Friday, May 22, 2026

Tech Tips and News for May 2026

Show your dog some mercy
and start using a password manager
May is a stressful time of year in the school cycle due to the action packed calendar and approaching end of year deadline. The first Thursday in May is also World Password Day. According to NordPass, the average person juggles 120 passwords in 2026. No wonder we're all stressed about passwords! If there's one thing you can do to eliminate a lot of stress, it's using a password manager. Seriously folks, if you haven't yet started using one, stop what you are doing and get one. Please don't tell me you are using the built-in password manager in your browser - it's just not secure. If someone compromises your email account, they have all of your passwords, too, not to mention those passwords aren't always encrypted. We all know that online security usually means more inconvenience, but using a pw manager is one safe security practice that will actually save you time and reduce stress. It's really the only way you can manage a unique password for each of your online accounts. From the moment you start using one, the only password you need to remember is the ONE for the password manager. You'll never need to make up another password again - your password manager will do it for you. You can use the password manager on your laptop, your phone, your tablet - every device you use. If you're put off by needing to enter all your passwords into a pw manager, stop worrying! Just add them as you login to an account - most pw managers will even prompt you to do this as you login. If you have (shudder) saved your login credentials in your browser, you can easily import those into the manger. I use the free, personal version of Bitwarden, but you can feel free to check out these other recommendations, too. If your hesitation stems from the unknown, I've created a tutorial for using Bitwarden, linked below. The first three minutes of the video show you how a password manager works, the following 12 minutes show you how to install Bitwarden and how to use the features. Even if you decide to use a different pw manager, the tutorial will give you an idea of how a password manager works. Which one you use is less important than actually using one! 

Safety & Security

News

Updates

Tips & Tutorials


Is It a Virus, Malware, or Spyware? Here's How to Tell (and Why It Matters)

If you've become a malware victim, it doesn't always matter how you've been attacked, but sometimes it does. 

You're Changing Your Password Too Often. Here's Why You Shouldn't

Well isn't that welcome news? It's far more important that passwords be long and that we use a unique password for each online account. (Did someone mention a password manager?) The time to change your password is if you've been included in a data breach, or suspect maicious activity on an account.

;">Hackers Love the Way You Use the Internet:  Here's an Easy Way to Change That

Now that AI has made hacking a quick money grab for everyone, not just those with tech skills, it's more important than ever to step up our online hygiene. Find out how in this article. 

Scam Awareness - Fake Artisan Bag Stores Closing Down!

We've seen this before with jewelers. 



Looking for a Supportive Teaching Community? Try the Ditch That Textbook Community

Ditch That Textbook recently launched a social media community for teachers and ed tech coaches. What it means: 
  • It’s free.
  • Read what other educators are sharing.
  • Discuss ideas in comments.
  • Post your own ideas, what’s working in your class, etc.
  • Join live streams and online events in the community.
This is a great place to get and share classroom ideas - both tech-related and non-tech. Learn more about it  and join here. There are such helpful conversations going on, as well as a resource library. You can think of the resource library as similar to Teacher Pay Teacher, but free. Here's an example of the type of posts you'll see - complete with 20 end of the year templates. Join the conversation!

A New Standard for AI's Effect on Kids from Common Sense Media

For over two decades, Common Sense Media has helped families make sense of the media and technology in children's lives. AI now presents a new version of a familiar problem: Kids are using powerful products long before we have clear information about how those products work or what risks they carry. That's why we're launching the Youth AI Safety Institute, an independent research and testing organization focused on one urgent question: What does it take for AI to be safe and developmentally appropriate for kids? The Institute will set rigorous safety standards, test AI products against them, and publish the results so families, educators, policymakers, and industry leaders have real information to act on. Explore the Institute

Why now

AI is already part of kids' lives, from chatbots to search tools and classroom platforms. Our research shows that more than half of American teenagers regularly chat with AI companions, and nearly a third say conversations with AI can feel as satisfying as talking with real-life friends. Stats like these show how quickly AI is changing the status quo, and why families need a better way to understand what this powerful technology means for their kids.

What the Institute will do

Our approach is modeled after crash-test ratings for cars. We don't ask families to guess whether a car seat is safe. We have standards, testing, and public results. So we're crash-testing AI.

In the months ahead, the Institute will:
  • Define clear standards for what makes AI safe or unsafe for kids
  • Rigorously test the AI products that kids actually use, from chatbots to learning tools
  • Publish results to help families make informed choices
  • Research how AI is affecting childhood, learning, and mental health
This work builds on years of research we've already done on AI products including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Meta AI, and social AI companions designed to act like friends. Our findings have helped parents and caregivers, educators, and policymakers understand where the real risks are, and we've pushed companies to do better.  The Youth AI Safety Institute will power us to do much more of this work with the rigor and urgency that kids and families deserve. 

Why Can't AI Just Admit It Doesn't Know? 

