a “blog”, and so thank-you all, for putting up with this “blog” entry.
Mark Molendyk
Schools are moving towards an education system that can be accessed online. Students will have the opportunity to connect with the teachers while they are at home. This will allow immediate feedback for the students on the projects that they are doing. These generation of students are so computer savvy, that these applications have sparked thier interest in using these products. These applications have so much to offer the students as well. It is very easy for the students to access the documents online. This will allow students to manage thier time more effectivly. The more time that students interact with teachers, the better students will learn.
Alex Dechant
I think the main attraction of the adoption of google apps in the education marketplace is the ability to provide instant results. Instant results provide students not only provide productivity but will also let students review test scores, make changes, and ultimately learn quicker. A huge attraction is the fact that students will be able to use the software on there own schedules and manage their time more effectively. I think before adopting google apps there a educational institution would defiantly need to do a cost-benifit examination. What is good for one institution may not be good for another. As far as googles standpoint, it looks like they have once again provided a awesome service that should really be utilized.
Lisa
I believe that computers and such search engines as Google will be taking over schools soon enough. Although i think that having a technological background is so very important to the youth of today, i also believe that human contact is till most important.
I myself am an Education student and will be a new teacher in a year from now, i have had many positive outcomes from using technology in my classrooms and teaching my students how and why to use the “google” name so i am by no means saying that it is not the wrong way of going about learning/teaching. As a student i use these search engines at least once a day and i know what a help it has been with my schooling. I would just rather be able to talk to someone that can look me in the eyes and speak back to me. Having that human interaction is so very important to the students K – University level now a days, too many people are sitting infront of a computer screen and losing verbal interaction. So although i think that the google apps is an excellent source for our education system, that will be around for a long time to come…i just hope that it doesn’t take over the education system and leave up and coming teachers like me jobless.
TracyF
Do you feel that accessing software from the Cloud offers the same service and reliability as having the software installed on a hard drive?
This question is rather ironic because I have personally had my laptop crash recently and I do not see hard drives as particularly reliable! Any form of technology has pros and cons. Accessing software from the Cloud offers on demand service that’s often customizable at a reduced cost. Schools are always looking for ways to cut costs and using Google apps over installed software allows them to do so without cutting programs or benefits to students. Another major benefit to Google is they are constantly coming out with new innovations and upgrading their services. Constantly upgrading software is very expensive, especially for educational institutions with multiple users, so Google apps start to look very attractive. The only major con may be if the internet is inaccessible for a period, then the Google apps would be inaccessible too. Regular software, like Microsoft Office, is functional without an internet connection. This con seems to be outweighed by the multiple benefits Google apps provides and as technology improves, internet downtime lessens.
Alejandra
Today, many students have been using the internet on a frequent basis and communicating with professors via email. Using Google apps delays the time needed to wait for the professor to respond. Google has been known to be the main search engine for the majority of the population around the world. People using education apps are probably doing this because of Google’s history of being successful in the internet world. Some might be aware that there are different versions but the immediate response is to check if Google has it because it is very popular. Their search engine is so easy to use that most would assume that their education apps would be as well.
Alicia Lozynsky
It seems today Google can put their name on anything and have the majority of that particular market share. They can do this so successfully because of the innovative team they have working behind scenes knowing what the population wants. Apps for education I think is a great way to get people involved with the search engine targeting exactly what they are looking for. Since I don’t have a Gmail account neither have I ever used the Google docs, I don’t know the significance to these programs. However I have heard so many great things have come from using the programs especially with group work and such.
If Google apps for Education is a credible way to share information and citeable for students then I think it should even be recommended by teachers and professors since Google is known to be very easy to use and adaptable.
One Issue some people may have with using programs like this, along with any internet based sharing programs is privacy. It’s not Google’s fault, it just comes with some of the risks you take when using the internet.
Craig H
Google is taking over the world! Phones, education apps its getting to the point where it seems like everywhere you look (internet related of course) google somehow has their stamp on it. I think google is so popular because it was one of the first major search engines and has continued to develop and improve tremendously. The android (googles entrance into the cell phone market) I feel is going to push google from the major successful company it already is to a new level of success. Its a pretty common thing for a university student to use the internet daily, use a cell phone daily and download apps for it to help their education so google defanitly picked the correct target market.
