We were set a challenge … we accepted, we succeeded and people were chuffed
So, how do you do it?
With Google Apps Script and following the Tutorial: Simple Mail Merge
We hope you find it useful.
How To Mail Merge Using Gmail + Google Spreadsheet
Posted by Mike, February 8th, 2010 | Tagged as Tags: explanation, How To | No Comments »
Google Apps Breakouts At Learning@Schools 2010 Conference
Posted by Mike, February 5th, 2010 | Tagged as Tags: education, event | No Comments »
If you’re lucky enough to be going to the Learning@Schools 2010 Conference (Wed 24th / Thu 25 Feb in Rotorua) we’d like to take a moment and pass on the following Google Apps breakout sessions as posted by Maria from Watchdog (a Google Apps re-seller focused on Google Apps Education Edition here in New Zealand)
Google kids learn better? – Interactive Presentation
Dave Winter (Project director, ConnectED Regional Cluster & ICT Manager, Southwell School) and Barbara Reid (Teacher & ICT Facilitator)
We’ve heard of google docs and apps. What can they do for students? Together we will discuss literacy in a google world. A few tips and tricks will appear from the crowd as we learn what a google connected class might mean.
When & Where: Breakout 1, Novotel Batten 2
Google Apps in Education – Interactive Presentation
Maria Casale – Watchdog Corporation
This session will cover in reasonable detail how to use the various aspects of Google Apps (Docs, Sites, Mail, Calendar & Video), and demonstrate how they can be used in the classroom, using lesson plans and examples by Google Certified Teachers. Group discussions and questions will be encouraged throughout the presentation.
When & Where: Breakout 2, Rydges Aintree 2, and repeated in Breakout Six, Millennium Room 2
Google Fest – Interactive Presentation
Dorothy Burt – Google Certified Teacher, Pt England School
Everyone has used at least one of the Google Tools and yet none of us is an expert in all of them. There is always lots more new and cool ideas out there. In this session you should come along prepared to participate as much or little as you feel comfortable. We will start out with a short ‘presentation from the front’ but the majority of the session will be a form of crowd sourcing. You will have the opportunity to come and demonstrate one of the Google Apps that you have used in your classroom or in your role as educator if you would like to. If that doesn’t sound like you, then sit back and enjoy learning from a wide variety of people. We tested this session format at ULearn09 and feedback from all bar one (didn’t read this blurb and thought he was coming to a lecture) said was a great session and left with lots of Google ideas to use. If you are coming to the GoogleFest and have something you would like to share, email me beforehand dorothy@ptengland.school.nz or ping me on GoogleWave dorothyjburt@googlewave.com
When & Where: Breakout 2, Novotel Batten 1
Google Gives You THREE Free Email Addresses Alongside @gmail
Posted by Mike, February 3rd, 2010 | Tagged as Tags: gmail, google, How To | 3 Comments »
Today I stumbled over this cracking blog post from way back in 2008: Wow! All Gmail Users Are Given Two Separate Email Addresses
When you create a Gmail account, you actually get two email addresses – one is the regular @gmail.com while the second email address has @googlemail.com in the domain.
That is cool and, as we always do at WaveAdept, I shared it on Twitter only to get this back from @Geekpulp:
you know if you have x.y@gmail.com xy@gmail.com also works. At least it does for me.
Wow, that’s another 2 free email addresses, and all without using the old ‘+’ trick.
So for my personal Gmail account I now have:
- miramar.mike@gmail.com – the one I signed up with
- miramar.mike@googlemail.com
- miramarmike@gmail.com
- miramarmike@googlemail.com
And so, does it work with a Google Apps account such as WaveAdept.com? Yes and No.
No, your Google Apps setup won’t do any of it without some simple admin work, darn it.
To get multiple domains (@waveadept.com / @waveadept.co.nz / @waveadepters.com …) your Google Apps administrator can quickly setup domain aliases. Once they have been verified (no, you can’t simply enter @microsoft.com and get their email!) emails for mike.riversdale@waveadepters.com will be automatically piped into the main mike.riversdale@waveadept.com Inbox.
Google Apps help: Domain aliases
Ok, so what about ‘mike.riversdale@’ vs ‘mikeriversdale@’?
Again, an administator can quickly add a “nickname” to the main mail address and you’re done.
Google Apps help: Nicknames
Picture credit: Gina Bianchini, Multiple Personalities
Predictions For 2010 Amongst The Midnight Note Webstockers
Posted by Mike, January 25th, 2010 | Tagged as | 1 Comment »
Strange post title that is the unlikely love child of three fabulous events WaveAdept are proud to a) MC; b) attend; c) “sponsor”.
Firstly our “sponsor” event is this years annual Unlimited Potential Bloggers Predict evening on Thursday 25th January, 5:30pm. Unfortunately this is sold out so you’ll have to steal a ticket to join the 100 or so others that will hear me (Mike) MC the predictions from the fabulous Brenda, Philip, Mauricio, Miraz and Joanna.
More details at: http://www.up.org.nz/predictions2010/
NOTE: There will be a very strictly held kick-off time of 5:30pm, if you’re late you’ll just have to catchup. Plus, don’t forget to dress appropriately because …
Directly after the Bloggers Predict event we will all be rushing down to ’secret place’ in the CBD (sorry, not sure if it’s public knowledge yet) for the climax of “The Case of The Midnight Note” “The what now?” Check out the website and follow in the online/real-life adventures of Sam Spillane as he works the dirty streets of Wellington to solve The Case of The Midnight Note, “a noir-themed fundraising tweet-up to help friends attend #webstock”.
It all culminates at ‘a secret place’, $10 on the door, koha during the evening starting 7pm. Do not worry that you’ll miss out because you’re having to rush from the UP Bloggers Predict, both events are talking and making sure they overlap perfectly and that no-one will be disadvantaged by being a little late!
More details at: http://midnightnote.baseofoperations.net/
Which leads us nicely to Webstock, THE New Zealand/southern hemipshere/world-wide geek event for February (15th-19th) to which WaveAdept have, in many guises, been part of for some years now. This year, unfortunately, we cannot attend in person and so we had ticket money sitting around … what to do with it? With one email to Ruth at Summer Of Code we had it solved, for a cracking special we could send TWO Summer of Code students along for the price of one (nice one Webstock). And so we are proudly sponsoring Becks and Kai to attend their very first Webstock, please take time to find them, welcome them and talk about how you could also help them with their future careers.
Hmm, but how will you find them amongst the Webstock throng? Have no fear, we are working on that … you will not miss them 
More details (and how to get tickets): http://www.webstock.org.nz
And that’s the three kick ass events WaveAdept are proud to be a part of in the coming weeks. Of course further into 2010 there are more, NZ Google Barcamp, Wellington CloudCamp …
What events will you be attending this year, where would you like us to talk about what we know (Google Apps, online collaboration and making IT invisible)? Leave us a comment or get in touch to arrange for us to come to you …
It’s finally here…..
Posted by Dave, January 13th, 2010 | Tagged as | No Comments »
There has long been rumoured the existence of a project within Google called G Drive – it appears that its finally here, Google have announced this morning.
This is fantastic news and radically changes the appeal of Google apps for a lot of companies – we look forward to trying this out!!
