Google Apps for Education (GAFE) can be a tremendous asset in the classroom and help busy teachers save time. Here are a few little-known Add-ons that will make you jump for joy. Simply add a copy of each of these sheets to your own Google Drive and start using them right away.
Super Grouper: The Super Grouper Add-on is a great way to get groups made fast and easy. Once you set your list of students, the sheet can randomize your groups with a filter. The filter, for example, might be to make groups with even girls and boys.
Big Brother: This sheet is a great response system for students to hand in short, written work. You can give feedback, grade, and even use a rubric. Set up one sheet per unit you teach. There are additional sheets available for late work, missing work, and a combined late and missing work.
Postmaster Plus Mail Merge: This is one of the coolest spreadsheet tools to help streamline your efficiency as you personalize communications between you and a group. For this tool to work, you will need to install Yet Another Mail Merge Add-on into your Google sheets. With this sheet and the mail merge Add-on, you will be writing personalized emails in no time at all. You can send just about any information you can think of to your students, parents, and clubs, just to name a few. This is built so that you can filter the students by class or adviser.
WOPR Student Tracking and Parent Reporting: This sheet is set up to make weekly reporting more meaningful to both parents and students, while at the same time making it easier for teachers to report. You can set up to five different behaviors you want to report on and give them a scale. Then share the reporting sheet with the parents and they will see the results.
Fast Formative: Fast Formative is a powerful tool that allows you to assess students quickly and easily. Simply set up the tool once and you are good to go for the year. One benefit of this tool over other formative assessments, like Kahoot!, is that you can come up with your questions on the spot.
If you want more GAFE help, join us monthly for the free-to-members webinar series Get Your Google On. Held the first Thursday of each month, the recorded sessions offer power tips and tricks you won’t find anywhere else. Register for them today!