Nicole
The main attraction of the adoption of Google Apps is that it provides a new way for students and teachers to communicate. I think it would be beneficial for schools to incorporate it because it exposes students to a variety of communication tools as well as expand their technological knowledge. It allows students and teachers to access projects anywhere at any time. It could be a cost-saving system due to the fact that there is no software to install or any hardware to buy. Google is an established powerhouse as a search engine which will help increase Google Apps popularity.
Adam G
The main attractions for Google apps are the availability for anyone to access documents via the internet as well as the simplicity for the users that Google offers. It can be frustrating while doing a group project worrying about which version of Microsoft office the other group members are using. Google’s documents are stored on their servers and can be accessed by anyone with the internet. As well, Google is very simple to use, all of their applications are easy to run, and if one can’t figure out how to use a particular application, “Google it”. Storing or accessing documents from the cloud is a bit of a worry, but millions of people use Google’s webmail service without issues and that information is stored on the cloud. If there is such a worry about losing information, a user could copy the documents on their home computer’s hard drive or a data stick; this is a bit of a pain but for those that are uncomfortable with Google’s cloud storage this is a solution. An educational institution would not adapt a cloud storage strategy for security reasons and loss of data reasons. If they have their own storage they are able to back it up whenever they choose to avoid the loss of important information. Also, if there are any troubles with the system institutions have their own IT specialists working on campus to fix the problem. If the adapted a cloud strategy the institution would have to hope Google’s has the system working whenever they needed it. Security could be another issue with having a cloud strategy; an institution might not trust Google’s servers with their grading information and would rather have their system in house and monitored there. Google might be a bigger, more specialized computer company than any institution but there are a lot more hackers after Google’s servers than any institutions.
Josh F
The main attraction of google using theses apps in the educational marketplace is for its users to be able to communicate online. This application not only allows students to effectivly communicate with professors from home, but saves money for the institutions. This program lets students work from any computer and whenever they want and provides quicker response times, especially when it come to getting group projects done.
Joana H.
I do personally feel that cloud-based tools like Google Apps are much more efficient than hardware-based tools like the ones which are provided with Microsoft office, since you are much freer and comfortable in using the docs and organizing calendars everywhere, also outside the schools and Uni campus. And since there is an automated saving system is difficult that you can lose your work. Moreover being able to work on the same document contemporarily saves you so much time in all the study projects students have to work in team at. A probable con could be just that sometimes is a bit slow, due perhaps to the high number of users that log-in at the same time. Furthermore, since hardware is limited in memory capacity and purchasing newer and more powerful devices is costly, the “cloud” is the upcoming future, especially in the schools and the educational system in general, where cost saving is so important.
Brett B
The key selling point for me with the many features of Google, is its simplicity. Most people were introduced to Google as a search engine, it is popular and was well accepted. I feel this is why Google Apps have become so successful is because of the strong sense of usability and ease. Consumers assume that if one facet is strong all others will be as well. The application aspect can very well be used to supplement course content however I feel there will always be a need for a physical instructor. Newer and newer ways of learning are being invented and all these advancements mean there is a greater potential to learn and grow.
Kelly L
Google Apps for Education is an amazing innovative technology tool, which can be used by all students and staff. It requires no hardware and is free, catching the attention of students everywhere. It is fascinating that over 10 million students and staff are using this technology tool, and even more fascinating that over 2 million of these users have joined within the past few weeks. Personally, this is the first time hearing about it but I will be looking into it further so that I can use it myself. Google is a highly successful business that will continue to succeed in this world of growing technology.
Breann L
The main attraction Google creates with Google Apps is the ability for real time communication from student to student or student to professor in educational institutions. As a student I know the great advantage this will have in schools, colleges, and universities. Educational institutions are able to save money along with time by using Google Apps. The internet is inexpensive and avaiable making access to Google Apps easy and accessible. Accessing software from the cloud may in many ways be more reliable than accessing it through hard drives because of the tendency for hard drives to crash or be inaccessible. The only reason I can think that institutions would not want to adopt a strategy like Google Apps would be because of the change that would have to occur in teaching strategys etc. Although, most students in todays world have knowledge about technology and Google already so making the transition might not be as bad as some skeptics might think.
Rohann K
The Google Apps gives students another source to use. This App will make it easier for communications between the students and the faculty. Having a dedicated internal team helps Google to stay updated and relate to fellow students. Since the majority of students already use google for research, this App would not to be hard to get use too.
