15 Updates to Make Google BETTer

This last week Google was in London at BETT, the world’s biggest educational technology exhibition. At the event, companies from all around the world showed off their latest and greatest innovations for educational technology.

Google used this opportunity to showcase new updates for Google Workspace for Education. These updates include new features for Gemini, Google Classroom, Chromebooks, Google Drive tools and more!

Although I have never been to BETT yet (definitely a goal for the future!) I wanted to share these new updates with you. See below for my rundown of my 15 favorite new updates that Google announced.

Chromebook Accessibility Tools with the Innovation Squadcast

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest on the "BCSD Innovation Squadcast Podcast" hosted by Pam Hubler and the team at Berkeley County School District.

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love podcasts and am always mentioning something new I learned from one of them, so I was super excited to get to join an episode of this podcast.

The podcast is described as follows:

In this podcast, the district’s Innovative Learning Coordinators delve into the newest technology and innovations to equip our schools, teachers, and students with advanced resources and support. Produced by the Berkeley County School District’s Office of Technology in Goose Creek, South Carolina.

I had a wonderful time chatting about Chromebook accessibility topics including:

• Built-in accessibility tools such as select to speak, dictation, docked magnifier, face control, quick answers, reading mode, and more.
• Recording tools for students including the Chromebook Screencast tool
• Helpful extensions to support learners such as Read&Write, Helperbird, Google Translate, Beep, Mote, and more.

Take a look below to listen to the episode, access the resources that I shared in the episode, and explore more about the podcast.

My 2025 CFISD Digital Learning Conference Sessions

I am excited and honored to once again present at the 2025 CFISD Digital Learning Conference this year.

This year is the 15th annual CFISD Digital Learning Conference and is:

• Entirely virtual with over 100 EdTech sessions
• Held on July 22nd and 23rd
• Open to all educators
• FREE!

You can get all the details on the conference website at: www.cfisd.net/DLC

• All sessions for 7/22 - https://cfisd-dlc-2025.glide.page/dl/d0a5f4
• All sessions for 7/23 - https://cfisd-dlc-2025.glide.page/dl/da19fa

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting for the 2025 CFISD Digital Learning Conference, along with any associated resources and the live stream links for each session.  I look forward to sharing and learning with you!

Upcoming Webinar - Chromebooks Can Do That?! Essential Features for Teachers and Students

Chromebooks have become a common tool in schools, but are you and your students getting the most out of them?

I am excited to be providing an upcoming webinar on Wednesday, May 14th at 3-4 pm ET hosted by Trafera where we will take a deep dive into Chromebook features, some of which may be lesser-known.

These features can encourage creativity, increase efficiency, ramp up engagement, and support teaching and learning in your classroom. Some of the topics we will explore in the session include:

• 🔑 Accessibility tools for all learners
• 📝 PDF annotation and editing tools
• 📷 Using the camera for pictures, videos, GIFs and more
• 🎞️ Built-in screen capture, recording & screencasting
• 🗂️ Multiple desks for organization and efficiency
• 📶 Offline access to work without Wi-Fi
• 🤖 Using Android apps on a Chromebook
• ☝️ Helpful touchpad gestures
• ⌨️ Favorite keyboard shortcuts
• ✨ AI tools to assist with your tasks
• And more!

You can register for free here: Registration Link

All qualified participants will receive a Starbucks gift card as a "thank you" for attending. (Must register with a valid school work email address and complete the exit survey at the end of the session to qualify)

I look forward to learning with you!

Chromebooks Can Do That?! Essential Features for Teachers and Students

Chromebooks have become a common tool in schools, but are you and your students getting the most out of them?

I recently had the opportunity to present a webinar where we took a deep dive into Chromebook features, some of which may be lesser-known. 

These features can encourage creativity, increase efficiency, ramp up engagement, and support teaching and learning in your classroom.

