Thing #16 Online Productivity Tools

I chose Pageflakes because I had already experimented with Google tools. After I set that page up, I decided to go back and check out iGoogle. I discovered I liked it better (layout, visibility). I liked the Humor tab with the Joke of the Day, Funny Quote of the Day and lots of links to cartoons or other humorous sites. I also spent time looking for the right theme banner for the top of my page. There were several good ones, but when the American flag came up, I knew that was the one for me! Another tab that I liked was weather – I added Misawa, Japan, where my son is stationed, so I could see at a glance what kind of weather he was having. I had worked with the Google calendar, so tried 30 Boxes and really liked it – it was easy to add to, easy to change and could be used in school for various projects timelines, class or grade-level production tracking – lots of ways. For online to-do lists, I went to Ta da List. One aspect I really liked was that you could email the list to yourself or someone else. I looked at Backpack as a multiple-tool organizer. The one thing I did not like was that I had to sign up and choose a package without having looked at anything on it (yes, I know there was a free tour but I wanted to get into it quickly). I chose the cheapest rate and will go back later and cancel it, but that, to me, was a real put-off. Once I got on, I thought it had possibilities, but not for $24 a month! I looked at the Top Ten Productivity Web Sites and noticed that their top ten included Google Desktop, Backpack (OK, maybe I judged too quickly!), Google Docs and Spreadsheets, and one more that I had checked out, Stickies. Overall, I would rate many of these online productivity tools as helpful both at home and at school. I’ll find more ways they can be used as time for school gets nearer!