The Chromebook Classroom Podcast

I've been holding off on sending out the June EDU update because I knew there were some BIG updates taking place during the ISTE conference. Today in Orlando, Google is announcing 40+ updates for the 2026-27 school year! That's a LOT of news…but I've got you covered. I spent an entire week reviewing, reading, and considering these new features to determine which ones will have the biggest impact on your classroom. Today's podcast isn't just a list of links, it's a carefully curated overview of what's happening, where things are headed, and what this means for your classroom. Let's dive into the June updates coming out of the 2026 ISTE conference in Orlando, Florida! ***Episode Sponsor: VIZOR for Chromebooks*** VIZOR provides Chromebook fleet management Software for Schools. Stop hassling with out of date spreadsheets and paper inventories and move into the 21st century with VIZOR: http:///vizor.cloud/cbc Show notes and links: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e17/ ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!

As part of my daily routine, I scan dozens of blogs, visit a handful of Facebook groups, and skim through Twitter. The goal: find the most helpful resources, tools, and articles that I can share with my teacher friends (that's you!). Show notes and links: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e16/ ***Episode Sponsor: VIZOR for Chromebooks*** VIZOR provides Chromebook fleet management Software for Schools. Stop hassling with out of date spreadsheets and paper inventories and move into the 21st century with VIZOR: http:///vizor.cloud/cbc Here are my favorite links for May 2026: Google AI Educator Series Native File Support & Auto-Updating in NotebookLM Google Vids: Converting Slides to Video with AI Avatars AI Agents: "Skills for Chrome" and the Agentic Era Introducing "Googlebook" 5 Tips to Clear Digital Clutter Before Summer Break Google I/O 2026: Google Docs Live & Gemini Sparks Gemini for Science Google Glass is Back? ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!

Welcome to the April 2026 Google EDU update! In this video, we explore the latest edtech tools transforming the classroom, including some cool updates to Google Classroom and mind-blowing cinematic videos generated by NotebookLM. We also dive into how one school district utilized "vibe coding" to save $250k, alongside major updates to Canva's Learn Grid and Google Vids. 👉 Show notes and links: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e15/ *** Episode Sponsor: Gemini Academy for Teachers Summer Tour! Join me virtually or in-person at one of six different stops on my summer tour! We'll explore Gemini and NotebookLM together and prepare to become Gemini certified educators! Visit http://chrm.tech/gemini26 for dates and locations *** 2:10 Gemini Summer Tour Announcement 4:00 Google Vids: Custom AI Video Avatars 7:57 Gemini in Classroom Expands to 75 Languages 9:16 Personal Class Notebooks for Students 12:04 Gemini in Google Docs & Formatting Tools 14:35 Fully Editable AI Decks in Google Slides 17:06 NotebookLM's New Cinematic Videos 22:53 How "Vibe Coding" Saved a District $250k 26:42 Google Takeout: Transferring Data for Graduates 31:42 Canva Learn Grid & Interactive Games 35:53 Google Cloud Next Recap: The "Agentic" Era 44:53 Outro & Final Thoughts ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!

For years, IT admins have relied on a patchwork of complicated spreadsheets and manual data entry to keep track of their fleets. When you are managing thousands of devices, "Ctrl+F" on a spreadsheet just doesn't cut it. Recently, I sat down with Jeff LaLonde from VIZOR to learn about the latest updates to VIZOR's already impressive asset management software. Whether you manage 500 devices or 50,000, VIZOR will improve your ability to manage your device fleet. Learn more and schedule a free demo: vizor.cloud/cbc Thanks to VIZOR for sponsoring the Chromebook Classroom podcast! ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!

As part of my daily routine, I scan dozens of blogs, visit a handful of Facebook groups, and skim through Twitter. The goal: find the most helpful resources, tools, and articles that I can share with my teacher friends (that's you!).Here are my favorite links for March 2026! *** Episode Sponsor: VIZOR for Chromebooks! Manage and organize your Chromebook fleet with VIZOR! Automate device assignments, track repairs, find missing Chromebooks and more. Learn more and schedule a demo: http://vizor.cloud/cbc *** 👉 Links and notes for this episode: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e13/ 📨 Get my monthly updates delivered to your inbox: http://chrm.tech/update Episode Timeline: 1:57 Intro and sponsor 3:27 NotebookLM studio updates 7:12 Gemini conversation sharing 8:52 Gemini in Chrome 11:31 Personal intelligence for Gemini 15:41 Teacher Hive by Tony Vincent 19:24 Google AI Studio 22:22 10 ways that elementary teachers can use AI 24:47 Managing Google Lens 17:37 End of year project ideas 31:27 TikTok videos in the classroom 34:52 Additional resources ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!

