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What’s New in Google EDU for July 2026
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✨ 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 school year. I’ve got checklists and learning guides and tools that will help you start the school year on a positive note! Let’s dive into the July updates! 1. Google classroom “glow up” - Visual updates to Google Classroom, including a home page refresh will begin hitting accounts starting on July 27. 2. Sign-in Selfie - Google is introducing the ability to sign in with a selfie for personal gmail accounts. This feature is NOT available for education domains yet, but would be great for younger students! 3. Introducing Gemini Notebook - So long NotebookLM....Google has officially changed the name to Gemini Notebook. Everything else is the same! 4. Google Classroom set up checklist - this is for you, list people! I’ve updated this checklist with some of the new features for Google Classroom. 5. Essential student tech skills - the basic skills that students should understand early in the school year. The list is broken down into elementary, middle, and high school. 6. Learning goals in Google classroom - this is a pretty slick new feature that you might want to use this year. All you have to do is find and select your state or national standards. 7. AI Expectation Gem - this helpful resource from Eric Curts will help you craft an AI usage policy for each assignment based on a color-coded scale. 8. My Classroom AI Policy - After reading hundreds of sample AI policies, I decided to write my own. Here’s what I would include in my classroom syllabus. 9. Parent Contact Log - use this Google Form to record communication with parents throughout the year. Make a copy and customize as needed! 10. My favorite Chrome extensions - Check out my favorite Chrome extensions for teachers, students, and everyone! I update these lists regularly with new, better tools! Enjoy the 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...
✨ I'm going on tour this summer! Join me for the Gemini Academy! ✨ Hi Reader! It's time for the April EDU update! I'm following all of Google's AI updates very closely because I'm getting ready for my Gemini summer tour! Trying to finalize this workshop in the midst of constantly shifting features and updates is a challenge! I'll be learning right alongside you! I'm also trying to prepare our campground for the 2026 camping season which starts in mid-May. So, it's been a full month on all...