OpenOffice, Zoho, etc.

Just last year I had purchased the newest edition of Microsoft Office because I was sick of not being able to read files I started at work on my home computer. Yes, I was still working with the 2003 home version! I wish I would have known about Open Office and these other options then...it would have saved me some money! Once I started using Word 2010, I realized that people who had older versions of it could not view my attachments. I often had to copy and paste text into an e-mail and resend things. What a pain! I now know how this problem can be fixed...by using Open Office. These programs are great for class and students as well. With assignments that may require Excel or PowerPoint, we know that as long as students have internet access they can complete them. Some of the other productivity tools like Zoho had cool planning and organization tools. I thought this would be great for long term projects, or even if a teacher wanted to keep a visible calendar throughout the year. Students (or even parents) could reference it to see what was coming up or when something was due. Even though technology is constantly changing, students will probably be using tools similar to these in the work force. Even if it is just a few times throughout the year, I definitely think it is beneficial to incorporate them into lessons/projects. If anyone has used some of these with their students and would like to share their experiences, please do! : )