As part of my daily routine, I scan dozens of blogs, visit a handful of Facebook groups, and skim through Twitter. The goal: find the most helpful resources, tools, and articles that I can share with my teacher friends (that's you!). Here are my favorite links for February 2026! 👉 Links and notes for this episode: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e12/ 📨 Get my monthly updates delivered to your inbox: http://chrm.tech/update Table of Contents: 2:07 Record videos in Google Classroom 6:14 AI suggested feedback 8:39 Premium Vids features for everyone! 11:38 Listen to your Document 16:03 Get musical with Gemini 19:59 Which version of Google do I have? 22:33 Split view tabs for Chrome 25:23 Host the Gemini Academy for Teachers 28:37 Overleaf for math teachers 33:53 Google Innovator Academy for 2026 36:34 Something is happening in AI (Matt Schumer) 41:10 Additional resources ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!

As part of my daily routine, I scan dozens of blogs, visit a handful of Facebook groups, and skim through Twitter. The goal: find the most helpful resources, tools, and articles that I can share with my teacher friends (that's you!). **Episode Sponsor: The Google Certification Academy** Registration for my winter cohort is now open! Earn your L1 AND Gemini Certification this winter: GoogleCertificationAcademy.com Here are my favorite links for December 2025: Improved PDF view for Google Drive NEW: Google Workspace Studio Five advanced NotebookLM Features Using AI to evaluate privacy policies Year in search 2025 The Game Show Advent TextFX Top FB post from December: Gemini exam study guide Gemini vibe coding showcase Lock up the Christmas gifts! View the show notes for this episode: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e11/ WATCH this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ii1nmf_yF_s ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!

The November Google EDU Update reveals how Gemini can save teachers 10 hours A WEEK! Plus, get the scoop on new features for rubrics, presentations, and math, and the NotebookLM study aids everyone is talking about. Don't miss the heated debate: Are Chromebooks ruining education? 🔖 SALE: Save 50% on access to my Wednesday Webinar Program: https://sowashventures.kit.com/products/wednesday-webinar-subscription?promo=THANKFUL Detailed show notes for this episode: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e10/ Here are my favorite links for and updates for November 2025: Improved rubrics for Google Classsroom Improvements for complex math formatting in Gemini Create Slide presentation with Google Gemini Unhook Chrome extension for YouTube Save 50% on Wednesday Webinars 12:45 Personalized deep research reports Vibe coding with AI Studio and Google Antigravity Gemini can save teachers 10 hours/ week Improve study aids for NotebookLM Using AI improves student learning by 5.5% Screens are ruining education

** Episode Sponsor: Google Trainer Academy: GoogleTrainerAcademy.com ** Over the past month I’ve been able to visit a half-dozen different schools across the US sharing tips and ideas for using AI in the classroom. While there are a LOT of AI tools available, there’s one that I think is at the top of the list: Google Gemini. Gemini has become my go-to AI tool. It’s fast, flexible, safe, and free! Using Gemini with your school account means you get advanced features AND data privacy that’s not included with a lot of other applications (looking at you ChatGPT!). If you haven’t used Gemini recently, take another look...there have been a LOT of update and several new features specifically designed for the classroom. Here are some of my favorite features and ideas... Show notes and links: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e9/ ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!

As you set up your classroom and get ready for a new crew of students, you might be thinking, "What's something new I can try this year?" Each year I select five strategies, tools, or ideas you can use to engage your students and shake things up a bit. These five tools and strategies are all about making your life easier and your students' learning more engaging. Let's dive in! 👉 EPISODE SPONSOR: Google Trainer Academy ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!  

The Chromebook Classroom podcast is back with a special episode recorded live from Google's Chicago offices with special guest Liz Bocci. This episode dives deep into our experience at the recent Google Champions Symposium, an exclusive gathering of Google for Education's top educators. Episode Sponsor Interested in becoming a Google Champion? Join me and a small group of educators starting October 9 to become a Google Certified Trainer! This LIVE virtual experience will help you assemble your trainer application and portfolio. Learn more: GoogleTrainerAcademy.com. ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!  

