NOTE: Google Plus is now open to everyone (including teens), and they’ve announced huge improvements to the service at the same time. You can read more about their improvements here.

Against my better judgment , I took advantage of Lee Kolbert’s generous offer today of providing Google+ invites to her Twitter followers. I’m still trying to figure out how, and if, I’m going to find the time for another network (for those of you who don’t know, Google+ is Google’s brand-new effort to create a Facebook-like social network), but enough people whose judgment I respect seem to think it could be a valuable tool. So I’m going to spend some time checking it out.

In the process of beginning to do this exploring, I’ve found some useful resources that I thought I’d share here. Feel free to make other suggestions, too.

Here are my choices for The Best Resources For Learning What Google+ Is All About:

I’m going to start off with posts from educators. I’d encourage you not only to read their posts, but the comments others have left on them:

Lee Kolbert has written Google+ (Stay With Me Here).

The Google+ Project: targeted sharing is by Tom Barrett. Tom has also started another one of his fabulous “Interesting Ways” series, this time on Interesting Ways To Use Google+ To Possibly Support Learning.

Google Plus vs. Facebook Video Chat: Why teachers and the education market will (or should) lean towards Google Plus comes from The Tech-Savvy Teacher.

Google Plus and Education is from Teaching, Learning and Technology.

Google+ For Learning is an on-going “Scoop.it”

Will Google+ Replace Twitter or Facebook for Teachers? is from The Mind Shift blog.

What Does Google + Mean for Education is from The Innovative Educator.

EdRoundtable: The Future of Google+ in Education

Google+ in the ESL classroom? is from Mobile ESL.

Google + Google makes the same mistake on the three questions for tech adoption is by Dave Cormier.

Steven Anderson has created a great LiveBinder called Google+ For Educators.

Why Google+ Is an Education Game Changer is from GOOD.

“The G+ Info Blog” has been started by Rich Kiker to to share about its uses in education (& other areas)

How are Educators Using Google Plus Hangouts? is from Mind Shift.

Educators On Google+ is an ever-growing spreadsheet. Add you name to it!

Google+: The Dark Side of the Circle is by Ira Socol.

Here are some guides to using Google+ that seem helpful:

A Walkthrough of Google’s New Social Network, Google+ is from The Atlantic.

Over 130 people are collaborating on an impressive continually revised guide to Google+ over at PC World.

A Beginners Guide to Google+ comes from Geek Sugar.

How To Use Google Plus is from Read Write Web.

Google+ Guide: All You Need to Know about Google+ is from BlogTechnika.

Go To Web 20 has suggestions for tools that will “enhance” your Google+ experience.

Getting Started With Google+ is a screencast by Chris Brogan.

Google+: The Complete Guide is from Mashable.

Here are some miscellaneous related posts:

Chris Brogan has 50 thoughts about Google+.

Storytelling and Social Networks: Why Twitter Beats Google Plus is from Read Write Web.

Google+ Pros and Cons is from Mashable.

How Google+ Will Balkanize Your Social Life is from Technology Review.

After Two Weeks, the 20 Most Popular Profiles on Google+ is from The Atlantic.

Here is an infographic comparing Google+ with Facebook.

Start Google+ is a Chrome extension that supposedly lets you easily import your photos from Facebook.

25 Google+ Tips to Enhance Your Google Plus Experience seems to be regularly updated with new “tips.”

20 Google+ tips, tricks and hints is from Tech Radar.

40 Google Plus Tips for Newbies is from Marketing Professor.

Google+ Cheat Sheet

Everything You Need to Know About Google Plus and Photos

How To Send A Direct Or Private Message On Google+

Find People On Google+ seems like a well-organized way to…find people on Google+ (by number of followers, by states, by cities).

Google+ Improves on Facebook is by David Pogue at The New York Times.

You can get a cool shortened Google+ profile url address at http://gplus.to/. For example, mine is http://gplus.to/larryferlazzo. It’s pretty easy to use but, if you need a simple tutorial, you can get it here.

Google Plus Search is a…search engine for Google+

Create RSS Feeds for Google+ Profiles is from Lifehacker.

How to Copy All of Your Facebook Photos to a Google+ Profile is from The Atlantic.

Here’s a video explaining Google+. It’s obviously a sales pitch, but it does provide a useful explanation:

New Sites Offer Circle Recommendations for Google Plus is a Read Write Web post sharing sites that…offer Circle recommendations for Google+. It could be very useful….for people who know what Circles on Google+ are…

7 Ways Google+ Users Are Getting More Out of Their Circles is from Mashable.

Google has created a “What’s New In Google+” page that’s regularly updated.

5 Free Tools for Recording Google+ Hangouts is from Mashable.

The Mother of All Google+ Resource Lists is from The Next Web.

How to Migrate Your Facebook Account and Data to Google+ is from Lifehacker.

Finding and Following People on Google+ has a ton of useful resources.

Google Adds Public Plus Posts to Social Search Results is from Read Write Web.

The Ultimate G+ Collection: A Treasure Trove of Google Plus Tips, Guides, & Resources is just what the title says it is.

20 Ways to Improve Your Google+ Knowledge has some useful info.

Google+ Lets You Search in Real Time — and Supports Hashtags is from Mashable.

Google Apps Users Can Now Hangout (And More) On Google+ is from TechCrunch.

Google+ Resurrects Playback Feature From Wave, Renames It “Ripples” is also from TechCrunch.

Google Plus Finds Sweet Spot Between Facebook & Twitter is from Read Write Web.

Google+ recently launched “Google Pages,” which allow organizations and businesses to participate in the social network. Richard Byrne has a good post describing them.

A Simple Guide To Getting Started On Google+ is from Search Engine People.

Here’s a nice tutorial on how to use Google+ “Hangouts.”

Here are some “Basic Ground Rules For Google+.”

10 Productive Tasks You Should Be Doing On Google+ Right Now comes from ProBlogger.

Google+ Hangouts Are Now Free Conference Calls, Too is from Read Write Web.

Google+ Expands ’On Air’ Hangouts is from TechCrunch.

Tweaks Coming to Google+ Before the End of the Year is from The Atlantic.

Google+ Hangouts Add Screen Sharing to List of Collaboration Tools is from Read Write Web.

How to Use the Google Plus Creative Kit to Edit and Spice Up Your Photos is from Guiding Tech.

How To Use Google+ (A Beginners Guide) is a useful video:

Google+ Hangout Apps Come Out Of Hiding, Offer Games, Screensharing, Presentations & More is from TechCrunch.

Google+ Gets A Big Refresh With New Navigation, A Redesigned Stream, A Dedicated Hangouts Page & More is from TechCrunch.

The New Google+ Aims to Perfect Procrastination is from The Atlantic.

The Google+ Manual for educators is from Royan Lee.

“How To Get Started With Google+ Hangouts On Air”

Google has unveiled a new iPhone app for Google+ , and TechCrunch likes it — With Its New Google+ App, Google Finally Gets It Right.

Google has just announced a new Google+ feature called Google+ Communities. Here’s a video on it, and you can read more about it here. By the way, they also announced that Google+ now has half a billion users.

Create An RSS Feed For Your Google+ Posts

Google+ Photos Can Now Automatically Create Animated GIFs, Panoramas, HDR Images And Better Group Shots is a TechCrunch post sharing details on a ton of new Google+ photo-editing tools, including creating panoramas and GIFs.

Additional suggestions are welcome.

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