Gmail in the Classroom

I work with families who have chosen to educate their children at home. As a supervising teacher, I think Gmail could offer a unique forum for some group activities. One possibility would be a book club opportunity for a specific group of students. The students could be organized into a Gmail group according to book title and age span. Periodically, reading suggestions, along with vocabulary activities, comprehension questions, and discussion topics could be sent via Gmail. Students could utilize the Reply to All option to interact. Students could also interact via an online chat session scheduled at a designated day and time.