Claudia R
On the one hand the main attraction of google apps adoption is the ability to enhance collaboration and communication within schools and universities, hence enable students to learn more effectively not only when they are at school but also when they are outside.The fact that more and more institutions are adopting this new technology shows how useful these new tools are. Group calendars, resource scheduling, real time collaboration and file sharing are only a few of the many features offered by google apps.In my opinion the adoption of this particular kind of applications is particularly valuable since it enables kids to get in touch with information systems since they are very young; in this way they understand the importance of taking advantage of new technologies and applying them in their everyday life.
On the other hand someone could feel uncomfortable accessing software from the Cloud instead of having it installed on a hard drive, but I would say that even hardwares are not as safe as someone could think.On the contrary hardware is more difficult and expensive to maintain and might break down anytime, with unpleasant consequences for everyone.
Consequently it is not so easy to think about a reason why an education institution would not adopt a cloud strategy; probably because one of the cons of this kind of strategy is that all the information and software are stored in a kind of “nowhere”, and with this word I mean a non-physical place (opposed to the material consistency of a hardware).
Celest-
Google has definitely gotten its customers just like it says. Focusing on educational institutions with tools such as Google Apps, google has a competitive advantage over its competitors like Microsoft. The educational marketplace has plenty of readily available customers. This makes marketing to potential customers easy for google as the marketing is done for it by word of mouth from existing customers who stand as a testimony to others for what Google Apps offers as a package. Due to improved Team Collaboration created by Google Apps e.g the ability to share documents online anytime, Google has the opportunity to concentrate on mass customization and ways of improving on its services to its customers. This mass customization is less costly, hence improved profits to google.
Mahreen
i believe that google apps are so popular due to the fact that they are simple/user-friendly and thats why its so popular with students. I think its a great tool and institutions should adapt it as its inexpensive. i think its great that theyre introducing new apps, its great and certainly keeps them ahead in the game as theyre constantly innovating and improving their products. 🙂
Chuqiao(Emma) Yu
I think that accessing software from the Cloud offers the same service as having the software installed on a hard drive. Most cloud computing services are so quick and easy to use that you don’t even realize you’re accessing software that’s not located on your computer’s hard drive. The data is stored on multiple virtual servers, rather than being hosted on dedicated servers. Victualing the resources according to the requirements of the customer and expose them as virtual servers, which the customers can themselves manage. In fact, the service is more fast and convenient.
I think the cloud providers have a strong incentive to maintain trust and as such employ a higher level of security. Also, if the cloud provider shutting down, no one will know what kinds of trouble the end users will get.
Jvo
Google is an amazing organization, with very talented people. They know that the student body is an enormous market. I personally like how Google is trying to tap into this market making software for students. It makes our lives more efficient and organized. I use both Gmail and Google Docs for education purposes and they work great. I started to use Gmail because my University email fills up like crazy midway through the school year. To solve that problem I just linked my university email to my Gmail which has way more storage space. However with all these apps that are coming out I can see daily life being more and more dependent on technology. For example I have to check my Gmail at least 3 to 4 times a day.
Dave D
Google is a very smart company. They analyze groups that will give them a large profit very well. This is a very good example since there is a large group of students. With the app world starting to really pick up they are ahead of the game by grabbing this large group of people. They have created a competitive advantage by making apps that help students. It would be smart for schools to move to cloud based offerings due to the cost savings and popular demand
Constantin Dubovetsky
Google comes up with really neat stuff all the time. They attract the most brilliant minds to work for them by offering great working conditions, flexible schedules, fostering innovation and creativity. Google Apps for Education is one of those simple things that makes everyday life easier.
Starting in 2014, Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in partnership with Virgin’s founder Richard Branson are going to lead hundreds of users on Project Virgle, the first permanent human colony on Mars.
Check out for yourself what is the plan for the next 5 years and how to become one of the pioneers. http://www.google.de/virgle/plan_1.html
Carlos.Z
As we are already living in an information age in contemporary society, technology tools obviously play a significant role in various fields such as online education. I personally think that Google Apps create a new way or platform to make students to use and to acquire the knowledge. It is also a great learning tool as the students could communicate , collaborate with each other on Apps. On the other hand, because of Google’s previous reputation and powerful technology background, it could definitely contribute the achievement for Google Apps in the education market. Currently, Google is so poplar that a great deal of students already uses Google engine and webmail for their daily living, because it is convenient and accessible to use. This point could also be a completive advantage for Google Apps to excess some other rival companies to get more customers from the educational marketplace, especially for the institutions like universities and colleges.
