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The Utah Google Educator Group hosted two sessions at last week's UCET Conference. In case you missed it, here's a quick recap:

  • In Our Google Era- 50 Tools Shaping the Future of Learning: Explore 50 Google tools categorized into six future-ready categories—from AI to Accessibility. Transform your teaching with a concrete plan for future-ready instruction.
    UCET 2026- In Our Google Era by dtaylor
  • GEG Utah 2026 Demo Slam: We ran this "Demo Slam" using pre-recorded videos to keep things moving fast. Participants watched the clips and voted on the best use of Google's newest tools. Congratulations to Eliza Lyons from Ogden School District, who won for a second year in a row with her video "Nano Banana- A Gemini Glamour Shot Glow Up". Thank you to all of the participants and we hope to see you next year.

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This month’s focus is on Digital Access. Adobe Express is designed with the philosophy that creativity should be accessible to everyone, regardless of physical ability or technical expertise. For educators, this means the platform provides several built-in "guardrails" and tools that ensure student-created content is inclusive from the start.

Key Accessibility Features

  • Alt-Text for Images: Users can add alternative text descriptions to images. This is essential for screen readers, allowing students who are blind or have low vision to understand the visual context of a project.
  • Auto-Captioning for Video: Adobe Express can automatically generate synchronized captions for video projects. This not only supports students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing but also improves comprehension for English Language Learners (ELL).
  • Accessible PDF Export: When students create documents or flyers, Adobe Express supports exporting to PDF with basic tagging structures. This makes the final file more navigable for assistive technologies.

By integrating these tools into the creative process, teachers can move beyond simply teaching accessibility to making it a standard part of every digital assignment.

Watch this short video for some great tips for keeping your digital projects accessible:

 

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This month, our Adobe Express spotlight is on becoming an Empathetic Communicator. In an era of digital noise, helping students bridge the gap between their internal feelings and their impact on others is essential. To bring this theme to life, we are highlighting a powerful project from educator Ramona Abraham-Coley: Student Identity Short Videos.

Cover images of three different student short video projects

She shares three easy-to-implement short video projects where students have to practice empathy and communication in a variety of ways.

  1. Students celebrate their voice, heritage, and community with The Sound of My Name video template.
  2. Students explore the locations around the world that influenced their identity with this Global Me storytelling video template.
  3. Students showcase a significant clothing item that reflects their heritage, religion, identity, or family narrative with this Threads of Me video template.

Bridging the Gap with Adobe Express

Empathetic communication begins with self-awareness. When students understand their own "why," they can more effectively share their stories with others. Using the intuitive video tools in Adobe Express, Ramona’s project encourages students to create short, punchy narratives that explore their unique backgrounds, values, and emotions.

How it works in the classroom:

  • Identify the Feeling: Students start by reflecting on an aspect of their identity that is often "invisible" to others.

  • Create the Connection: Using Adobe Express Video, students combine personal clips, icons, and voiceovers. This process forces them to consider how their creative choices—like music and pacing—affect the viewer's emotional response.

  • Measure the Impact: By sharing these videos, students receive immediate feedback on how their peers perceived their message, helping them "close the loop" on communication.

Start Creating

By practicing vulnerability through video, students learn that their voices have the power to build bridges rather than walls. You can find Ramona Abraham-Coley’s full tutorial and more inspiration here: https://express.adobe.com/learn/tutorial/express%2Fedu%2Fedu-creator-ramona-abraham-coley?source=learn-main-page&playlist=playlist%2Fexpress%2Feducator-collections.

Text on a comic book style background "embrace challenges"

Challenge: Have your students create a 30-second "Identity Short" this week to practice sharing their perspective with empathy and clarity!

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Gemini Integration in Google Tools
Gemini has officially been integrated into our district Workspace accounts. Keep an eye out for the sparkle icon in your Docs, Sheets, and Slides and more—Gemini ready to help you write, analyze, and design.

Lyria 3
Google recently unveiled Lyria 3, its newest music generation tool now available within Gemini for teacher use. This powerful model enables educators to compose original music and lyrics on the fly, making it easier than ever to integrate UDL principles into the classroom through customized, multi-sensory learning materials.