Well, I know that pitching Gmail (or Google Mail as it is known in some parts of the world) is a bit like preaching to the converted when it comes to many readers who visit this blog. But for those who don't have/use Gmail, or do but haven't really thought about its potential uses for online teaching), you might find the following to be of some interest to you.
I've been using Gmail since not long after it first came out, and never wanted or needed to use any other mail provider as a result. The unique Gmail approach to threading mails, in addition to the massive storage allowance, made it perfect for me. I then watched as Google Talk applications were added (allowing me to chat and then even voice chat), and then the Google Docs facility (formerly Writely), allowing online document sharing and collaboration. As these developments progressed, I began to use Gmail a lot with online language learning as well as classroom management and even collaboration with other ELT writers.
Now Gmail has video conferencing embedded in the service as well, and it is surprising clear and reliable - and most importantly, really REALLY easy to install and use.
I won't go on about the various Gmail features - if you really want to know about all of them it would be a good idea to visit the list of features here. In the meantime, I thought I'd demonstrate some of these features using my own Gmail account:
There are a few other reasons why Gmail has been ideal for online teaching. For one, it's available in almost every country (where email/Internet is available) in a variety of languages and hence easy for learners to access. It's also beautifully easy to understand and use - something I've always found important for language learning in particular.
Of course, the talk of the town now is focussed on Google Wave, which looks to be basically Gmail pumped up with almost every web application you can think of plugged into one seamless interface:
I'm not really sure myself. Google Wave looks tremendously exciting, but also a lot like entering non-dual citizenship exclusively within the Kingdom of Google. There's also an interesting article that claims Google Wave already has powerful competitors like Tokbox, though I'm not personally convinced yet.
For language learning in particular, the sneak-peek strikes me as being over the top, too cluttered and too confusing for my potential learners. Gmail already does everything I basically need for online teaching and keeps it all relatively simple, so I won't feel any immediate urge to upgrade to Google Wave. There's also the fact that most of my potential learners won't have access to or won't understand Google Wave for at least 6 months or so after launch. That means I'll be sticking to Gmail for quite some time yet!
Do you use Gmail for online teaching and/or classroom management? Have you checked out Google Wave yet? What do you think of its potential for online education?
:-D
