Review:
Google Docs is Google’s online version of Microsoft Office. This online application features a word processing suite, presentation suite and a spreadsheet suite. After creating a free account with Google, users will also have access to tools for email communications, calendaring, photo sharing, and personal website hosting. When multiple users are signed up, it is also possible to collaborate with each user to edit and change the same document via the Internet. Because all the documents are hosted online, this also means that you can access your work from any computer anywhere else in the world -- but it also means that without the Internet you cannot access your work.
Conclusion:
We can never really complain (too much) when something is free, but in Google Docs' case we do have a winner. Some of the tools may not be as refined as Microsoft Office's solutions, but most of them can hold their own against their larger competitor.
While Google Docs does suffer the same vulnerabilities as cloud computing (if Internet access is not available, work cannot be accessed), but this suite certainly offers a host of collaboration and productivity tools that are definitely worth a try for students, teachers and users alike.
PROS
Solid Word & Excel alternative
Import/export most filetypes
CONS
Weak presentation program
Breaks some MS Office files
Requires net access
BLOGGER
Review:
Get the word out, with Blogger. Share your life, your product or your ideas for free with this blog service. Blogger.com is one of the most popular blogging software programs available. There are two main reasons for its popularity. First, it's been around longer than just about any other blogging software, so bloggers are very familiar with it. Second, it's completely free and easy to use. Since Google purchased Blogger.com, the features and tools available to Blogger.com users continue to grow.A key advantage in choosing Blogger.com as your blogging software is its versatility. Bloggers are not limited in the amount of traffic or storage space their blogs generate and use, and bloggers can create as many blogs as they want. Bloggers who use Blogger.com also have the ability to manipulate the templates available to them in order to create more unique blog themes.
Since Google bought Blogger.com, new features are introduced frequently such as the integration of Google's Picasa and Hello services to make posting of photos easier than ever.
While Blogger.com is easy to use, it does cause frustration for some users. Blogger.com is notorious for having system outages when bloggers cannot access their blogs. These outages can go from minor inconveniences to major problems depending on the purpose of your blog and your need for a certain amount of up-time.
Conclusion:
Blogger is great for users who don’t want to get their hands dirty with technical aspects and the latest improvements such as setting up your own custom domains on Blogger, means that it will continue to be a very important section of the blogosphere for a long time to come. Ultimately, the choice to use Blogger to get the word out and share your life is a great tool for all: students, teachers and users alike.
PROS
Free
Unlimited blogs
Easy to use
Import/export most filetypes
CONS
Limited Customization
System Outages
Requires net access
ClassCentral (RCampus)
Review:RCampus is free for individual students and teachers from K-12 through Higher Education. Members can use RCampus for managing their courses and assignments, archiving and self-publishing academic artifacts and for managing collaborative work. RCampus is also available for educational institutions and corporations with licensing or hosting options. School and corporation editions come with administrative tools.
The main tools that RCampus offers are a Course and Learning Mangagement System, Rubric Assessment Mangagement System, ePortfolio System and a eCommunity Portal and Website Management System. These tools can be used together as one system or separately for integrating with school’s existing system.
Conclusion:
Teachers, parents and students can hardly complain since RCampus is free. RCampus is a sure tool for all since education is managed and can be accessed via the Internet.
While RCampus does suffer the same vulnerabilities as cloud computing (if Internet access is not available, work cannot be accessed), RCampus offers a variety of many other educational tools that far outweigh this vulnerability, thus making this a winner in my book.
PROS
Free
Online academic management system
Easy to use
Import/export most filetypes
CONS
Limited Customization
Must upload all files onto RCampus
Requires net access
