A Thing: The 12th One. (Google.)

Of all the tools we will look at, some will be versatile, and some will be limited to a very specific and narrow area of expertise.  That being said, the tool which we will look into, next, is definitely one of the most versatile that we will study.  (Google.)

Google.com has grown so much since its beginnings that it can hardly fit under the same, Google umbrella, anymore.  The site is having to divide itself up into subsections, organized according to the service which that particular branch offers.  For example, Google offers services like Google Translate, Google Maps, Google Calendars, and Google's Picasa, which each specialize in a very specific area.

For research purposes (and for the purposes of finishing my assignment), I did some exploring of Google Translate and Google Calendars, and was pleasantly surprised by my results.  Google Translate (although its results must be taken with a grain of salt, at times) is a translation site that covers all of its bases.  It can translate from almost any language I can think of to almost any language I can think of, and it's interface is easy-to-use and gets straight to the point, which I, personally, appreciate.  Google Calendars included a nice, clean, easy-to-use interface, as well, which I appreciated just as much.  It involved tools like color-coating, multiple calendars, and I could even sync the events in the calendar to my phone.  I would easily recommend making use of any branch of Google's products--they all seem to be well-put-together, easy-to-use, and practical!

These tools in particular most definitely have academic potential.  Google Translate is clearly related to foreign language, which is a requirement at most schools, now.  Google Calendars could be used to share with students and parents, calendars of classroom or schoolwide events, such as assignment due dates, or official holidays on which there are no school.

Really, it's all up to you, though.  These are just examples; Google offer's many services which can come in handy in many, many ways.  The ball is in your court:  How will you choose to Google?