This summer has been an exciting time over at Google. Just this past month Google announced the the public availability of Google Voice and of its newest collaboration product, Google Wave. So what are these two new products?
Google Voice:
Google Voice, the Google reincarnation of GrandCentral, is essentially a phone management system. Users of Google voice receive a single phone number which can be used to redirect callers to any or all of your phones. This allows you to maintain a single phone number and voicemail box that can follow you anywhere! Voicemail can also be accessed online in audio format or text transcription format giving you easy access to all your phone needs on the go.
For more information please check out the following video:
Google Wave:
8/10 UPDATE: Slack Water – The Death of Google Wave: https://wp.wpi.edu/atc-ttl/2010/08/11/slack-water-the-death-of-google-wave/
Part Instant Message (IM) part collaborative document a wave is a dynamic flowing document constructed in an online environment. According to Educause:
Google Wave is a web-based application that represents a rethinking of electronic communication… Wave offers a compelling platform for personal learning environments because it provides a single location for collecting information from diverse sources while accommodating a variety of formats, and it makes interactive coursework a possibility for nontechnical students. Wave challenges us to reevaluate how communication is done, stored, and shared between two or more people.
Due to the emerging nature of Google Wave there is currently little data on the use of waves in the classroom, however it is expected that several case studies which will report on this product will be published soon.
For more information please check out the following video and resources:
7 Things You Should Know About Google Wave: http://www.educause.edu/Resources/7ThingsYouShouldKnowAboutGoogl/188963
Hane, Johanna. “Google Wave and Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: Impact on Higher Education” (Research Bulletin 13, 2010). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2010, available from http://www.educause.edu/eca