Jake Miller

I recently came across an article on Edutopia by Nicole Greene about “Feedback Friday” and the concept of unconditional positive regard. Now, I was already familiar with Feedback Friday, but I had never heard of unconditional positive regard. And as Lloyd Christmas would say in Dumb and Dumber, “I like it a lot!” I’m pretty excited about this idea.

What is Unconditional Positive Regard?

The idea is simple but powerful: it’s about creating a classroom environment where every student feels valued, no matter what they do. It’s about showing students that your belief in them isn’t conditional on their behavior, their grades, or their attitude on any given day. Instead, it’s about building trust and making it clear that you’re in their corner. Always.

If you’ve read the book Never Enough by Jennifer Wallace, which I’ve read and loved, you know how important this kind of belonging and “mattering” is for our kids.

Putting it into Practice: Feedback Friday

The Edutopia article highlights a specific practice that ties into this mindset: soliciting regular student feedback. Nicole Greene recommends doing this through a system she calls Feedback Friday, where she meets with every member of her class one-on-one each week for a quick check-in session.

• The Goal: Show students that their voice matters and then act on what they share.
• The Content: They might talk about a recent lesson, the classroom environment, or even their own personal struggles.
• The Impact: These moments can be classroom culture transformers and deeply impact your students as learners even outside of your classroom.

Making it Realistic for Your Classroom

Greene has a small class (around 11 or 12 kids) so it’s realistic for her to spend 20 minutes talking to everyone. For a teacher with a higher number of students, that’s going to be really tough! If you’ve got a larger class load, here are a few ways to scale it:

• Meet with Subsets: You don’t have to meet with everyone every Friday. Maybe you meet with three students a day, and by the end of two weeks, you’ve met with everyone.
• Go Digital: Use a tool like Google Forms to hear from everyone efficiently.
• Create a Rotation: Find a system that ensures you hear from every student regularly.

Ultimately, this process builds a deeper connection and helps you tailor your teaching to meet the needs of your learners. Most importantly, it gives students a voice and shows that we value what they have to say.

 

We want to hear from you! Do you use Feedback Friday or a similar strategy? How do you show unconditional positive regard in your room? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments below!

If you’re an elementary teacher dealing with a cold winter, as I have been in Ohio, you know the struggle. Canva can’t help you tie your students’ shoes or wrestle them into their snow pants, but their new Teacher Work Kit might just save you a ton of time on lesson planning.

I guess that technically gives you more time to tie your shoes… though I hope that’s not how you have to use your extra minutes!

What is the Teacher Work Kit?

The Canva Teacher Work Kit is a collection of ready-made templates designed specifically for educators. The best part? No design skills are necessary, and more importantly, no “time to design” is required. You can simply pull up a template, tweak it to fit your needs, and have something professional and engaging ready in minutes.

What’s Inside?

Whether you are looking for a quick activity or a full week of plans, they have you covered. Here are a few things you can find inside the kit:

• Review Games: Need a quick Jeopardy-style game for a test review? They’ve got you.
• Guided Practice: Activities ready for your students to jump into.
• SEL Resources: Social-emotional learning tools to use during your morning meetings.
• Sequenced Lesson Plans: This is a big one. You can find Lesson 1, Lesson 2, and Lesson 3 already to help you string everything together smoothly over a series of days.

Focus on What Matters

It is all about making your work easier and freeing up your time. By using these pre-made resources, you can get multiple connected lesson plans in order without the stress of starting from scratch.

Ultimately, this kit helps you focus on what matters most: your students (and maybe those snowy boots!).

 

What do you think? Have you tried the Teacher Work Kit yet? I’d love to hear how it’s saving you time in your classroom. Let’s chat in the comments!

If we approach AI implementation like a cross between a buffalo and a good president, we stand to experience success. I’m serious.  Read on to see what I mean . . . 

