What Is Google+? Does It Matter for Higher Ed?

What is Google +?

Google Plus is Google's answer to Facebook. 

The Google+ Bar

The Google+ Bar connects you with all of your Google products and let’syou to share what's on your mind. It also allows you to switch accounts.

Circles

Circles allows you to easily manage your personal and professional connections – from people you truly know to people you'd only like to follow. 

Stream

The stream is where you have conversations with the people that are important to you.

Photos

Photos allows you to upload and share unlimited photos and videos. All ofyour photos will be available in Picasa Web Albums.

Hangouts

Hangouts is a live group video chatroom.

Chat

Chat is automatically populated with people you’ve chosen to chat withvia Gmail, iGoogle, Google Talk or Orkut.

Sparks

Sparks serves up topics that you are interested in. It makes it easy toshare the content you find with your Circles.

Profiles

Your profile is the way you represent yourself on Google products and across the web. With your profile, you can manage the information that people see -- such as your bio and contact details.

+1’s

Use +1 to recommend things to other people around the web.

Google+ Mobile: Huddle

Use Huddle to send and receive group text messages.

What Does Google+ Mean For Higher Ed?

• It’s still early. We’ll have to see how it’s adopted by students

• Huddle will be a great opportunity to have chats with small groups ofProspective students

• Hangouts open up opportunities to have group Q+A sessions with counselors

• Counselors can create multiple profiles and switch between the two.