Category: Uncategorized
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Transforming the Coaching Workflow with NotebookLM
As an instructional coach, my days are spent moving between dozens of schools and supporting hundreds of teachers. The sheer volume of information can be overwhelming. To provide the best support, I take detailed notes on every coaching interaction. These notes are essential for guiding next steps when I return to a site and for…
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From Prompt to Practice: Streamline Math Test Prep w/ Gemini & Snorkl
Preparing students for high-stakes statewide assessments often feels like a race against time. Educators frequently run into the same roadblock: a shortage of high-quality practice problems that mirror the specific standards students will face. When the released sample questions run dry, creating new ones from scratch can take hours of valuable planning time. Recently, I…
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From Data to Dialogue
Using AI to Pinpoint and Close Learning Gaps High school mathematics moves at a rapid pace. When a unit assessment reveals that students are struggling, the challenge for any educator is identifying exactly where the conceptual breakdown occurred and then providing meaningful intervention without losing more instructional days. Recently, I coached a teacher through a…
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When the Tech Gets in the Way
The Power of the Pivot As educators, we are often eager to introduce the latest tools to our classrooms, hoping to spark engagement and deepen understanding. However, as I always say, “we must lead with learning and never with tech.” If a tool is not advancing the learning process or if it starts to get…
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Streamlining Coaching Workflows with NotebookLM and Google Calendar
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…
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Bringing Lessons to Life with the New Gemini Audio Feature in Google Classroom
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,…
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The Final Boss: Finding the Grit to Master Critical Thinking
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…
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Quick Scheduling Magic: Using Gemini and Google Calendar
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…
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Quickly Create Slides and Infographics with Gemini and NotebookLM
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…
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Making Thinking Visible: High-Impact Math Strategies with EdTech
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…
