ArcGIS Online and Map Packages

This week in Intro to GIS was mostly a refresher for me as the class was introduced to ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Explorer Online. We started the week at ESRI's Virual Campus and completed their course, "Authoring Web Maps Using ArcGIS Online". Then we and worked half way through "Creating and Sharing Map Packages for 10.1". I learned the differences between a Map Package and a Tile Package and the best use of each. I had never shared a Map Package to my ArcGIS Online account before a was amazed at how simple it was. Up until this week I had only shared some maps that I created in the map viewer using map services that are being consumed on a few webpages. I am already working on some scenarios where sharing Map Packages will make my work flows more efficient.