Sunny P.
I believe Google Apps is a very advanced way of assisting students and all the people that make use of it today for whatever purpose needed. By Google providing this kind of extra-ordinary service people can always know that they have a service they can rely on. Further, we all must be very appreciative of a service as such offered for as little as free because one can never only rely on what is learnt in class and must seek outside assistance. The only strong supporting reason I would see that an educational institution would not provide these kinds of software is because they want their students to work hard when finding information and figure out through personal and in class learning. On my behalf I think it’s the best thing so far.
coco
The main attraction of google apps adoption is that it can offer creation, edition sharing documents online and then be able to access them anywhere.Especially, most of them are completely free. it’s really conveint for students. As our teconolody developed,our society has became information socity. More students are rely on internet. As a student, I perfer more efficient and effective way to improve our daily life. Google apps does have reasons to make us believe that it more conveinet. Like we don’t need to worry about data loss or virus attact because cloud computing provieds us a secure storage center online. And also we can easily to access because it requires minimum client device. we don’t need to worry if my computer could run this new system anymore. We save our time to share information online over different devices. it just make my student life simple.
Meghan
I think that this is a good option for Google because students today demand the best technolgy and the newest thing. It’s hard in today’s market because Apple has the majority of the shareholders. I still don’t know if I would be sold on a google phone, my friend has one and its really heavy and Apple Iphone offers way more apps than google apps. It’s still a good idea though for google to try and compete in such a market where one organization like Apple is pretty much running the “show” in high tech phones. I think in a few years, google will be one of apple’s biggest competitors and forcing the newest and best thing to all its customers.
Rashida Buchanan
Google has found a creative way of facilitating the acquisition of knowledge. It is the best search engine (in my opinion) that offers the best array of information and options to its users. Google Apps for Education is yet another option for users to make life just that much easier. The main attraction would be the fact that it’s a productivity tool for students and will ensue significant savings in the process. I think it’s a great thing to have offered for students. I know my life has been made much easier with Google’s array of applications and I know it will do the same with the Apps for Education.
Seth E.
Google is good at finding a relatively untouched market. 10 years ago, who would guess that so much would be online. When students as young as kindergarten are part of the target market, what will the future hold for these kids? I remember the first e-mail address that I had as a young teenager, and I thought that I was at the head of the race in regards of being up to date with technology. Now elementary school kids are going to have access to technology that is being used by high school students. I think that the future is very bright because of this. These young kids are going to have new ideas that will have a huge influence on the way technology grows in the future.
Dustin Moore
Google, being one of the biggest search engines on the internet if not the biggest is one of the biggest influences in why education is adopting its products. Not only is it easy to use but it is already a powerhouse when it comes to being online. When it comes to improving technology, if something goes wrong with the cloud system when it first comes out, google has enough engineers to quickly and efficiently improve the service provided. So if this is not as reliable as a hard drive now, it soon will be. I know that if I had this product for school I would not be worried about learning how to use it.
Fiona Jin
Those amazing innovation Google did for education has absolutely gotten its customers just like it says. We have to admit that Google is a very smart company. People say that technology changes our life and makes life easier. Google’s online productivity tools for education proved this. Our society has become information society now. More students are relying on internet, not only for sharing information, but also we could use those online tools to keep ourselves organized. For example, I¡¯m using iGoogle as my start page now. With one glance, I can see my task list, schedule, bookmarks, Gmail, RSS feeds and even more. I can also access my Google Docs from this page. The article also mentions that Google is obviously not the only company targeting this market, many other companies such as Microsoft offer similar suite of online productivity tools for students. The thing I am sure is customers can profited greatly from this rat race in online productivity tools field.
Marcel Ter Denge
As Google is already a very well known company, mainly for their search engine, I think it will be easy for them to market these Google apps for education. I personally have a Gmail account and use Google as my primary search engine, and I am going to further explore these Google apps. I am not completely comfortable with accessing software from the Cloud, as I feel more comfortable with having software installed on my hard drive. Accessing the Cloud does offer advantages with doing group projects, and being able to add to a document without having to personally meet with each other every time to do this. If the privacy settings on the Cloud are sufficient, and if you save your work to your hard drive, there should be no issues with using these Google apps.
Lauryn
I think that the apps that Google is putting out there for the education system will enhance the education system further. Our world is becoming so dependent on technology that getting the advanced technology into the education system early will help students become familiarly with it, it will help teachers get in contact with their students and be able to monitor their progress better, It will also help administration staff by letting them have all the information that they need at the end of their finger tips.
Tyson B.
Google docs is effectively targeting the growing concern over time constraints in our everyday lives. This along with Google’s brand recognition and advertising power allow it to meet the four P’s of marketing. By doing so they are gaining the attention of price and convenience savvy consumers, such as learning institutions. They are able to provide a useful product at an economical price in a way that is logistically appealing. Although, I would assume that institutions trusted with our personal information would have major concerns dealing with confidentiality. The availability of the internet and the mainstream view of its security pitfalls could drive potential customers away. Ultimately, this argument comes down to tangible security versus affordable convenience.
Shawna MacDonald
There are many attractions for using google apps in education. I think most people use Google for their internet searches anyways – as common slang suggests, “I’ll google that..” because the results are so convenient, really fast, and abundant. You can always find what you are looking for on Google searches and Google products (not just the search engine) are really user friendly. Using them in education provides a lot of convenience and is especially useful with the popularity of smartphones – the iPhone is one of the most popular smartphones out there, and for those that don’t have iPhones could have iPod touches or iPads which are also capable of accessing apps such as gmail on the go. This feature enables students to use their google apps whenever they are and likely increase productivity – it is easy on the bus ride home from school instead of waiting until you get home, for example.
It also increases productivity in other ways: making communication and collaboration easier. Google apps are also secure and private, and probably the main reason they are so attractive is because they are cheap!
Travis VH
I think it is great that google is coming out with apps for education. Google is the biggest search engine and everyone knows what they have to offer. All schools use the internet everyday for lectures in class and every student uses the internet when researching information for assignments and if google can create apps for education to make life easier on students and google will become even more popular. I think there is a large market for these apps and it will be very successful in googles future.
Brian Rollag
This is a very positive thing happening in the world of technology. The cost savings for educational institutes is probably immense. Also educating K12 students about the basics of these programs will suit them very well in their working career as Microsoft office products are widely used. I find that these programs are a huge time saving factor also. Writing a paper and typing a paper are two different experiences. So that it also adds value in a time saving function as well and can leave time for more learning. Saving time and learning to use these types of programs for free is a huge advantage that many people didn’t have that long ago.
Lauren Kingston
I think that the main attraction of google apps for education is simplicity. I’ve had a gmail account for a few years now and I find it way easier to use and more intuitive than my old windows live account. Also, being able to access these programs from the cloud will enchance the collaboration of individuals as they can access the same files. I have done group work with people in the past who had different programs than I did which weren’t compatible with mine and it created a lot of unnecessary hassle. I am a huge google fan and use it on my laptop and smartphone practically everyday, I welcome any new google product as I’m certain it will be easy to use and practical.
Brittany H
The main attraction of Google apps adoption in the educational marketplace is to meet the unique way that everybody learns. It is cool to have a place where you can go and discuss things to do with your education and get help. The thing that is unique is that you can customize it to your unique learning abilities. And also the fact that it makes it really accessible to get help from your teacher wherever you are. It gives you access to use and learn new kinds of technology that you may not have access to in the normal school or university setting.
Brett S.
Not only do I find that google is an innovative and pogressive corporation that continues to find creative ways to stay on top of the market, I find it very interesting how schools and school work are becoming increasingly advanced through using educational programs like google apps. Who would of thought that twitter would be a “study website” for this class?
Jason F
Google is one of the most profitable organizations around. They have so many ways to make life easier and now with the new apps, it is even easier. When I got my gmail account, you can do just about anything on it. Being a Finance major, they have a setting to manage your stock portfolio, which you can track stocks and see how you would do, and be able to get a feel for the real deal. Googles search engines are easy to navigate through and has the best results. So I am happy that google keeps coming up with new ideas, cause it makes my life alot easier.