Be the Buffalo, Not the Cow

According to a story often told by Rory Vaden, when a storm is approaching, cows try to run away from it. They, of course, cannot outrun a storm and they experience the storm for longer. Buffalo? They charge head- on into the storm, moving through it quickly.

When it comes to AI in education, we should take the buffalo’s approach. Avoiding the conversation or resisting change only prolongs discomfort. Facing it directly helps us adapt faster and use it for good.

The Lizard Brain Reaction

Here’s the challenge: human nature often pushes us into the “lizard brain” response when confronted with something intimidating. This primitive part of our brain controls basic instincts like fear, fight, and flight.

When AI challenges our core beliefs about learning, our lizard brain is likely to either:

• Run away (flight) — ignoring AI and pretending it’s not here. 
• Get angry (fight) — resisting change without exploring possibilities. 

The problem? Both approaches keep us stuck in the storm.

Instead, we need to tap into the other parts of our brain:

• Thought 
• Open-mindedness 
• Problem-solving 
• Curiosity 

What Great Presidents Can Teach Us

Historians studied the greatest U.S. presidents and found something surprising. In his book Think Again, Adam Grant shares that their defining trait wasn’t political strategy—it was intellectual curiosity and openness.

“They read widely and were eager to learn about developments in biology, philosophy, architecture, and music… They were interested in hearing new views and revising their old ones. They solved problems like scientists.” — Adam Grant

We, as educators, can approach AI in the same way:

• Read widely and explore beyond our comfort zones 
• Be open to new perspectives, and willing to revise our own 
• Treat AI integration like a scientific experiment, not a political debate 

Navigating the AI Storm with Curiosity

Like buffalo facing the storm, we can move through AI’s challenges faster if we lead with curiosity and experimentation. We can turn the “storm” of change into rain that grows flowers and crops—new ideas, better learning outcomes, and stronger teaching strategies.

Your Turn: How do you face the “AI storm” in your teaching? How do you plan to react like a buffalo? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Baby Steps (and Falling Down)

We’ve all heard the advice to just take baby steps. Sure, small steps matter. But here’s the part we forget: babies fall a lot. And what do they do after they fall? They get back up and keep toddling like little human boomerangs.

When we bring AI into classrooms, the same thing applies. Baby steps don’t just mean small wins; they also mean we’ll stumble. The key is getting back up. Because soon enough, those wobbly steps turn into confident strides.

👉 The lesson? Don’t just expect small progress, expect some falls, too.

 

Learning to Drive is Effortful

There’s a quote that says: “Learning to drive is more effortful than driving itself.” And wow, is that true.

I’ll never forget the first time I drove my dad’s pickup. I hit the brake and gas pedal at the same time, and plowed right into the garage wall. Not my finest moment. I was hesitant to try again, but eventually I had to.

• First, I practiced in the driveway. 
• Then, in an empty parking lot. 
• Later on, quiet back roads. 

Each step felt awkward and effortful. But without those missteps, I never would have learned.

Learning to implement AI in education works the same way. The beginning is clunky. Mistakes happen. But with practice, confidence grows.

 

The Conscious Competence Model

Enter the Conscious Competence Model (thanks to Gayle Smerdon, PhD, for her clear breakdown of this). It describes the stages we move through when learning something new:

1. Conscious Incompetence – You’re painfully aware of what you don’t know. Frustrating, effortful, and easy to quit. 
2. Conscious Competence – You can do it, but it requires full attention. 
3. Unconscious Competence – You’ve mastered it. It’s second nature. 

That first stage? That’s where most of us are with AI right now. We’re aware of how much we don’t know, and it feels heavy. But if we keep practicing, keep failing forward, eventually AI becomes like driving is to me now: effortless.

 

Bringing It Back to AI in Education

Learning AI tools isn’t about instant mastery. It’s about embracing the awkward stage and pushing through. Just like learning to drive, or learning to walk, you’ll:

• Stumble at first. 
• Feel clunky and unsure. 
• Get frustrated by mistakes. 

But those mistakes are evidence of growth. The payoff? Reaching unconscious competence, where using AI feels natural and you can focus on what truly matters: your pedagogy and your learners.

For more inspiration on embracing discomfort, I recommend taking this advice from Jen Sincero in her book You Are a Badass (affiliate link): “The only failure is quitting. Everything else is just gathering information.” It’s a reminder that progress comes from showing up, even when you don’t feel ready.

 

Your Turn

Where are you right now on the conscious competence model with AI? Still crashing into garage walls, or starting to cruise?

👉 Share your thoughts below in the comments. Let’s learn from each other’s baby steps and breakthroughs.

The first time my wife and I took our kids ice skating, our daughter—about seven at the time—had a crystal-clear picture of how it would go. Think tiny Olympic hopeful: smooth glides, graceful twirls, maybe even some applause. Full Disney on Ice energy.

Then she got the rental skates.
She looked down. “What is that on the bottom of my skates?”
Sweet girl didn’t know ice skates had blades. The dream? Melted right there in the rental booth.

On the ice, reality hit: wobbles, wide eyes, and a strong commitment to hugging the wall. But she also skated—just a little—while holding hands with an older family friend who had been there before.

 

From “I Don’t Know” to “I Know I Don’t Know”

Before she laced up, my daughter was in the unconscious incompetence zone—she didn’t know what she didn’t know. The moment she realized this was harder than expected, she entered conscious incompetence. That’s the learning pit: the place where confidence dips, the gap between where we are and where we want to be is glaring, and our brains go, “Yikes.”

It’s not comfortable. But it’s where the real learning begins.

 

We’ve All Been There

Whether it’s:

• Using a new AI tool

• Rolling out a fresh curriculum

• Trying a teaching strategy you’ve never used

We often picture ourselves nailing it right away. Smooth, in control, confident. Reality usually has other plans.

That doesn’t mean we’re failing. It means we’re in it. Growth doesn’t come from instant success—it comes from staying in the game after we realize it’s harder than we thought.

 

The Power of a Steady Hand

Sometimes we need someone who’s skated this path before.

• A colleague

• An instructional coach

• Someone from your virtual PLN

Their “Here, hold on. I’ve got you” makes the ice feel less slippery. And remember: we can be that person for someone else. Every time we try something new in front of our students or peers—even when we wobble—we’re modeling productive risk-taking.

 

More Than Posters on the Wall

Our students don’t learn a growth mindset from cat posters saying “Hang in there.” They learn it by watching us:

• Admit it’s our first time trying something

• Say “Oops, that didn’t work. Let’s try again.”

• Keep going when things get messy

When we show students that we’re willing to wobble, regroup, and try again, we model the mindset they need most.

A Monument to Persistence

Author John Green tells a story in The Anthropocene Reviewed (affiliate link) about a father and son who painted over a baseball. One coat, then another, and another—over decades—until it became a 2.5-ton, 14-foot ball of paint. The world’s largest. And yes, you can visit it in Alexandria, Indiana.

It doesn’t look like a baseball anymore, though. But that’s how it started: one coat at a time.

 

Your Turn

Today might not be about skating gracefully across the rink. It might be about:

• Lacing up and stepping onto the ice

• Adding one more coat of paint

• Choosing to step into the learning pit—again

Learning is messy. Progress is layered. Persistence is built one honest coat at a time.

So grab your skates. Pick up your brush. Take the next step—one coat at a time.

 

Your move: What’s your “learning pit” moment this school year? Share it in the comments—your story might be the steady hand someone else needs.

In Doctor Strange, the Ancient One gives a powerful piece of advice:

“You cannot beat a river into submission. You have to surrender to its current and use its power as your own.”

That line isn’t just movie magic; it’s exactly how we should think about AI in education. We can’t fight the current of technological change. Instead, we have to learn how to ride it, harness its energy, and guide it in ways that benefit our students and ourselves.

But how do we do that without feeling like we’re clinging to an inflatable raft in class six rapids? One framework that can help is the CIA Coaching Model (no, not the spy agency), introduced by Neil and Sue Thompson.

Let’s break it down.

 

C is for Control

The first step is to ask: What’s in my control?

• You decide which AI tools belong in your classroom.

• You set the boundaries, AI for brainstorming, sure; AI for writing entire essays, definitely not.

• You control how AI helps with administrative tasks to free up more time for real student interactions.

Think of this as drawing the borders of your classroom AI “map.” Inside those borders, you’re the guide.

 

I is for Influence

Some things aren’t in our control, but we can still influence them.

• District policies on AI may not be yours to write, but you can join the conversation.

• You might not control how students use AI outside of class, but you can influence how they think about it.

• As teachers, we’re not TikTok stars, but we are influencers for our students.

By modeling ethical use, encouraging curiosity, and keeping a growth mindset, we guide students toward seeing AI as a tool for learning, not a shortcut for cheating.

 

A is for Accept and Adapt

This one’s the toughest: recognizing what’s outside both control and influence.

AI is here to stay. It will reshape assessment, creativity, and what “cheating” even looks like. That’s not up to us. But acceptance isn’t surrender; it’s the first step to adaptation.

• Rethink assessments to focus on creativity, reflection, and critical thinking.

• Build student agency and intrinsic motivation, learning for the sake of learning, not just grades, can make using AI inappropriately less likely.

• Shift energy from “AI detectors” to designing tasks that AI can’t replicate.

When we accept and adapt, AI becomes less of a threat and more of a current we can use to move forward.

 

Final Thoughts

Like the Ancient One told Dr. Strange, we can’t beat the river into submission. Instead, let’s use its power as our own.

The CIA model gives us a compass:

• Control what we can

• Influence what we must

• Accept & Adapt to what we can’t

AI isn’t a storm to fear. It’s a powerful current, and when we ride it wisely, it can carry us to incredible places.

 

👉 What do you think? How are you using AI in your classroom, controlling it, influencing it, or adapting to it? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

 

📚 Want to learn more about frameworks like this? Check out Coaching for Change by Neil and Sue Thompson (affiliate link).

 

If you’re a Padlet fan, you’re going to want to hear these updates that you may have missed..

Padlet recently rolled out a bunch of new updates that make it more powerful, more classroom-friendly, and honestly, more fun. Whether you’re looking for ways to give feedback, streamline grading, or create with AI, there’s something here for you.

Let’s break it down 👇

 

Create Padlets with AI

Padlet now includes AI-powered creation. This means you can start a Padlet board with just a few words, and the AI will help build out your layout, content, or structure. No more staring at a blank board, wondering where to begin.

 

New Padlet Gradebook (Yes, It Syncs!)

This one’s a biggie.

Padlet now includes a Gradebook feature that can even sync with your learning management system. You can keep track of student submissions and feedback right inside Padlet, no jumping between tools.

✨ Check out the Padlet Gradebook update

 

“Talk for Me” – AI-Powered Voice Feature

Here’s one that’s super helpful for accessibility: type the text, and Padlet speaks it out loud.

This new “Talk for Me” feature can help students who benefit from audio instructions or need support reading directions.

🎧 Listen to Padlet’s Talk for Me in action

 

AI Moderation with Safety Net

Keeping online spaces safe just got easier.

Padlet has introduced AI-enhanced moderation, called Safety Net. It automatically flags questionable content before it gets posted and helps maintain a safe, respectful space for your class discussions.

🧠 Read about Safety Net here

 

Freeze or Unfreeze Padlets Automatically

You can now automatically freeze or unfreeze a Padlet on specific dates.

This is perfect for time-bound assignments or collaborative activities that need to close at a certain point, without you having to remember to do it manually.

