I taught a class not long ago called “Getting Organized Online”. The idea was to show the various Google apps and how they can help one get, well, organized. I showed Calendar, Reader and Google Docs. Everyone flipped over Calendar and how easy it is to use. Everyone oohed and aahed over Reader, although I’m not convinced many students would remember to use it again. Everyone was completely befuddled by Docs. I tried to show real life applications for it (keeping lists and budgets and the like) but it just didn’t float anyone’s boat. However, I mentioned Google Maps and that I’d used it to plan out every stop along the way from NJ to Buffalo, NY to assuage the fears of my co-driver who hates on and off ramps. The idea that you could use an webtool for something so obviously <i>useful</i> was a very, very exciting prospect for the class.
What I need to do is somehow harness this into an uber class that shows real-life applications for web 2.0 tools. And then find a way to advertize it in some meaningful way…
