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Streamlining Coaching Workflows with NotebookLM and Google Calendar
- Centralized Organization: Consolidate notes, room numbers, and schedules in NotebookLM to eliminate paper clutter and fragmented documents.
- Automated Summaries: Generate instant recaps of previous coaching interactions to stay prepared for every school visit.
- Smart Scheduling: Add summaries to Google Calendar invites to keep both coach and teacher aligned on goals and progress.
Instructional coaches often find themselves juggling a massive amount of data, from professional development schedules to individual teacher meeting notes. When you are supporting upwards of 20 different school sites, the logistical challenge of staying organized can easily overshadow the actual coaching work. It is important to note that this same workflow can work effectively even if you support only one school site, as the need for organized, accessible data remains a universal priority for any coach. By pairing the organizational power of NotebookLM with the scheduling reliability of Google Calendar, you can transform a mountain of notes into a highly efficient, streamlined workflow.
The foundation of this system starts with organizing your documentation. By creating dedicated documents within NotebookLM for each school site, you can house every coaching interaction and professional development session in one searchable location. Including specific logistical details like teacher room numbers and prep periods directly within these documents is a simple step that pays huge dividends later. Instead of flipping through various spreadsheets or notebooks to find out when a teacher is available, all the necessary information remains tethered to the coaching narrative itself.
The real efficiency begins before you even step foot on a school campus. Prior to a site visit, you can ask NotebookLM to generate a summary recap of the most recent coaching or PD interactions for that specific location. In seconds, the tool can provide a concise overview of the support provided to individual teachers, grade levels, or departments. By specifically asking the tool to include prep periods and room numbers in this summary, you receive a complete “cheat sheet” for your day. This eliminates the need to manually sift through pages of data to remember where you left off with a particular educator.
Once you have this summary, you can move directly into the scheduling phase. Using two monitors is helpful for this process, though not required. With your NotebookLM recap open on one side and Google Calendar on the other, you can begin populating your schedule. Since you already have the prep period times at a glance, you can quickly identify the best windows to send calendar invites for follow-up meetings. This removes the friction of back-and-forth emails or checking master schedules.
To further enhance the coaching relationship, you can copy the specific recap generated by NotebookLM and paste it directly into the notes section of the Google Calendar event. When the teacher receives the invite, they immediately see a summary of the previous interaction. This transparency ensures that both the coach and the coachee are on the same page before the meeting even starts. It provides a clear starting point for the next conversation and demonstrates a high level of intentionality and preparation.
Adopting these digital tools allows instructional coaches to move away from the clutter of handwritten notes and disjointed documents. By letting technology handle the organization and summarization of logistics, you free up more mental energy to focus on what matters most: supporting teachers and improving student outcomes. This workflow does not just save time. It creates a professional, reliable system that benefits everyone involved in the coaching process.
This blog post was drafted with the help of Google Gemini to help organize and flesh out my thoughts and ideas regarding how to use NotebookLM and Google Calendar to manage instructional coaching notes and scheduling of coaching sessions. I also used NotebookLM to generate a brief audio overview, perfect for those who want to listen and learn on the go.
If you enjoy this blog, you’ll love our new book, History Matters in an AI Era. Available now on Amazon, this book shares practical, research-based strategies for integrating technology into history lessons. You’ll learn how to use technology to increase student engagement and curiosity. Click here to get your copy today.
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Bringing Lessons to Life with the New Gemini Audio Feature in Google Classroom
Created with Gemini - Gemini in Google Classroom now transforms text into interactive, conversational audio lessons featuring customizable avatars and voices.
- The tool generates editable learning objectives and a text-style transcript that you can preview and vet for accuracy.
- Finished lessons export as audio files or Google Slides, allowing students to read along with the dialogue as they listen.
- Would you like me to suggest a few relevant hashtags for this post?
Google Classroom continues to evolve by providing tools that bridge the gap between static content and interactive learning. A recent update introduces a feature within the Gemini tab that allows teachers to transform written content into dynamic audio lessons. These lessons are designed to sound like a natural conversation between a teacher and a student, making complex topics feel more approachable and engaging for learners at any level.
To get started, navigate to your Google Classroom dashboard and select the Gemini tab located on the left side of the screen. From there, click the button labeled Create Audio Lesson. The tool offers flexibility in how you build your content; you can simply input a specific grade level and topic, or you can copy and paste custom text that you want the lesson to focus on.
