No.+7+Google+-+not+just+for+searching+anymore

=No. 7 Google-Not Just for searching anymore=

[|Google] is the most famous search engine on the web these days, with the very name becoming a verb in our language. Here's [|Wikipedia's entry] on this phenomenon:

The [|verb] **to google** (also spelled **to Google)** refers to using the [|Google Search Engine] to obtain information on the Web. For example, "Mary googled for recipes." A [|neologism] arousing from the popularity and dominance (1) of the [|eponymous] [|search engine], the [|American Dialect Society] chose it as the "most useful word of 2002." (2) It was officially added to the [|Oxford English Dictionary] on [|June 15, 2006,] (3) and to the 11th edition of the [|Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary] in [|July 2006.](4). The first recorded usage of //google// used as a verb was on [|July 8, 1998] by [|Larry Page] himself, who wrote on the mailling list: "Have fun and keep googling!" (5).

Although we generally equate Google with web searching, that's not what this "thing" is about. Google also has a variety of free web tools that can be particularly useful in education. Some of these are:

[|Google Alerts] - will email the news to you as it happens. Just enter a search term (news topic, person, event, sports team, etc.) that you would like to keep tabs on. Whenever that topic appears in a news item or on the web, Google Alerts will send you an email.

[|Google Calendar] - lets you organize your schedule and share it with family and friends.

[|igoogle] - gives you a customizable home page where you can add links, news feeds, gadgets, etc. (Be sure to look at the gadgets these are really fun!).

[|Google Notebook] - lets you clip and collect information into an online notebook as you do research on the web. It can be shared with others.

[|Picasa Web Albums] - similar to Flickr; Google's version of photo sharing.

Discovery Resources
[|Google Alerts - FAQs]

[|Google Calendar Tour]

[|Google Notebook Tour]

[|Learn More About Picasa Web Albums]

Discovery Exercise
After looking at each of the Google tools, choose two of them to explore further. Try setting up an alert, calendar, notebook, picasa album or iGoogle page and using it. If sharing is an option for the tools you choose, make them public. Blog about your experience with both tools and include a link to your creation. Be sure to include possible educational uses.