Teachers and Computers: Google Apps

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Google Maps

Google Maps (formerly known as Google Local) is a freeware web mapping service application provided by Google. It powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API. It encompasses street maps, a route planner for traveling by foot, bicycle, car, or public transport and an urban business locator for numerous countries around the world. It also can help find the location of specific buildings. (Source: Wikipedia.com) Google Maps is also pre-installed on newly purchased iPhones and iPod Touch.

Google Maps forms part of the 40+ freeware applications available from Google Inc.

To get started on Google Maps, watch this two-minute tutorial, produced by Google Support:

This video (which can be found on the Google Maps Support) illustrates very clearly the many features of Google Maps. However, I will now go through its basics, one by one.

Google Maps Basics

Map Navigation: You can navigate through a map by simply clicking and dragging your cursor (which will be in the shape of a palm of a hand) around. The + and - signs will help you zoom in and out of the map, and you can also choose what type of map you want to view: map view, terrain view or satellite view.

Get Directions: Want to go from A to B, and get all the different options available? You will be asked to enter location A and location B, (for example, from London, UK to Sussex, UK). You can choose which mode of transport you are going to use, if you are going to use the car or walk, and in the case of cars, whether or not you wish to take the highway or just normal streets.

While you are getting directions, you can also search for specific businesses in the vicinity, such as restaurants or hotels, or even public places such as schools or bus stations. On the more practical side, you can also search for speed cameras and I was pleased to note that all the latest speed camera locations have already been loaded into Google Maps, and you can even download the POI's into your own GPS.

My Maps: Instead of searching for directions or maps every time, you can save and re-load maps that you have been working on, and in true Google Apps fashion, you will be able to share them with other users. To create a new map, simply click on Create a new Map. Or, if you want to edit an existing map, click on Edit. There is a variety of tools which which will help you to customise your map. An important point to remember is that by default, maps appear to be Public, so if you don't want it so, click on Unlisted. Once again, I have included a short video from the Google Maps team, to illustrate how My Maps work...

Google Maps Tips and Tricks

By default, when you log onto Google Maps, you will probably be shown a map or the world or of the US. Your Default Location is basically your Google Maps start-up page, and you can change it according to what you are going to do with your Maps. For example, if you are using Google Maps with your classroom children, it would be wise to set your School or Locality as your default location. Or, if you are doing a project about another country abroad, try setting that as your default location.

When asking for directions, remember you can opt for different kinds of directions: walking directions or by car. You can also set your findings to either KM or miles.

Google Maps works rather like a GPS (in fact, Google Maps can be downloaded into your GPS, and iPhones come with Google Maps pre-installed). One important feature of GPS devices and Google Maps is that they work best if you input the correct postcode. Actually, a postcode is the only vital information you will need when searching for a particular location, so make sure you get them right.

There might be more than one location with the same name. If you haven't got the correct postcode for searching, try to be at least more specific in your search. For example, do not just key in Malta, but Malta, Europe, for more accurate results.

When you find places of interest on Google Maps, (for example, you might be looking for restaurants near your holiday location) by clicking on the Placemark you will be able to access other options for your location, such as the ability to save it on My Maps or copy and share the map URL with your friends.

This is of course just a very basic overview of Google Maps. Like all other web applications, the more you practice, the better and easier it will get. Linked to Google Maps is another (desktop) application called Google Earth, which offers more features and is available for free download at http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html

Google Apps

When someone hears the word ‘Google’, the usual response would be to think of the popular search engine, or, maybe, the familiar online webmail, Gmail. However, in recent years, Google Inc has truly evolved and offers an array of online Applications (Google Apps), most of them available to use for free on the Internet.

History

In January 1996, two Ph.D students at Stanford University, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, started Google as their part of their research project. Originally the search engine used the Stanford University domain (google.standford.com). The domain name google.com was registered in September 1997. At the time, their offices were a mere space in a friend’s garage in Menlo Park, California – a far cry from their multi-million Googleplex headquarters in Santa Clara County. Apart from the hugely successful Google search engine, the company now encompasses dozens of applications (of which Blogger, which hosts this very blog, and Picasa, about which I wrote in January).

It is not possible for me in this article to go into detail about all the available Google Apps; however I will give a quick overview of the two most popular Apps: Gmail and Google Docs. I will cover other popular Google Apps in due course.

Gmail and Chat

This is, of course, where it all begins – creating a Gmail account will automatically open the doors to a myriad of other applications available on Google. If you haven’t yet set up a Gmail account, you can do so at http://mail.google.com. Gmail provides the registered user with a 7GB (and growing) of storage facility. It also boasts a powerful SPAM filter which deters the accumulation of SPAM e-mails in your mailbox. However, there is more to Gmail than just storing your e-mails.

For starters, e-mails are grouped together in Conversations. The reply to a particular e-mail is automatically grouped with the original e-mail. Subsequent replies will also be added to this Conversation Bubble. Each new e-mail can create a new Conversation and Conversations are searchable. Longer Conversations, with many replies, are shown in short format for ease of retrieval. This is quite different from the usual html-style layout of other web-based e-mails or Outlook.

More than e-mail…

Google Calendar: Gmail has its very own Google Calendar, accessible on http://calendar.google.com. It allows the user to organise events and set reminders (which can be sent regularly to a Gmail account). After the initial set-up process, any additional changes to appearance or events can be accessed to from the Calendar tab on the top-left hand side of your Gmail toolbar. Calendars may also be shared – either made 100% public, or just to selected contacts – by clicking on the drop-down menu next to your Calendar name, on the left hand side of the screen. A user may opt to have more than one calendar (for different areas of one’s life, if the need arises).

Lables: A unique feature of Gmail is the ability to sort e-mails by using Labels. Labels work rather like Tags, and allow the user to group e-mails together by subject (for example, you might have a label for Work e-mails; another label for Joke e-mails, and so on); thus making retrieval of information easier. Labels can be created and edited by clicking on the Settings tab and then on Labels. Accidentally deleting a label will not delete e-mails associated with that label.

Google Talk: Gmail also has an in-built chat program - Google Talk - similar in concept to other IM’s such as MSN or Skype. Although basic in both features and appearance, it allows users to interact effectively with each other, both with short texts and even with video calls. One may choose to either Save the chat history or go Off The Record. Chat settings – including settings for video calls – can be accessed from Settings > Chat.

Google Docs

In an ever-changing world, portability is of essence. Google Docs allows the user to create, upload, access and edit documents from anywhere (at least, where a connection to the Internet is available). Google Docs enable users to:

Create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations online;
Upload documents directly from their Inbox;
Easily share documents with others, without the need of sending multiple e-mails

To create a document from scratch, go to http://docs.google.com (remember, Gmail registration is required first!) The user friendly interface will allow you to create your desired document in no time – simply click on New, choose the type of document required, and start away! If, on the other hand, you already have a typed document that you want to share, simply click on the Upload button and upload the document in much the same way as you would add an attachment in an e-mail.

Amongst the obvious advantages of working with Google Docs – mainly the portability and the possibility to create online backups of your work – are the ability to bring people together and collaborate on an online project. Multiple persons can work on an online document simultaneously – and tracks can be kept of who edits what, and when. I have included this short video from The Common Craft Show, which illustrates the most salient uses of Google Docs “In Plain English”…