✨ Ready to explore AI? Check out Wednesday Webinars with John! ✨ Hi Reader! Over the past month I’ve been able to visit a half-dozen different schools across the US sharing tips and ideas for using AI in the classroom. While there are a LOT of AI tools available, there’s one that I think is at the top of the list: Google Gemini. This month I’d like to share some neat and surprising things you can do with Gemini, AND help you earn your Gemini educator certification! 🎙️Listen to the podcast...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, Google’s AI integrations have been rapidly changing and evolving. Keeping up with these updates has been seriously difficult, even for me. In this quick email I’m going to try to clarify things for you as best I can. ✨ FREE AI Features Staff and students have access to two core AI tools through their school account: Gemini and NotebookLM. Both of these applications can be managed through the admin console and are FREE for all Workspace customers. Gemini for Google Workspace:...
2 months ago • 2 min read
✨ Overwhelmed by AI? Check out Wednesday Webinars with John! ✨ Hi Reader! As you set up your classroom and get ready for a new crew of students, you might be thinking, "What's something new I can try this year?" Each year I select five strategies, tools, or ideas you can use to engage your students and shake things up a bit. These five tools and strategies are all about making your life easier and your students' learning more engaging. Here's what I am recommending this year... 🎙️ Listen to...
3 months ago • 4 min read
🥇Registration for the fall Google Trainer Academy is open! 🏅 Hi Reader! As I write this I am on a train headed toward Chicago to attend the Google Champion Symposium at Google Chicago. I’m really excited to meet with and learn from other Google Certified Trainers, Innovators, and Coaches. Collectively, these three programs are known as the “Google Champions.” Google has been hosting multi-day events like this for the past few years. Fun events like this are one of the reasons that you should...
5 months ago • 3 min read
🏆 Interested in earning your Google certification? Join me May 21 for a FREE webinar! 🏆 Hi Reader! Congratulations, you made it to the end of the school year! Being a teacher is an intense profession. There are good days and hard days. I remember many days when I wondered if it was worth it. The impact you are making on your students IS worth the effort. You are awesome! 👏 As you wrap up your school year, here are a few quick suggestions for boxing up your digital files so that you can have a...
7 months ago • 2 min read
✨ Explore Gemini for Education with me! Free webinar April 23, 2025 ✨ Hi Reader! As usual, there are a good number of updates and new features to share this month. Google has been working hard on some pretty cool Gemini features. I'm hosting a free webinar on April 23 to demo and discuss what's new. Details are at the bottom of the email. I hope you had a good spring break...let's check out this month's updates! 😱 Listen to the Gemini Audio Overview of this email 😱 Custom content for Read...
8 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, The Google Admin console has many helpful reports that provide insight into what’s going on on your domain. Strangely, most of these reports are DISABLED by default. The video below will walk you through the process of enabling key policies that will begin collecting useful data on your devices, user activity, and district data. 👉 Don't wait for an incident to realize you're missing crucial information. 💻 Professional Development for teachers For the past 12 years I have been...
9 months ago • 1 min read
✨ Now scheduling summer and fall professional development sessions! ✨ Hi Reader! Over the past few months I have been intentionally experimenting with different ways to incorporate AI into my daily life. Some of them are very helpful, others, not so much (see my fails below)! There is no question that AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT can improve productivity and access to information, but it’s not exactly the “magic wand” 🪄 that we were promised. As I reflect on the ways that AI is helping...
9 months ago • 3 min read
✨ The winter Google Certification Academy starts January 21. There are only five spots left! Don't miss out! ✨ Hi Reader! This week I am attending the FETC conference in Orlando, Florida. FETC is one of the biggest and best edTech conferences in the United States. If you ever get a chance to attend, do it! One of my FETC sessions is all about integrating AI into Google Classroom. I’ve put together some of the highlights below. I am cautiously optimistic about the use of AI in the classroom....
11 months ago • 3 min read