Ed Tech Tips & Tricks

Gems are customized AI helpers you create for specific tasks. You can design a Gem to help with things like drafting emails, brainstorming ideas, changing the tone of a document, or following a specific set of instructions you provide. Once created, your Gem will remember those instructions each time you use it.

Create your own Gem in just a few steps:

1. Create instructions for your Gem.
2. In gemini.google.com, click the Gems link in the left navigation. Then select New Gem.
3. Add details to your Gem. The name and description will display each time you open the Gem, and the instructions will tell your Gem what you'd like it to do.
4. Click Start Chat to use your Gem.
5. Access your Gem anytime. You can access your Gem by clicking on Gems again and choosing the one you'd like to use. For frequently used Gems, you can pin them so they are more readily available.

We’ve all been there—you walk down to the teacher’s lounge to grab your copies, only to realize your ID badge is still sitting on your desk. Don't trek all the way back to your room just yet!

You can still release your print jobs using your Badge ID Number (the one found on your badge’s barcode).

How to Release Without Your Badge

1. Tap the Screen: On the PaperCut terminal, look for the "ID Number" button.

    

2. Enter Your Number: Using the on-screen keypad, type in your unique badge ID number.
3. Access Your Jobs: Once entered, the system will recognize you exactly as if you had swiped your badge.
4. Print & Go: Select your documents and hit Print as usual.

Note: If you don't know your ID number by heart, it's a great idea to snap a photo of your badge with your phone or jot the number down in a secure notes app. It saves a lot of steps on those "forgetful" Monday mornings!

Why this is a win:

• Saves Time: No more back-and-forth trips to your classroom.
• Reduces Friction: Keeps the copy line moving even when badges are missing.
• Reliability: Your badge ID number is your "digital badge"—it works even when the physical card isn't handy.

Ever find yourself copy-pasting the same lesson plan header, feedback rubric, or project checklist into every new Google Doc? Stop the repetitive work!

Custom Building Blocks allow you to save any snippet of text, tables, or formatting as a reusable component. Once saved, you can summon your custom template in any document just by typing the @ symbol. It’s like having a personalized library of shortcuts that ensures your documents stay organized and professional without the manual setup.

How to Build Your First Block

1. Highlight your content: Open a Google Doc and select the text, images, or tables you want to turn into a template.
2. Right-click: On your highlighted selection, right-click and select "Save as custom building block."
3. Name it: Give your block a clear name (e.g., "Weekly Reflection Table") and hit Create.
4. Use it anywhere: In any Google Doc, simply type @ followed by the name of your block. Hit enter, and your saved template will instantly pop into place!

Why use them?

• Consistency: Keep department-wide forms or headers looking exactly the same.
• Efficiency: Turn a 5-minute formatting task into a 2-second shortcut.
• Collaboration: You can manage and share these blocks via a "Custom Building Blocks" folder in your Google Drive, making it easy to sync with your team.

By setting up notification rules across the Google Suite, you can let the tools do the monitoring for you, alerting you only when data requires your attention.

Google Sheets: Track Student Progress

You can set alerts for when changes are made.

• Set the Rule: Open your spreadsheet and go to Tools > Notification settings > Edit notifications.

• Choose the Trigger: Select "Any changes are made" (to see when others edit) or "A user submits a form" (if the sheet is linked to a Google Form).

• Set the Frequency: Choose "Email - right away" for immediate action or "Email - daily digest" to receive one summary at the end of the day.

Google Forms: Instant Response Alerts

Instead of checking your form responses manually, get an email the moment a student hits "Submit."

• Enable Notifications: Open your form, click the Responses tab, and then click the three dots (More) icon.

• Activate: Select "Get email notifications for new responses".

• Why it helps: This is perfect for "exit tickets" or low-stakes quizzes where you want to provide immediate feedback to struggling students.

Google Classroom: Clean Up Your Inbox

By default, Google Classroom sends an alert for almost everything. You can customize these to focus only on what matters to you.

• Access Settings: Click the three-line menu (top left) and select Settings.

• Customize Alerts: Under Notifications, toggle specific alerts on or off.

• Pro Tip: Consider turning off "Invitations to join classes" but keeping "Late submissions" and "Private comments" active so you never miss a student's request for help.

 

This school year, BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. introduced a "Browse by Core" feature that allows you to align supplemental activities directly with your Benchmark Advance weekly lessons. This integration is designed to build the background knowledge and Tier 2 vocabulary students need to confidently access core ELA texts.

Quick Access via ClassLink

There is no need for separate usernames or passwords. Both teachers and students can access BrainPOP directly through the ClassLink dashboard.

• Teachers: Click the BrainPOP icon in ClassLink to be automatically logged into your educator account, where your classes and rosters are already synced.

• Students: Accessing through ClassLink ensures they are placed in the correct class and can see any assignments you’ve created.

Planning with "Browse by Core"

You can now plan your weekly lessons with ease by filtering BrainPOP content to match your curriculum's specific units and weeks.

• Select Your Curriculum: Choose Benchmark Advance and your specific grade level from the dropdown menu.

• Find Your Week: Everything is labeled exactly as it is in your Benchmark core materials.

• Assign Activities: Explore curated movies, vocabulary builders, and graphic organizers that reinforce your current lesson's themes.

Support Every Learner with New Scaffolds

These updates also include advanced tools to help differentiate instruction:

• Connected Texts: These high-interest reading passages extend the movie topic and offer built-in Word Help and Sentence Help scaffolds.

• Heatmap Reports: Gain immediate insight into student comprehension. Teachers can view a "heatmap" that highlights which specific words or sentences students clicked for help, allowing you to target instruction for vocabulary gaps the very next day.