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.
This new Chrome tab trick is sweet! (Feb. EDU Updates)
|
✨ Host the Gemini Academy for Teachers at your school this summer ✨ Hi Reader! I know you’ve been busy in the classroom, so I’ve been scouring the web for the latest updates, new tools, and tech tips for YOU Reader! Here are my top 10 updates for February 2026! 💡 Don't feel like reading? Watch on YouTube or Listen to the Podcast! 💡 1. Record audio and video in Google Classroom - the new “AVS” (audio, video, screencapture) button is now LIVE in Google Classroom for EDU Plus domains. This new feature lets teachers and students record and share video without the need of an extension. Teachers can control access to this feature by enabling/disabling commenting on the stream page. 2. AI suggested feedback in Google classroom - This feature was announced in January at BETT and is rolling out now to EDU Plus domains. If your district doesn’t have EDU plus, you can re-create this feature by creating a custom grading Gem. 3. Premium Vids features for everyone! - The Vids teleprompter, transcript trimming, and styled captions are now available to everyone. These three features make Vids a very compelling tool for student video projects. 4. Listen to your Document - The popular “audio summary” feature available for NotebookLM and Gemini is now available inside of Google Docs for AI pro customers. This is a slick feature that will most likely roll down to free accounts in the future. 4. Get musical with Gemini - The Gemini app now includes access to “Lyria,” Google’s AI music generator. Just describe what you want and jam out to a 30 second custom soundtrack. This feature is available to everyone 18 and older. 6. What version do I have? - a lot of the updates listed above are only available for certain editions of Google Workspace. I created a simple flow-chart to help you figure out which version you have! 7. Split view tabs are awesome - this quietly announced feature is a game-change for multi-taskers! You can now view TWO tabs together in Chrome. No need for a second monitor or wrangling tabs across your screen! Right click on a tab and select “add to new split view” to get started! 8. Overleaf (the Google Docs of Equations) - If you struggle to properly format graphs, formulas, and equations, check out Overleaf! This free tool is designed to work with Latex, the language of math. Pro tip: Gemini is great at writing in the latex language! 9. Apply to the Google Innovator Academy - Way back in 2009 I attended an event that changed my career! The Google Innovator Academy is BACK in 2026 with 7 locations around the world. Submit your application today! Checkout the Innovator UnscriptED podcast to learn more about this program! 10. Something big is happening in AI - this is an opinion article by Matt Shumer, CEO of a development company called OtherSide AI. Matt makes a passionate case for how AI is poised to change everything and implores professionals (including teachers) to devote time to understand how AI can enhance your daily work That's all the updates for February. Thanks for giving me a spot in your inbox! I'll be back in March with more tips, updates, and ideas you can use in your classroom! John R. Sowash 📨 Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to add your name to my monthly email list!
|
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.
✨ I'm going on tour this summer! Join me for the Gemini Academy! ✨ Hi Reader! Earlier this month I was able to attend the KAST conference in Kentucky and the MACUL conference in Michigan. It was great to get out of the office and see many of you in person! I'm on spring break this week which means heading up to our campground in northern Michigan to get ready for the summer camping season! Before I left, I put together a list of updates, links and lesson ideas to summarize the month of March!...
✨ Master Google Gemini! Join me for the Google Certification Academy! ✨ Hi Reader! Welcome to 2026! Google kicked off the new year with a flurry of updates to their certification exams and programs. There will be some more exciting updates later this month! 🤫 2026 is a GREAT year to become a Google Certified Educator! Here are some important updates you should know. 🎦 Don't feel like reading? Here's my YouTube summary of these updates! If you are using tools like Gemini, Drive, and Google...
✨ Registration for my winter Google Certification Academy + AI is open! ✨ Happy holidays and Merry Christmas, Reader! The holiday season kicked off for our family last weekend with our local production of the Nutcracker featuring four of my five kids in various roles. It's holiday parties, family gatherings, and festive celebrations from here on out! For the December EDU Update, we'll look BACK at what happened in the past year and FORWARD to some new tools you can expect to see in 2026. Here...