 

ICYMI: Padlet Sandbox – A Jamboard Alternative

With Jamboard gone, Padlet has stepped up with a new Sandbox feature—a collaborative, interactive whiteboard that does way more than Jamboard ever did.

Students can draw, drop images, type, and interact with content all in one space. It’s a digital canvas for brainstorming, learning, and visual expression.

🧰 Explore Padlet Sandbox

 

Quick Highlights:

• ✅ AI-created Padlets save you setup time
• 📚 Gradebook that talks to your LMS
• 🗣️ Text-to-speech support with “Talk for Me”
• 🧠 AI moderation = safer spaces
• ⏳ Timed freeze/unfreeze features
• 🧽 Sandbox = Jamboard’s cooler, smarter cousin

 

What Do You Think?

Which of these Padlet updates are you most excited to try?
Did Padlet just solve a problem you’ve been struggling with?

👇 Share your thoughts or ask a question in the comments below!

Recently, I’ve written and podcasted a lot  about my son learning to drive. So, I thought you might like a quick update.

My son, who just a few months ago was nervously circling the parking lot, is now less than a month away from turning 16. Yikes. And in preparation for that moment, he is driving more and more.

And while I’d love to tell you it’s been a smooth, completely uneventful and unexciting ride, it has not.

It hasn’t been horrible either—but let me paint the picture.

 

Garage Frames, Mailboxes, and Imaginary Brakes 

A few weeks ago, my son was pulling into the garage—nice and slow, doing everything right, checking everything around him. When… bump—side mirror meets garage frame.

It left a little mark on the mirror, but we were both okay.

Then another day, he was backing out of our driveway with my wife and gently tapped a neighbor’s mailbox. (In case our neighbors are avid readers of my blog—there was no real damage, but still, it was a whole thing.)

We’ve also had:

• Some very close calls in busy parking lots 
• A few too-tight turns 
• More than one moment where my wife or I instinctively reached for the imaginary brake pedal on the passenger side 

If you’re a parent—or have ever taught a teenager to drive—you know these moments are not the exception. They’re part of the process.

 

Mistakes Aren’t Signs of Failure—They’re Steps Toward Mastery

Here’s what I keep telling him:
The bumps along the way? They’re not signs you’re doing it wrong. They’re how you get better.

Because if we expect every step of the learning journey to be perfect, we’re setting ourselves (and our kids) up for disappointment.

Even worse, we’re teaching students to fear mistakes instead of learning from them.

 

Sound Familiar, Teachers? You Are Learning Too.

Right now, many educators are doing something brave. You may be:

• Exploring AI tools 
• Implementing a new curriculum 
• Handing over more control to students 
• Trying out fresh tech tools 

And you know what? It’s not going to be perfect.
The chatbot might not answer the way you expected.
The new tool might be blocked by your school’s firewall.
The lesson might flop.
Students might not engage the way you’d hoped.

And yeah, sometimes you back into a metaphorical mailbox.

 

That’s Where the Growth Happens.

Especially when we reflect.

In design thinking, there’s a concept called “failing forward.” It means that instead of fearing failure, we build it in. We plan for bumps and treat them like feedback, not disasters.

And that’s what my son is doing:

• Every awkward left turn 
• Every too-close curb 
• Every “oops” moment 

All of it is shaping him into a better, more confident driver.

But here’s the key: it’s not just the experience. It’s the reflection.
Often, that reflection requires a little honest feedback from my wife or me. Sometimes it’s a casual “Next time, go slower into the turn.”
Sometimes it’s, well, louder. 😅

But the growth doesn’t come from getting everything right.
It comes from knowing what to do when you don’t.

 

It’s the Same for Us And For Our Students

Trying something new in the classroom—especially something as big as AI—isn’t always easy. You’ll have missteps. Mistakes. Headaches.