Once you provide your source material or grade level with topic, Gemini generates a set of editable learning objectives. This step ensures that the final product aligns perfectly with your instructional goals. You also have the creative freedom to customize the voices and avatars used in the lesson, allowing you to tailor the experience to suit your classroom’s personality. After you are satisfied with the objectives and settings, you can generate the lesson.
The generation process takes about a minute or two. As it works, you will see the lesson build in real time, appearing like a text message conversation between two people. This visual format helps you track the flow of the dialogue as it is created. When the lesson is complete, a play button appears at the bottom so you can preview and vet the entire conversation for accuracy and tone.
Sharing the lesson with your students is straightforward thanks to versatile export options. You can save the audio as an .opus file directly to your Google Drive, or you can export the lesson as a Google Slides presentation. Choosing the Slides option is particularly helpful for supporting literacy and comprehension, as the tool places each line of dialogue on its own slide alongside the speaker’s avatar. This allows students to follow along visually while they listen to the audio.
Watch the video below to see this feature in real-time.
By integrating this tool, you can provide students with a fresh way to consume information that feels personal and interactive. Whether used for a flipped classroom model or as a supplemental resource for students who benefit from auditory learning, this feature offers a practical way to enhance your digital teaching toolkit.
This blog post was drafted with the help of Google Gemini to help organize and flesh out my thoughts and ideas regarding how to use the new Gemini feature in Google Classroom for creating audio lessons. I also used NotebookLM to generate a brief audio overview, perfect for those who want to listen and learn on the go.
If you enjoy this blog, you’ll love our new book, History Matters in an AI Era. Available now on Amazon, this book shares practical, research-based strategies for integrating technology into history lessons. You’ll learn how to use technology to increase student engagement and curiosity. Click here to get your copy today.
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The Final Boss: Finding the Grit to Master Critical Thinking
Image made with Gemini - Gamified Persistence: Compares the grit needed to beat an arcade “final boss” to the determination required for students to master Snorkl’s precise feedback.
- Emotional Regulation: Encourages students to view frustration as a cue to refine their thinking rather than “rage quit” the learning process.
- Targeted Growth: Demonstrates how repeated practice on the platform helps students master difficult ELA and Math concepts to improve exam performance.
Walking into an arcade as a youth, I often had a pocket full of quarters and a singular mission: defeat M. Bison in Street Fighter II. He was the ultimate final boss, a character so difficult that he seemed to anticipate every move I made. There were moments of genuine frustration where the modern terms “rage baiting” or “rage quitting” would have applied perfectly. Yet, that frustration was balanced by an incredible sense of accomplishment when I finally mastered the timing and strategy required to win.
Gemini´s rendition of me playing Street Fighter II as a youth Over the past month, I have conducted dozens of Snorkl demo lessons in ELA and Math classrooms. As I watched students interact with the platform, I realized the experience is uncannily similar to my days at the arcade. Snorkl acts as a digital “final boss” for student reasoning because it is incredibly specific about how it wants students to explain their thinking. It requires a level of critical thinking and attention to detail that mirrors the precision I needed to defeat M. Bison.
During these demos, I am honest with the students. I tell them that they might feel like the system is “rage baiting” them when it asks for more clarity or a deeper explanation. I encourage them to be mindful of their emotions and remind them never to “rage quit.” Instead, I show them how to take the feedback provided by Snorkl and apply it to their subsequent attempts. The goal is to view that 4/4 score not just as a grade, but as the moment they finally defeat the boss.
The determination I have observed in these classrooms is inspiring. Students are showing similar grit I felt years ago, putting in numerous, valuable repetitions on Math problems or ELA prompts. They aren’t just clicking buttons. They are refining their arguments and checking their logic. This process of trial and error is where the real learning happens.
In Math specifically, many teachers are leveraging this persistence for targeted intervention. They are using Snorkl to help students revisit specific types of problems that caused them to struggle on previous exams. By engaging with the platform, students get the repetitions they need to understand their mistakes. We are starting to see students retake those exams and succeed because they have practiced explaining the “why” behind their answers.
