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A highly requested feature is coming to Google Classroom!
Merry Christmas, Reader!
I'm wishing you a wonderful holiday season with friends and family!
This month's list of resources includes a long-requested update for Google Classroom, a cool new AI tool, and 8 other interesting links and updates.
Pro tip: there are two classroom activities at the end of this email that can help you plan for the chaos of the last few days of school before Christmas break!
NEW: π¦ watch on YouTube or π§ listen to the podcast!
βExcuse assignments in Google Classroom - Teachers will soon be able to βexcuseβ a student from an assignment! This feature will be available to all Google Classroom users.
βGoogle Vault adds support for Calendar - IT admins will need to configure their retention rules for Calendar. This video will help you ensure that Vault is configured correctly.
βAdd questions to YouTube videos in Google Classroom - This new feature is now available to all teachers with access to the premium edition of Google Classroom.
βRecord Google Slide Presentations - EDU Plus domains will be able to natively record presentations in Google Slides. This feature is very similar to what you can do with Loom or Screencastify, without needing to install an extension.
βMigrate your Jamboard lessons to FigJam - Figma released an import tool so that you can re-use your Jamboard activities using FigJam. I had a chance to try it out and it works really well!
βGet Google Certified in 2024 - Every winter I work with a group of teachers on passing the Level 1 and Level 2 Google Educator exams. This cohort starts January 16 and is already half full.
βNotebookLM by Google - This new AI tool lets you use AI to understand your personal notes and documents. I got early access and tried it out using my ELA notes on a famous American novel.
βAI Policy Collection - This large list of AI policies are mostly from higher education, but can be helpful as your school considers how to encourage responsible use of AI tools. Lance Eaton maintains this list and is worth a follow.
βLock up the presents - one of our family Christmas traditions is a βbreak outβ puzzle on Christmas morning. Iβm already working on the puzzles for this Christmas.
βHoliday choice board for elementary students - add some holiday cheer into your classroom with this collection of 10 holiday activities.
That wraps up the noteworthy updates and links for December 2023. I hope this monthly newsletter helps you stay up to date on the latest edtech news and information.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
John R. Sowash
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βJohn R. Sowash is a former HS biology teacher and principal who helps teachers use technology to improve instruction. You can pick up a copy of his book, read his blog, or invite him to come and visit your schoolβ
The Google EDU Update
by John Sowash
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.
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