Ask Me Anything
September 16, 2025

Meeting Notes

• GEG Sydney Group Objectives Clare Willemse welcomed attendees to the GEG Sydney group's second meeting, explaining that the group aims to learn and share knowledge about Google for Education tools, foster connections, and inspire new ideas (00:14:34). Chris Betcher encouraged participants to use the chat for questions and contributions, emphasizing an open, conversational format (00:16:28).

• Acknowledgement of Country and Introductions Clare Willemse led an Acknowledgement of Country, paying respect to the traditional owners of the lands and honoring Indigenous communities (00:16:28). Kelly Hollis introduced themself as a science product manager at Education Perfect, with 14 years of classroom experience and a Google community connection with Chris Betcher and Clare Willemse (00:17:24). Clare Willemse shared their role as a primary teacher and e-learning leader, focusing on digital learning and supporting teachers in embedding technology (00:18:14).

• Google Certification Program Chris Betcher discussed Google's certification program (Level 1 and Level 2 exams), which validates users' knowledge of Google tools and opens doors to higher-level certifications like Google Certified Innovator and Trainer (00:44:45). The exams are changing in September to reintroduce scenario-based questions, making them more authentic and application-focused (00:46:34). Clare Willemse expressed excitement to retake their Level 2 certification, which is required every three years to remain active in the community (00:47:33).

• Google Sites for Collaborative Learning Clare Willemse praised Google Sites as an effective collaborative tool for students to share learning beyond traditional slide decks. They described a project where students created digital learning portfolios, which were then showcased to parents during student-led conferences, allowing students to share their work with a wider audience (00:19:57). Chris Betcher and Ryan Noonan noted the utility of embedding JavaScript code from Gemini Canvas into Google Sites to run interactive apps and games (00:20:59).

• Google Vids for Video Creation Clare Willemse expressed excitement about Google Vids as a collaborative tool for video projects, noting its ease of use, modern stock images, and templates (00:22:45). They highlighted its integration with Google Classroom as an assignment feature, enabling teachers to create templates for student completion (00:23:40). Paul Meldrum pointed out that Google Vids has a shallow learning curve for those familiar with Google Slides, making it accessible even for younger students (00:25:38).

• Collaborative Tools for Engagement Clare Willemse shared various collaborative practices, including using Google Classroom for clubs and groups to share performance videos and song lyrics (00:27:15). They also described a photography lesson using Google Slides for a collaborative image gallery, and leveraging Google Drawings for art projects that foster digital skills like screenshotting and sharing (00:28:29). Chris Betcher suggested using Google Slides to create collaborative class magazines and Google Sheets for group data collection and analysis, emphasizing the visualization of data through charts (00:30:31).

• Classroom AI Features for Teachers Julian Ridden detailed the new Google Classroom AI features, which their schools are adopting even in Microsoft environments (00:32:22). They particularly praised the "adjust reading level" tool, which simplifies text for different grade levels while identifying changed words (00:34:06). Julian Ridden emphasized that these tools offer pre-built interfaces, simplifying AI use for educators who may not be comfortable with complex prompts (00:36:25).

• Using Version History and AI Detection Clare Willemse highlighted the importance of Google Doc's version history for tracking student work and identifying the use of AI tools, particularly with the "Bruce Teaching Inspect Writing" Chrome extension which replays document creation (00:39:13). Chris Betcher demonstrated Draftback, a Chrome extension that visualizes the revision history of a Google Doc, allowing teachers to spot large blocks of text appearing suddenly, which could indicate plagiarism or AI use (00:42:06).

• Emerging AI Tools: Gemini Storybook and Notebook LM Clare Willemse showcased Gemini's pre-made "Storybook" gem, which generates illustrated stories based on user prompts, complete with page-turning visuals and audio narration (00:48:23) (00:50:10). Chris Betcher noted the potential for this tool to combine with Google Read Along for personalized learning experiences (00:51:59). Chris Betcher also highly recommended Notebook LM, an AI tool that processes uploaded resources to provide insights, create mind maps, and generate audio overviews, reducing hallucinations by relying on a source of truth (00:54:37). Paul Meldrum and Clare Willemse discussed its potential as a study tool for high school students and a well-being resource for staff (00:57:45).