Why Can't AI Just Admit It Doesn't Know?, Pogueman Substack by David Pogue
This would sure make using AI a lot easier. According to this article, AI chatbots hallucinate 45-52% of the time. 

Introducing the Google AI Educator Series

A scaffolded way for educators to learn AI with ISTE standards in bite size lessons that you can fit into your busy schedule. 


April 2026 Google & Canva EDU Updates + Gemini Summer Workshop

Feature updates for schools with Teaching & Learning upgrade applies to teachers and admins at ASA.

Google Docs:  Set Custom Instructions for Gemini


When using Gemini in Google Docs, you'll now be able to set custom, persistent instructions. These instructions ensure that Gemini adapts to your style, tone, and formatting preferences without needing to repeat them in every conversation, ultimately saving you time and ensuring consistency. Add instructions and rules using Gemini in the side panel of Docs such as "Always respond in bullet points," "When summarizing Docs, always include a 3 bullet points at the top." or "Use a concise and professional tone for all my documents." Users are currently limited to 1000 active instructions. Get started by opening the side panel in Gemini in Docs and requesting Gemini to store a specific instruction. Visit the Help Center to learn more about customizing Gemini in Workspace's responses with your instructions. You should be seeing this update now. 

Google Forms:  Expanded Options for Header Images


Form creators now have more options for header images in Google Forms. Previously, creators could only use a pre-selected theme, upload an image, or choose an image from Google Photos. In addition to these options, they can now choose an image from Google Drive or Google Images or use a URL. Learn more about adding a header image here. We should be seeing this update by early June. 

What's New in Canva Education (Video)

See demos of the new features coming to schools. Of course, there are a lot of AI features that will save teachers time. For reference ASA has Canva District. 



The Beginner's Guide to Google Forms


Why Virtual Desktops are So Useful - and My Top 4 Tips for Beginners

Honestly, I've been slow to adopt virtual desktops in my daily productivity routine. After reading this article I can definitely see a use for them. I can see a virtual desktop for meetings being useful, making it easier to find the just tabs I need for the meeting. Teachers may find it useful to have a virtual desktop for each grade or class they teach, with all the necessary resources available. What do you think? 

Generate New Files In Gemini (video)


Creative Classroom Games with Paper Flashcards - NotebookLM

This resource comes from Matt Miller of Ditch That Textbook. Sometimes the old tried and true is as, or more effective, than tech activities. However tech can definitely make the creation of the old tried and true much faster and easier. He has collected many ideas for using paper flashcards in a NotebookLM notebook. In case you are unfamiliar with NotebookLM, in this notebook you can view each source file separately in the left column. In the center, there is a summary of all of the sources, and at the bottom, you can use the chat field to ask questions about the information. On the right, in the Studio column are a video, podcast, slideshow, infographic and mind map that have already been created. 

5 Wild NotebookLM Features for Teachers to Try

5 Wild NotebookLM Features for Teachers to Try, from Class Tech Tips by Dr. Monica Burns
Dr. Burns gives examples of how teachers can use NotebookLM in the classroom. Create audio interviews with a debate format, customized slide decks from your sources, infographics with new style options, data tables that pull from your sources, and video overviews with a new cinematic option. 

I Used NotebookLM to Offload My Mental Clutter for a Week - Here's What I Stopped Stressing About

This is a busy mom hack if I've ever heard one! I had mostly thought about NotebookLM as a work assistant, now I'm rethinking it as a personal assistant.

She's Teaching Math with Baseball?! (video)

Check out how this teacher used AI to do the heavy lifting to apply a Banana Ball theme to her math standards. The kids are enthusiastically learning and using all things decimals keeping the stats. You could apply this method to any sport league or activity. Brooke's students really enjoyed the fun, real-world application with her math standards. While Brooke's passion is baseball/softball, what is yours, and how can you apply it to your lessons? 

“This Makes a Huge Difference!” How to Move from Basic To Brilliant AI Prompts

My AI mantra is "The more detailed your prompt, the better your results will be."  If you aren't familiar with AI prompting, you may not know what details to include. This article will help with that. 

Quick Ways to Use AI for Tasks that Take Too Long - Easy EdTech Podcast 368

This 15 minute listen includes:
  • Use AI to turn your notes into polished rubrics, newsletters, and classroom materials faster.
  • Ask AI to draft lesson outlines from your objectives, then refine them with your expertise.
  • Simplify texts and identify tricky vocabulary using AI before sharing with students.
  • Create consistent file naming and organization systems with AI to keep resources easy to find.

I Stopped Treating ChatGPT like Google and Everything Suddenly Clicked

The best use of any AI chatbot is as a collaborator, not an internet search. See some examples in this article. 

