communication with adult students

For classrooms at Community Colleges and with adult students, the gmail group is a very effective way to communicate outside of the class room space and the scheduled times.  All students have to commute to their classes, many from several counties away.  Often, there is bad weather that prevents their travel.  gmail blasts can allow individuals to keep up with the class activities and adjustments.  Different students use many different kinds of devices that may or may not be compatable with the colleges' computer systems.  Also, the internet and phone connections of different rural areas can provide difficulties to this electronic communications.  A lot of rural systems just do not upgrade enough.   The universality of a powerful gmail system helps cross these barriers so that traveling students can keep up with their education.