But every misstep is a moment to:

• Learn 
• Recalibrate 
• Try again 
• And model resilience and a growth mindset for your students 

That last part? It might be the most important of all. Students don’t just need to see success. They need to see how we handle the bumps, how we stay calm (mostly), reflect, and adjust.

 

Wherever You Are, It’s Okay

Maybe you’re still circling the parking lot.
Maybe you just had your first mailbox moment.
Maybe you’re cautiously merging onto the highway.

Wherever you are, please remember this:

The bumpy road is the process.
You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to keep learning.

And hey, if you ever need someone to hit the imaginary brake pedal or yell “STOP SIGN! STOP SIGN! STOP SIGN!”—reach out, because I’ve got a lot of practice. 😉

 

Your Turn 

Have you had your own “garage bump” moment with a new lesson, tool, or classroom idea?

Share it in the comments below.
We’d love to hear how you’re failing forward—and what you’ve learned from it.

Let’s normalize the messiness of learning for students and teachers alike.

 

Let’s be honest—between teaching standard essay structure and juggling state rubrics, sentence-level craft often gets left behind. But what if I told you there’s a resource that brings sentence-level beauty back into focus—and it takes just five minutes to use?

Thanks to educator and podcast host Marcus Luther (of The Broken Copier Podcast), writing teachers now have access to a truly special classroom tool: a collection of 40 innovative sentence structures pulled straight from the pages of some of the most beloved authors in literature.

We’re talking Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and many others (some you’ll know, some you’ll want to look up immediately). The resource lives right here on Google Slides and is 100% free for educators.

Why This Project Matters (Especially Right Now)

Here’s the truth: in a world where AI can crank out a cookie-cutter essay in under 30 seconds, teaching kids how to write beautiful, human sentences matters more than ever.

This project doesn’t just offer what to teach—it shows how to teach it.

Each sentence example includes:

• A beautifully crafted sentence from a published author 
• A quick teacher’s note explaining what makes the sentence stand out 
• A prompt to assign to students empowering them to try that same technique in their own writing 

The goal? Show students that great writing lives beyond the five-paragraph formula. It’s about voice, play, creativity, and honoring the art of sentence construction.

And honestly, it works even if you’re not “a writing teacher.” I’m not and I was totally captivated by the sentences themselves.

Where These Sentences Come From

Marcus didn’t Google “top 40 sentences” and call it a day. These sentences were loved first, then shared.

According to his blogpost, he:

• Found them while reading 
• Dog-eared the pages 
• Highlighted lines that moved him 
• Took notes in the margins 

In other words, these are sentences that stuck. And now, through this project, they can stick with your students too.

He’s also inviting you—yes, you!—to contribute your own favorite sentences and reflections to the growing collection. The goal is to eventually represent a wide range of voices, experiences, and styles. Now that’s a writing project with soul.

Ideas for Using It in Class

This doesn’t need to be a big lesson plan. Even if you’ve only got 5 minutes, you can use one slide and have a powerful impact. Try one of these approaches:

• Sentence of the Week – Kick off Monday with a new sentence and let students experiment all week. 
• Quick-Write Prompt – Use it as a warm-up or journal entry. 
• Mini Mentor Texts – Tie it into a current writing unit as a model. 
• Student Curation – Have students find their own “innovative sentences” in books they’re reading. 

Even better? These are ready to go. Just project a slide, read it together, discuss the note, and let your students try it out.

Highlight: It’s Not Just Grammar—It’s Style

This project isn’t about fixing run-ons or identifying parts of speech. It’s about showing kids that writing can sound beautiful, and they can write that way too.

What gets lost in typical instruction sometimes is the joy of language. These sentence structures can help your students play with things like:

• Rhythm and repetition 
• Punctuation as a style choice 
• Metaphor, juxtaposition, and imagery 
• Fragmented sentences (done on purpose) 

This is the kind of writing that gets noticed. The kind that feels alive. And when students feel proud of a sentence they wrote—not just a whole essay—you’re building lifelong confidence.

