Category: Uncategorized
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Breaking Down Barriers: Why You Should Turn on Google Slides Captions Today
In any classroom, keeping every student engaged is a constant challenge. Traditional lectures place a heavy cognitive load on auditory processing, creating invisible barriers for diverse learners. Fortunately, a simple, built-in tool in Google Slides can immediately transform how your students consume information: live captioning. Enabling captions can be a great tool for supporting learners…
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Streamlining Teacher Communication with Google Workspace Studio and Gemini
As educators, we know how quickly our email inboxes can overflow with questions and follow-ups. Managing this deluge of messages often takes valuable time away from supporting students, coaching teachers, and planning lessons. To help streamline this process, I recently built a flow in Google Workspace Studio that uses Gemini to automatically draft replies to…
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From One-Off Visits to Ongoing Support: The Power of Intentional Follow Up
As an instructional technology coach, I work hard to support educators and introduce new technology strategies, yet maintaining that momentum is often difficult. Since I support a large number of teachers across roughly twenty schools, I am only able to visit each site every five weeks. This gap creates a significant problem for me. With…
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Creating Graphic Novels and Videos with NotebookLM
In the evolving landscape of educational technology, finding tools that genuinely engage students while simplifying the creative process is essential. One of the most dynamic ways to bring content to life is through the creation of graphic novels and accompanying videos. This process, which combines NotebookLM, Google Slides, and Google Vids, offers educators a practical…
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Timing Your Success with the Slides Timer Extension
Pacing is one of the most challenging aspects of teaching. Whether you are leading a classroom of students or facilitating professional learning for your peers, it is incredibly easy to lose track of time. We often find ourselves deeply immersed in a compelling story, navigating a complex student question, or managing the unexpected distractions that…
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From Paper Folds to Digital Nets
Enhancing Surface Area Lessons with Simple Tech The transition from 2D shapes to 3D thinking is a significant leap for many sixth-grade students. In a recent classroom observation, I watched an educator masterfully bridge this gap. The lesson focused on the Net Method for calculating the surface area of cubes, pyramids, rectangular prisms, and triangular…
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Turning Your Handwritten Notes Into Digital Power with NotebookLM
Many educators still find that the physical act of writing is the most effective way to process new ideas or plan lessons. However, the struggle usually begins after the ink dries. Managing a stack of physical notebooks or trying to locate a specific thought from a meeting months ago can be a significant hurdle. If…
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Customizing Video Content w/ NotebookLM and Google Vids
Google NotebookLM has quickly become a favorite tool for educators looking to streamline content creation. While its ability to generate quick video overviews is impressive, many teachers have noted a common frustration: a lack of creative control. It is difficult to watch a generated video that mispronounces a key vocabulary term or fumbles a specific…
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Designing Dynamic Slides with NotebookLM and Canva
NotebookLM has become an incredibly popular tool for educators looking to quickly synthesize information into visually appealing slide decks. While the platform is excellent for generating content, teachers often find themselves in a difficult position when they need to make specific manual adjustments. When you export your work from NotebookLM as a PowerPoint or a…
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From Whiteboards to Snorkl
A Collaborative Path to Individual Mastery Building a classroom environment where students truly own their learning is a goal many of us strive for, yet it can be challenging to balance group collaboration with individual accountability. Recently, a middle school math classroom provided the perfect backdrop for exploring this balance. By combining the collaborative structure…
