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.
Two surprise updates from Google...
|
✴️ My summer course schedule is live! Join me for the Admin Bootcamp or Google Certification Academy! These events will fill quickly! ✴️ Hi Reader! Teaching in the spring is challenging: Motivation is low for students and the teachers! 😂 Hang in there, the finish line is approaching. There are some pretty cool updates this month. I'm really interested in trying out "Google Vids" which was announced last week and tabbed Google Docs sounds like something I would use. Those are just two of the updates for this month. Check out all 10 below! 🎦 Watch on YouTube | 🎧 Listen to the podcast | ✍️ Share the blog post 1. Congratulations to the newest group of Innovators - an excited group of educators will be heading to Chicago for the 2024 Google innovator academy. 2. Hello Google Vids - in a surprise announcement at the CloudNext conference, Google announced a video creation tool for Google Workspace that will launch in beta this June. 3. Tabs in Google Docs - another cool announcement from the CloudNext conference is tabs in Google Docs which makes them feel a little more like a notebook with multiple pages. This feature should appear for everyone soon. 4. RIP Google Podcast - Google killed off my favorite podcast app in early April. I looked high and low for a replacement and finally found AntennaPod. 5. Dark Mode for Google Drive on Web - I honestly can’t believe this wasn’t a thing already, but Google Drive now has dark mode so you can write your documents in bed without going blind! 6. Which Chromebook is that student using? - this is a surprisingly difficult question to answer sometimes. These instructions will help Google Admins search by user or device to figure out who is using a device. 7. Multi-party admin approval - Google is rolling out a security check that will require two super admins to confirm sensitive domain actions, like disabling 2FA. This option is off by default and can be enabled in the security area of the admin console. 8. Organize your digital content with AI - there are five good tips on this post from Google’s keyword blog. My personal favorite AI tools are built into Google Photos and Gmail. 9. Do AI detectors actually work? - I did quite a bit of research on the effectiveness of AI detectors. The results might surprise you! 10. Not enough data? - In order for AI tools to improve, they must consume tremendous amounts of information. Some AI researchers are concerned that AI projects might be running low on new training data. That wraps up the noteworthy updates and links for this month. Be patient with your students and yourself...it's been a long year already! I'd love to work with you this summer! Here are some of the virtual workshops I am offering:
Cheers! John R. Sowash 📨 Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to add your name to my monthly email list! 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 |
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.
Hello Reader, Registration is open for my spring and summer Google Admin events: Google Admin Bootcamp: May 8-22, 2024 (click for details) Chromebook Academy: June 17 - July 1, 2024 (click for details) These two virtual events are my attempt at saving you the stress and confusion I experienced as I navigated blindly through the Google Admin Console! This is NOT an online course! These two events are LIVE virtual sessions via Google Meet. Each session will focus on a key area of the Google...
Hello Reader, About few years into my teaching career, I realized there were some big issues I needed to address: My salary was much too low to support my growing family. I was frustrated by the lack of incentive to improve as a teacher. My work/life balance was getting worse, not better. This is also roughly the time when I heard about the Google Certified Trainer program. I applied, was accepted, and five years later, made the jump to a full-time edtech coach and consultant. I don't know...
✴️ 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...