It’s Human. It’s Free. It’s Ready.

Let’s not miss the deeper layer here: this resource exists because one teacher loved sentences so much, he collected them like treasure. And then he shared them.

If your students need to remember that writing is art, not just a rubric requirement, this is your moment.

Check out the full slide deck:
👉 View the Innovative Sentences Google Slides Collection

Learn more about the project:
👉 Read Marcus Luther’s full write-up on The Broken Copier

 

Over to You!

What’s your favorite sentence from the collection? How might you use this in your classroom, weekly warm-ups? Writing centers? Student-led sharing?

Drop your ideas in the comments below!
Let’s crowdsource more ways to use this beautiful resource in real classrooms, with real students.

And hey, if your students start creating their own sentence collections, we want to hear about that too. 🙌

 

Google celebrated the start of Summer 2025 by announcing a boat load of updates to Google for Education. The headliner of those updates is the big Gemini for Education rollout. There’s a lot of stuff happening in this rollout and this post is here to help you understand these new offerings.

What is Gemini for Education?

Imagine a supercharged AI assistant, built for school settings, with privacy guardrails, teacher-friendly tools, and customizable features. Google says that’s what Gemini for Education is. And it’s running on Gemini 2.5 Pro—their most advanced model.

You get it with any Workspace for Education account (yes, even the free one), and it includes these core tools:

• Gemini Live – Talk to the AI out loud
• Deep Research – Synthesized reports with citations
• Gemini Canvas – Build games, quizzes, simulations, content, and more
• Gems – Your custom AI sidekick

Let’s unpack ‘em teacher-style.

 

Gemini Live: Talk It Out with AI

Apparently, text chat is so 2023. With Gemini Live, students and teachers can have actual conversations—like out loud—with Gemini. It’s like a no-judgment study buddy who listens, adapts, and doesn’t sigh when you ask, “Wait, can you explain that again?”

You can even:

• Share your screen
• Share your camera
• Upload files

For example, Google says you can:

• Rehearse a presentation and get real-time coaching from Gemini Live
• Ask it for feedback on a math problem or a rough draft of a paper
• Snap a picture of a textbook page and ask Gemini Live to explain it
• Share your screen to get help understanding a confusing interface
• Upload a document and have Gemini help you break it down

It’s especially great for students who learn best by thinking out loud or repeating concepts.

 

Deep Research: Your AI Research Assistant

Let’s talk about that time-saving magic—and the catch.

Deep Research scans the web, reads dozens of sources, and compiles a full-on report (with citations and links!). You guide it with a prompt, adjust the research plan, and watch it work. You can upload documents and resources to be a part of the research if you want . . . or let it make all of the research choices.

Deep Research even iteratively refines its approach as it researches. It reads an article, processes it, and uses that new understanding to decide what to search for next—just like you would if you were adjusting your research strategy mid-project.

And once it’s done, you’re not stuck with a static doc. You can turn that report into an Audio Overview, just like in NotebookLM, or export it into Gemini Canvas where you can build interactive materials—quizzes, visuals, study guides, and more (more on that below).

Sounds amazing, right? It is—for teachers. Prepping a unit? Need quick background info? Deep Research is gold.

But for students? I’m nervous.

In a demo video, a Google product manager used Deep Research to quickly compile a report on remote work on urban development. He skipped the reading, the sifting, and the analysis, and in the video he said, “I don’t know about you, but reading this much stuff would’ve certainly taken me hours.”

Skipping the reading may mean skipping meaning-making, reflection, learning, and thinking. And in his job, maybe that was fine for this specific task. Maybe he just needed a quick briefing on one small aspect of a bigger project. Maybe, for him, it was just about the product—the research report—not the process—the reading and thinking.

But in our classrooms, that kind of shortcut can be dangerous because research, at least for our learners, isn’t just about the product. It’s about the process. It’s about learning about a concept. And also learning to ask better questions, follow your curiosity, compare sources, and form your own conclusions.