The beauty of this approach is that it transforms a standard assignment into a challenge worth winning. When we frame rigorous explanation as a “final boss” to be conquered, we tap into a natural desire for mastery. Educators can use these tools to foster a classroom culture where feedback is a tool for growth and persistence is the key to victory. By staying mindful and using every attempt as a learning opportunity, students are proving they have exactly what it takes to win.
This blog post was drafted with the help of Google Gemini to help organize and flesh out my thoughts and ideas regarding the similarities between my adventures playing Street Fighter II as a kid and students today using Snorkl in class. I also used NotebookLM to generate a brief audio overview, perfect for those who want to listen and learn on the go.
If you enjoy this blog, you’ll love our new book, History Matters in an AI Era. Available now on Amazon, this book shares practical, research-based strategies for integrating technology into history lessons. You’ll learn how to use technology to increase student engagement and curiosity. Click here to get your copy today.
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Quick Scheduling Magic: Using Gemini and Google Calendar
- Enable Integration: Connect Gemini to Google Calendar via settings.
- Upload and Prompt: Upload a schedule image (screenshot or photo) and prompt Gemini to create the events.
- Instant Events: Review the preview and confirm to instantly populate your calendar, saving time.
Administrators, support staff, and instructional coaches often juggle many different schedules and calendars. The process of manually transferring dates and events from a document or handwritten note into a digital or shared school calendar can be tedious and time-consuming. Fortunately, technology offers a simple and fast solution to this common bottleneck.
You can leverage Gemini’s connection with Google Calendar to quickly generate multiple calendar events at once, dramatically reducing the time you spend on data entry. This is especially helpful when dealing with complex, multi-day schedules.
Imagine an administrator sets up a multi-day visit for a consultant or coach to provide support across various departments or grade levels at a school site. The support staff or coach receives this schedule either as a physical paper document or a digital file. Instead of typing in each meeting individually, they can use Gemini to instantly populate their Google Calendar with an image or screenshot of the schedule.
Screenshot Here is the straightforward process: First, go to the settings in the bottom left corner of Gemini to enable the connection with your Google Workspace apps. This simple step unlocks powerful integration capabilities.
Once the connection is enabled, start your prompt by typing the “@” symbol and then typing Google Calendar. Next, instruct Gemini to add the events by attaching an image or screenshot of the schedule you want to use. You can specify which of your Google Calendars you prefer the events to be added to.
Gemini will then provide a clear preview of the events it has identified and extracted from the image. It will ask for confirmation before proceeding. Once you type Yes, those events will appear on your chosen calendar in a matter of seconds. Every new calendar entry is fully editable, allowing you to easily adjust details, add attachments, or invite other participants as needed. This simple strategy transforms a cumbersome administrative task into a quick, efficient process, giving you more time to focus on supporting teaching and learning.
This blog post was drafted with the help of Google Gemini to help organize and flesh out my thoughts and ideas regarding how to use Gemini to quickly and conveniently help create multiple events on Google Calendar. I also used NotebookLM to generate a brief audio overview, perfect for those who want to listen and learn on the go.
If you enjoy this blog, you’ll love our new book, History Matters in an AI Era. Available now on Amazon, this book shares practical, research-based strategies for integrating technology into history lessons. You’ll learn how to use technology to increase student engagement and curiosity. Click here to get your copy today.
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Quickly Create Slides and Infographics with Gemini and NotebookLM
- Infographic Creation: Both NotebookLM and Gemini allow for quick infographic generation with customization options (detail, style, color, focus) using simple prompts.
- NotebookLM Slide Decks: Offers fast slide generation with choices for detail (simple vs. detailed slides) and audience focus.
- Gemini Slide Decks: Uses the ‘Canvas’ tool to quickly create slide decks from a detailed prompt, and uniquely offers an ‘Export to Slides’ feature to save and edit the presentation directly in Google Slides.
In the demanding world of education, time is a precious commodity. Creating engaging visual aids, like infographics and slide decks, often eats up valuable planning time. Fortunately, tools like Gemini and NotebookLM now offer fast, practical solutions to help you generate these materials quickly, giving you a strong foundation to build upon.
Infographics in a Flash
Infographics are powerful tools for summarizing complex information for students or for use in professional development. Both Gemini and NotebookLM have simplified the creation process.
