ASA Tech Tips and News: Tech Tips and News for April 2026

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.

How to Silence Spam Calls for Good

Spam Calls Are Out of Control. Here's How I Silenced Them for Good, from PC Magazine by Kim Key

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

Why Your Family and Coworkers Need a Safe Word in the Age of AI, from National Cybersecurity Alliance

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

I Use AI Every Day - These 7 Rules Keep Me Safe From Making the Biggest Mistakes, from Tom's Guide by Elton Jones

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

AI Scams are Getting Harder to Spot - Pay Attention to These 7 Warning Signs, from Tom's Guide by Elton Jones

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 Is Scary. Here's CNET's Guide to Cleaning an Infected Laptop, from CNet by Dashia Milden

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.

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

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

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.

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.

ASA Tech Tips and News