Deep research threatens to do all of that for students, if we’re not careful. So, we’ll need to be really intentional about when, how, why, and maybe if we have our learners use it.

Gemini Canvas: Your Interactive Creation Playground

Gemini Canvas is where the magic happens. Think Google Docs meets Canva meets NotebookLM—with AI riding shotgun.

You can:

• Turn research into infographics or quizzes
• Workshop writing, tone, or ideas
• Build interactive timelines, simulators, or even mini-games
• Share your creations directly with students

Think of it as a creative sandbox—more than just a doc or chat window—where you can write, code, prototype, and build with the help of Gemini’s most powerful model, Gemini 2.5 Pro. It works seamlessly with Deep Research and offers that sweet spot between content creation and lesson design.

 

Gems: Custom AI for Your Teaching Style

Gems are AI profiles you customize once and reuse forever. You tell Gemini how to act, what to do, what references and sources to use, and what tone to take. Want a lesson planner that sounds like your co-teacher? Done. Need a pirate-themed math tutor? You arrr welcome to try it out (matey)!.

You put in the time at the beginning to get the Gem just right and then it’s ready for you—or others—in the future.

Use it to:

• Generate UDL-aligned materials
• Create differentiated practice sets rooted in your standards
• Build recurring writing prompts

If you need some training wheels, you can start with premade Gems like Learning Coach, Writing Editor, Coding Partner, Brainstormer, and Career Guide. They’re available in the Gem Manager or the Gemini sidebar. And if you find a Gem that’s close, but not quite right, you can copy it and tweak it to better fit your needs.

Google shared some standout education examples like:

• A lesson-planning Gem aligned to your curriculum
• A translator Gem that rewrites content in multiple languages
• A math generator Gem that builds differentiated problem sets
• A citation assistant for student research
• An event planning Gem to help with ceremonies or PD.

While only users who are 18 or older can create Gems, I can absolutely imagine student-facing Gems—like a study buddy or quiz generator—built by teachers and shared with students. Think: custom chatbots, but with more personality and precision, customized to your exact needs, your standards, your curriculum, and your learners.

Bonus: You can access your Gems in the sidebars of Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. 👀

Safety & Admin Controls

Gemini for Education comes with built-in protections:

• No data is human-reviewed
• None of your data is used to train the model
• Inappropriate content is flagged
• COPPA, FERPA, HIPAA, FedRAMP compliant
• Common Sense Media Privacy Seal
• Admins control who gets access
• Vault integration to retain or review chats

Admins can choose who does or does not have access and even see usage information for each user. That’s handy not just from an appropriate use standpoint, but because it’ll help them be aware of who is nearing their usage cap (there’s a 1,000 use/month limit per user).

Free vs. Pro: What Do You Really Get?

Here’s what’s free with Workspace for Education:

• Gemini Live, Canvas, and Gems
• Limited use of Gemini 2.5 Pro
• Limited Deep Research
• Integration with Google Workspace
• Strong privacy + admin controls

What Pro adds:

• Expanded usage caps
• Full access to Gemini 2.5 Pro
• Larger file uploads (up to 1,500 pages)
• Direct integration with Gmail, Docs, Slides
• NotebookLM upgrades (more features + storage)

You’ll have to call Google for pricing (ugh), but the free version? It’s not a watered-down demo. It looks legit.

Let’s Try it Out!

When game-changing new tools like this come out, it’s best to find small things you can do to try it out.

Consider these options:

• Test Gemini Canvas to create a short quiz
• Try a Gem for writing support
• Use Deep Research to prep for an upcoming unit
• Let Gemini Live tutor a student who needs some 1:1 help

 Let’s Chat!

Have you tried Gemini for Education yet?
Got thoughts, questions, or “Wait, is this actually safe?” vibes?
💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments below.