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😱 Two controversial reports on tech in the classroom (Nov. EDU Update)
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🔖 BLACK FRIDAY Sale: 50% off my Wednesday Webinar Subscription! 🔖 Happy Thanksgiving, Reader! It's been a while since my last EDU Update, primarily because I was busy organizing the 13th annual miGoogle conference for 400+ Michigan educators. The event went well and now I am back in the office tracking the latest Google and edTech updates. This month we have quite a few AI updates and two controversial research reports on the impact of technology in education that are sure to spark some strong opinions! Let's dive in! 🎧 Listen to this episode | 🎦 Watch this episode Convert rubrics for Google Classroom - You can now easily convert your existing rubric to work with Google Classroom. Just look for the “convert from file” option on a Google Classroom assignment. Improved math formatting from Gemini - Gemini has improved support for LaTeX, a special language for writing out complex mathematical equations. The end result is better formatted mathematical formulas that can be exported as PDF or Google Doc. Create presentations with Gemini - You can now use Canvas in Gemini to design presentations! Just ask: "Create a presentation on..." Customize YouTube - Unhook is a free Chrome extension that lets you hide elements of YouTube like shorts, related videos, comments, etc to focus your YouTube experience and hide potentially problematic content from students. Deep research improvements - Deep research in Gemini can now include emails, documents, and chat conversations as part of its research. This means you can get more personalized results on internal projects and tasks. Vibe coding with Google AI Studio - If you’ve used Gemini to create simple classroom applications, you might enjoy this video on using Google AI Studio to take things to the next level! Gemini can save teachers 10 hours/week - A Gemini pilot program in Ireland is showing promising results to reduce teacher workload. Flashcards and Quizzes in NotebookLM - Google has made significant improvements to study aids created through NotebookLM. The mobile app has also been improved making it easier for students to learn while on the go. Does AI help students learn? - this long and technical report evaluates the performance of 165 UK learners who were given access to AI tools to enhance learning. The results indicate that students with access to AI tutoring tools achieved a 5.5% increase in knowledge transfer, under the direction of a human instructor. Are Chromebooks ruining education? - This recent opinion piece from the NY Times suggests that school-provided devices are having a negative impact on student performance. Those last two links are sure to spark some conversation! Let me know what YOU think! Leave me a comment on YouTube or Facebook! That wraps up the updates for November 2025. I'm grateful for YOU and hope you have a wonderful holiday season! John R. Sowash 📨 Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to add your name to my monthly email list!
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The Google EDU Update
Tired of missing out on the coolest Google updates and new features? Join thousands of other teachers who rely on my monthly newsletter to stay ahead of the curve. Get the top 10 updates, teaching inspiration, and time-saving links delivered straight to your inbox.
Hello Reader, For over two decades, our job as IT admins has focused on managing human users—provisioning their accounts, assigning their licenses, and locking down what they can and cannot do. We are now crossing into an entirely new era of domain administration: managing AI agents that act autonomously across Google Workspace. Google recently rolled out a new Agent Control section in the Admin Console. Here is a plain-English breakdown of what these policies do and how to use them. 🍁...
✨ Earn your Gemini Certification...Join me for Wednesday webinars! ✨ Hi Reader! After a busy back-to-school travel season, I'm taking a vacation with my family to explore Disney World in Orlando! I was able to type up this month's EDU Update right before we left. As you return to your schools and start the new school year, you might have noticed a few changes in Google Classroom. I decided to share a summary of some of the big updates and features that you can use this year. Everything listed...
✨ Join me for Wednesday Webinars with John! ✨ Hi Reader! As July wraps up, the start of the school year is right around the corner. This week I am in Honolulu, Hawaii to provide some back-to-school training for a school (rough assignment, I know 🌸). This trip kicks off my 2026 back-to-school tour! I’ll be heading to schools all across the US helping teachers just like you get ready for the 2026-27 school year! This month’s EDU update is full of FREE resources to help you prepare for the new...