Tag Archives: Google

Doing More with Google Docs and Sheets

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Within the Technology team, we’ve been using Google Drive for much of our project planning and collaborative work. While Docs is a great alternative to using Microsoft Office and helps us to work together more effectively, it also lacks some of the small but integral tools necessary for certain kinds of work.

In an effort to close those gaps, Google has introduced Add-ons for Docs and Sheets, a set of tools created by outside developers and verified by Google. The Add-ons cover a wide range of features, from creating tables of contents and bibliographies, to track changes and advanced diagramming and flowchart creation.

To begin using Add-ons, click the Add-ons menu while working in any Doc or Spreadsheet.

Google Docs menu

Next, click Get Add-ons.

Google Docs Add-ons menu

From there, you can choose from a wide variety of tools. To help you get started, here are two Add-ons we think the Simmons community will find useful.

Track Changes
While Google Docs helpfully keeps track of changes to a document, it doesn’t allow you make changes that must be accepted by a collaborator. The Track Changes Add-on fixes that and adds a feature that many Microsoft Word users desperately wanted to see in Google Drive.

Track Changes Add-on

Hassle-free Bibliographies
If you’re working on a research paper in Google Docs and you need a citation, the EasyBib Add-on allows you to search for books, articles, and websites, and then creates a bibliographic entry in MLA, APA, or Chicago style. Once you have added your sources, EasyBib will even create an alphabetized list of citations at the end of the document.

EasyBib Add-on

These are just two of the many Add-ons available. To find more, click the Add-ons menu or browse all of the available Add-ons.

In Other Google News…

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Over the last year, we’ve devoted a lot of time to introducing and discussing Google Apps. Today, we’d like to mention a few developments outside of Google Apps that might be of interest to everyone at Simmons.

The first is a significant upgrade to Google Maps. This update will incorporate information from Google Earth directly into Maps, bringing users 3D visualizations of locations. In addition, Google has improved mapping for different modes of transportation, including public transit, which will certainly help us find our way around Boston.

Google has also doubled down on map personalization. If you’re logged in to your Google account, Maps will learn your likes and dislikes, and incorporate place ratings from your friends. You can get the full rundown of new features straight from Google.

In their endless quest to integrate media across platforms, Google has also introduced Google Play Music All Access, a streaming music competitor to Spotify and Pandora. While the product name might leave something to be desired, the service looks to be easy to use and priced similarly to other streaming services. Find out more here.

Beyond these changes, Google is constantly developing and integrating products, many of which are available in Google Apps for Education. We’ll do our best to keep you informed of changes and new features as they come online.

Faculty and Staff Moving to Google Apps for Education

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Earlier this month, we sent an email from Debra Orr, Simmons College Chief Information Officer, to the entire Simmons community about faculty and staff email. We’re sharing her note again here just in case you missed the previous announcement:

In May, the Technology department worked with students to transition them to Google Apps for Education. This change involved not only using a new email platform, but also adding a powerful calendaring tool and a host of collaborative and productivity tools. We have gotten very positive feedback from our students. At that time, I let you know that Technology would be working to determine the needs of Simmons faculty and staff to help us choose an email and calendaring platform that would provide capabilities far beyond our current email platform and Meeting Maker.

I am pleased to share that we have reached a decision and that we have begun planning a transition of all faculty and staff email to Google Apps for Education. We believe that choosing Google Apps for Education will provide cutting edge tools for managing day-to-day work, and collaborating with colleagues and students. In addition to basic email and calendaring, Google Apps for Education offers tools for creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations; interactive utilities for text and video conferencing; opportunities for real-time collaboration on projects; and so much more.

I want you to know that this decision was made after a careful assessment of the community’s needs and a review of how students have been served by Google Apps for Education over the last several months. The Technology team has also reviewed our agreement with Google and I can assure you that, beyond the cost and efficiency advantages of having the entire college on one email system, we will also benefit from improved data security. Simmons College will continue to own our data and Google will store it securely and will not use it for advertising or marketing purposes. In addition, moving to Google Apps for Education will create opportunities that greatly exceed those that could be developed in-house or by selecting a la carte products from multiple vendors.

Since May, I have been asked by many faculty and staff when they might be able to use Gmail and Google Calendar and how it will help with daily interactions with students. In the next thirty days, I will share a timeline for this project, as well as some additional details about how the transition will work and the hands-on training and support we’ll be offering. In the meantime, please let me know if you have questions or concerns about this change. I am confident that you will see immediate advantages over our current systems and I know that the entire Technology team is excited to begin working with you on this important project.

Debra Orr
Executive Director of Technology/CIO
Simmons College