How to Create a Classroom Memories Video Fast Using Google Vids




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Thursday, April 30, 2026

Tech Tips and News for April 2026

Sonoran Desert Blooms 2026 K.Szczytko
Once again, I'm squeaking this post in just before the end of the month. I spent the last week in the Arizona desert with my very young, very busy grandson who is living his best life, and charming his grandparents while doing so. While I missed some of the spring blooms here in Michigan, I was able to enjoy the desert blooms bursting out everywhere there. In a place that you would think of as barren, there are so many hidden gems. Hopefully you'll find some tech gems in this blog post you can use to make your life a little easier as well. Speaking of gems, be sure to check out the article on how to use Gems in Gemini to automate many of your tasks. I guarantee you will find something helpful on the EduGems site. You do not need to be a computer whiz to use them. I've created a short (just under five minutes) video tutorial in Google Vids to walk you through how to find and use a Gem. The time saved by using a Gem will seriously be worth the few minutes it will take you to watch the tutorial. I also found a work-around for the YouTube with students issue that we constantly battle. NotebookLM and Google Vids have made it extremely easy to make your own instructional video - with absolutely no video editing skills needed and very minimal time commitment. I've also created an instructional video to show you two different ways to accomplish this. Let Google AI do all the work for you while you are busy taking care of other things, like enjoying the spring blooms. 

Safety & Security


Updates


Tips & Tutorials



Safety & Security banner

How to Silence Spam Calls for Good

I follow most of the suggestions in this article, and I rarely get spam calls or texts anymore. Add your name to the Do Not Call Registry, don't give your phone number out to companies unless it's absolutely required, report calls as spam and block them. 

Why Your Family and Coworkers Need a Safe Word in the Age of AI

Artificial Intelligence has made it far too easy to fake a loved one's voice, image and even their appearance in a video. Learn an easy way to verify if they are really in danger or if you're being scammed. 

I Use AI Every Day - These 7 Rules Keep Me Safe From Making the Biggest Mistakes

Privacy and accuracy continue to be big concerns when using AI. Learn how to navigate them. 

AI Scams are Getting Harder to Spot - Pay Attention to These 7 Warning Signs

It has become even more difficult to keep up with the latest scams. AI has made it easier for anyone to become a scammer so the risks are more plentiful, and has also made scams much more realistic. 


Malware Is Scary. Here's CNET's Guide to Cleaning an Infected Laptop

Malware has become even more difficult to detect. Hopefully you never need these instructions, but just in case you do, you'll know what to do. 

Updates banner

Chrome:  Vertical Tabs and Immersive Reading Mode


You now have the option to use vertical tabs in Chrome, depending on your preferences. Just right click on any Chrome window and select “Show Tabs Vertically.” By moving your tabs to the side of your browser window, you can read full page titles and manage tab groups with ease — even when your tab count hits double digits. In addition, reading mode, a favorite Chrome feature for deep focus, is even better with a new full-page interface. Right-click on any page and select “Open in reading mode” to remove visual distractions and transform a busy webpage into an immersive, text-focused reading experience. This update is in the process of rolling out. I'm not seeing it yet, but we should see it soon. 

Gemini:  Introducing Lyria 8 Pro for 18+ Users

In Gemini, you can now create tracks up to three minutes long, with customization and creative control. Lyria 3 Pro better understands musical composition, so users can now prompt for specific elements like intros, verses, choruses, and bridges. Select Create Music from the tools menu in Gemini to get started. 

Google Drive: Ransomware Detection and File Restoration

Google Drive ransomware warning mesage

If you use a Windows or Mac laptop, do you also use Google Drive for Desktop? This allows you to access your Google Drive files offline just as you would any other file on your laptop, but with the added advantage of those files being backed up in Google Drive's cloud. Have you ever thought about what happens to your Drive files if you fall victim to ranswomware? If you haven't thought about it, Google has. With this update, Google will alert you if ransomware is present on your device. In addition, you will be able to bulk restore your files to a previous version in Drive, saving time and money without paying a ransom. Users can select and restore multiple files prior to when ransomware infected their computer, making their files inaccessible. Learn more about restoring files in bulk with Google Drive in the help center. This feature should be available now. 


Google Meet:  Default Setting for Downloading Meet Recordings Changing April 30, 2026

Currently, Google Meet video recordings do not allow viewers to download or copy them by default unless the recording owner explicitly allows it. Starting April 30, 2026, Google will change this default for new recordings. From that date forward, recording owners will need to manually restrict this setting for individual recordings if they do not want viewers to be able to download or copy them. This change applies only to future recordings and will not impact existing files. Recording owners retain the ability to manually restrict downloading and copying for individual recordings through the file sharing settings. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Google Vids:  Create and Refine Custom Avatars

Google Vids create avatar dialog box
While I was hoping this update would allow us to upload a photo and create an avatar of ourselves, but that is not the case - most likely for ethical reasons - you can imagine the nefarious ways this could be used. Instead you can create an avatar from images Google provides, or with a description. With the custom avatar update, those of us with Teaching & Learning licenses (teachers and admins) will be able to create and use custom avatars in any Vids we create. I am already seeing this update. Learn how to use AI avatars in Google Vids here. 

