Form Publisher Forms Add-on to create reports from Google Forms Data

I recently tried out Form Publisher,  a Google Forms Add-on to create reports from Google Forms Data. I have used Autocrat for years to create mail-merge reports from Google Forms but there were some limitations such as merging only from Google Documents and not Slides. It was also a bit complicated for most of the end-users I was training on it and would just stop working at times. Then I found Form Publisher.

Form Publisher is an Add-on in the Forms add-on store. It will allow you to merge data filled out in a Google form to a template you custom design in either Google Documents, Sheets or Slides. Its pretty intuitive to set up too. You can also add as many editors to your merge job and change out your form as needed.

Learn about the creators of Form Publisher

The only downside is its only free for 100 reports/merges per month but the paid version is $36/year for unlimited reports for a Google Account with tech support included. I went to their site as well to learn more about the company and who was accessing my data. I was pleased to see the awesome team of Google App Scripts Developers who created Awesome Tables were the same team creating this new tool.


 Check it out and see what you think!

How to Backup your Google Drive with Google Takeout

How to Backup your Google Drive with Google Takeout

1. Go to https://www.google.com/settings/takeout
   
2. Select the items you would like included in your backup.
3. Click Next at the bottom
4. Choose how you would like your .zip backup file sent: Via email (could be huge and fill your inbox) or in your Google Drive (preferred method).
5. go back to Google Drive after while and type *.zip in the search box.

Right-click on the file and choose Download to load on to a USB Drive, Computer other Drive  to save your backup.

How to Set a Google Document Link That Forces Each User to Make a Copy

1. When finishing a Google Document, go to the blue share square
   
2. Change the link permission to Anyone with the link can View
   
3. Do not copy this link. It's not the one you want
4. Go to the link at the top of your document and find the word “edit” in the link
5. Erase the word “edit” and change it to say “copy”
6. Copy the entire new link
7. Paste it in a new window or tab to test it.
   Here is an example:
   
   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mg7QbBeGTG5ExWrQUti8qVHWMzopHXziWh216996YVQ/copy
8. When another person/student uses the link and clicks the blue Make a Copy button, it will automatically save their copy into their Drive.

How to Share Access to a Google Document with Others

How to Share Access to a Google Document with Others

Step-by-step instructions on how to share something from your Google Drive with another person.

You can share out access to a Google file or folder either with a web link or by using the Gmail/Google Docs email address of the person you wish to share access with.

Sharing a file with an email address or mailing list from your Google Docs/ Drive list

1. Go to drive.google.com and log in. (Same as going to the old Google Docs, just a new name)
2. Check the box next to the file or folder you'd like to share by clicking on the icon to the left of each..
3. Click the Share icon .         OR…… Right click on the file(s)  OR...
4. Click the More menu and select "Share..."
5. Click Advanced at the bottom right of the window that pops up.
   
6. Under “Who Has Access” find and click the word “CHANGE” next to the option: “Private only the people listed below have access” and a 2nd pop up will appear.
   
7. Now choose a visibility option  "Anyone with the link" or "Public on the web." to share with everyone in the world or "Private," to remove the link sharing option.
8. 
9. Next choose what rights to give such as “Can Edit” so they can make changes, “Can Comment” to suggest changes, or “Can View” to only read and the FILE and MAKE a COPY to use their own copy.
10. Click save and it will go back to the prior screen with a weblink at the top. This is the link you will need to copy to use in an email or website to provide access via a weblink for those who do NOT have a Google Docs accounts
    
11. If the person(s) does have a Google Docs account, then just type the email addresses of the people you want to share with in the text box below "Add people." You can add a single person, a mailing list, or choose from your contacts.
12. Choose the access level from the drop-down menu next to each collaborator: "Can view," "Can comment" (Google documents and presentations only), or "Can edit."
13. 
14. Click Share & save.

How to Create Random Name Selector, Seating Charts and Group Selectors from a Single Google Sheets with Flippity.net!

Flippity.net

Ever wanted to take your list of students and quickly pick a random name for activities, prizes or other reasons? Want to use that same spreadsheet o create seating charts, pair students in groups? Want to use a simple google spreadsheet of terms to create online flashcards and review games from the same spreadsheet?

                        

1. Go to Flippity.net, 
2. Click on their template and then
3. click the Make a Copy button on the next screen.
4. In the first two columns fill in the names or terms and definitions but do not change the header row
5. When done, click on the second spreadsheet at the bottom.
6. Follow the instructions
7. Go to File and Publish to the web
8. Copy the link into the highlighted box on the second tabbed sheet
9. A new link appears below
10. Click that and watch the magic begin!

Explore: Quickly and easily cite your sources & images with Explore in Google Docs, Slides & Sheets

Explore: Quickly and easily cite your sources & images with Explore in Google Docs, Slides & Sheets

If you had ever used or never used the Research tool in Documents and slides, you will appreciate the update to this removed tool now called Explore. Explore does so many different things depending on if you use it in a Document, Slides presentation or in Sheets.

An update from the older Research tool; students, teachers and others can now pull in images and content that will automatically create citations in Google Documents as a footnote or attach the source link in Slides.  Learn more here....

    

(image from Google Docs Blog, accessed Jan 2017)

In Spreadsheets, you can now look up data and chart info using Explore by typing in a question instead of having to do complex formulas. Type in "what is the average amount of hours reading..." and it will calculate and form charts of the data for you. Learn more here....

Student Help Desk Blog Started

Check out our Pinkerton Student Run Help Desk blog!

I have been absent from my own blog for a while working on projects at my new home at Pinkerton Academy. One exciting project that I am very excited to be a part of is the creation and co-advising of the Pinkerton Academy Student Run Help Desk.

Although we only started in April, 2015, our students create tutorial and support resources for teachers and their peers on how to work with any type of technology tool in learning. They also will come into the classroom to help with training and recently were chosen to support the Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference in NH.

 

Check out posts from the students and myself at Edtechpa.blogspot.com and see their app reviews of the month as well!