Dustin Lehmann
I’m happy to report that I would be included in the 2 million new users of google’s app’s. With having a to do alot of research, papers, and assignments, I find it neccessary to be able to do these things the most efficient way. Google apps make it easy for me to do these efficiently by allowing me to take my work anywhere with my due to the fact of these programs being able to run on my smartphone, home pc and school intranet. This saves me time by not having to drive to the university to work on assignments or having to worry about where my thumbdrive has gone. As society moves towards using these services more I assume that it will only become more efficient and beneificial to have.
Jake Robinson
The use of this type of technology in education will undoubtedly continue to increase. Educators are continually looking for innovative methods to help their students learn, and this is another one of those ways. Since the invention of the ipod touch and the iphone, apps are paving the way for software developers to tap into a new market. Apps are so broad in range; from games to learning tools to an app that suggests what to eat for dinner, it is a huge market that will continue to get bigger. It is no wonder that google has created apps geared for educators to utilize and help students learn with tools that they are already familiar with.
nathan benoit
I think that these new google apps are great for a lot of situtations where a proper instructor will not work well. example may be third world countries. However i think these apps that google has made will only put us more and more at the mercy of our own technology. I personally wouldn’t think that my children would learn much from computer learning games and such. I learn much better when in person where i can ask questions, get responses and interact with the class as a group. Also with these apps kids are going to be more and more unsocialized.
Nianze
“Google it..” This sounds familiar to people around the world. A search engine such as Google is playing an important role in today’s society. I would say that Google is an essential search engine tool for everybody in a knowledge society. When my computer was crashing, I used Google to find out what was the blue screen appeared. Students can fully access to Google Apps with advanced technology at no cost. It helps students in organizing within their academic communication and collaboration. Also, students take the advantages of accessing, creating, and sharing documents online at their convenient. Cloud computing provide students secure storage centre online without worrying about data loss or viruses.
Alisha B
I think the main attraction for adoption of google apps in the educational market would be on a consumers point of view google apps might make in class learning “fun” as well as the cost for the students could be substantially less as well as the access to google apps can be so easy students could do homework on their pda/smartphones on the bus ride home from school! Instructors could make updates right from their own phones as well!
I feel like there can be a down side for having to access software from a cloud because having a good network connection is not always possible. Although, there is the incentive of having the google network being responsible for system software updates.
An educational institution may not want to adopt a cloud strategy because there is a possibility that not all students will have access to a computer at all times for instance from home and if they do having up to date high speed internet is also a worry.
* Why would an educational institution not adopt a “cloud” strategy for providing software for their campus?
Matthew K
With the backbone of the most successful Search Engine and one of the most successful companies in the world, Google Apps has the tools and resources to propel itself further into success. One of the main attractions for educational institutions introducing and implementing Google Apps is to allow students and staff to become accustomed and experienced with cloud based computing (which is becoming more mainstream), and less expensive then licenses for physical software installed on every computer. The “Cloud” software has the potential to offer the same service and reliability, if not more than physical software because Google does all the maintaining and updating of the apps and their servers where they are stored. The main restraint for institutions not adopting this “Cloud” software is not having steady access to the internet and creating a digital divide between the students at home who can access the information via the net, and the students who are unable to do so. However, the future looks bright for cloud software because of their ability to save money, which is attracting many companies and institutions.
Amy
I think the main draw of google apps is that it is so convienient that most of the population can use it. It would probably work really well in education systems for both students, their families and school systems because not everyone can afford the lates iPod or other electronic devices but almost everyone does have access to the government at home (at least in Canada and the United States), which therefor cuts costs for everyone.
Judy
Google Apps is another incredible invention created by Google. Google Apps are very simple to use and easy to understand. A lot of the Apps are free, which gives students the option to test them before they decide whether they want the lite version (free) or pay for the full version. Google Apps for Education has receives lots of attention because it has been reported that over 10 million faculty/students are using it and about 2 million new users have joined in the past couple of weeks. Perhaps, the most important thing Google has created for its users, is the ease to communicate almost everywhere and anytime.
Kaleigh
Google Apps for education are new innovative productivity and communication tools, which help aid student learning. Google Apps can be accessed through an Internet connection at anytime, which will allow students to learn more effectively outside of the learning institution. These Apps are great communication tools because they allow students and teachers to communicate in a timely manner. Software is not required to operate Google Apps and therefore, Google Apps are more cost effective. School districts should use Google Apps, not only because it’s cost effective, but also because it will help students acquire knowledge.