In NotebookLM, look for the new features in the Studio column on the right. You will find customization options that let you choose the level of detail, orientation, and language of your infographic. A prompt box allows you to describe the style, color, and focus to ensure the final product meets your needs. These can be exported as convenient PNG files.
For Gemini, the process is straightforward. Access the tools menu, select ‘Create Image,’ and simply describe the infographic you want. You can even attach reference documents to guide the creation. Once ready, the infographic can be downloaded as a PNG file.
Effortless Slide Deck Generation
Preparing a presentation for a lesson or a meeting can also be a significant time commitment. These tools offer a fantastic jumping-off point.
Within NotebookLM, you can choose between detailed slides or simple presenter slides that feature basic talking points. Customization includes selecting the language and length of the presentation. A prompt box is available for describing your target audience, desired style, and overall focus. Currently, these decks can only be exported as a PDF file, meaning they cannot be opened or downloaded directly as Google Slides.
The process in Gemini integrates seamlessly with your existing workflow. Click ‘Tools’ and select ‘Canvas.’ Start describing your desired slide deck, providing as much detail as you can. Within minutes, your presentation will appear for you to preview. The best part is the ‘Export to Slides’ button, which allows you to save the deck as a Google Slides file in your Drive, ready for further editing and personalization.
Integrating these capabilities into your teacher toolkit will save you time and allow you to focus more on tailoring the content to your students’ unique needs.
This blog post was drafted with the help of Google Gemini to help organize and flesh out my thoughts and ideas regarding how to use NotebookLM and Gemini to create slide decks and infographics. I also used NotebookLM to generate a brief audio overview, perfect for those who want to listen and learn on the go.
If you enjoy this blog, you’ll love our new book, History Matters in an AI Era. Available now on Amazon, this book shares practical, research-based strategies for integrating technology into history lessons. You’ll learn how to use technology to increase student engagement and curiosity. Click here to get your copy today.
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Making Thinking Visible: High-Impact Math Strategies with EdTech
Image created with Gemini - UDL in Math: Used Snorkl to teach fraction addition, aligning with UDL by offering multiple ways to show thinking (typing, drawing, speaking).
- High-Impact Feedback: Immediate, personalized feedback helped students improve, a high-yield strategy supported by researchers like Hattie.
- Peer Coaching Model: Students who achieved mastery (4/4) became peer coaches, reinforcing learning and promoting a supportive classroom environment.
Educators constantly seek practical, powerful ways to reach every learner. I recently co-taught math lesson that focused on adding fractions with unlike denominators. This lesson provides a model for achieving this through thoughtful tech integration. By leveraging a tool called Snorkl, a 5th-grade classroom moved beyond simple right or wrong answers, turning a standard math problem into a deep, personalized learning experience.
Universal Design for Learning in Action
The power of this approach lies in its alignment with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Students were not only asked to solve the equation but were tasked with explaining meticulously their process, strategy, and reasoning. This focus on how they arrived at the answer promotes deeper conceptual understanding.
Crucially, Snorkl’s functions provided multiple means of representation and expression. Students had the option to demonstrate their understanding by:
- Speaking their explanation.
- Drawing visual models or diagrams.
- Typing out their reasoning.
- Working out initial thoughts on a personal whiteboard before submitting.
This flexible approach ensures that learning is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Whether a student is a strong verbal communicator, a visual thinker, or prefers to articulate ideas through writing, Snorkl captured rich “visible thinking”. This visibility allows teachers to better notice and respond to variability in how students reason, which is a goal of UDL.
The Impact of Timely Feedback and Peer Coaching
The structure of the assignment was designed for growth. Students pursued a perfect score of 4/4, and after each attempt, Snorkl provided immediate feedback tailored to help them improve their next submission. The Snorkl feedback fueled teacher to student conversation and personalized teaching. When the students called their teacher over for help, the student knew what questions to ask. This cycle of attempt, feedback, and refinement is highly impactful.
Snorkl´s feedback In educational research terms, the ability to provide immediate, timely feedback is a high-yield strategy, demonstrated by John Hattie’s research to have an effect size of around 0.70. Similarly, the features that encourage visible thinking and multiple representations also show a significant effect size, at least 0.60. Both of these values sit well above the 0.40 threshold, placing them firmly within Hattie’s Zone of Desired Effects. The strategic use of Snorkl didn’t just digitize a worksheet. It implemented practices proven to accelerate learning.