Google Vids:  Direct an Avatar to Speak and Act Anywhere with Consistent Face and Voice

You can now place avatars in different scenes and have them interact with objects you specify, like spirit wear or a piece of safety equipment. Their faces and voices will remain consistent as you generate different scenes. This could be helpful when creating annual training videos, or announcements. When generating avatars, you'll have the ability to control your avatar's actions using a prompt. In addition you can also upload two reference images to customize the location or object the avatar is interacting with. Once again, those of us with the Teaching and Learning add-on (teachers and admins) have access to this new feature, and it is available now. Learn how to use AI avatars in Google Vids here. 

Google Vids:  Record Your Screen Directly from Chrome with Google Vids Screen Recorder Extension

This update is available to all users. If you need to demonstrate something, instead of opening Vids to record your screen, you can now install the Vids Screen Record extension in Chrome and record your screen on the spot. Whether you are capturing a quick walkthrough, a bug report, or a presentation, this extension simplifies the creation process by allowing you to record from any tab without interrupting your workflow. You can record videos up to 30 minutes in length, making it easy to capture thorough walkthroughs or deep dives. Once your recording is complete, you can preview it and then seamlessly open it in Vids to edit and share like any other video. Learn how to create, edit and share videos in Google Vids. 

Google Vids:  More Expressive AI Voiceovers

Not only are there now 30 voice options that are supported in 24 different languages, but now you can add emotion instructions for better expressions. You can test these new voices in your next video project by adding emotional instructions like "Read this like you're excited," using bracket notation for pacing like "This [pause] is amazing!" or including sound effects like "[laugh] That was a great point." This update would have been helpful when I was creating the tutorial for creating your own instructional video linked in the Tips & Tutorials section below. There's an added advantage as well; the newer voices speak more slowly. This update appears to be available now. Visit the Help Center to learn more about getting started with Google Vids and creating AI voiceovers.

Google Vids:  Export Videos Directly to YouTube

You can now publish the videos you create in Google Vids directly to YouTube. To maintain security and provide creative control, all exported videos are initially set to Private. You can review the content in YouTube Studio before choosing to set the visibility to Public or Unlisted. You should already be seeing this update. Learn more about publishing your Vids to YouTube here. 

NotebookLM:  Expanded Features for Plus & Teaching-Learning w/New Badge


Google is increasing limits across NotebookLM features for customers with Google Workspace for Education Plus or a Teaching and Learning add-on license at no additional cost. (ASA Teachers and Admins have a Teaching & Learning license.) Users will now see a Plus badge next to their profile picture, indicating access to higher usage thresholds. You'll only see this badge in NotebookLM. What does this mean? You'll see the following increased capabilities:
Increased source context: Support for more sources in each notebook.
  • More engagement: Send more chat queries per day.
  • Expanded study tools: Create more flashcard sets and quizzes.
  • More multimedia generation: Create more Video Overviews, Audio Overviews, infographics and slide decks.
You should already be seeing this update. Visit the Help Center to see a full list of NotebookLM features and limits.


Tips & Tutorials banner

Need an Instructional Video for Students That Isn't Blocked by YouTube? Ask AI to Make One For You!

(Don't want to read about the process? Watch the 12-minute tutorial video instead. You'll find links to tutorials for both NotebookLM and Google Vids at the bottom of this article. )

Are you tired of gambling with YouTube? Your students may, or may not, be able to watch an approved YT video you properly share through Classroom. What if you could easily and quickly make your own video - from your own content that students can reliably watch? Even better, you don't need to narrate it or create a storyboard yourself! Not to mention AI typically makes shorter, more concise videos than we humans do. That's what this experiment was all about. Creating an instructional video sounds like a task none of us are trained to do, right? So let's outsource it to Google's AI tools. As with all things AI, it just needs some clear, detailed instructions, and a quality control check at the end.  

"As with all things AI, it just needs some clear, detailed instructions and a quality control check at the end."
For the purposes of this demonstration, I decided to refresh the student device care video to make it more entertaining. I ended up using both NotebookLM and  Google Vids. NotebookLM allows you to limit AI's source material to just the information you feed it, this way you can guarantee accurate results without any hallucinations. (Yes, that's acutally a technical term,where AI makes up inaccurate info).  

The upside to using Google tools, as opposed to something like Canva, is that Google tools will interact with Google Drive (Docs, Slides, Sheets) and Classroom, which makes it easier to share with others, including students. Videos and other resources you create can be shared just like any other Google file. 

While I was focusing on creating a video in this project, you can also create video clips, GIFs, infographic posters or charts, mind maps, flash cards, audio overview of the info your covering for sick or vacationing kids, or to review. One thing to keep in mind when using Google AI tools - your students will not be able to access any files in Vids, Gemini or NotebookLM because they do not have access to those services. You'll need to export the file in a format they can view (PNG, PDF or MP4) to Drive or Classroom. Unfortunately right now it's not possible to turn on just NotebookLM or Gemini Guided Learning without turning on all of Gemini for students. Hopefully that ability will come with a future update.

