Kia Ora and congratulations on getting to the end of term 4
It has been great to get out and about to so many schools and events this year and we are already planning lots of the same for next year.
Below are some important updates for you to digest as you have time. There are some awesome ones here !
Has your school upgraded to workspace plus for added security and teaching and learning functionality. Ask your IT provider how you do this if you have not already.
Latest Updates you need to know about
- Groups in classroom are here so you can easily differentiate work for your students, this has been brought in based on educator feedback – info is here
- Tabs in docs have landed check out adding information to different tabs and getting those long docs organised and more navigable – info is here about that
- Have you used interactive questions on youtube videos ? this makes youtube clips more focused and the marks get added to your markbook too, its super easy to use and you can turn off Youtube for your school and it still works. Check out how here
- Gemini in education is covered by our terms of service and has data protection included in the free gemini app. Go to gemini.google.com to unlock the power of ai safely. This is available for over 18s and also now for over 13s too ! more info is here
- Also Use more Google Workspace extensions with the Gemini app
- Get conditional notifications on your Google Sheets tables when things change, this is super helpful to keep track of your data and Google Forms responses – info is here
- Google vids has arrived in New Zealand for our schools with Workspace plus** this is an amazing new tool to create collaborative video that we have been waiting to see since ISTE in June. Check out the info here and also the upskilling course here
- **if you don’t know if you have upgraded to workspace plus you can open classroom and see if you have the resources tab
- With the Generative AI for Educators course , you’ll learn how to use generative AI tools to help you save time on everyday tasks, personalize instruction, enhance lessons and activities in creative ways, and more. Check it out here.
Upcoming events and courses
- Back to school with Google for Education – info and register here
- An introduction to Gemini for educators – info and register here
- Learn with Google webinar series 2025 – info and register here (this will be updated soon)
Resources to keep you informed
- The Workspace updates blog
- The whats new slide deck
- Please join the GEG facebook group too
Phew that was a lot ! and that’s it for me for 2024.
Have an excellent and well deserved break. It has been a huge year with lots of challenges for education in New Zealand.
Thanks for all you do for education and the future of Aotearoa, New Zealand
Nga mihi Mahana–
Ka pai tō ra
Steve