GOOGLE VIDS - Animate an Image

 It's so fun and easy to ANIMATE AN IMAGE in Google Vids! Check it out!

Google VIDS is the newest app from Google and it's amazing! You can create, edit, and share videos with Google VIDS. One of the fun features in Google VIDS is the ability to animate an image. This feature is available under Veo. When you click on Veo in the sidebar, the AI Video Clip panel opens. Click the down arrow next to Create from Scratch and you'll see the option to Animate an Image. Click on it to get started. There's a box where you can type what should happen in your video. There's also a box to add your image. After you've done both of these things, you can click on Generate. Google VIDS will create the video of your animated image. You can edit the length of the video in the timeline that appears below the video. When you're ready, you can download the video as an MP4 video or as a GIF animation. You also have the option to export the video to Google Drive or to YouTube.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - AUGUST 2026

 It's as EASY AS ABC to ANIMATE AN IMAGE in Google Vids!

GOOGLE SLIDES - Stock Images

 STOCK IMAGES in Google Slides are safe to use and look great!

Stock Images are a great option in Google Slides. You can find them under Stock & Web in the sidebar. Stock Images are copyright-free so that makes them legally safe to use. They also have high image quality so they look great. You don't have to worry about the pixelation or low resolution that you sometimes get with other images. All you have to do is enter what you're searching for and the results will be lots of Stock Images to choose from. Just click on an image and it will be inserted into your slide. You also have the option in Stock & Web to choose Google Images. There will be lots of Google Images to choose from but be sure to use caution with them because many of them are copyrighted. You don't have to worry about this with Stock Images because they're copyright-free.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - JULY 2026

 STOCK IMAGES in Google Slides are copyright-free and that's a reason to CELEBRATE!

GOOGLE DRIVE - Workspaces

 WORKSPACES in Google Drive gives you fast access to the files you're working on!

Using Workspaces in Google Drive is great for lesson planning, preparing for professional development, tracking student progress, or whatever current project you're working on. With Workspaces, you bring in your files so that they are front and center and you can get to them quickly. Putting files in a Workspace doesn't move or duplicate the files, it just gives you fast access to them. The files are still in your Google Drive in the folder and location where you have them stored. You can add up to 25 files to each Workspace that you create. Even though you're limited to creating 8 Workspaces, it shouldn't be a problem because you can delete a Workspace once you're done working on it and then you can create a new Workspace as you need it. Workspaces in Google Drive will make your life easier but it's only available for paid Google Workspace accounts, so take advantage of Workspaces, if you have them.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - JUNE 2026

 It's NO SWEAT to use WORKSPACES in Google Drive and it will make your life easier!

GMAIL - Layouts

 Check out Gmail LAYOUTS and see how you can create amazing looking customized emails!

There's so much that you can do with Gmail Layouts! It's a small button at the bottom of the Compose window but clicking on it opens up so many possibilities. There are five different types of layouts and you can customize all of them. After you select a layout, you can add images, customize the colors and font, create themes, insert text boxes, buttons, dividers, content blocks, spacers, social links, and placeholders. Each time you create a new customized layout, it will be saved under the tab "My Layouts" in the Edit Layout window. This means that not only can you create lots of awesome custom layouts, you can also reuse them as many times as you want. Think of all the possibilities! Your email doesn't have to be plain anymore because you can make it amazing with all of the customized layouts that you can create with Gmail Layouts!

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - MAY 2026

 SPRING into action and use Gmail LAYOUTS to create a beautiful custom email! 🌸

GOOGLE CHROME - Reopen Closed Tab

 Have you ever accidentally closed a Google Chrome tab? Here's a quick and easy way to REOPEN CLOSED TAB! 

Have you ever accidentally closed a Google Chrome tab? Or have you ever closed a Google Chrome tab on purpose and then changed your mind as soon as you closed it? Or have you ever closed a Google Chrome tab trying to clean up your tabs and then decided that you needed to open it again? Google Chrome has an easy way for you to quickly reopen a closed tab! This works on the last tab that you closed. All you have to do is right click over any empty space on the Google Chrome tab strip, then click on Reopen Closed Tab. The last tab that you closed will reopen! If you want to reopen a tab that you closed recently but it wasn’t the last tab that you closed, you can still do that. You just need to repeat the steps of right clicking over an empty space on the Google Chrome tab strip and clicking on Reopen Closed Tab until the tab you closed reopens. You can also use Ctrl+Shift+T to do this same process. Now, you never have to worry that you won’t be able to reopen a tab that you closed!

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - APRIL 2026

This is no JOKE! If you close a Google Chrome tab, there's an easy way to quickly REOPEN CLOSED TAB!

GOOGLE DOCS - Insert Templates

 The new feature to INSERT TEMPLATES in Google Docs is so easy to use and it has all new templates, too!

