Thing #15: Online Productivity Tools

According to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, seventy-nine (yep, 79%) percent of all American adults go online.

Some people feel that the Internet robs them of time. Others feel that the Internet has made their lives easier. Still others may feel a little of both.

You can use the Internet to increase your productivity. In Thing #2, we learned about RSS feeds getting updates from your favorite websites to you automatically. In Thing #9, we explored how tagging can help you quickly retrieve information. Other tools allow to set up online calendars that you can even share with others, create to do lists, manage projects, and set reminders. Others just make it easier to work online.

In this Thing, we’ll introduce a few specialized online productivity tools, beginning with the Gmail account you established in Thing #1.

iGoogle and Google Calendar

Once you created your Gmail account, you also used it to access Google Reader. That same account can give you access to iGoogle, Google Calendar, and lots of other Google products.

Google describes iGoogle as a “personalized homepage”. It has a Google search box at the top and the user’s choice of “gadgets”. Gadgets let you quickly access general information (like news headlines and weather) and custom information (like your Gmail and Google reader accounts, calendars, and more).  

With a customized design, and your choice of gadgets, you really can design your own "page", like this:

There are hundreds of designs ("themes") and gadgets to choose from. iGoogle easily puts it all in one place and lets you access it with your Gmail account and password! Watch this very brief YouTube video, iGoogle: A Mini Product Tour.

Google Calendar allows you to create an online calendar that you can access online. You can share your calendar with others. You can set reminders for events and be reminded by email or text message. Here’s how to set up a calendar in Google.

Remember, you can use these tools for free with your Gmail username and password!

Other Online Productivity Tools

There are many online productivity tools available on the web. Some can be incorporated into your iGoogle page. Some also work with handheld devices like smartphones. Here is a selection of some others you may find interesting and useful. Most are free:

List Makers

Remember the Milk
Toodledoo
Ta-da Lists
Todoist
TEUXDEUX


Online Calendars

30 Boxes
Cozi


Online Note-Taking

Springnote


Project Management

Basecamp (free trial)
Backpack (free trial)


Brainstorming, Mind Mapping, Information Visualization

mindmeister
spicynodes


Activity: Create an iGoogle Page and Explore Another Online Productivity Tool


Step-by-step instructions:

1. Go to Google.
2. Click iGoogle, in upper right.
3. Click Sign In, in upper right.
4. Enter your Gmail address and password to access your Google Account. Click Sign In.
5. Click See Your Page. Note the local weather, your Gmail account, a clock, and other gadgets automatically appear on your page.
6. Click “Change Theme from Classic” and browse for a theme you like – there are hundreds! When you find one you like click “Add It Now”.
7. Click Add Stuff to search for Google Reader. Click Add it Now.
8. Click Back to iGoogle Home.
9. Feel free to customize your iGoogle page by adding, deleting and rearranging the gadgets on your page!
10. Remember to click Sign Out when you are done.
11. Explore another online productivity tool from the list above.
12. Add a post to your blog: Tell us how you customized your iGoogle page and what other online productivity tool you explored. Remember to label/tag this post "Thing #15".

NOTE: If you already use iGoogle, have a look at Netvibes to see what it offers. Add a post to your blog: Tell us how you customized your iGoogle page and what other online productivity tool you explored. Remember to label/tag this post "Thing #15".





Additional Optional Resources:

For additional information on iGoogle, watch these tutorials: How to edit your iGoogle homepage, The iGoogle Online Tutorial Part 1, and The iGoogle Online Tutorial Part 2.

For more information on the use of Google Calendar by libraries, read this post from the “Musings about Librarianship” blog and look at this example from the Ikeda Library or this one from the Cambridge University Library.