Here are the student device care videos I created using both NotebookLM and Google Vids: 
  • The K-3 Video (6 minutes) was created using NotebookLM's Video Overview tool. It's designed for non- or new readers.
  • The Grades 4-8 video (3 minutes) was created using NotebookLM's Slide Deck tool and Google Vids' Convert to Slides feature. This method allowed me to make some minor revisions to the slide deck before converting the slide deck to a video. (AI has come a long way, but it still doesn't always get all the images or spelling correct.)
Google's AI tools did all the heavy lifting for me. I simply gave NotebookLM a detailed prompt then went about my business while NBLM was busy creating. When it was done, I made just some minor corrections to the finished product. Here's how I created the new K-3 and 4-8 videos. Use these steps to create your own.

If you're interested in how I created the tutorial, it took a bit longer, as I manually created it from a blank template in Vids. It was a very simple process that I worked on a little at a time between other tasks, using a variety of Google AI tools embedded within Vids, including
  • Veo to make 8 second video clips from just a text prompt
  • Voiceover to let someone else do the narrating without ums, ahs, or stumbling over my words
  • Record to record my screen for demonstrations
  • Gemini Image Creator for some of the images
  • Stock for stickers and sound effects, such as the snoring and party horn sound. 
Always remember when using AI tools, the more detailed your prompt is, the better the results will be. In addition, if you don't like the first result, you can usually tweak it with follow-up prompts. Would you like full tutorials for these tools? Here they are:
NotebookLM  20 minute tutorialor a full 1.5 hour class tutorial
Google Vids 23 minute tutorial 
If you'd like to learn more ways Google's AI tools can take care of various tasks for you, such as parent communications, differentiating lessons for students, and more, consider taking Google's Get Started With Google AI in K12 Education and/or Generative AI for Educators with Gemini courses. These courses do provide a certificate of completion at the end if you need it for SCECHs. 

New EduGems, How to Use Them, and Why

If you recall, Gems are Gemini prompts that you can reuse for repetitious tasks, such as creating lesson plans, evaluating a new ed tech tool, creating a class newsletter, creating a fun review activity, and so much more. These are not only huge time savers, but they are also such helpful assistants, who can create something for you while you are doing other things. There are over 100 Gems on the EduGems site, curated by Eric Curts, and more are added all the time. Eric takes the time to test and refine each Gem to make sure it works properly. The newest Gems include those listed below and many more.
  • Book Matchmaker - Help students discover their next great read by moving beyond basic genres to explore their broader interests, such as movies, video games, and favorite hobbies.
  • EdTech Tool Evaluator - Pre-evaluate digital tools and products to ensure they are pedagogically sound, inclusive, and safe.
  • EDU Trading Cards - Create highly engaging, educational "trading cards" based on any subject to captivate your students
  • Multiple Choice Quiz - Easily generate high-quality multiple-choice questions and answer keys based on specific content, standards, or uploaded texts.
  • PBL Generator - design "Gold Standard" Project-Based Learning (PBL) units that prioritize student agency, sustained inquiry, and real-world connections.
  • Shelf Talkers - quickly create punchy, 50-word "hook" blurbs (shelf-talkers) designed to grab a student's attention and drive independent circulation.
  • UDL Lesson Remixer - Remix your traditional lesson plans to make them more inclusive, flexible, and accessible for all learners
  • UDL Barrier Buster - Troubleshoot specific bottlenecks or friction points in your lessons where students are struggling or lacking engagement


How Do I Use a Gem?

To use a Gem, click on the link for the gem, then type anything in the prompt, such as "hello". The Gem will then ask you any questions needed to get it started. You can also add any resources or links it may need. Click the arrow and wait for it to work it's magic. While Gemini is thinking and working, you are free to move on to other tasks. It's really the most effective multi-tasker! If you like the Gem, be sure to make a copy of it so it is saved in your Gemini app. Watch this five minute video for a demo. Keep in mind, at ASA students will not be able to use any Gems since they don't have access to Gemini at this time, but you can use the many tools created for teachers and admins. 

If you are feeling ambitious, you can also make your own Gems for your use, and/or to share with others and it's much easier than you think. Eric Curts will walk you through creating and sharing Gems in this video. 

The Beginner's Guide to Google Tasks

Looking for a to-do list that integrates with Google Calendar and Gmail? Google Tasks has seriously improved over the years. 

PBS Daily News Lessons for Grades 6-12

PBS News Hour Classroom is a website with loads of resources to engage and support students in grades 6 through 12. One of their resources is a collection of daily news lessons. Here are the details:
  • A new lesson is published each day, Monday through Friday, focusing on a current event.
  • Each lesson contains a video clip on the topic, a summary of the story, warm-up questions, essential questions, and a related activity for students to do.
  • If you are looking for a practical way to integrate current events into your class, this site might be a great option for you and your students.