Some of the topics we explore in the session include:

• 🔑 Accessibility tools for all learners
• 📝 PDF annotation and editing tools
• 📷 Using the camera for pictures, videos, GIFs and more
• 🎞️ Built-in screen capture, recording & screencasting
• 🗂️ Multiple desks for organization and efficiency
• 📶 Offline access to work without Wi-Fi
• 🤖 Using Android apps on a Chromebook
• ☝️ Helpful touchpad gestures
• ⌨️ Favorite keyboard shortcuts
• ✨ AI tools to assist with your tasks
• And more!

See below for the one-hour recorded webinar video and session resources. And be sure to share your favorite Chromebook tips and features. I am excited to learn with you!

Class Tools to Make Google BETTer

This week Google is in London at BETT, the world’s biggest educational technology exhibition. At the event, companies from all around the world show off their latest and greatest innovations for educational technology.

Google is using this opportunity to showcase new updates for Google Workspace for Education. These updates include new features for Google Classroom, Docs, Accessibility, Chromebooks, AI, and more!

Although I have never been to BETT yet (definitely a goal for the future!) I wanted to share these new updates with you. The big new update that caught my eye is "Class Tools" which is a classroom management solution for teachers and students to use on Chromebooks.

See below for the details on this new Class Tools feature, as well as an overview of what else Google announced at BETT.

Recorded Webinar - Chromebook Accessibility Tools

Over the years I have had the opportunity many times to present sessions on accessibility tools, accommodation options, and resources to help support all learners.

These have always been some of my most popular sessions as everyone can benefit from these tools.

Over time these resources have also continued to develop with new tools, features, and options. With all of these continual updates, I was excited to have the opportunity to present a webinar for Trafera on "Chromebook Accessibility Tools".

In this 1-hour training we did a deep dive into all the ways Chromebooks can support all learners through built-in accessibility tools and features. See below for the recording, as well as all the resources for the session.

Chromebooks Unplugged - A Day in the Life of a Student Chromebook

Chromebooks are used by 50 million students and teachers every day in schools all around the world. But are you and your students getting the most out of them?

To explore this question I used a student Chromebook for an entire day as my primary device. To keep things realistic I also did it ... unplugged.

What I mean is, when a student is using a Chromebook at school, they may not always have a power outlet to plug into. This is why many schools ask students to make sure their Chromebooks are completely charged before bringing them in each day.

So for my day using a student Chromebook, I kept it unplugged from power and simply used its battery for the entire day. Then every couple of hours I stopped to record a short video to see how well the battery was doing, and to demonstrate some powerful Chromebook features that can help students with learning and creating. I ended up covering:

• Accessibility tools
• Screencast and Chrome Canvas
• Android apps (including Minecraft)
• Video editing
• Offline access

See below for the recorded video of my day unplugged, as well as other Chromebook resources. And a big thanks to MediaTek for providing the student Chromebook for this experiment, and for sponsoring this post.

Chromebook Accessibility Tools Webinar

Over the years I have had the opportunity many times to present sessions on accessibility tools, accommodation options, and resources to help support all learners. 

These have always been some of my most popular sessions as everyone can benefit from these tools.

Over time these resources have also continued to develop with new tools, features, and options. With all of these continual updates, I am excited to once again have the opportunity to present on this topic.

I am thrilled to be presenting a free webinar in conjunction with Trafera on May 8th at Noon ET (11am CT / 10am MT / 9am PT) on "Chromebook Accessibility Tools".

See below for all the details on this great learning event…

16 Updates to Make Google BETTer

This week Google is in London at BETT, the world’s biggest educational technology exhibition. At the event, companies from all around the world show off their latest and greatest innovations for educational technology.

Google is using this opportunity to showcase new updates for Google Workspace for Education. These updates include new features for Google Classroom, Docs, Accessibility, Chromebooks, AI, and more!

Although I have never been to BETT yet (definitely a goal for the future!) I wanted to share these new updates with you. See below for my rundown of my favorite new updates that Google is announcing. For each item I give the gist of what is new as well as how these updates can make teaching and learning BETTer.

Can a Chromebook be your Primary Computer?

Note: Spon­sored by Leno­vo and Google for Education. All opinions are my own.