Insert Templates in Google Docs is a new feature and is different from using the Template Gallery on the Google Docs homepage. Using Insert Templates can be done right inside a Google Doc and the templates are modern, often with pageless design elements and placeholder chips designed for real-time collaboration. When you open a Google Doc, now you'll see the prompt word "Template" at the top of your Google Doc. If you click on it, the Insert Template page will open for you to choose a template. If you don't click on the word "Template" and just start typing, the word will disappear. The other way to access Insert Templates is to click on the File tab, hover over New, and click on From a Template. This will also open the Insert Template page and you'll be able to choose from some amazing new templates to insert into your Google Doc. Once a template has been inserted, you can customize it to look how you want by editing, removing, adding, or replacing items in the template.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - MARCH 2026

It's your LUCKY day! Google Docs has a new feature to INSERT TEMPLATES and wait until you see all the awesome new choices! ☘️

GOOGLE SLIDES - Convert to Video

The new feature CONVERT TO VIDEO in Google Slides is amazing and so easy to use!

Convert to Video is a new feature in Google Slides and it's amazing! The small icon for Convert to Video is at the bottom of the sidebar. When you click on it, the Convert to Video side panel opens. It has an Convert button and explains that it will "convert your presentation into an engaging video using Google Vids". After you click on Convert, you will be able to select the slides that you want in the video. This is where the best feature is. Below the slides it says "Include AI voiceover, script, and background music" and you want to be sure that it's turned on. Now you click on Import and it will create a video in Google Vids with voiceover, script, and background! Isn't that amazing? And it was so easy! And that's not all. You can edit the video, if you want, and make changes. You have all the tools in Google Vids to make the video exactly how you want it. Even more amazing!

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - FEBRUARY 2026

You're going to LOVE the new feature CONVERT TO VIDEO in Google Slides! ❤️

GOOGLE CHROME - Tab Groups

Using TAB GROUPS in Google Chrome is a great way to get organized and save space!

If you're trying to get organized or like to stay organized, Tab Groups in Google Chrome are a great solution! Not only will Tab Groups keep your tabs together, using Tab Groups will also save space. Just by clicking on the Tab Group name, you can minimize each Tab Group to only show the name of the group, which will save lots of space with your tabs. Click on the Tab Group name again and the group will expand to show all of the tabs in the group. You also have lots of options with Tab Groups. You can move the tabs around and change their order. Instead of using the right-click menu to add or remove tabs from a group, you can click and drag tabs to add or remove them from a Tab Group. You can also right click on the Tab Group name to edit the group name and/or change the group color anytime. Finally, when you right click on the Tab Group name, you have these menu options - new tab in group, move group to new window, close group, ungroup, and delete group.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - JANUARY 2026

If you resolved to get organized for the NEW YEAR, get started by using TAB GROUPS in Google Chrome!

GMAIL - Mail Merge

 Did you know that you can do MAIL MERGE with GMAIL now? It's built right into the compose window!

The Mail Merge symbol is hiding in Gmail so you really have to look for it. You can't see it unless you're clicked on the Recipient line in the compose window. If you're on the Recipient line, you will see Cc Bcc on the far right and the Mail Merge symbol will be next to them on the right. Now that you've discovered the Mail Merge symbol, you'll be able to see what a powerful tool it can be. Over the years, many people have asked me about how to do a Mail Merge in Gmail. Previously, the only options were to use an outside program, which you would usually have to eventually pay for. I was thrilled when I discovered that Google had added Mail Merge in Gmail and it was built right into the compose window. I had all of my recipient information, including email addresses, in a Google Sheet. All I had to do was match the columns to the Mail Merge tags. If you want to personalize your emails, you can use the Mail Merge tags in your email. You can even have a Preview email sent to you to be sure that everything looks the way you want before the emails are sent to everyone. Mail Merge in Gmail is amazing!

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - DECEMBER 2025

Having MAIL MERGE built right into the compose window in GMAIL is a special GIFT for you!

 

GOOGLE DOCS - Voting Chips

Voting is easy and fun in Google Docs when you add customized VOTING CHIPS! 

If you want an easy and fun way to vote in Google Docs, just add customized Voting Chips! You can add them by clicking on Insert, hovering over Smart Chips, and clicking on Vote. You can also add them by typing @Vote. You can choose between 3 icons - thumbs up, heart, and plus sign - or you can click on Custom Voting Chip. When you click on Custom Voting Chip, the Emoji window opens and now the fun starts! You can pick an emoji for your Voting Chip. If you want all of your Voting Chips to look the same, just select the Voting Chip that you've created and copy and paste it until you have all of your Voting Chips in place. If you want to do something else interesting, you can select a different emoji for each of your Voting Chips. Finally, anyone who can view your Google Doc can vote. All they have to do is click on a Voting Chip and their vote is recorded. Each Voting Chip will show the number of votes next to their emoji.

TECH TREAT of the MONTH - NOVEMBER 2025

 You'll be GRATEFUL for VOTING CHIPS, if you want people to be able to vote in Google Docs!