The Teacher Who Vibe Coded Her Own Classroom Apps


How to Prepare Young Students for an AI World with Dr. Nneka McGee – Easy EdTech Podcast 367

While we aren't making AI tools available to our young students, it is still important they learn about AI so we can prepare them for an AI-infused world. It is possible to do this without actually having them use AI tools. This is a relatively short 25 minute listen that includes these tips:
  • Kids can learn core AI ideas through hands-on, unplugged activities without using generative tools.
  • Not all AI experiences are age appropriate, so educators need to be intentional about activities. 
  • AI literacy connects naturally to computer science skills, like patterns, classification and prediction. 
  • Conversation is the fantastic starting point for helping young learners understand AI concepts. 

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Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Tech Tips and News for March 2026

Whew! I'm just squeaking this in on the last day of the month! My apologies, it's been a busy repair month. If you find yourself with some extra time during break, take a look at the NotebookLM webinar recording by Eric Curts (linked in the Tips & Tutorials section below).  In his usual detailed and concise manner, Eric will walk you through all the features of NotebookLM, and how they can help you as an educator. Even if you are not a teacher this is an incredibly useful tool for understanding long documents, legal jargon, or learning any new topic. Of course, there are always a few articles to keep you updated on cybersecurity awareness, so you can be armed with the knowledge you need to stay safe online. I wish you a spiritual Triduum and a joyful Easter. For those of you travelling during spring break next week, please travel safely, and return rested and recharged. Not traveling anywhere? Take a trip virtually with the Citywalki site. It gives you a walking, driving or flying tour of through 200 cities around the world. Learn how in the last article below. 
 

Safety & Security


Updates


Tips & Tutorials



Half of All Cyberattacks Start in Your Browser

Half of All Cyberattacks Start in Your Browser, vrom ZDNet by Charlie Osborne
New research finds that 48% of cyberattacks involve your web browser - and AI is only making matters worse. Follow these best practices to protect yourself.

Scammer Got Your Email? Here's What to Do Immediately

Two scenarios:  A scammer has access to your email account and password, or someone does not actually have access to your email account but is pretending to be you. Find out what to do in each case. 

Ordering a New Phone? Watch Out for This Convincing Scam That Hits Immediately After

This one is pretty creepy. It's also telling that Spectrum and Xfinity declined to answer how scammer immediately notified about a new phone purchase - including the user's name and phone purchased. If you're buying a new phone anytime soon, please be aware of this scam. 

How to Clean Up Your Digital Footprint - and Why It Matters More Than You Think

What will someone find if they Google you? Will there be an old, embarrassing social media post that surfaces? 



Google Classroom has a BIG new feature (Feb. EDU Updates)

Reminder:  ASA uses the Teaching & Learning upgrade for Teachers and Admins.

The One Gemini Feature You Can't Use in School  + All March EDU Updates



Google Classroom:  Educators Can Get Help Drafting Personalized Guidance on Written Assignments


With this update, teachers can get AI suggested feedback on written assignments in Google Classroom. When giving feedback in private comments on assignments in Google Classroom, educators can select “Help me write” to have Gemini suggest written feedback for the assignment. Teachers can then review, edit, and refine before sharing with students, ensuring teachers remain in control of the guidance provided while reducing the time spent on writing manual feedback. Learn how to give feedback on assignments here. You should already be seeing this update. 

NotebookLM:  New Ways to Customize and Interact With Your Content


Google Vids:  Expanded Video Length

If you've use the video creator in Canva, Google Vids works the same way, with the added advantage of integrating with all your Google Workspace for Education apps and tools. Previously Vids were limited to 10 minutes in length. With this update, video length has been expanded to 30 minutes. Recordings now have the same expanded length, and imported video and audio clips can be up to 95 minutes in length, or 4GB in size. You should already be seeing this update. You can find the full update description here. 

Google Vids:  New Cartoon Avatars

In addition to the photo realistic avatars available in Google Vids, there are now also 2D and 3D cartoon avatars available. This will make the speaker in your video a little more "kid-friendly". You should already be seeing this update. Learn how to use AI avatars in Google Vids here. 



Here Are 5 Ways You Can Teach Cybersecurity

Here Are 5 Ways You Can Teach Cybersecurity, from PC Magazine by Kim Key
This article claims most kids don't learn cybersecurity in school - do you agree? If you are teaching your students good cybersecurity habits as well as digital citizenship, feel free to share this article with your parents to help them reinforce those habits at home. 

>Record Audio and Video Directly in Google Classroom!

Record audio and video directly in Google Classroom!, from Chromebook Classroom by John Sowash
This is a helpful idea for student feedback, sub plans and more. 

