Google Mail Merge

I have worked with Microsoft mail-merge in the past and I think it is one of the greatest productivity tools to use.  Now, Google has the option to merge data also with its documents.

Merging contact lists when sending out email allows me to personalize my communication to the parents and guardians of my students.  Here is a link on how to create a mail merge with g-mail and Google Docs.  Here is another link explaining the steps involved.  Here is also one other article on this topic from LifeHacker.com.

Lesson plans are another way to utilize mail merge.  Enter in your lesson plans and then merge the data into usable forms and templates required by administration, your students and yourself.  This allows quick modification of the layout without having to retype the information numerous times for each application.  Here is a you-tube video that explains this process.

Now that I have mentioned both merging contact lists with email and lesson plans, here is a great article combining both subjects together.  This is a great way to personalize lesson plans with your students, making it look like you spent hours working for them when in reality you simply merged data in a more personalized way.

How about collecting data from your students or parents and then being able to use the data in a mail-merge to personalize and simply your communications?  Here is an article on that!

Spreadsheets are a great way to collect and store data, but they do not do the best when it comes to sharing the data in a aesthetically pleasing format.  This is where mail merge comes in again.  Merge the data into documents, presentation software or other medium for great looking presentations.  Here is a great article on this.

Looking for still other ways to utilize this powerful tool in Google?  Here is an article on other ideas to utilize the power of Google Mail Merge!