10 Best Google Drive Add-Ons You Should Be Using
Google Drive is a great alternative for individuals who don’t have a word processor or any form of an office suite. It allows them to make documents, powerpoint presentations, excel documents and more without the added memory being eaten up or having to load a software on your computer. For those who do have a word processing suite, Google Drive is a great way to have collaborative documents on your computer.
For example, it is the office software that I make use of whenever I have a group presentation that needs a couple of extra hands. While it is already a great service, add-ons make it even better. Here are ten Google Drive add-ons that we love.
For example, it is the office software that I make use of whenever I have a group presentation that needs a couple of extra hands. While it is already a great service, add-ons make it even better. Here are ten Google Drive add-ons that we love.
1. HellofaxDespite all of the advancements in communication technology, there are still some individuals who use fax machines. While many people don’t have fax machines, Hellofax allows individuals to send faxes to and from other people through Google Drive. This is all done online; it just takes a few clicks and their fax number. Click the link above to download Hellofax.
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2. UberConferenceUberConference brings conference calls to Google Drive. One of the features I mentioned liking most about Google Drive is the collaborativeness of many of the word processing features. UberConference brings this collaborativeness to another level by allowing you to add voice to the conversation. You can also save conversations so that you are able to refer back to them later. Click the link above to download UberConference.
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3. PandaDocIn this era of everything being digital, there are still a couple of relevant communication elements that can be difficult to manage digitally. A great example of this issue is the signature. The act of putting pen to paper to certify your agreement to the terms of a document is something that still hasn’t gone out of style. PandaDoc allows this to be possible online. You can add your digital signature to documents in a snap. Click the link above to download PandaDoc.
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4. Maps for DocsThis add-on allows individuals to add Google Maps to their documents. This can be useful when you need to show a specific location to an individual. You can toggle Maps for Docs by simply typing the address that you are looking to add to the map into the application. From there, it will spit out an image of the map that you need to add into your Google Drive document. Click the link above to download Maps for Docs.
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5. DriveTunesDriveTunes allows you to add music directly into your Google Doc. This is also useful when you need to add other audio documents as well. Drive Tunes works by allowing you to upload mp3 and m4a files into the application. From there, you are able to attach them into your document, making them playable for those who view your document. Download DriveTunes by clicking the link.
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6. Google SlidesGoogle Slides allows you to bring to your presentations to life. Through simple but stylish templates and amazing animations, you are able to spice up a presentation all in Google Drive. Google Slides is accessible anywhere and even offline. This is all possible without the need of any special software to download. Click the link above to see what Google Slides has to offer.
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7. Mail2DriveIf you have ever received an email that included important information, like instructions or directions, you might have decided to make it into a word document of some type. Mail2Drive does this for you by allowing you to create word documents out of the text of emails. It is a very simple application with a minimal design. This is automatically done for all email messages. Click the link above to download the program.
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8. EasyBibOne of the most annoying parts of a research paper is having to add a bibliography or other form of source citations. However, they are necessary as a way of preventing plagiarism accusations. EasyBib allows you to cite your sources the easiest way you can all in Google Docs. You can have sources cited in MLA, Chicago, and APA format. Click the link above to download EasyBib.
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9. MindMeisterBullet points are helpful when you need to concisely describe the important points of a broad idea. Being able to visualize this, especially when studying for a big test or final, is a great way to retain the information for some people. MindMeister allows you to visualize bullet point lists by making the header the main topic and each bulletpoint a root of the mind map. You can check out this amazing program by clicking the link above.
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10. IFTTTIFTTT is a website that allows individuals to connect some of their favorite websites and web applications together to get tasks done automatically and repetitively if needed. This is done by creating connections. For example, you can connect Facebook and a certain date together so that a status update is created whenever that date occurs. IFTTT also has a ton of formulas, also known as “recipes” for Google Drive. I recommend checking them out to have Google Drive work for you.
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11. Track Changes
Track Changes is an incredible functionality win for Google Drive as it is one that publishers or formal publications require. You can now add it into Google Drive meaning you can really publish a book out of Google Drive where you track and edit changes for each other like in Microsoft Word.
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12. Table of Contents
Yes, Google Drive can insert a Table of Contents but it is placed inside the document. This add-on puts it in the sidebar where it is extremely useful. We use Google Docs to create the scripts and plans for our online presentations and this is now a LIFESAVER making the document much easier to navigate and move around. Remember that for it to work, you have to make things as Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.
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13. Thesaurus
Add a thesaurus into Google Drive. While it isn’t as useful as Microsoft Word’s right click feature (and it is a tad slow) — it will likely improve with time. If students are writing papers, it is a very useful feature.
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14. Template Gallery
If you miss the large template gallery in Microsoft Office, this add-on template gallery is a start with many useful form letters, spreadsheets, and pre-formatted mailers.
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15. Texthelp Study Skills
If you have special needs students (don’t we all?) and are using Google Apps for education, Texthelp Read & Write is a must test. Google Chrome gives you a free 30 day trial inside their store.
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16. Consistency Checker
This one is useful for those creating very long documents (doctoral dissertations come to mind) or other documents that have to be consistent. It will do an extra check for spelling but also looks to make sure you’ve handled numbers, hyphenation and other types of writing mechanics in a consistent way. For a subset of writing teachers or for college students writing long documents together, this is a great tool.
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17. Open ClipartSo, you want to include clip art and not have to worry so much about clip art issues. This app has 50,000 thousand pieces of clip art and may just be what you’re looking for to use with students for quick graphics. I particularly like that they include icons so you can make it easier to navigate to other sites by making buttons.
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18. Kaizena
This tool is one that is going to take further notice. The purpose of Kaizena is to help teachers give better feedback to students. You can pull the document into Kaizena with one click using this add-on to easily add voice comments and thoughts on student work. This is a very impressive emerging tool for teacher feedback. (Free)
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19. Newsela
Newsela is an easy, creative way to build reading comprehension with informational text that's always relevant through articles on current events. The beautiful thing about this innovative tool is that it allows you to take one article and differentiate it in up to five different lexile levels, which Newsela does by changing vocabulary and sentence structure. All of your students can read the same content at the level just right for them.
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