>10 Smart Ways Elementary Teachers Can Use AI to Save Time and Inspire Creativity

To clarify, these are ways to make YOUR job easier, not ways you can use AI with students. The list includes tips like changing the grade level of any reading passage, building kid-friendly rubrics, design an active learning lesson, designing custom decodable stories, or writing your classroom newsletter.

NotebookLM for Schools: Your Grounded Google AI Super Tool

If you have not yet embraced the wonderful world of NotebookLM as your teaching assistant, you are truly missing out on a HUGE time saving tool. Give yourself the gift of time to learn this tool, I promise you'll thank me later. It's so useful for understanding a lot of information quickly, using it as an ongoing resource where you can ask questions about a long document, such as a handbook, as well as creating useful resources from that information. This video is an hour and a half in duration, but will cover EVERYTHING NotebookLM can do for you. 


PBS Learning Media Resources for Teachers

Are you familiar with PBS Learning Media? This is the educational portion of PBS designed specifically for teachers. There are so many free online resources for teaching and learning. Sign up for free and check it out. 

Take a Brain Break and Wander the World

Take a calming brain break, spark curiosity, or prompt conversation with Citywalki. Tour over 200 cities by walking, car or flying. After opening the site and selecting a city, you'll see a YouTube video of a street level view of of someone walking through the city and taking in all the sights. 
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Friday, February 20, 2026

Tech Tips and News for February 2026

 
Image created by Karen Szczytko
 using Gemini 3.0 Flash 2/12/26
A common topic of conversation in my Ed Tech feeds is the dramatic increase in phishing emails at schools. We are definitely seeing this at ASA. It feels like schools are under attack. AI has made it easy for anyone with a desire to make a quick buck to become a hacker. Coding skills are no longer needed. This is coupled with the desire for those with ill intent to get their hands on the personal information of children. It could be years before anyone realizes a child's identity has been stolen and used for monetary gain. Then, of course, there's always the tried and true Ransomware, when a hacker locks a network and demands a ransom to unlock it. Add to this recipe the fact that schools have a wide variety of employees with varying technology skills. Many of those employees may only have access to a school email account, but sometimes that's all a hacker needs to access a school's network. This why it's so important for every school employee to realize they may be a target, and not to fall for social engineering or phishing attempts. You may only work a few hours a week, but you are a prime opportunity for a cyber criminal. I encourage you to take a minute to review the Safety & Security articles I post each month, as well as take the few minutes to complete those monthly Wizer cybersecurity trainings that Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) sends. No one expects you to be a tech genius, but we all have to be aware of these threats, know how to spot them, and more importanly know how to react and report them. Knowledge is power, my friends. Let's be powerful!

Safety & Security


News



Updates


Tutorials





PSA: This Browser Setting Could Be Giving Hackers Your Credit Card Info

Convenience almost always sacrifices our security online. Find out why you shouldn't save your credit card info with an online shopping site or browser. More importantly, where should you store that information so shopping is still convenient? The most important info includes ways to remove your credit card info from all your online browsers and shopping sites.

Valentine's Day Scam Warning: Flirty Text Messages Might Be Money Traps

While this is a little late for Valentine's day, these scams happen all year long - they're just more likely during the Valentine's Day season. This article gives a clear path of action so you know what to do when you receive texts like these. 

Cybersecurity Tips for Tax Season

Cybersecurity Tips for Tax Season, from National Cybersecurity Alliance
Tax season is prime time for cybercriminals. Find out how you can protect your identity and refund. 

The Shady Emails Keep Coming. It's Time to Fight Back Against Spear Phishing

While Google does a pretty good job of catching most phishing messages, some do make it through to our inboxes. We've seen a noticeable increase in these in just the past couple months. Spear phishing emails are no longer just directed at higher level employees, they are now sent to all level employees. This article does a great job of explaining how those spear phishing messages work and what to look out for. The article also recommends the use of a password manager - not your browser's built in password manager. I use BitWarden, which has free personal accounts and works across all platforms. 

Is Spyware Hiding on Your Phone? How to Find Out and Remove It - Fast

This article does a good job of explaining how you get malware on your device, what signs to look for, as well as how to get rid of it.

These Are the 4 Biggest Scams to Watch for in 2026

What scams should you be on the look out for? 

Data Brokers: What They Are, How They Work, and How You Can Protect Your Privacy

There are hundreds of companies you've never heard of quitely collecting, buying, and selling information about you. Think twice before participating in a loyalty program or giving your email address to a retailer.


After 23 Years in the Classroom, This High School Teacher Insists on Less Tech in His Classroom

Many studies are indicating students learn better when they are actively participating, such as taking handwritten notes or hands-on activies, rather than the passive learning that happens on devices. See how this teacher makes it work. 