Furthermore, students who achieved the 4/4 goal were deputized as peer coaches. This simple yet powerful move transformed mastery into leadership, embedding a culture of peer-to-peer support and reinforcing the initial learning for both the coach and the ¨coachee¨.
Practical Takeaways for Your Classroom
This 5th-grade example is a template for integrating EdTech strategically:
- Prioritize Process Over Product: Always ask students to explain their why and how, not just their final answer.
- Offer Choice (UDL): Look for tools that allow students to express learning through multiple methods such as voice, drawing, or typing.
- Harness Immediate Feedback: Utilize technology that provides personalized, corrective feedback to guide students in the moment, not days later.
By focusing on tools that make thinking visible and provide rapid, actionable feedback, educators at any level can create high-impact learning experiences that are both supportive and professionally rigorous.
This blog post was drafted with the help of Google Gemini to help organize and flesh out my thoughts and ideas regarding the use of Snorkl in a math lesson and how using this tool can align instruction to UDL principles and educational research. I also used NotebookLM to generate a brief audio overview, perfect for those who want to listen and learn on the go.
If you enjoy this blog, you’ll love our new book, History Matters in an AI Era. Available now on Amazon, this book shares practical, research-based strategies for integrating technology into history lessons. You’ll learn how to use technology to increase student engagement and curiosity. Click here to get your copy today.
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Tech That Helps Deepen Understanding: Beyond the Worksheet with Snorkl
- Snorkl moved grammar practice (comma usage) beyond simple identification, requiring students to explain their reasoning for deeper conceptual understanding.
- The tool fostered student resilience and peer coaching, elevating basic worksheet content into a highly engaging, collaborative quest for mastery.
- Teachers can adapt existing ELA content for Snorkl to gain better data and interaction than traditional worksheets provide.
The goal of technology integration in the classroom is not simply to replace old tools but to deepen student learning and engagement. When it comes to ELA grammar skills, like proper comma usage, teachers often rely on traditional worksheets. But what if a tool could take those practice questions and elevate them from a simple identification task to a robust exercise in critical thinking and explanation?
This is where a tool like Snorkl shines, transforming routine grammar reinforcement into a powerful learning experience. Recently, I co-taught a grammar lesson with a 5th grade teacher where we used a Snorkl activity focused on correct comma placement, and the results were a perfect demonstration of technology fostering, not replacing, student thinking.
From Right Answer to Right Reasoning
Snorkl’s structure encouraged this deeper engagement. It moved students beyond the simple task of identifying a correct answer to more deeply explaining their reasoning, thereby better demonstrating their understanding of the grammatical concept. This shifted an activity often found at a DOK Level 1 to a whole new level of thinking and engagement.
Fostering Peer Coaching and Resilience
The pursuit of mastery in this task highlighted the students’ resilience. Not a single student gave up, even when the allotted time to move on arrived, they genuinely wanted the activity to continue.
We saw incredible examples of student agency and collaboration. Students who achieved a perfect score of 4/4 were immediately deputized to coach their classmates who had not yet reached that level of mastery. These peer-to-peer discussions were highly productive, as students engaged in multiple attempts, talking through the nuances of comma rules with both their peers and the teacher. This cycle of feedback, revision, and conversation is precisely the kind of engagement that makes learning stick.
Practical Adaptations for ELA Teachers
For ELA teachers looking to reinforce grammar skills like comma placement, Snorkl offers a practical alternative to traditional methods. You do not need to discard your existing resources. Instead, you can cherry-pick a few effective sample sentences from your current worksheets and adapt them into a Snorkl activity. This approach retains the valuable content you already have while adding layers of productivity, interaction, and data that a simple worksheet simply cannot provide.
Technology like Snorkl does not replace your expertise. It empowers you to push students past surface-level identification toward a deep, explained understanding of complex concepts. The result is students who are not only correct but who truly understand why they are correct.
This blog post was drafted with the help of Google Gemini to help organize and flesh out my thoughts and ideas regarding the use of Snorkl in an ELA lesson on comma placement. I also used NotebookLM to generate a brief audio overview, perfect for those who want to listen and learn on the go.
