✴️ The Google Trainer Academy starts April 16! Join the wait list! ✴️

Hi Reader!

This month I have been speaking and thinking a LOT about AI in the classroom including a keynote in Wilmington, Delaware, featured sessions at the MACUL conference, and a series of webinars for a school in New Jersey.

While I do think that AI will have a significant impact on the classroom, I do NOT believe it has any chance of replacing teachers as the most part of the classroom.

There are quite a few AI related updates this month, and a few fun ideas for celebrating April fools day in your classroom. Here are my top 10 updates for March 2024!

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1. Improved video playback in Google Drive – Have you noticed that videos in Drive are slow to load? It wasn’t just you! Google is making changes that should fix this issue.

2. Google is now offering a limited AI use plan – Gemini for business is $20/user/month and has a cap of 1,000 uses/month for each user. Gemini Enterprise is $30/user/month with unlimited use. Google is expected to announce a special EDU version of Gemini this spring.

3. Migrate Email between Google Domains – A new email migration feature is available to ALL EDU editions which can help schools merge Google Domains together.

4. Remove background from Slides – this handy new feature is only available for users with the Gemini upgrade ($), and is similar to what you can do with Canva Magic Studio or remove.bg.

5. AI image generation (with text!) – Ideogram.ai is my new favorite image generation tool because it does a pretty good job at creating images with text, something that other tools struggle with.

6. Visit a class setup guide – Google Classroom has a great feature for administrators and coaches that lets you visit any class without being a co-teacher. To use this premium feature, you need to set up a special admin role which I outline in this post.

7. Tips for using AI responsibly – Eric Curts wrote a helpful guide for teachers on the do’s and don’t of AI. If you are using AI in your work as a teacher, you should inform yourself on the type of information you can and should not share with tools like Gemini and ChatGPT.

​8. Chromebook prank guide – April fool’s day is right around the corner, which means it’s time to bust out the ‘ol list of Chromebook pranks!

9. The explore tool is no more – You’re not crazy, Google removed the “explore” feature from Docs, Slides, and Sheets. Here are some possible explanations and alternatives to fill the gap.

10. Chromebook features for teachers – there are some great tips in this blog post from the Google Keyword blog.

That wraps up the noteworthy updates and links for this month. If you are on spring break next week, I hope you are refreshed for the last portion of the school year.

And if you have ever thought about becoming a Google Certified Trainer, consider joining me for the Trainer Academy which will start on April 16. I'll help you earn your trainer certification and share tips for staring your own consulting business.

Cheers!

John R. Sowash

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John 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 school​