Add-ons for Google Docs
Google Documents, or Docs, is an online, collaborative, cloud-based version of a basic word processor. Google Drive has introduced Add-ons for Docs, which are scripts or tools that increase the productivity of your documents. Not only do these make Doc more competitive with other office products, such as Word, but many are created specifically with educators in mind, and have immediate classroom applications. These are some of the best add-ons for education.
Template Gallery
Template Gallery is available for both Docs and Sheets, and hosts a variety of templates you can use. Some of the options for documents include lesson plans, resumes and family charts.
Thesaurus
This add-on adds a Thesaurus to your document that works much like the Thesaurus function in other word processing programs. It allows you to quickly find synonyms for words typed in your document.
Gliffy
Gliffy allows you to make professional, colorful diagrams and graphic organziers. This add-on offers a large selection of customizable shapes and colors. Because it's a doc add-on, it is also a great tool for collaboration, or for sharing diagram style worksheets with your students for them to complete online.
Twitter Curator
Twitter Curator lets your import tweets into a Google Doc. For example, if you have your students tweet about a character in a book you're reading and have them include a hashtag, you could generate a doc of all of their tweets with this Add-on. If you use twitter in your classroom, this is a great way to gather them all in one, shareable place.
Maps for Docs
This add-on allows you to embed Google Maps into your document. Simply highlight the address in the doc and choose the add-on, and a Google Map will be generated and pasted in your document.
Open Clip Art
Open clip art gives you access to over 50,000 copyright free clipart images that you can use in your documents. Although the add-on is only available in docs, you can copy and paste the clip art images into your presentations as well.
VexTab Music Notation
VexTab Music Notations allows you to create music notations and insert them directly into your docs. From there you can easily print them or share them with students.
Calculator
Calculator beings up a simple, easy to use calculator in your side bar. This convenient feature allows you to do simple calculations without having to toggle back and forth between your doc and your computer calculator, and it doesn't block any of your document.
Hello Fax
This add-on instantly turns your computer into a fax machine. You can easily fax any doc simply by choosing this add-on and typing in the phone number, and it's free for the first 5 pages. After that, you can upgrade to add more pages.
Document Merge
DocumentMerge by PandaDoc allows you to import information from a spreadsheet into a variety of documents. For example, you could have parents fill out a Google Form with contact information that would generate a spreadsheet for you. From there, you could use this add-on to generate personalized field trip forms, permission slips, letters home, etc. without having to type in all of the contact information.