Offline Digital Citizenship: Soft Skills to Support Strong Online Habits

Offline Digital Citizenship: Soft Skills to Support Strong Online Habits, from Common Sense Media by Christine Elgersma 
Common Sense Media has updated their digital citizenship lessons to include ways for students to learn a healthy balance between their online and offline life. It includes sensitive topics like online peer pressure, and what it looks like in all its forms, such as a friend blowing up your phone because you're not responding, hanging with friends who decide their going to participate in the latest viral challenge, a gamer friend who needs you to help them with a challenge right now, a crush who wants you to send a nude photo and more. There are lessons for every grade level, starting in Kindergarten. These lessons are ready-made for teachers to use. This is a good addition to the PYE curriculum we already use. 



Google Updates Coming Spring 2026


Google Updates Coming Spring 2026, from Chromebook Classroom by John Sowash
Google often announces their upcoming education updates at the BETT conference. This year was no different. See what exciting updates are in store for us. Just a reminder, ASA uses the Teaching & Learning license for teachers and admins. 

15 Updates to Make Google BETTer

15 Updates to Make Google BETTer, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
Eric shares 15 updates Google announced at BETT in London for Gemini, Classroom, Chromebooks, Drive and more. We will see the updates that are for the Teaching & Learning edition.

Gemini:  Select Gemini in Workspace Features Available for Teaching & Learning Customers

ASA uses the Teaching & Learning Google Workspace subscription for teachers and administrative staff, so this is great news! Here are the features that will be available:
  • Google Docs:  Side Panel, Help Me Write, Help Me Create, and Summarize a Document
  • Google Slides:  Side Panel, Generate an Image
  • Google Vids:  AI Avatars, AI Video Clips with Veo 3, Help Me Create, Slides to Vids, AI Voiceover, Generate an Image
  • Google Forms:  Help Me Create a Form, Summarize Responses, Question Generation
In the coming months, Gemini features will also be added to Google Sheets. Learn how to use these features here. You should see these features by the end of February, if not before. 


Google Vids:  Expanding Access to Select Features for All Users

Google Vids is designed to help users share information and tell stories through video. To help more users create professional-quality content, Google is making three features in Vids available to all users, regardless of what Workspace edition they use. These features include: 
  • Read-along teleprompter: Allows you to read from a script that automatically scrolls as you speak, helping you maintain eye contact with the camera and deliver a more natural performance. 
  • Transcript trim: Provides a simple way to edit your video by deleting words or silences directly from the video’s transcript. 
  • Styled captions: Lets you choose from a variety of visual styles to render captions directly on your video, making your content more accessible and engaging. 
This gives you another video ceation tool that's built right in to Google Workspace, so you no longer have to use (or pay for) a third-party service. In addition, because it's part of Google Workspace, it automatically integrates with all your Google files, saves the video to Google Drive and uses the same sharing features all your other Google files do. These features will be available by default whenever you use the recording studio or editor in Google Vids. Visit the Help Center to learn more about recording a video or audio clip,  using the teleprompter or trimming transcripts in Vids. I've also included a Google Vids for Beginners video link in the Tutorials section below. If you aren't already seeing this feature, you should be seeing it by late February. 



The Gmail Survival Guide for Busy Teachers

The Gmail Survival Guide for Busy Teachers, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
Let's take some of the pain out of keeping up with those emails!

Beginner's Guide to Google Vids

Now that Google Vids is available to everyone, it's time to learn how to use it. If you've ever created a video in Canva - Google Vids works similarly. Because it's part of Google Workspace, it automatically integrates with all your Google files, saves the video to Google Drive and uses the same sharing features all your other Google files do.



Google NotebookLM for Teachers:  10 Things to Know for Educators

This is an updated version to include NBLM's recently added features. 

New EduGems:  Project Breakdowns, Differentiate Assessments, IEP/504 SMART Goal, Vocabulary Tiers

 Eric Curts shares the latest Gems that have been added to his EduGems site. Think of EduGems as very thorough Gemini prompts that you can customize to perform a specific task for you. 
  • 📋 Project Breakdown - Help students manage their workload by breaking complex projects into manageable micro-steps with a clear timeline
  • 🎚️ Alternate Assessment - Create high-quality alternate versions of your existing quizzes or tests for retakes, make-ups, or differentiation (lower level, higher level, accommodations)
  • 🎯 IEP/504 SMART Goal - Generate high-quality IEP/504 SMART goals based on a student's data, needs, strengths, grade level, and special education category
  • 🪜 Vocabulary Tiers - Categorize words from a text into Tier 1 (Basic), Tier 2 (High-Utility Academic), and Tier 3 (Domain-Specific) to support student comprehension
  • 📖 Story Writer - Create high-quality, engaging stories tailored to your specific classroom needs and content

The Power of Gemini AI in Chrome (Video)


20 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do with Google Arts and Culture

If you haven’t checked in on Google Arts & Culture lately, it’s time for a revisit.

Your Social Media Feeds? I'll Show You How to Clean It Up

I don't know about you, but my social media feeds deliver very little content that I'm interested in, and even fewer posts from my actual friends. Wasn't that supposed to be the whole purpose of social media?Here's a helpful article showing you how to reset your feeds in most platforms. 

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