Lots of us have access to Google tools at school. And we’d admit that there’s SO MUCH we can do with them that we don’t know!

When you can get someone to show you — FOR FREE — some of the ninja tricks and features you’re missing? You can’t miss it!

I love that Phygital Labs (and CEO Becky Keene, a friend of mine AND author of AI Optimism) are making these two FREE upcoming webinars about Google tools available to EVERYONE.

They’ll show you how to use Google tools to create deep-thinking, hands-on learning experiences for your students — both on and off screens.

The webinars are facilitated by Dr. Rachelle Dene Poth (ISTE Certified Leader and also a friend!), a respected voice in edtech who has a lot to share.

Join live and earn an official Google for Education badge during the month of October! Can’t make the live time? No worries! Register anyway, and they’ll send you a custom email with instructions on how to redeem your badge during that same date/time window.

Buttons to register for both sessions are below!

Ready to shift from grading final products to coaching the learning process? Learn how to use Google Gemini to design process-based assessments, rubrics, and quick checks that highlight real, authentic student reasoning.

Move beyond basic answers! Discover how to leverage Gemini Canvas to build multi-layered, real-world case studies that challenge your students to wrestle with messy data and evaluate trade-offs.

Looking for even more ideas? Check out a full lineup of free webinars on a variety of tech tools at phygitallabs.com/events.

We’re getting in the habit of asking you this question each week.

It’s already Thursday, but hey … we’re still curious!

Share whatever you’re teaching — content, activity ideas, what you’re excited about, why it matters and is important. We want to hear from YOU!

You can join the free DTT Community to read ideas like this, connect with other educators, discuss, and share ideas of your own.

The AI conversation can be incredibly overwhelming. New tools appear every week, policies are changing, and it’s not always clear what’s actually useful (or even safe) in the classroom.

That’s why Flint created an AI literacy course just for teachers like you.

This free, self-paced course is designed specifically for K–12 educators. You don’t need a tech background or hours of professional development time. In under two hours, you can go from AI-curious to more confident using AI thoughtfully and practically.

Here’s what you’ll get when you take the course:

The goal isn’t to turn you into an AI expert. It’s to give you enough understanding and practical experience to use AI intentionally for what YOU need it for—not just because everyone is talking about it.

If you’ve been wondering where to start with AI, this is a great place to begin.

I’ve been back in school for about two months now, and I’m getting to know my students better and better.

I know that those connections are critical, and I’m working on improving them whenever I can.

But I also know that those connections can help them to learn, to do better in my class, and to grow as people.

It’s easy to talk about connecting school to what they love … but how do we do it?

Your first stop, of course, should be talking to and listening to your students, right? But that doesn’t have to be all of it.

We shared about this at the beginning of the school year. Student interest surveys let you gather a bunch of quick information all at once — preferences, info about family, things they like, media they like to consume, what they want to be called, etc.

I’ve done student interest surveys on and off throughout my entire teaching career. I used to do them on paper, but now I use a Google Form.

If you did one, then great! You’re ahead of the game.

If you didn’t do one, don’t worry … it’s not too late. You can even use our pre-made Google Forms template if you want.

When I did hallway duty in the mornings, I used to just stand in the hallway and watch students walk by. I tried to stir up some conversation but it was tough … especially before class starts.

I started doing a Question of the Day before school every day. (Here’s an example I posted recently on Facebook: What kind of pizza is best?)

I visited a nearby school recently and found that the librarian was doing something similar — posting a dry erase board with a question and a marker where students can write in their votes.

I love it because I’m having conversations with students I haven’t ever had in class — and am slowly getting to know some of them as a result.

Plus, it gives me a bit of an insight into what they’re all thinking about different things. (For example, on one, the majority said they preferred paper assignments over digital … and students than I expected didn’t hate the new cell phone bans.)

Once you’ve collected some data — either with a survey like this OR a question of the day OR just anecdotally by getting to know your students?

1. Connect student interests to content you're teaching. As mentioned earlier, knowing what your class loves in general can help you explain things in terms of their interests. Compare historical characters to characters in movies, for example. Explain relationships in light of a relationship from their favorite TV shows.

2. Build activities that feel like student interests. If students are into social media, create an activity that makes it feel like they're posting on social media to show what they know. These social media-inspired templates can get you started right away. Create fictitious conversations between characters in students' favorite movies and characters you've learned about. Phrase practice questions through the lens of things students love.

3. Check in with students. Ask them how they're doing. How their personal life is going. How things at home are going. How their other classes are going. Use discretion, of course, and do what feels appropriate. The information you collect in the student interest survey gives you a glimpse into their lives. That's a starting point. Build the relationship by continually connecting.

4. Celebrate their accomplishments. When you learn about their hobbies, their activities, their clubs and teams, etc., pay attention to what's happening. If they have a great game, cheer them along -- and consider going to a game to watch! If they don't reach their ambitions, stand next to them and encourage them for the next time.

There are lots of ways to deepen that connection and show students that you’re interested in them — and that they’re important to you.

Share what works with you — and your favorite stories of connecting with students — in the discussion below.

There are even more ways I can support you in the important work you do in education: