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🎃 October updates: New Gemini features, AI lawsuits and more!
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⚙️ Do you manage the Google Admin console? Sign up for The Google Admin Weekly, my newsletter for IT admins! ⚙️ Hi Reader! Happy fall! 🍁🎃 Sip on some cider or your favorite pumpkin flavored drink while we review some updates, classroom ideas, and news stories for the month of October. One of the big updates this month is a change to Google's terms of service which allows Gemini access for students as young as 13 years of age.
🎦 Watch on YouTube | ✍️ Read the blog post | 🎧 Listen to the Podcast 1. Gemini for teens - Earlier this year Google announced that it would reduce the minimum age for Gemini to 13 (down from 18). That change is rolling out now. IT admins will need to confirm their Gemini settings in the admin console to confirm that the right users have access. 2. Star rating in Google Forms - you can now insert a “star rating” question in Google Forms. 3. Tabs for Docs have arrived! - last month I shared a way you could test out document tabs. This update is rolling out to all accounts right now which means you can add tabs to existing documents as well. 4. Cover images for Docs - this is a nice update when paired with tabs for Docs. You can select from a list of provided images or upload your own. This makes your documents feel more like a Google Site. 5. Gemini in Google Classroom - users with an EDU plus and Gemini license can create quizzes, lesson plans, and discussions using Gemini directly in Google Classroom. This is the first time the “Learn LM” version of Gemini has been integrated into a core service. 6. Parents sue school for punishing teen who used AI on assignment - If you don’t have a clear policy for student use of AI, it’s time to get started! 7. Pumpkin Carving with Google Slides - here’s a classic Halloween activity for your elementary class! 8. Halloween Choice board - this collection of activities will engage your students during the chaotic days around Halloween! Thanks to Tonya Nugent for sharing this resource! 9. Museum of Frights - Google Arts & Culture always shares fun activities around the holidays. This year they have put together a collection of artworks, photos, museum tours and stories related to the spooky season. 10. Figurative language + AI Images - Halloween is a great time to expand your vocabulary and practice generating AI images! Happy Halloween! 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.
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...
✨ 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...
✨ 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....