If you enjoy this blog, you’ll love our new book, History Matters in an AI Era. Available now on Amazon, this book shares practical, research-based strategies for integrating technology into history lessons. You’ll learn how to use technology to increase student engagement and curiosity. Click here to get your copy today.
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Quick Video Creation: Engaging Students Without Being a Tech Guru
- A 5th-grade teacher used Google Vids to quickly create a three-minute instructional video on opinion essay writing using only a text prompt.
- The fast-generated video successfully supplemented the lesson, offering an exciting and accessible way to reinforce key concepts.
- Students were highly engaged and appreciative of the video, demonstrating the high impact of simple, practical EdTech integration.
Integrating new technology into your teaching practice can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when you are balancing countless other responsibilities. However, simple tools are emerging that can instantly elevate student engagement without requiring you to become a technology expert overnight. I want to share a fantastic example of practical EdTech integration that yielded immediate, positive results in a fifth-grade classroom.
A fifth-grade teacher recently began a unit on opinion writing and essay structure. After her initial introduction lesson, she realized her students might benefit from seeing the core concepts presented in a different, more dynamic format. Video is a powerful way to reinforce ideas and capture student attention. The challenge, of course, was the time and expertise required to create a quality instructional video.
This teacher, who admits to having minimal video creation experience, turned to Google Vids. This tool is a prime example of accessible technology making a difference. Instead of spending hours scripting, filming, and editing, she was able to generate a three-minute, student-friendly video in about two minutes. Her process involved simply entering a brief prompt that included what she determined were the most crucial concepts for writing an opinion essay. The artificial intelligence did the heavy lifting, quickly crystallizing her instructional points into a ready-to-use resource.
Created with Google Vids The impact on the students was remarkable. Seeing their teacher’s ideas presented through the video format brought a new layer of excitement to the lesson. It provided an accessible review and confirmation of the material. What’s even more telling is the student feedback. They were genuinely excited and actually thanked the teacher for creating the video. This positive reception proves that incorporating even brief, quickly generated media can significantly boost student interest and appreciation for new material.
This story is a powerful reminder that using technology effectively does not require a steep learning curve. Look for tools that leverage AI to handle the complexity, allowing you to focus on the instructional content. Quick, practical applications like this can effortlessly enrich your teaching and make learning more exciting for your students.
This blog post was drafted with the help of Google Gemini to help organize and flesh out my thoughts and ideas regarding the use of Google Vids to create quick, instructional videos to introduce concepts in 5th grade. I also used NotebookLM to generate a brief audio overview, perfect for those who want to listen and learn on the go.
If you enjoy this blog, you’ll love our new book, History Matters in an AI Era. Available now on Amazon, this book shares practical, research-based strategies for integrating technology into history lessons. You’ll learn how to use technology to increase student engagement and curiosity. Click here to get your copy today.
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Student Success with Snorkl in Middle School Math
Image created with help from Gemini - Snorkl delivers immediate feedback in middle school math, improving students’ ability to solve problems and ask better questions.
- The tool boosts student motivation and collaboration, leading to peer coaching and evident pride upon mastering concepts.
- It supports conceptual mastery by encouraging persistent iteration and focused practice on difficult topics.
Integrating new technology into your classroom should always aim to amplify student learning and agency. In middle school math, the tool Snorkl is proving to be a highly effective way to do just that, creating engaging practice opportunities and fostering deeper student understanding across different grade levels.
In an eighth-grade math class, students recently used Snorkl for the first time while practicing how to solve a rational equation. The process was intentionally designed to blend traditional methods with new technology. Students first worked out the mathematics on paper before entering their answers into Snorkl using various input methods like drawing, typing, or speaking. The immediate feedback provided by the platform proved to be highly motivating. Students acted on this feedback very quickly, which fueled their subsequent attempts and responses.
This immediate feedback loop transformed how students engaged with their teacher. When a student needed help, they knew exactly what to ask, having already identified where they were struggling based on Snorkl’s guidance. Furthermore, the technology spurred organic, productive conversations among students as they naturally began helping each other interpret and understand the feedback. The majority of the class achieved a score of 3 or 4 after only two or three attempts, leading to a visible sense of pride, particularly for those who earned a perfect score of 4. A powerful moment of peer leadership occurred when students who achieved the 4 were deputized to coach their classmates who were still working toward that score.