Chromebooks first came out way back in 2011. At that time they were pretty basic with small low-resolution screens, low-end processors, and limited memory. Most people saw them as nothing more than a web browser in a laptop format.

Well Chromebooks have come a long way since then, in both power and popularity. Last year Google announced there were over 50 million Chromebooks in schools.

Most of the time we see these devices as primarily for student use. However in recent years, as the devices have become more powerful and feature-rich, we have started to see more and more schools offering Chromebooks as an option for educators as well.

So what about you? Could a Chromebook serve as your primary computer?

I have been testing this out for myself with the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook, which is one of the new devices Google is classifying as "Chromebook Plus". See below for details on these powerful new devices and my thoughts on using them as a primary laptop.

Chromebooks Can Do That?!

Chromebooks have become a common tool in schools, but are you and your students getting the most out of them?

I recently had the opportunity to present a webinar where we took a deep dive into Chromebook features, some of which may be lesser-known. 

These features can encourage creativity, increase efficiency, ramp up engagement, and support teaching and learning in your classroom.

Some of the topics we explore in the session include:

📷 Camera tools

🎞️ Screen capture and recording

🖐 Touchpad gestures

🗂️ Multiple desks

📶 Offline access

⌨️ Keyboard shortcuts

🤖 Android apps

🔑 Accessibility tools

And more!

See below for the recorded webinar video and detailed session resources.

10 Chromebook Touchpad Tips and FREE Poster

Although I use a Bluetooth mouse any chance I get, there are times when I am mouse-less. I might be on the go, or on a plane, or just somewhere that doesn't have enough room for that helpful input device.

Thankfully Chromebooks have a wonderful built-in touchpad!

Chromebook touchpads are designed to replicate what a mouse can do, but they also go further with touch gestures that provide extra features for navigation and management.

Although my first choice may always be for a mouse, I am happy to say that the Chromebook touchpad is a more than capable replacement to keep me productive and efficient no matter where I am. This can be especially helpful for our students who may often be using Chromebooks without a mouse.

To help spread this helpful information I have created a full-color illustrated poster with 10 Chromebook touchpad tips. You can get the poster for free in multiple formats using the links below. I have also included details and animations for each of the touchpad gestures in this blog post.

Free Webinars: Teach and Learn with Chrome

I am excited and honored to be facilitating a session in Google's "Teach and Learn with Chrome" series on behalf of Kiker Learning. The series runs through October and into November.

Google gives an overview of the series as such:

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We’ll have customers, Google experts and partners running demo-based training and presenting educational use cases in 45-minute sessions complete with Q&A.

You'll hear about how to drive impactful instruction with our latest features, Screencast and cast moderator, change management content for fleet updates - along with updates to programs, resources, and ChromeOS advances – all purpose-built for education.

• Time: 10-10:45am PT, 12-12:45pm CT, 1:00-1:45PM ET, various dates (schedule below)
• Dates: October 4 - November 3, 2022
• Audience:
• Tuesday Sessions - IT Leaders
• Wednesday Sessions - Instruction and Curriculum Leaders, Classroom Educators
• Thursday Sessions - District testimonials open to all!
• Can't join us live? If you're unable to watch live, register to watch on demand. We'll add the recordings right after the livestream finishes each day.

Attend a session and we’ll email you a customizable certificate of completion after the last session concludes.

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You can see the full schedule and register to get links to the sessions emailed to you prior to each event at the "Teach with Chrome Series" website at: 

• https://rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/teach-and-learn-with-chrome/home

See below for details on the session I will be facilitating.

Google Tools to Support All Learners

Technology can be a powerful tool to assist students when learning, as it provides accessibility and accommodations to support everyone. In particular the Chrome web browser allows users to install a wide variety of web extensions that provide tools that can help all learners.

In this blog post we will take a look at dozens of Chrome web extensions and apps and other tools and features that can assist students in seven main categories:

🗣️ Text to Speech

🎙️ Speech to Text  

👓 Readability

📗 Reading Comprehension

🔊 Audio Support  

☑️ Behavior, Focus, and Organization

🧭 Navigation

 
Some of the tools fit into more than one topic, but each is only listed once. Certainly this list does not cover all of the useful web extensions and tools available for learners, but it is a great place to begin. 