As part of my daily routine, I scan dozens of blogs, visit a handful of Facebook groups, and skim through Twitter. The goal: find the most helpful resources, tools, and articles that I can share with my teacher friends (that’s you!). Here are my favorite links for April 2025 Custom Reading Content for Read Along - Teachers in EDU Plus domains can now upload custom content to Read Along. This means you can provide students with reading support for your own stories, articles, and assignments. Google Vids Education Film Festival - teachers can submit their Google Vid creation to be featured in a Google For Education blog post. Submission deadline is May 15, 2025. Google Vids is available for EDU Plus and Teaching&Learning domains.  New sidebar menu for Google Slides - this handy menu provides quick access to templates, building blocks, and other features, based on your Google license.  Clone yourself in minutes - my latest YouTube video discusses three ways to use video in your classroom. It’s not as hard as you might think! 5 end of year project ideas - I know it's hard to believe, but the end of the school year is not far away. Take some time to plan an end-of-year project to help students reflect on their learning Audio Overview for Gemini (and docs!) - This popular feature first appeared in NotebookLM, but is now available in Gemini as well. It is especially useful when using the “deep research” model. Audio overviews for Google Docs is coming soon.  Canvas for Gemini - When working on longer, complex writing projects, “Canvas” makes it easier to use Gemini as a co-writer. This is a great tool to use when developing lesson plans or assignments.  5 advanced Gemini features - Google has added a LOT of impressive features to Gemini. If you aren’t using these, you are missing out!  A Classroom Teacher’s take on AI - Blake Harvard, HS social studies teacher from Madison Alabama, shares his honest thoughts on the incursion of AI in education.   uBlock Origin Lite - you may have noticed that some of your Chrome extensions are no longer available including some popular ad-blockers. uBlock Lite is an alternative that will work, although not quite as well as the original.  ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!  

This month, we're taking a look back at some of the big updates, developments, and edTech trends from 2024. We'll also peer into the crystal ball to consider what might be on the horizon for 2025. Episode Sponsor: Logitech for Education  Logitech Education is your partner in innovation for the classroom. Logitech designs high quality hardware including headsets, microphones and cameras that are used in classrooms around the world. You can view these best in class products including the Zone learn wired headset by visiting logitech.com/education.  Tend 1: classroom specific AI tools for teachers Trend 2: Improvements in AI image generation Trend 3: Google Gemini expands and improves Trend 4: NotebookLM blows us away!  Trend 5: AI detection debate Trend 6: Chromebook PLUS devices for teachers Trend 7: Premium gets better Trend 8: Google Drive updates Trend 9: Google Classroom Updates Trend 10: Goodbye Jamboard, Hello Vids  Was education improved in 2024?  Final thoughts and resources Show notes for this episode: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e5/ ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!  

Happy Thanksgiving friends! I'm grateful that you have chosen to journey through the world of edTech with me! As a small thank you, I am offering a special sale! Anyone who registers for my winter Google Certification Academy between now and December 15 will get free access to my Wednesday Webinar program ($99 value). Click here to register! Episode Sponsor: Logitech for Education Logitech Education is your partner in innovation for the classroom. Logitech designs high quality hardware including headsets, microphones and cameras that are used in classrooms around the world. You can view these best in class products including the Zone learn wired headset by visiting logitech.com/education. Here are my favorite updates for November 2024: New templates for Google Slides Essay writing tips from OpenAI New buildikng block templates for Docs Google Vids for EDU Plus Gemini for iPhone Scholar & Arts & Culture celebrate milestones Machine learning crash course How to organize a complex document Figjam gratefulness wall Thankfulness turkey ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!  

Happy fall, friends! Sip on some cider or your favorite pumpkin flavored drink while we review Google updates, classroom ideas, and news stories for the month of October. 🍁🎃 ***Episode Sponsor: @vizor-cloud for Chromebooks*** Track your devices, repairs, loaners, and more with VIZOR's best-in-class asset management system. It's not too late to get started: http://vizor.cloud/cbc All of the resources mentioned in this episode are available here: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e3/ Episode Topics: 0:00 Intro 2:00 Gemini for Teens  3:28 Star rating for Google Forms  4:55 Tabs for Google Docs  6:10 Cover image for Google Docs  8:00 Gemini for Google Classroom 11:26 Parents sue school over school discipline over AI usage  15:00 Pumpkin carving with Google Slides 17:10 The museum of frights featuring  @googleartsculture  18:30 Halloween Choice board  19:30 Figurative language + AI images ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!

