In this episode, I’m sharing why Google Gemini has become my go-to AI tool for both personal and professional use. I’ll walk you through 10 surprising and useful features of Gemini that I use, from integrating it with other Google apps to its advanced image creation and deep research capabilities. We’ll also take a first look at the NEW Google Gemini certification for educators.
10 things you can do with Gemini
- Upload and Reference Files: I often upload files or select them from my Google Drive to use in Gemini. For example, I can ask it to create a quiz based on a Google Slide presentation I made or generate discussion prompts from a PDF chapter.
- Connect with Other Google Apps: By typing the ‘@’ symbol in the chat box, I can connect Gemini to other Google services like my Calendar, YouTube, Maps, and more. The availability of these services may depend on your school district’s settings.
- Use My Phone’s Camera: I use the Gemini mobile app’s camera feature to start a prompt. A great use case for teachers is taking a photo of a book cover to quickly get a summary or discussion questions for a student.
- Guided Learning Mode: This is the default mode for students under 18 and is designed to provide academic support without just giving them the answers. If a student asks it to write a paper, it will respond with guiding questions instead.
- Canvas Mode: For my long-form projects like lesson plans or newsletters, I use Canvas. It acts like a Google Doc within Gemini and allows for a more collaborative co-writing experience where I can manually edit the text or ask Gemini to revise specific sections.
- Advanced Image Creation (Nano Banana): I’m really impressed with Gemini’s powerful image generator. It allows for incredible specificity in editing; I can change the background, a person’s clothing, or their hair color in a generated image, and it even works with photos I upload.
- Use Gemini Inside Google Classroom: I’ve noticed there’s a Gemini tab in the Google Classroom navigation menu that provides teacher-focused prompts to help with instructional tasks. This feature needs to be enabled by your IT department.
- Create and Share Custom Gems: I create Custom Gems, which are saved, reusable AI prompts for specific tasks. A recent update now allows for Gem sharing, which will let schools create and distribute custom gems for common processes.
- Deep Research: This feature lets me ask Gemini to conduct in-depth research on a topic. It generates a highly detailed report, often 15-20 pages long, and includes a list of the sources it consulted.
- Generate Audio Summaries: After creating a Deep Research report, I can have Gemini generate an audio summary of that information. I think this can be a helpful tool for students who are reluctant readers or for sharing complex information with parents.
Get the Google EDU Update!
Staying on top of the world of technology can be challenging. I offer a free, monthly newsletter to help educators keep up with these changes.
Each month the Google EDU update includes:
- A summary of Google updates from the past month
- An original article on technology integration.
- Upcoming events and opportunities
Let me help you find and use technology that can make you a more effective teacher.
The new Google Gemini Certification
- Google has launched a new “Gemini Certified Educator” certification.
- The exam consists of 35 multiple-choice questions and, in my experience, is less difficult than the Level 1 and 2 exams.
- Topics include Gemini, NotebookLM, and general AI literacy concepts like bias and hallucinations.
- The certification is free until January 1st. I expect it will cost $25 after that date.
- I created a free study guide with key objectives and curated resources to help you prepare for the exam. You can download a free copy here.
Useful indeed