URL of the Tool: http://groups.google.com/
Primary category for Google Groups: Networking/Social Tool
Please describe this tool in your own words.
If you would like to connect with people, access information, and communicate effectively over e-mail and on the web, then Google Groups is the tool for you.
Google Groups is a networking and social tool that supports discussions from other groups such as Usenet newsgroups, based on common interest. It is a free service from Google and many groups are anonymous. Users can search different discussion groups related to their interest and start a threaded conversation, either through e-mail or by a web interface. In Google Groups, if you decide to create a new group, you can do so.
During February 2001, Google purchased Deja News, which provided a search engine to access an archive of Usenet newsgroups through the new Google Groups interface. By February 2006, Google customized Google Groups interface by adding profiles and posting ratings. Below are the notable interface features that were added:
- Google Search - Incorporates public groups into its results and return the posts which matches the search query, then displays the results with a link to the Google Groups directory.
- Profiles - Users can create public profiles which links to all of their postings.
- Rating Posts - Users can rate a post with 1 to 5 out of 5 stars. A user may not rate a post that belongs to them.
- Starring Threads - Users are allowed to mark up to 200 threads as “starred” to track them centrally.
- Email Masking - Google masks each e-mail address on its web interface by replacing up to the last 3 characters of the username with no less than three dots to prevent scammers or spammers from harvesting e-mail addresses from a group.
Overall, Google Groups is a great way to send messages to a group of your interest, and it is a good collaboration system tool that allows networks of varying sizes to start message discussions, create group pages, and modify the process of communication online in the Google network.
What do you need to know before using Google Groups?
Potential users will need to know how to use the PC and the internet to surf the web
What do you need to have before using Google Groups?
Potential users will need a PC, internet access, and have already sign up with Google Groups or other Google accounts to access their account.
How do you use Google Groups?
Instructions on How to use Google Groups:
Step 1 - Go to Google Groups website http://groups.google.com/ and select "Create a group..." button on the Google Groups homepage.
Step 2 - If you're not already signed in to your Google Account, sign in, name your group, and fill out the other required information.
Step 3 - Create a group by adding the group name, group email address, and group web address. Then write a group description to verify that you are 18 years or older to use this site. You can also choose an access level on this page.
Step 4 - Enter the email addresses of the people you'd like to invite to your group. If you would prefer to directly add your members, click the "Add members directly" link. Then write an invitation or welcome message, and select an email subscription option for your members if you're directly adding them. Lastly, click the "Invite members" or "Add members" button. Google will send notifications or invitations to your group members.
Step 5 - This is what Google Groups new group will look like once you are done.
Please create an example with Google Groups and either embed in your blog or submit the URL.
Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment.
This tool can be used in a teaching environment such as training classes, organize meetings, conferences, etc. For example, I work for the city and this tool would be helpful to coordinate meetings on or offsite and within the departments.
The city departments that are located at different sites can use Google Groups to collaborate on projects or presentations instead of meeting face-to-face in a classroom setting.
This web 2.0 tool can also be used to stay in touch with former co-workers who have worked on the same projects or presentations for public city meetings such as City Council, Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals, and Planning and Zoning Commissions.
What are the advantages of using Google Groups in a teaching environment?
Google Groups continues to be very strong in the area of private, or restricted, mailing list discussions. Therefore, if students are using this web 2.0 tool with others students or co-workers; any attempts at using it for public discussion medium are completely useless.
What are the disadvantages of using Google Groups in a teaching environment? Google Groups fails to contain and manage spam filtering which can be harmful to the school’s personal computers. There are many different viruses and Trojans in cyber-space, and students are not always going to be educated enough to know which e-mails to open and which e-mails to delete.
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