The platform proved equally beneficial for conceptual development in a sixth-grade setting. Here, students were tackling a pair of problems involving number lines and coordinate planes, concepts they had struggled with on a recent assessment. The assignment required them to explain their mathematical reasoning meticulously, going beyond simply identifying the correct answer.
While most students did not earn a perfect score of 4/4 immediately, their commitment to the task was inspiring. They kept trying and iterating based on the feedback. These persistent iterations were key. They provided the necessary repetitions for students to better grasp a difficult concept. Critically, these attempts also helped to focus and guide conversations with the teacher for targeted clarification.
The impact of this technology on student motivation is clear. Running into students after school who were excited to “brag” about achieving a 4/4 score with Snorkl earlier that day highlights how meaningful and motivating focused practice and achievement can be. Snorkl, by providing quick, actionable feedback and encouraging repeated attempts, helps students move from simply completing work to genuinely mastering concepts, building both skill and confidence along the way.
This blog post was drafted with the help of Google Gemini to help organize and flesh out my thoughts and ideas regarding the use of Snorkl to provide timely student feedback for math instruction in sixth and eighth grade. I also used NotebookLM to generate a brief audio overview, perfect for those who want to listen and learn on the go.
If you enjoy this blog, you’ll love our new book, History Matters in an AI Era. Available now on Amazon, this book shares practical, research-based strategies for integrating technology into history lessons. You’ll learn how to use technology to increase student engagement and curiosity. Click here to get your copy today.
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From Speaking to Writing: Boosting Reasoning with Snorkl
Image made with Gemini - 8th-grade ELA students used Snorkl to practice the reasoning for their argumentative essays.
- Students used Snorkl’s speaking feature to articulate their reasoning and receive instant feedback.
- This iterative practice led to better student-teacher conversations and stronger final written paragraphs.
Helping students master argumentative writing can be a significant challenge. Educators often observe that students can find a claim and gather evidence, but struggle with the reasoning. Developing strong reasoning, the bridge that connects the evidence back to the main claim, requires practice. I recently had a wonderful opportunity to co-teach an 8th grade English Language Arts lesson that used Snorkl to tackle this exact step in a new way. The students were working on argumentative essays about whether the United States should have been involved in Vietnam.
The students came prepared with their claims and their researched evidence. Our goal as educators was to help them develop and refine their reasoning. We designed an activity using Snorkl to facilitate this process. We wanted students to articulate their thoughts before finalizing them in writing.
In the activity, students first typed their claim and their supporting evidence or details directly into Snorkl. Next, they used the platform’s speaking feature. This required them to verbally explain how their evidence proved their claim. This step of articulating the reasoning out loud is often a powerful, clarifying process.
After students finished speaking, Snorkl provided immediate feedback. This analysis helped students identify if their reasoning was strong and if it logically matched their claim and evidence. This feedback loop did more than just help the individual student. It transformed the classroom conversations. When students needed assistance, they could approach the teacher with specific questions based on the feedback they received. This led to much more robust and focused discussions.
The goal we set for students was to achieve a score of 4 out of 4 from Snorkl before moving on. Crucially, they had unlimited attempts. This structure reinforced a vital lesson that learning is a process of mistakes and iteration, not a single one-off event. The classroom atmosphere shifted. It was alive with productive noise. We heard organic conversations spring up as students began supporting each other, discussing their feedback and refining their ideas.
Once a student achieved that 4/4 score, they had validated their reasoning. They were then ready for the final step of writing out their complete body paragraph, confidently weaving together their claim, evidence, and their well-practiced reasoning. It was a fantastic example of using technology to build student confidence and bridge the gap between thinking and writing.
This blog post was drafted with the help of Google Gemini to help organize and flesh out my thoughts and ideas regarding the use of Snorkl to provide timely student feedback on writing in an 8th grade ELA class. I also used NotebookLM to generate a brief audio overview, perfect for those who want to listen and learn on the go.
If you enjoy this blog, you’ll love our new book, History Matters in an AI Era. Available now on Amazon, this book shares practical, research-based strategies for integrating technology into history lessons. You’ll learn how to use technology to increase student engagement and curiosity. Click here to get your copy today.
Tech Coach Juarez
You cannot spell teach without tech.
