GoogleChromeMyPreferredBrowser

GOOGLE CHROME: MY PREFERRED WEB BROWSER

Before now all I know and use web browser for is to surf web pages, download and to some rare cases listen to and view video clips online, for these purposes I was using Flock browser as my default browser against the default Internet Explorer which I still found very complex to use. Later around 2009 I changed to firefox browser as my default browser until very much recently when I was fully engaged with Google plus.

My engagement with Google plus changed everything about my web browsing experience, as well as my life perceptions about web contents and social relations online. Google plus widen my horizon and broaden my heart to register with different online communities such as Google Application in Education; Connected learning; Google Drive Development; Google Certified Teachers; Edtech;  Educators on Google+, and ESL Teachers just to mention a few. With these communities I meet and interact with a number of senior colleagues and friends in teaching industry who are always ready to teach, inform and share their teaching experiences with the world community. These great individuals includes Caitlin Cahill my Teacher Tech tools course moderator,  Ian O’Byrne,  Mouhsine Kharbach, Shane Bybee, Peter Irons, Fran Aslam, Pamela Stockwell, Alice Lou, and many others with whom I collaborate share and even learn online from, not minding my creed; the colour of my skin; my race, or my nationality. With this new exposure, I become a different individual altogether to embrace new life; new internet surfing experience, and new application software. With these communities I come to learn more about Google Chrome browser and its awesome adds on features.

My enrollment with Teachers Tech tools course 3.0 (2013) taught me more on how to use modern Web browser, their types; differences and how to fully utilize their adds - on features across devices, beyond just surfing the net and checking mails, I also learnt that, although all web browsers were built to allow users access to internet and its contents, not all browsers were created to offer equal services, that different browser renders web pages differently, therefore the need to know what browser to use and why, hence the choice of Google Chrome as my Preferred Web Browser based on the following reasons:

1.       In their “2013 Internet Browser Software review” TopTen Reviews advised that one needs to consider three things when choosing a web browser, these includes Simplicity, speed and security; and Google Chrome was mentioned first to excelled in each of the three. Secondly, Google Chrome was rated highest with 9.85% in their side by side comparison of ten top web browsers based on five criteria that includes: features, security, speed and compatibility, ease of use and help and support.

2.       About.com stated in their article “the Best Web Browsers for iPad” that Google Chrome browser is “Easily the most popular safari alternative … a great all-round browser experience. It is fast, tabbed, and best all… one really neat features is the ability to open web pages on your ipad that you have on one of your other devices”.

3.       Lastly, Google’s Chrome is the only web browser that allows one to use Google Apps offline (Tech Tools 3.0 web Browser Basics).

With the little I learnt from this course I now have about ten Chrome extensions on my browser, these includes” Adlock, FVD Video downloader, Google +1, Google Docs, Google forms, Pocket, save to drive, sole 64, and talking gmail. I have tried pocket, googlr+1. I sincerely believe that, after my training, my students would benefit more from the goolge docs on “My Chrome” as well as my teaching colleagues in my school on the basis of professional development.