In addition to the list of extensions and tools, I have also linked in the video from a webinar I did on "Google Tools to Support All Learners" along with my ever-growing resource document and slideshow from the session.

Chromebooks Can Do That?!

Chromebooks have become a common tool in schools, but are you and your students getting the most out of them?

I recently had the opportunity to present a webinar where we took a deep dive into Chromebook features, some of which may be lesser-known. 

These features can encourage creativity, increase efficiency, ramp up engagement, and support teaching and learning in your classroom.

Some of the topics we explore in the session include:

📷 Camera tools

🎞️ Screen capture and recording

🖐 Touchpad gestures

🗂️ Multiple desks

📶 Offline access

⌨️ Keyboard shortcuts

🤖 Android apps

🔑 Accessibility tools

And more!

See below for the recorded webinar video and detailed session resources.

Chromebook Accessibility Tools - Teach with Chrome Webinar

I recently had the privilege to present some of Google's "Teach with Chrome" webinars. These were a series of 30-minute sessions diving deep into how Chrome devices and ChromeOS can be used by teachers and students to improve teaching and learning.

One of the sessions I did was "Teach, Learn, and Collaborate Equally" and was all about using the built-in accessibility tools in ChromeOS, including Select-to-Speak, Dictation, High-contrast mode, Docked magnifier, Automatic clicks, On-screen keyboard, Large mouse cursor, Sticky keys, and more.

Teach, Learn, and Collaborate Equally - Chromebooks include accessibility right out of the box, unlocking learning experiences for students with diverse needs, abilities and learning styles. For teachers on Chrome OS - hear tips and tricks about how using the same OS as your students can create meaningful learning experiences!

See below for the recorded webinar video and session resources.

Free Webinars: Teach with Chrome Series

I am excited and honored to be presenting two sessions in Google's "Teach with Chrome Series" on behalf of Kiker Learning. The series started in February and will run through March.

Google gives an overview of the series as such:

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Join our upcoming Teach With Chrome Series to learn about the latest in Chrome devices and Chrome OS for education.

Hear about our more powerful, secure, and sustainable Chromebook devices for educators – along with updated programs, resources, and Chrome OS advances – all purpose-built for education.

We’ll have Google experts and partners running demo-based training and presenting educational use cases in 30-minute sessions complete with Q&A.

Whether you’re a teacher, an administrator, or an IT leader, all of the sessions are designed to help you get the most out of Chrome. Can’t watch live? All sessions are posted right after the livestream finishes each day – just register to watch them on demand.

Attend a session and we’ll email you a customizable certificate of completion after the last session concludes. 

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You can see the full schedule and register to get links to the sessions emailed to you prior to each event at the "Teach with Chrome Series" website at: 

• https://events.withgoogle.com/teach-with-chrome-series/

See below for details on the two sessions I will be presenting.

Google Tools for Speech to Text

Our students have so many amazing ideas in their minds, and we want to make sure they are able to get those words from their heads into writing.

However if a student struggles with typing or spelling they may take those big awesome ideas and shrink them down to smaller words and shorter sentences.

Thankfully there are technology tools to help with this. Speech to text tools allow anyone to simply speak their words and have them typed up automatically.

Three of my favorite tools for this are Docs Voice Typing, Voice In Voice Typing, and the Dictation Tool in ChromeOS See below for a short 5-minute video demonstrating these tools, as well as written directions for using them.

40 Google for Education Updates for Summer 2021

Summer is a nice time to take a break and relax, but Google has instead been busy working on new updates and features for schools. 

On June 22nd Google hosted their "Anywhere School 2021" event (http://goo.gle/tas21) where they covered loads of announcements concerning 40 updates for Google Classroom, Google Meet, Chrome and Chromebooks, and Google Workspace tools in general.

In case you missed it, or are just trying to review through everything that was shared, see below for a list of all 40 updates that were shared at the event.