Every month I try to summarize a few important updates and share some new tools and resources you can use in your classroom. Let's see what's happening for the month of September! ***Episode Sponsor: VIZOR for Chromebooks*** Track your devices, repairs, loaners, and more with VIZOR's best-in-class asset management system. It's not too late to get started: http://vizor.cloud/cbc All of the resources mentioned in this episode are available here: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e2/ Table of Contents: 0:00 Intro  2:15 Manage your Chromebooks with VIZOR 4:15 Data protections for Google Gemini 7:00 AI training for teachers & students 8:40 Enhance your Gemini experience with Gems 13:17 NotbookLM adds audio summaries 19:50 Google Docs has tabs  25:13 Google Classroom supports student groups 28:40 First impressions of Google Vids 33:30 Jamboard is going away 35:50 GenType (via Jeremy Badiner) 38:40 Gear Sketch (via Brad Dale) Additional links and resources: Blog post with links to all of the above updates: https://www.chrmbook.com/s9e2/ Get the EDU update delivered to your inbox each month: chrm.tech/update  ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!

The beginning of a new school year is both exciting and challenging. There is a lot to look forward to and a lot to get ready for! In my 17 years working in education, I’ve learned some things and created some classroom templates that help me get the year started. Today I’m sharing those resources with you. 👉 If you are feeling overwhelmed, I hope these classroom templates will bring you some peace and confidence. 👉 If you are excited about the possibilities of a new school year, I hope these classroom templates will inspire you with some new ideas. Google classroom checklist for teachers Student skills checklist Classroom resource template Chrome extensions for students Chrome extensions for teachers Google Classroom requirements Student Chromebook agreement AI and plagiarism policy Google Classroom checklist for teachers Classroom resource template Free time activity template Parent contact log Peer editing practice Google Classroom quiz Selfie card lesson All of the resources mentioned in this video are available here: https://www.chrmbook.com/back-to-school-survival-kit-13-classroom-templates-every-teacher-needs/  ***Episode Sponsor: VIZOR for Chromebooks*** Track your devices, repairs, loaners, and more with VIZOR's best-in-class asset management system. It's not too late to get started: http://vizor.cloud/cbc  ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!  

We're at the peak of summer, but the EDU updates don't stop! Here's a rundown on some important updates, changes, and ideas for you to consider as you sit poolside or enjoy friends and family. As part of my daily routine, I scan dozens of blogs, visit a handful of Facebook groups, and skim through Twitter. ***Episode Sponsor: VIZOR for Chromebooks*** Track your devices, repairs, loaners, and more with VIZOR's best-in-class asset management system. Schedule a demo TODAY and beat the summer rush! Use this exclusive link to save 20% off your first year: http://vizor.cloud/cbc Here are my favorite links for July 2024: Ask Gemini about documents and emails Google Vids in Beta Can you spot the AI image?  Wednesday Webinars are back for 2024-25 eSignatures in Google Docs Pre-configure Google Meet from Calendar LaCrOS is dead World Emoji day Great stuff from Figma The Art of Online Writing (book review) ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!

June 24 marks the start of the 2024 ISTE conference, and Google is making a big splash by announcing lots of cool updates and new features for the 2024-25 school year! Join me on this episode to explore the latest updates to Google Classroom, Chromebooks, Gemini, Google Drive, and more! ***Episode Sponsor: VIZOR for Chromebooks*** Track your devices, repairs, loaners, and more with VIZOR's best-in-class asset management system. Schedule a demo TODAY and beat the summer rush! Use this exclusive link to save 20% off your first year: http://vizor.cloud/cbc ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!  

Chris Painter is my guest for this episode of the podcast. Chris is the technology director for Blackford County Schools in Hartford City, Indiana which as a fleet of 1,800 devices. During our conversation Chris shares his best practices and tips for collecting, inventorying, and repairing a Chromebook fleet and getting them ready for the new school year. Episode Sponsor: VIZOR for Chromebooks VIZOR provides Chromebook 1:1 Management Software for Schools. Get 20% off your first year when you schedule a no-obligation demo. Show notes and links: chrmbook.com/s8e14/ ----------------------------- Thanks for tuning into the Chromebook Classroom Podcast! If you enjoyed today's episode, I would appreciate your honest rating and review! You can connect with me, John Sowash, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show!