• Notebook LM Features Chris Betcher explained that the sharing function in Notebook LM is restricted to one's domain, allowing users to share either the full notebook or just the chat. They also highlighted the ability to define custom chatbots with specific contexts and share only the chat within a domain, ensuring the chatbot stays within defined guardrails. Paul Meldrum added that they used Notebook LM to transcribe audio from a video file, noting its effective transcription capabilities (00:58:49). Chris Betcher further described how Notebook LM cites source material with clickable numbers, allowing users to trace information back to its origin within the document (00:59:41).

• Google Tasks and Google Docs Integration Clare Willemse shared that Google Tasks is now linked with Google Calendar, allowing users to view all their tasks directly within the calendar interface. They also demonstrated how to assign tasks to individuals within a Google Doc by using "Shift + 2" to bring up a menu, which then saves the assignment as a task with the assignee's picture (01:00:41). Chris Betcher added that for schools using Google Workspace Plus, tasks assigned within a Google Doc checklist appear on the assignee's calendar and task list, and completing the task in either location automatically updates it in the Google Doc (01:02:30).

• Smart Chips and Connectors in Google Workspace Paul Meldrum emphasized the importance of smart chips and shortcuts, like the "@" shortcut, as powerful connectors between various Google products such as Sites and Sheets. They noted that these connectors facilitate quick and efficient linking between different tools, enhancing productivity. Clare Willemse and Chris Betcher agreed, highlighting the amazing capabilities of these integrated features (01:03:26).

• Nano Banana in Gemini for Image Generation and Editing Chris Betcher explained that Gemini is a multimodal generative AI tool, capable of processing and generating text, images, and videos. They noted that Gemini's image generation, powered by "diffusion modeling," has significantly improved and is particularly adept at creating imaginative images from prompts (01:04:14). Chris Betcher demonstrated that Nano Banana, the latest iteration of Gemini's image generation model, excels at editing existing images, transforming a photo of a person with a deer into a scene with a cheetah in the African savannah through a series of iterative edits (01:05:12).

• Educational Applications of Nano Banana and AI Studio Julian Ridden showcased a "World War I poster generator" app built using Google AI Studio and Nano Banana, which allows students to upload their photos and integrate themselves into historical propaganda posters, fostering a personal connection to the subject matter (01:08:41). They highlighted that images generated via an API call in Nano Banana do not display the AI-generated star, providing a seamless experience (01:09:26). Julian Ridden also emphasized the importance of developing guardrails for AI tools to prevent inappropriate content generation, sharing examples where their staff intentionally tried to "break" the system to identify vulnerabilities (01:11:32). Chris Betcher mentioned building a similar tool in AI Studio that places objects into various advertising contexts like billboards or bus stops (01:13:19).

• Automating Tasks with Gemini's Code Generation Chris Betcher shared how Gemini can generate App Script code to automate tasks, such as creating a set of Google Slides where each slide is topped with a name from a Google Sheet. They noted that Gemini can even debug its own code, demonstrating its utility in streamlining complex processes. Paul Meldrum briefly inquired if Chris Betcher had explored Opal, a beta workflow tool in Google AI for managing multiple AI tools, indicating ongoing developments in AI integration (01:15:09).

• Upcoming GEG Sydney Events and Community Engagement Chris Betcher announced upcoming events for GEG Sydney, including a deep dive into AI with Gemini on October 23rd featuring Julian and Ryan, and an end-of-year wrap-up in December (01:16:02). Clare Willemse expressed interest in hosting a "back to school" event in January in person at Google's Sydney office (01:16:59). Chris Betcher also shared that they are starting a GEG Canberra group and invited attendees to follow GEG Sydney on their website and social media platforms for updates and resources (01:18:00).