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The one Gemini feature you can’t use in school (March EDU update)
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✨ 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! Here are your March EDU updates! 💡 Don't feel like reading? Watch on YouTube or Listen to the Podcast! 💡 1. NotebookLM Studio Updates- The “studio” in NotebookLM is getting some nice upgrades including improved infographics, video overviews, and slide deck revisions. This update gives NotebookLM improved content creation features, similar to Gemini. 2. Gemini conversation sharing- You can now share Gemini conversations with someone else in your domain. This is helpful if you have a great prompt that you want to share with a colleague, or your students want to cite their use of Gemini. Note that this feature must be enabled by your IT administrator. 3. Gemini in Chrome - This feature has been available for Mac and PC users, but it only recently rolled out to Chromebooks. Gemini in Chrome lets you use Gemini as you browse the web to summarize, ask questions, compare products, etc. This feature is not typically available for student Chromebooks. 4. Publish your vibe coded app to Teacher Hive - This site is maintained by educator Tony Vincent as a quick and easy way to publish AI generative learning applications for students. No ads, no scams, it just works! Thank you Tony! 5. Gemini can remember your preference - Google is expanding access to “personal intelligence” for personal Gmail accounts. This feature allows Gemini to remember details about your life (i.e. I’m allergic to garlic) to refine its recommendations. This feature is NOT currently available for education domains due to privacy regulations. 6. Google AI Studio - If you have been vibe coding with Gemini, and are ready to design more sophisticated and complex applications, Google AI studio is your next destination. This developer platform brings together several powerful tools to help you vibe code complex applications. 7. 10 ways elementary teachers can use AI - This list came out of a webinar that I hosted for a large group of elementary teachers. Hopefully there is something here that can inspire your use of AI! 8. Managing Google Lens - a lot of teachers have expressed frustration with students using Google Lens (visual AI search) to cheat on Math assignments. This blog post discusses some of the ways IT admins can limit access to Google Lens. 9. End of year project ideas - looking for a creative way to summarize student learning? This presentation contains a list of 5 creative projects you can incorporate into the final few months of the school year. 10. Creating “TikTok Video” in the Classroom - Students love short-form video...why not use this interest to your advantage? Here are three ways you can incorporate short-form video in your classroom (no TikTok required!) That's all the updates for March. Thanks for giving me a spot in your inbox! I'll be back in April 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!
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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...