Jobbie C.
Google serves as the world largest searching engine could definately be attractive to the educational marketplace. Student could access and exchange information quickly. Also, the storage of the Google Apps is greater than the Webmail on Intranet. Accessing software from the cloud is better than accessing software from hard drive. First, the mobilibity and reliability will be enhanced since students can access to the Cloud in anywhere and at anytime. Second, the Cloud would foster the communication and interaction between students. Third, the Cloud has a build a project and a group application which helps students exchange ideas and information more efficiently. The only thing that the educational instuitions may not consider the Google Education Apps is that most of the educational institutions have already built up their own intranet system, such as Webct and Webmail. Students may have to take time to learn and adapt to a new applications.
Greg B
As more and more companies are changing their marketing and recruitment techniques, the skills to work with apps is becoming more main stream. In current job postings, I’ve noticed an increased amount of KSAOs dealing with mobile technologies, apps, app development as well as familiarity with social media. Therefore I find it pertinent that schools embrace apps in order to best prepare the new generation for the job market. It has been mentioned that if you are an older employee and go into a job interview, it is beneficial to bring a Blackberry or other smart phone to show that you are up-to-date with technology and are able to use it. It’s important that educational institutions are on the leading edge of technology in order to best prepare individuals for the workforce and insure that they have the marketable, valuable and essential skills that the job market requires.
Jeremy Tamminga
Google is a very trendy, well known company that has performed very well in any market they enter. With a dynamic industry such as education applications, it seems that Google will make for a very prominent competitor. With most educational facilities, their main concerns are having the most cost-effective, high quality, state-of-the-art technology for their students. Cloud technology also allows institutions to experiment with new programs at minimal cost and risk.
The biggest issues with a Cloud system are the security and reliability issues, and this alone may even be enough to discourage many institutions from trying this service.
Samuel Yung
I believe the main attraction of google apps adoption in the educational marketplace is that it could provide convenience for students and teachers for them to use. It’s a very good idea because it could help educational marketplace to save money should benefit all the students when it comes to having the program at home to accomplish homework. This could give opportunities for students to be communicating with their teacher anywhere in the world. Another attraction of the goggle apps adoption is the amount of people that are currently using it. I believe that in a few more years they would be having more people using these apps would continue to give people in the educational field more and more advantages.
Stephanie H
The main attraction of Google apps adoption in the educational marketplace is that Google already has a public-ally known name and people know and understand that Google likes to make products/services that are easy to use. The know their market and adapt their products to suit their market.Well when it comes to accessing software everything is pretty much the same from accessing from Clouds or just installing on a hard. People the same quality in service and reliability because Google constantly test their products before they go public with it. A educational institution might not adopt a “cloud” strategy for providing software to their campus because students who wish to use their tools to come in and get them installed by the techs at school or just more for the interaction component that comes with not allowing the clouds strategy. All and all its all based on preference.
Jesse S.
I really believe that Google is at the top of the technology companies right now. They developed things like google finance, google search, android (google phone os), Google Apps and even others. As time passes they seem to develope more things that can make our lives easier and bring everything to one place. Some of the main benefits of this is how they collaborate and communicate itself with the public. From word editing software, to spreadsheet documentation, Google Apps is a very effective online tool. Much like any free software on the internet, a person just has to be careful with giving out their information. However, with a company like google, I feel it is a pretty safe concern.
Teresa
I think that the main attraction of Google apps adoption in the educational marketplace is the convenience that it offers to all parties involved. Students and faculty can communicate with each other more easily than before and virtually from anywhere. Also, students may find Google apps to be a reliable source of research as Google is considered to be one of the largest search engines. Google has done a fantastic job in promoting themselves through tools targeted for the educational market. For example, Google offers the option of free gmail account that carries the ability for work to be evaluated and adjusted accordingly among a group without ever having the group actually sit down together physically, which supports the idea of convenience.
Ling H
I think that accessing software from the cloud is not as reliable as accessing software from your hard drive because sometimes there are problems with the internet, then it would be inconvenient if you have to access documents right away. With software on your hard drive, you can use it whenever you need to. It wouldn’t matter if your internet goes down since you can still access and edit your documents. In this way, software from the cloud is not the most reliable solution.