DigiTools: You Have No Idea How Cool Google Really Is!!!

Throughout the semester, as you complete your project, you will be searching the internet and using web tools frequently. Knowing how to access information, different ways to understand that information, and having an idea of the millions of ways to communicate that information using digital technologies, will make sure that your project as successful as possible!  (The majority of these Google services require that you have a Google id.  It is free, offers an unlimited amount of inbox space, and allows you to send gigantic attachments - as well as giving you access to Google Reader, Documents, and more!)

The Google Menu: Thankfully, Google is designed brilliantly and everything you may need is plainly laid out in simple menus.  Check out the underlined words for more options...  Of particular interest should be Scholar, Blogs, Documents and Reader!  This is an excellent way to limit your searches to only include certain types of results!  (Such as Google
blogs, below.)

Google blogs: Use this feature to search the web for blogs!  This will be extremely helpful when compiling your blog roll for The Project! 

Google Wonder Wheel: In the blue taskbar underneath your main search title is a link to view your options; enable this view, scroll down the menu on the left and select the Wonder Wheel display preference to view your search results grouped by category.  This is an excellent place to begin researching an unknown topic!  And, if you prefer, the regular search results are displayed on the right.

Google docs: This is (in my opinion) the most effective way of uploading, sharing, editing and publishing documents.  The single button upload function (highlighted) is fool-proof, the share button offers you a multitude of options, and the My Folders system lets you organize files in the same way you would on your computer or in your email.  You WILL use this Google feature this semester, check it out!  (Please note that at this time Google docs is unable to publish PDF files, please go to scribd.com to do this!)

iGoogle: Have you ever wished that you could access all of your favorite web content from one page?  You can!  iGoogle allows you to customize your Google page to show any content you choose!  You can change the theme (above I have chosen a Lilac theme), view your gmail inbox from your homepage, chat with friends, view your Google Reader feeds, the latest from Facebook, and more!