Mail/Gmail

Mail/Gmail

By mobile OS

Free pre-installed on mobile device

Available for Blackberry, Android, Kindle Fire HD, Windows 8 mobile OS and iOS mobile platforms

Today’s blog may seem like a weak entry, but equally not to mention the communication app  that has quite frankly revolutionized how I and others work would be equally foolish.

This app has significant importance as without its ability to sync to your education provider email the benefits of using Recorder Pro, Notability and Explain Everything as an app to provide timely and constructive good practice feedback would become a bit thin.   Email app provided is a critical app that underpins practicality of other apps for learning.

It should be noted though I currently use a blog, forums and twitter to communicate with the wider educational educator community in UK and internationally.   My preferred methods of communication, with colleagues and students, are email and Blackboard announcements. 

Email and Blackboard are two communication channels that essentially operate within a communication closed shop.   .   It should be noted in my mobile apps for learning blog there are entries highlighting the communication virtues of Facebook and LinkedIn apps, but it is only my first years who have insisted on communicating via Facebook and Graduates who prefer to communicate via LinkedIn   The rest of the University community it is email and Blackboard.   However, all the social media tools I use also stream email notifications of communication on these media.   Therefore I am able to scan read all communications (social media and email) in one app, and note any issues, provide constructive feedback in a timely reply to colleagues and students alike, without the burden of checking multiply apps’ communication streams. 

Users can sync the mail app with their education (staff and students) email account, use the app on the go to read all email communications, file emails, craft new emails, and reply to emails.   It should be noted this academic year at the height I was receiving 200 emails in the first two hours of teaching (all needing a response and action on my part) I still had further four hours of teaching.   Without the ability to access my emails on the go I would not have been able to provide effective timely feedback to everyone seeking communications.   Majority of my emails are read and crafted on my smart devices.

Equally my students have highlighted (see one student quote below) last summer that they are equally interdependent upon the ubiquitous nature of the email app, as it supports their communications for learning and personal development.

“So good to access the email on the go”