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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.
✨ 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...
✨ 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...