Gmail in the Classroom

There are many effective ways to use Gmail in the Classroom. It is helpful for students to learn to use the calendar and tasks features to organize their assignments or break them up into tasks.
The translate and groups (in contacts) features are helpful in communicating with parents. I also like the "canned email" feature for sending weekly email reminders.
Honestly, I am a little hesitant about using some of the features in the classroom. It is easy for students to become distracted with the chat feature, for example. It is important to have accountability in place so it doesn't become a time waster.